Urban News

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.

The Hindu  02.09.2010

Intensive mosquito control drive under way

Staff Reporter

TIRUVANNAMALAI: District Epidemic Prevention Coordination Committee convened here on Tuesday decided to take up intensive mosquito control drive between September 1 and 15 in order to prevent spread of contagious diseases in epidemic proportions during upcoming monsoon.

District Collector M. Rajendran presided over the meeting in which Block Development Officers, Executive Officers of Town Panchayats and Commissioners of Municipalities in the district participated apart from health officials.

In his address, collector asked officials to spread awareness of mosquito control measures among public, especially students. “Local bodies should clean Over Head Tanks (OHTs) at least once a month; Breaks and cavities in drinking water pipelines should be repaired. The habit of pit taping rampant among public should be checked and all taps should be above the floor level, since this habit makes pipe lines susceptible to contamination. Drinking water should be properly treated using chlorine, in the ratio of 4 gram per 1000 liters. These things should be ensured during the 15-day drive,” collector said.

“Fever detection should be intensified and monitoring committees should be formed at district and block levels to review and monitor epidemic prevention measures. Ankanvaadi centers should be kept clean and tidy.

Officials of concerned departments should take action to provide safe drinking water to every student,” he added. Dr. Devaparthasarathi, Deputy Director (Health Services) who participated in the meeting told TheHindu later, that destroying containers in open spaces would be part of the source reduction drive taken out to prevent occurrence of dengue and Chikungunya. “All the local bodies are asked to intensify this work and report about their activities at the end of the drive,” He added.

Joint Director (Medical Service) Dr. Vijayakumar, Deputy Director (Family welfare) Dr. Thirugnanasambandam, District Entomologists Dr. Moorthi and Dr. Manivarma, and Assistant Director (Panchayats) Manoharan were among the participants.