Residents of Vellakinar area demand proper maintenance of public toilets

Residents of Vellakinar (Coimbatore) demand demolition of public toilet, citing poor maintenance & high presence of “Feacal Coliform” in groundwater. Stakeholders meeting held in Sept. to address two issues: stop night soil mixing & desilt water bodies. Channels filled with plastic & municipal waste, flooding area. Highways Dept. to widen road & construct new toilet.

Residents of Vellakinar (ward 2 and 14 of Coimbatore Corporation) have demanded demolition of a public toilet in that area and construction of a new one. They allege that with poor maintenance of the public toilets, the groundwater in the area is affected.

One of the residents said three residents tested the borewell water in the area in June-August this year and the results showed high presence of “Feacal Coliform”. The two water bodies in the area - north and south kuttais - were desilted and it was found that night soil from the public toilets were let into the water bodies, the resident alleged.

Following this, a stakeholders meeting was held in September.

According to V.S. Kalichami, State executive committee member of Farmers’ Association, for two years, the residents have been demanding demolition of a public toilet on Vellakinar - Saravanampatti road and construction of a new one. “The existing toilet is 30 years old and lacks maintenance,” he said.

There are two problems at Vellakinar - there is a need to stop night soil mixing with the water bodies as it is leading to health issues and the water ways and water bodies need to be desilted and prepared for the rains, he said.

A waterway in the area was closed when pipelines were laid for Pilloor III scheme. “We used to desilt it annually when Vellakinar was a town panchayat. Now, after the area came under the Corporation, when works were taken up for Pilloor III scheme, the water channel was closed,” he said. A surplus weir should be constructed near the south kuttai, he added.

After 13 years, the Chinnavedampatti lake overflowed with rainwater last month. Since the channels from the lake did not get water for more than a decade, they were filled with plastics and municipal wastes. These were washed away in the rain last month and the water reached the Vellakinar kuttais. Without the waterway and the surplus weir, the area was flooded.