The Greater Chennai Corporation has ordered work to resume on stalled public toilets in Chennai after councillors raised concerns over poor hygiene, missing basic amenities, and prolonged delays during the civic council meeting held on Thursday. Officials have been directed to conduct site inspections, while the Mayor set completion deadlines for facilities in several wards.
In Ward 170, councillor KR Kathirmurugan said construction of a modular public toilet on Ponniyamman Kovil Street had stopped midway. The project is being executed through the Special Projects Department, and the delay was causing hardship to women and senior citizens, he said. Of the five public toilets in the ward, one had been demolished for reconstruction, while the other four lacked basic amenities and regular maintenance, according to the councillor.
The Mayor said structural components for the Ponniyamman Kovil Street facility were being assembled with a crane. She attributed the construction delay to a temporary hold on payments to the contractor and said work had been ordered to resume. The facility is expected to open by the second week of November under the supervision of the Regional Deputy Commissioner.
Ward 99 councillor Parithi Ilamsuruthi questioned the delay in rebuilding public toilets at Pullapuram and Shastri Nagar. The existing facilities, which had been used for more than 30 years, were demolished three months ago, but no replacement work had begun, he said. The councillor also referred to an earlier assurance from the Mayor that action would be taken quickly.
The Mayor said the Anna Nagar zone projects had been assigned to M/s PTC Urban PCD3 Pvt Ltd under a Build-Maintain-Transfer model. She said residents in Pullapuram had raised objections to the proposal, while the Shastri Nagar plan was dropped after public requests. The Mayor added that the works would be completed by the end of November and that the Central Regional Deputy Commissioner would conduct a fresh joint inspection with the councillor.
Another councillor, Ambethvalavan, alleged that public toilets on New Farrance Road and Alexander Road had been demolished without being rebuilt. He also said construction of the Gandhi Nagar toilet had remained pending for more than four and a half years.
GCC Commissioner GS Sameeran said Corporation officials would conduct a site inspection shortly along with the concerned councillor. The inspections and the promised November deadlines will determine whether the stalled facilities return to service and whether existing toilets receive the maintenance and amenities raised during the council meeting.
