Chennai: Chennai corporation officials rued the fact that the city could have been placed higher in the smart cities list released by the Centre, had the local body paid more attention to the problem of toilets.
The city was placed 18th in the first list of 20 smart cities announced by the Ministry of Urban Development on Thursday with a score of 56.16 per cent.
It is a documented fact that Chennai lacks public toilets. Officials said that there are less than 1,000 functional toilets in the city whereas the city’s population is seven million and growing. The city needs at least 21,000 toilets to cater to the needs of Chennaiites.
“It is said that Chennai hosts a floating population of 10 lakh everyday. But there are very few number of toilets available and so people are forced to take a leak in public. It is even more difficult for women and aged citizens,” a senior official noted.
Insanitary latrine is another issue which officials felt could have contributed to the low percentage. The Central government had previously placed Chennai 61st in the Swachh Bharat rankings which it released in August 2015.
Back then, officials disputed the ranking, which also placed Trichy and Bengaluru in the top 10, and maintained that the Centre had conducted a survey without informing them.
But after a Swachh Survekshan survey was conducted earlier this month, with the full knowledge and support of corporation officials, the local body is now preferring a different tune and acknowledged the problem of open defecation.
According to corporation, there are 5,750 insanitary latrines within its limits, which the local body has to demolish. But officials said there was a problem.
“None of these home owners have come forward so we don’t know where these insanitary latrines are located. The number was arrived at after referring to the Census 2011 data but we believe that the city would have a few, if not any, insanitary latrines,” said a senior official.
