Modular toilets to dot Chennai landscape

By the end of this year, corporation plans to set up 348 modular public toilets in the city based on four models, which corporation officials claim to be the best in the market, at an estimated cost of Rs 23 crore.

Thirty prototypes of it are already operational and are attracting a considerable crowd. By December, the corporation plans to have 99 E-toilets, 15 bio-toilets, 37 Namma toilets and 153 ‘Sara plast’ toilets for the public, says a top official of the works department with the corporation. For the rest of the 44, the location has been decided but not the design.

The city presently has 817 public toilets, mostly located at places of heavy public movement, like markets and railway stations. Wet floors, dirt around, dim lights and bad ventilation stand out in these structures which are often perceived as health hazards and many choose not to use them. The corporation plans to address all these issues with its modular toilets.

The E-toilet has an in-built cleaning mechanism that ensures the facility is ready for the next user. Mr Anwar Sadath, CEO of E Ram Scientific, who are installing the 99 E-toilets in the city says, “The basic strong point of the E-toilet is that it is unmanned. Once a person enters, it switches on a light, thus saving energy, and even directs the person with audio commands.

The toilets are programmed to flush 1.5 litres of water after 3 minutes of usage or 4.5 litres if usage is longer. It can also be programmed to clean the platform with a complete wash down after every 5 or 10 persons use the toilet.”

Bio-toilet has a bio digestor which allows the usage of the human waste and conversion of it into usable water. Three such toilets are presently functioning in the city in ward 2 and ward 3. A corporation engineer adds, “A bio toilet that has been installed in Gandhi Mandapam has a bio digestor, water from which is used for gardening.”

At Chromepet bus stand, a Namma toilet set up six months back, has nearly 300 people using it every day. Coloured in green, the toilet is made up of non-corrugate material which allows easy maintenance, solar lights and it has a unit for the differently-abled. Chromepet municipal commissioner S. Rammoorthy says, “The toilet is few metres from the bus stand, and the spot is also a stop for omnibuses. We are maintaining the unit and staff are posted at the toilet throughout the day.”

Mr S. Sarvanan, a daily commuter at Chromepet bus stand, says, “The toilet is well-maintained and clean which makes people use it without hesitation.” Officials say they are being careful about locations for installing these toilets after a bio-toilet had to be closed at Besant Nagar after residents resented its location.

An official says, “This time, we did a mapping of all such places. We have gone for places close to bus stands and markets which have a high floating population. Spots near religious structures are avoided and people’s views taken into consideration.”