The Hindu 02.09.2010
Abandoned toilet complex serves as noon meal kitchen for school at Tambaram
CHANGE OF ROLES:The abandoned public toilet in M.G.R.Nagar, Selaiyur, that is being used as a noon meal kitchen
TAMBARAM: An abandoned public toilet complex has become the kitchen for preparing noon meal for students of a school in Tambaram.
Food cooked in this kitchen is served to students of Tambaram Municipality's Primary School in M.G.R.Nagar, Selaiyur. There are 106 students studying in the school and they come from places such as Camp Road, Madambakkam and Mappedu.
New buildings
The school was earlier functioning from a cramped premises and shifted to its present location after new buildings were constructed. The present location was a haunt for miscreants earlier.
A sanitary complex was also located inside the area.
Once the new classrooms were built, a compound wall was also raised.
The toilet complex which became part of the school campus was unused.
For the past six months, the noon meal for students is cooked inside this complex.
Residents said that earlier the food was cooked in the open and was shifted inside the toilet due to rains.
Smoke from the firewood stoves is a problem to cooks, helpers, students, staff and even residents living near the school.
Officials at St. Thomas Mount Panchayat Union said that their role was to supply ration and appointment of staff, while construction and maintenance of the buildings was the responsibility of the municipality.
Municipal Chairman E.Mani said they had implemented several welfare schemes in M.G.R.Nagar, but a noon meal kitchen for this school was left out.
They would create a temporary shed before building a permanent structure for the kitchen, he added.
