The issue came to fore when social media carried a video of a youth openly breaking open the septic tank’s cement cover to remove the iron rods inside. He then took the metal rods to a nearby scrap dealer in the same locality where he exchanged it for cash before walking away. 

Enquiries revealed that local police said they had not received any complaint as the town panchayat lacks an EO (executive office) as another person holds additional charge and the latter has not preferred a police complaint due to the red tape involved. 

The toilet complex comprising of 6 seats was constructed at a total cost of Rs 6.80 lakh in 2018 under the Union government’s Swach Bharat Mission, but was never used by the locals due to the complex having no water and power connections. Local residents continued with open defecation on the shores of Palar river. But, that stopped due to heavy flow in the river due to monsoon rains. Fear of snakes and insects too inhibit them from using the open spaces near the river. The death of a school boy, who drowned in the river when he fell into a water filled pit dug by sand mafia has hence put the river bed out of bounds for locals. 

Unmindful of the resident’s hard time in answering nature’s call, out-of-work local youth robbed the toilet facility of its metal fixtures for a few bucks. Though local residents have requested civic officials to repair and restore the toilet complex for their use, no action has been taken so far.