Chennai Citizen Connect: Dry taps, non-functional water kiosk stall in Chetpet railway station, invite ire

CHENNAI: At Chetpet suburban railway station, all 13 drinking water taps were found to be non-functional. This has created major inconvenience for the commuters, as they have no other option but to rely on the alternative options.

The lack of access to drinking water at noon has led the public to rely more on bottled water available in shops at the station, which falls under the Southern Railway zone.

“The drinking water taps have been non-functional in the station for a very long time. I normally buy bottled water from the stall in the station, and it is not affordable for everyone to pay Rs 15,” said a regular commuter.

In one of the damaged drinking water basins at the station, weeds were found growing, clearly indicating that the taps haven’t been maintained for a long period. Another basin has turned into a trash bin as commuters dump plastic and food waste.

“If the taps are repaired and maintained properly, it would be helpful. However, the officials are not taking any steps to do so. In addition, steps should be taken to extend the railway platform shelters to provide respite for the public from heat,” said Subramanian, another commuter.

It is to be noted that only a small stall is available at the station for the passengers to buy water. Even the water kiosk stall operated by the IRCTC at the station remains closed, with the machine found to be in an unusable condition, covered with dust for a long time.

If the machine is functional, commuters can get water at a cheap rate in comparison to packaged drinking water at Rs 8 per litre with a bottle, or refill the same quantity at Rs 5 from the water dispenser.

When DT Next contacted, the officials attached to the Chennai division were not reachable.