CHENNAI: The Evening Bazar Road in Park Town, one of the busiest markets in Chennai, sees heavy footfall throughout the day, with workers and the general public frequenting Rasappa Chetty, Devaraja Mudalai, and the surrounding streets. However, many are complaining about the poor maintenance and dilapidated condition of the public toilet opposite the Pai Kara Bus Stop, urging the Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) to renovate the facility.
Sikandar B, a worker at Evening Bazar Road, said, “There are more than a hundred shops here. Without toilets in these commercial establishments, workers rely on the public toilet opposite the Pai Kara Bus Stop. Women workers face even greater difficulties.”
Several auto drivers and women workers also raised concerns. According to them, the Chennai Corporation, responsible for providing hygienic public toilets, has failed to maintain the facility, while miscreants have further damaged it.
A Jaffer, another worker, said, “I have no choice but to use this dilapidated toilet, which hasn’t been cleaned for more than 15 days. I even contracted a urinary infection because of it.”
S Kanaga Raj, an auto driver, added, “I am a diabetic, yet I have to use this uncleaned toilet because our autos are parked opposite it. We stand here for long hours and cannot bear the stench. We request the authorities to provide a new toilet at the same location.”
Private contractors responsible for maintaining the toilet explained the challenges they face. “The civic body placed a compactor dustbin outside the toilet, which often overflows and is not cleared. This forced us to remove the toilet from our maintenance list,” they said.
When contacted, a Chennai Corporation official said, “The private contractor is now responsible for maintaining the toilet, but is not performing their duties. We had temporarily removed the bins opposite the toilet, but waste from commercial establishments was dumped on the road. Hence, we decided to place the bin back at its original location.”