Egmore constituency drained by wait for toilets

CHENNAI: For as long as she can remember Satya Devi has been defecating in the open at night when the rest of the residents of Dr Santosh Nagar slum in Egmore are asleep. "It's not just me, all the women wait for nightfall. Men and children do not have a problem," said Devi.
The 700-odd huts and its 2,000 inhabitants living below Dr Nair bridge do not have a public toilet.The single public toilet that was constructed six months ago has no water or electricity, said the residents. They have lodged many complaints but no action has been taken, they allege.
"The public toilet was opened with much fanfare but it is of no use to us now. The women are still forced to defecate in the open," says R Muthu, a resident.
Most residents of different colonies of Egmore constituency complain of drainage problems. Many of the slum areas have open drains, leading to a mosquito problem.
Residents of Choolai say that the drainage system in the area is more than 50 years old and water stagnates for days in the monsoon season. "If there were 5,000 people in Choolai 50 years ago, there are five lakh now. Hundreds of houses and apartment blocks have been built but the drainage system remains the same," said G Rajamani, a resident of Maddox street in Choolai.
Residents of the housing board flats and slums in Dr Santosh Nagar say that rain water mixes with the stagnant sewage water as there are no proper drains. As a result, there is an outbreak of diseases during the monsoon. "When we complain, the corporation officials come and clean part of the sewage but do not do a thorough job," said Muthu. He added that many residents also dumped their garbage in the drains clogging them further.
Parithi Ellamvazhuthi, who has been the MLA for five consecutive terms and DMK candidate, says, "The areas that face drainage problems are ones that have been added to the constituency after delimitation. We are trying our best and have invested Rs 40 lakh and acquired four machines to clear the drains."
DMDK candidate K Nallathambi, however, says that a lot of the money has not been used for the welfare of the people. "If I come to power, I will solve the problem of drainage and public toilets and also build good quality schools in the area," he says.