Vyasarpadi’s rly tracks turn loos

Chennai: Every day, groups of Gandhipuram residents head to the Vyasarpadi Jeeva railway tracks around 2pm, furtively glancing around — not to board a train without a ticket, but to relieve themselves. This has been their reality for the past 30 years.
While these residents have toilets inside their homes, they remain unusable due to the lack of a proper sewer line. "Men go below the track, and women go above," said Munusamy, a daily wager. He added, "They usually avoid mornings and nights to stay safe from snakes and crowds." However, this precarious practice exposes them to the risks of train accidents and public health hazards caused by open defecation.
When TOI inquired about public toilets, residents pointed to two facilities nearby, both inaccessible. "One has been shut for more than three years. The other is functional but locked, with a GCC contract worker controlling the key and charging 3–5 per use. He's often unavailable," said Sandhya, 24. She added, "If we refuse to pay, we face verbal harassment." On Friday, TOI found the operational toilet locked, with no worker in sight.
Women face even greater challenges, lacking a safe place to change sanitary napkins during menstruation or to wash and bathe due to the absence of sanitation facilities.
Pointing to a hole in the road connected to a stormwater drain, residents said, "This is where greywater from washing and bathing goes. We've submitted multiple petitions for opening the toilets and constructing a sewer line," said Munusamy.
Tondiarpet GCC zonal officer G Saravanamurthy promised an inspection and resolution. Metrowater's Tondiarpet area engineer K Namachivayam said Gandhipuram will be connected to a sewer network under the Vada Chennai Valarchi Thittam, with work scheduled to begin post-monsoon.