Filth Central: What greets passengers outside this Chennai railway station

Chennai: Mathilde and her friend Padmapriya from Bengaluru arrived at Dr MGR Chennai Central Railway Station last Thursday. Initially, Mathilde was impressed by clean platforms and bright interiors, but her smile faded soon as they stepped outside and walked towards the metro station. What greeted them was open urination, stains of gutka on walls and a mountain of waste.

Dr MGR Chennai Central, the third-highest grossing railway station in the country with revenue from passengers estimated at around 1,299 crore, reeks of urine stench and is filthy. The station serves as a key entry point for tourists arriving by train, yet the hygiene outside the main building leaves much to be desired. As a superficial measure, the railways have fined more than 1,000 people 500 each over the past year, but this is a drop in the ocean compared to the number of daily users.

"You never get a second chance to make a first impression, and the railways simply don't understand this. We arrived around 4.30 am and headed towards the metro station, but the stench of urine and puke made it unbearable," said Padmapriya.

Lakhs of people pass through the station premises daily, including suburban passengers. With multiple entry and exit points, many people loiter around or sleep in the compound at night. Unauthorized shops, particularly eateries, encroach space near the entry points. All of them use the premises as an open toilet.

Railway officials said there are toilet blocks in Central station and two more in Moore Market Complex (MMC). "It's mostly outsiders, autorickshaw drivers, and those sleeping in the premises at night who are responsible for the mess," said one official.

The area opposite the MMC suburban terminal is another hotspot for public urination. "People sleep on the pavements and use trees as toilets because they don't want to pay 5 to 10 for pay-and-use facilities," said consumer activist T Sadagopan. Surrounding areas such as Victoria Public Hall Road, Allikulam Link Road and Wall Tax Road are plagued by garbage, creating a poor first impression for tourists.

K. Mohammed Hussain, president of the Central pre-paid auto stand, stressed the need for urinals. "We don't need full toilets, just urinals near the autorickshaw stand. I've stopped people from urinating in public, but I was once reprimanded by the police," he said.

A Southern Railway official acknowledged that RPF and station manager fine offenders, but the limited space and shortage of personnel make it difficult to control the floating crowd. Central emerges as a tale of two worlds - one of cleanliness and modernity inside, and another of neglect and chaos outside. Will the authorities address this disparity and create a welcoming environment for visitors?


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