A total of 153 baby-friendly toilets would be
constructed in all the anganwadi centres in the Corporation limits at a
cost of Rs. 84.15 lakh.

Officials said that each
toilet would be constructed at a cost of Rs. 55,000 and would have a
space area of 24 square feet, floors and walls with ceramic tiles, ramps
and baby water closets. Work has begun at many centres and a few
toilets have been completed.

The rest of construction
activity is expected to be completed by this month-end, added an
official. The floors and walls were finished with ceramic tiles and
attractive wall pictures like cartoons, flowers or pet animals would be
pasted near the toilets.

To ensure that children do not get up locked inside, half doors were provided.

Ramps
with hand-railing and handles were provided, both inside and outside,
at the toilets. Suramangalam Zone would have 20 toilets, Hasthampatti
Zone — 40, Ammapet Zone — 38 and Kondalampatti — 25. The practice of
using toilets from childhood would ensure healthy practices among the
children, added the officials.

Currently, the
anganwadi centres do not have any special toilets for children and they
have to defecate in the open. This causes sanitation issues and poses
health problems for the children.

After the
announcement by the Chief Minister Jayalalithaa that such toilets would
be constructed, the Social Welfare and Nutritious Meal Programme
Department had issued order dated April 17, 2012 and sanctioned funds
for the construction activity.

Apart from
construction of new toilets, major repairs at 49 toilets in various
centres in four zones and minor repairs to 10 toilets in Ammapet Zone
would be carried out.

The civic body had also passed a resolution recently for carrying out repair and construction works.