Chennai to demolish 22 public toilets, build replacements

The city corporation in Chennai has decided to demolish 22 public toilets that were built in the 1990s. These toilets are no longer usable and are located in the Tondiarpet, Royapuram, and Anna Nagar areas. The decision was made during a council meeting led by Mayor R Priya. Along with tearing down the old toilets, the city will build new facilities. This will be done using a model called DBFOT, which stands for design, build, finance, operate, and transfer. Currently, this model is already in use in three zones and will be expanded. Deputy Mayor M Magesh Kumar stated that a contractor will be hired to manage the new toilets. The contractor will assess the needs of each ward and decide on the number of toilets to be built. This new initiative follows a pilot project that started in zones 3, 4, and 6. The new plan includes three additional packages. The contractor will also be responsible for maintaining the toilets. Funds for maintenance will be allocated based on the number of toilets in each area. Local councillors and zonal officers will supervise the project to ensure everything runs smoothly.