Chennai: Keeping in mind the increasing footfall in the city’s central food market and the beach, authorities have initiated the process of building more toilets and better parking facilities.
As a first move, the Koyambedu market authorities have allotted the tender to a government-registered contractor to build 31 toilets at an estimated cost of Rs 1.4 crore. Of this, Rs 90 lakh will be allocated for the fruit market and Rs 55 lakh for flower market.
“Almost 90 per cent of the toilets and bathrooms built in 1996, when the market was started, remain unusable. Except for seven to eight toilets and bathrooms, most are unfit to use and workers are bathing in open spaces,” said a senior engineer at the Koyambedu Market Management Committee (MMC). Work on building the toilet will commence on September 18.
With the old Parry’s market shifting to the central market premises, authorities complain that wholesale traders and small vendors are battling for space as the number of heavy vehicles entering the market has increased manifold.
Adding to the woes, the daily footfall has increased from 1.15 lakh to 1.2 lakh. Hence there is a need for more toilets and space, said a member in the MMC. “We have finalised a 10,000 square-feet area from the market management complex towards the vegetable market that will be constructed on an elevated space between the road and the drainage,” he added.
Most toilets built initially by CMDA have no doors and no water connection. “We have been demanding for a decent toilet and a bathroom at each section in the market that has proper water connection for the past 10 years,” said K. Mohanan, vegetable retailer.
The problem turns worse when it rains. Even during summer there is water stagnation. There is stench due to water shortage, he said.
Mobile toilets on 1.5-km Marina stretch:
Five areas have been identified on the Marina stretch for providing mobile toilets. They are 10 toilets at the Marina bus stand, five opposite the PWD office and eight each opposite Vivekanandar Illam, near Gandhi Statue, opposite Parthasarathy temple, near Avvayar statue and next to the light house.
“We are yet to finalise the vendor as we are looking for the lowest tender and also a party who will consistently look into issues of water stagnation, septic tank overflow and also make sure that the vendor will not terminate the contract in the midway,” said a Zone 9 corporation official.
As Ganesh Chathurthi, Deepavali and elections are approaching, and Marina is increasingly attracting a lot of people from across the country, a toilet that can be moved along the 1.5 km long stretch is a need of the hour, the official said.
