CHENNAI: The city has a huge number of unmaintained or locked public restrooms. This has resulted in people urinating in nearby streets and/or next to locked toilets.

For more than three months the toilet at the Mambalam railway station has been closed, said the residents. Thousands of passengers travel through Mambalam railway station to T Nagar and other areas.

“The toilet has been closed for more than three months. The contract rate which the railways set was too high which is the reason why the toilets are not looked after. Another issue is due to the lack of bore-well waters the contractors have to get the water in lorries which costs a very huge amount” said a vendor in the railway station. The restroom was cleaned once but no one was assigned to clean it regularly and the toilet was left like that.

Women travellers are the worst affected as they are left without a choice. “There will be no action taken even if we complain to the officials. Lack of toilets forces men for open urination but women do not have any other choice” said Latha, a commuter. Open urination has been a very common scenario in the railway station area as many people urinate behind the non-functional toilet.

When contacted the official attached to the Southern Railway mentioned that the renovation works will be started soon and plans are made to make it into bio-toilets.