The Hindu 25.07.2012
City lacking in a sense of urgency?
Chennai is a city of five million people and it has 714
public toilets. More than half of them are not in a condition to be used
and the corporation has been demolishing a few old toilets every month.
It is no surprise that one hardly finds a toilet in most public places.
Norms
recommend that one public toilet must be provided for every 60 persons
in a city. This means that the city is short by thousands. Even if one
argues that such standards are applicable only to developed countries,
even by a reduced norm, Chennai would fall short grossly.
How
then would one put an end to open defecation? Urban poor who depend on
shared public toilets are the worst affected. Even if they are ready to
pay to use a public facility, there are hardly any options and the few
toilets that are in a decent condition are not easily accessible.
A
study conducted by Transparent Chennai, an NGO, found that more men
than women use public conveniences. In some places, toilets for women
are used by men. In most facilities, the space earmarked for bathing and
washing clothes is underused due to scarcity of water.
Such
a situation also takes a toll on children. It impedes in their toilet
training and many children do not want to use them as they are dirty. A
study among school children in Kameshwaram (Nagapattinam district), by
Friend In Need and United Nations University at Maastricht, Netherlands,
found that many children prefer to urinate in the streets as the school
toilets are not very clean. The funds allocated for maintenance are
minimal and schools concentrate on providing for laboratories and sports
facilities rather than maintaining toilets.
The
Corporation has announced that it will install 5,000 modern toilets made
of high-density polyethylene or polycarbonate sheet cubicles measuring
1.2m x 1.2m each. The toilets will be located adjacent to cinema halls,
shopping malls, bus termini, markets and other public spaces. The
question, however, is if this will help matters.
It
is not just about scaling the numbers. Location, design, privacy and
safety are critical issues too. Ideally, one shouldn’t need to walk more
than 15 minutes to find a public convenience. Experts say there is need
for more urinals.
As far as design is concerned,
India has not given it much thought. We lack innovation in design for
people with specific needs, such as the elderly or the
differently-abled. Even for others, the design has to be hassle-free. It
should also be made attractive for children.
The
cubicles proposed by the Chennai Corporation have no space for a
caretaker. There is no space for washing clothes or bathing. In the
past, toilets with caretaker have been maintained better.
The
Corporation has announced that it will install 5,000 modern toilets
made of high-density polyethylene or polycarbonate sheet cubicles
measuring 1.2m x 1.2m each