Chennai: Clean toilets and proper amenities at railway stations remain a dream for Mass Rapid Transport System (MRTS) passengers over a year after the Madras High Court ordered Southern Railway to ensure such facilities.
The local MRTS stations lack proper toilets and drinking water facilities. Some toilets along this stretch are either locked or lack maintenance and water supply in the washrooms. The taps in the many such washrooms are broken.
Indira Nagar station had a clean platform, but lacked a proper toilet and water facility. The toilets and the flush were broken, which made it unusable for the commuters.
“The water in the taps is no longer drinkable. Earlier the station had drinking water, which was supplied by the Corporation, but with the drought situation there is no water available,” said Rajesh, an employee at the station.
The stations have separate dustbins for biodegradable and non-biodegradable waste. But plastic debris can be seen lying along the tracks. Covers, chocolate and biscuit wrappers are thrown by people from the trains are seen on the tracks.
The MRTS stations are maintained by cleaning staff who come in in morning and evening shifts, employees said.
Speaking of unavailability of water at the Park Town station, employees said the authorities were planning to pipes of a higher diameter, so there was a delay in the provision of drinking water.
The divisional railway manager, when contacted, said that there is a paucity of water for which the divisional officials have made arrangements to procure more water. “I will be conducting drives to check the status of toilets and amenities,” he said.
