Chennai Corporation takes up construction of toilets in all wards to achieve ODF++ certification – The Hindu

The Greater Chennai Corporation will start construction work on toilets to prevent open defecation in all the 15 zones.

A survey of toilets will be completed in Ambattur, Anna Nagar, Teynampet and Kodambakkam and tenders will be called shortly, said an official.

Once all the zones get new toilets and urinals, open defecation is expected to be prevented on all the roads. In order to eradicate open defecation under Swachh Bharat Mission, 6,636 toilets were constructed in Greater Chennai Corporation for households.

The civic body has started constructing toilets and urinals in a phased manner in all 15 zones. Under the Swachh Bharat Mission 2020 toilet seats and 600 urinals have been approved for Greater Chennai Corporation in 2022 and construction was in progress. The probable date of completion of these toilets was September 30, 2023, said an official. 

“The civic body has initiated action to outsource the operation and maintenance of these newly constructed toilets as well as the other existing old toilets,” said an official. In a bid to prevent septic tank deaths, the Greater Chennai Corporation had converted 3,900 insanitary latrines into sanitary latrines and 1,850 insanitary latrines were demolished, said an official.

The Corporation has provided electronic toilets or eToilet in public places such as market areas, bus terminals and places of worship to prevent open defecation. The operation and maintenance of these eToilets was outsourced, said an official.  

Under the Swachh Bharat Mission, all cities are being ranked every year for cleanliness and sanitation as Swachh Survekshan. In Swachh Survekshan, the Corporation was awarded “Best state capital in Innovation and Best Practices” during the year 2021. 

The Corporation was declared open defecation free (ODF) during April 2022 which is valid till March 2023. At present, the Corporation has applied for the ODF++ certification under Swachh Survekshan 2023. 

A city is declared SBM ODF++ if, at any point of the day, not a single person is found defecating or urinating in the open, all community and public toilets are functional and well maintained and the entire septage and sewage is safely managed and treated, with no discharging or dumping of untreated septage and sewage in drains, waterbodies or open areas.