FINDINGS FROM SURVEY OF PUBLIC TOILET INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES

Transcription

1 FINDINGS FROM SURVEY OF PUBLIC TOILET INFRASTRUCTURE AND SERVICES Transparent Chennai s public toilet mapping initiative creates data on the location and quality of public in the city. As part of its work on public sanitation, Transparent Chennai mapped and surveyed 56 across the city in February and March One toilet had a free portion and a pay and use portion so it has been counted as two. At the time of writing this note, 10 wards had been surveyed: 4 entirely and 6 partially. 1. Quality of assets A public toilet was unusable if it did not have a door, light, water or was not clean. It was also unusable if it was locked, boarded up, used for other purposes or dilapidated. The survey showed that: a. Only 14 of 57 1 were usable b. 35 were unusable because of lack of doors, light, water or blockages c. 4 were locked, boarded up or dilapidated d. For 4 there is no information 2. Quality of service a. Maintenance Only 14 are maintained by Corporation staff while 26 are maintained by private caretakers. b. User fee: 33 of the 57 are pay and use. The 26 maintained by private caretakers are all pay and use, with fees ranging from Rs.1 to Rs.5 per use. c. Time of operation: Only 12 out of 57 are open 24 hours. The others open between 3.00 AM and 6.00 AM in the morning until between 6:00 PM and 11:00 PM in the evening. A majority of the are locked at night. d. Cleaning 31 are cleaned daily, 3 cleaned 3-4 times and 7 cleaned 1-2 times a week. However, of the 31 cleaned daily, 15 were not clean. For the men s, 21 were not clean and 24 were clean. For women s 19 were not clean and 25 were clean. 3. Location a. In some wards a large number of households depend on public. Even when some households are located close to the, most are located very far. b. There are located within meters of each other but with few core users. However, we observed slums within 500m which did not have public close by. 4. Access Evaluating access to public is important because it indicates the degree to which public sanitation services are available to everyone whether the poor, women, the elderly, the disabled or even children. Access to public can be evaluated by examining the location of, the separate cubicles for men and women and whether the are accessible to the elderly and disabled. a. Out of the surveyed 64% were located in slums. The rest were located in and around markets, in parks and on main roads, beaches and at stations. b. 91% of these had separate facilities for men and women but none were disabled friendly. c. Only 1 toilet had facilities for people with disabilities but this was were under construction. The ramp was very steep, and it is unlikely that a wheelchair could go up. d. Each ward has a population of 45,000 people. In the 4 wards we surveyed entirely there are 43 which implies a toilet: population ratio of 1:4186 in these wards. 1 Toilet 124/10 has a free portion and a pay and use portion. The two differ in many features so they have been counted as two. 1

2 METHODOLOGY Our work on mapping public in Chennai involves locating public and surveying them for quality of infrastructure and services. This survey involves administering two survey tools an observation checklist and a key informant questionnaire. The observation checklist is designed to record features of public that are immediately apparent like leakages, blockages, water shortages, doors, lighting etc. The key informant questionnaire is administered to the caretaker of the toilet or a key informant and is designed to capture information on how the toilet is managed and maintained. We evaluate the surveyed on different parameters including infrastructure, availability of water and electricity and cleanliness and hygiene. We also corroborate all this data with official government records that are either voluntarily shared with us by government departments or obtained by filing Right to Information (RTI) applications. These survey tools are administered by volunteers, interns and researchers at Transparent Chennai. SOME PROBLEMS WITH CORPORATION OF CHENNAI DATA Our mapping exercise in the wards revealed that the Corporation of Chennai s data on public sanitation is imprecise, incomplete and possibly not updated regularly. We had obtained a list of public and their locations in Zone 9 from the Assistant Executive Engineer (AEE) of the zone. Data from our mapping initiatives revealed that there are several inconsistencies with the official data. Firstly, the number of public we mapped did not correspond to the number of in the ward in official records. Secondly, the locations of the we mapped did not correspond to the addresses of given in these records. For instance, data from the Corporation of Chennai suggests that there are ten in the ward but we found eight public in ward 117. Of the 8 we found, only three matched with the addresses of given to us by the Corporation. However, the caretakers of all 8 confirmed that the were Corporation that are owned and managed by the municipality. WARD PROFILES AND GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS The four wards that we surveyed completely are distributed across Zone 9 and have fairly distinct demographic profiles. Ward 110 is primarily a commercial area, with commercial establishments, educational institutions and malls, hotels, and restaurants. Ward 117 is best known for its proximity to Chennai s famous shopping district, Theagaraya Nagar (T-Nagar). The ward contains segments of arterial roads like the Mambalam High Road, G.N Chetty Road and Chevalier Sivaji Ganesan Road. It also includes commercial and residential areas, slums and Tamil Nadu Slum Clearance Board (TNSCB) tenements. Ward 124 encompasses Mylapore or Thirumayilai, a neighbourhood that is considered to be the cultural heart of the city. The ward is witness to the heavy foot fall of devotees and katcheri enthusiasts. Several street vendors and hawkers have set up shop around the famous 17 th century Mylapore temple and ply their goods to tourists and temple-goers. The area also includes some slums in the Lala garden neighbourhood. Ward 125 abuts the Marina Beach and houses the famous 16 th century Santhome Basilica. Many slums and fishing settlements are located, near and on the beach, at the fringe of the ward. The arterial Santhome High road that connects the beach with Adyar runs through the ward. The ward is primarily residential, and includes several government and private schools as well as the consulates of some countries. The wards that we surveyed partially are 59, 107, 123, 126, 131 and

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4 Table 1: Usable and unusable in ward 59 Date of survey Toilet number Quality of infrastructure Quality of service Unusable due to : Usable Free/ Pay-use Time of operation Door Light Water Blockage Cleaning per week Locality Toilets Access ( (Disabled) 28/02/ /1 Lack of information - - Slum 28/02/ /2 Toilet closed at the time of visit - - Slum 28/02/ /3 Pay-use 3:30 23:00 3 Slum /02/ /4 Toilet closed at the time of visit Station 4

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6 Table 2: Usable and Unusable Toilets in Ward 107 Quality of infrastructure Quality of service Access Date of survey Toilet Unusable due to : number Usable Free/ Pay-use Time of operation Door Light Water Blockage Cleaning per week Locality Toilets ( (Disabled) 16/02/ /1 No door (women) Lights are not working in some cubicles No water taps ; No water in some taps ( The urinals are blocked Pay-use 5:00 18:00 Residential Area 8 4 6

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8 Table 3: Usable and unusable in ward 110 Quality of infrastructure Quality of service Access Date of survey Toilet number Usable Unusable due to : Door Light Water Blockage Free/ Pay-use Time of operation Cleaning per week Locality Number of Toilets Number of ( (Disabled) 16/02/ /1 No doors (Male and Free 24 7 Slum /02/ /2 No doors Free 24 7 Slum /02/ /3 Pay-use 4:00 22:00 7 Slum /02/ /4 Pay-use 4:00 21:30 2 Slum /02/ /5 Problem with the water pipe. Toilets closed at the time of visit Pay-use 4:00 21:30 2 Slum /02/ /6 No doors for all (Male and Pay-use 5:00 18:00 21 Road /02/ /7 Lights not working for all (; Lights not working in some Pay-use 6:00 20:00 14 Road /01/ /8 No doors in the (Male and No water taps (Male and No lights in the (Male and Blockages in some (Male and Free Slum /01/ /9 No lights in some (Male and Slum /01/ /10 No doors for all the (Male and Lights are not working(male and Some blockages Slum

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10 Table 4: Usable and Unusable in ward 117 Date of survey Toilet number Usable Quality of infrastructure Unusable due to : Door Light Water Blockage Free/ Pay-use Quality of service Time of operation Cleaning per week Locality Toilets Access ( (Disabled) 2/02/ /1 Pay Use 4:00 21:00 2 Road /02/ /2 Lights not working (Male and Female ) Blockage ( Pay Use 4:00 21:00 7 Transit /02/ /3 Lights not working (Male and Female ) No water (Male and Female ) Free 24 hours 2 Slum /02/ /4 No water taps (Male and Female ) Blockage (Male and Pay Use 5:00 21:00 1 Slum /02/ /5 No doors ( No water taps ( Blockage ( Pay Use 5:00 22:00 7 Slum /02/ /6 No lights Pay Use 5:00 20:30 1 Slum /02/ /7 Free 4:00 20:30 7 Road /02/ /8 No doors No lights in the male section Blockage

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12 Table 5: Usable and Unusable in ward 123 Date of survey Toilet number Usable Quality of infrastructure Quality of service Access Unusable due to : Door Light Water Blockage Free/ Payuse Time of operation Cleaning per week 20/02/ /1 Pay-use 4:00 22:00 7 Market Locality Toilets ( (Disabled) 12

13 Table 6: Usable and Unusable in ward

14 Table 6: Usable and Unusable Toilets in Ward 124 Date of survey Toilet number 2/02/ /1 Usable Quality of infrastructure Unusable due to : Door Light Water Blockage Some don't have doors (Male and Some lights are not working (Male and Some blockages (Male and Free/ Payuse Quality of service Time of operation Cleaning per week Locality Access Number of Toilets Number of ( Number of (Disable Pay-use 4:30AM 22:30 7 Slum /02/ /3 Some don't have doors (Male and Some lights are not working (Male and - - Slum /02/ /4 Lights are not workng for some of them (Male and Some blockages (Male and - 7 Slum /02/ /5 The lights are not working in the (Male and No water in taps. Apparently locals buy their own water (Male and Free not regularly Slum /02/ /6 Pay-use 4:00 23:00 14 Market /02/ /7 Pay-use 6:00 21:00 - Market /02/ /8 Pay-use 5:00 22:00 7 Station /02/ /9 2/02/ /10 Some of the lights are not working ( Pay-use but free at night after 8 4 Slum Pay-use 5:00 22:00 10 Slum /02/ /10 Slum Very old, only urinals for men, in very bad conditions, but still 15/03/ /11 Pay-use 7 Slum used. Important structural damages, no doors, no lights. 15/03/ /12 Pay-use 3:00 22:00 14 Slum /13 Some of them don't have doors ( Some don't have lights (Male and Free - Slum

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16 Table 7: Usable and Unusable in ward 125 Date of survey Toilet number Usable Quality of infrastructure Unusable due to : Door Light Water Blockage Free/ Pay-use Quality of service Time of operation Cleaning per week Locality Toilets Access ( (Disabled) 20/02/ /1 Lights not working (Male and Pay-use 4:00 22:00 21 Slum and Market /03/ /2 Some do not have doors Some don t have lights ( Some don't have water Pay-use 4:00 22:00 7 Slum and Beach /03/ /3 Most of the don't have doors (Male ) No lights (Male and Free 4:00 22:00 7 Slum and Beach Completely out of use. These are open but totally blocked, very dirty with trash 23/03/ / everywhere. Nobody uses it anymore. 23/03/ /5 Some don't have doors (Male and No lights (Male and No water (Male and Slum and Beach 0-0 Some blockages /03/ /6 Some don't have doors ( No lights (Male ) Pay-use 4:00 22:00 7 Slum, Market and Road /03/ /7 23/03/ /8 Some don't have doors (Male and Some don't have doors ( No lights (Male and No lights ( No water taps ; No water ( Blockages in some ( Free Pay-use 5:00 21:50 7 Market /03/ /9 Pay-use Slum Some don't have Some taps don't have Some blockages - 125/10 doors (Male and water ; No water No lights (Male and (; Blockages in Free 24 7 Slum ( all (Male ) - 125/11 Some lights are not working (Male ) Some Blockages Pay-use 6:00 22:00 21 Beach /03/ /12 In ruin. Entry blocked by construction debris and trash

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18 Table 8: Usable and Unusable in ward 126 Date of survey Toilet number Usable Quality of infrastructure Unusable due to : Door Light Water Blockage Free/ Pay-use Quality of service Time of operation Cleaning per week Locality Toilets Access ( (Disabled) 23/03/ /1 No lights ; Some don t have lights (; Some lights don t work ( Some are blocked(femal e) Pay-use 5:00 22:00 7 Slum, Station

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20 Date of survey Toilet number Usable Quality of infrastructure Table 9: Usable and Unusable in ward 131 Unusable due to : Door Light Water Blockage Free/ Pay-use Quality of service Time of operation Cleaning per week 20/02/ /1 Pay-use 5:30 20:00 14 Locality Slum, Market Access Toilets Number of ( (Disabled) /02/ /2 Pay-use 5:30 20:00 3 Slum,Market /02/ /3 Blockage problem (Male and Free 4:00 21:00 14 Public Park

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22 Table 10: Usable and Unusable in ward 173 Quality of infrastructure Quality of service Access Toilet number Door Light Water Blockage 173/1 Lack of info Pay-use 4:00 22:00 14 Slum /2 Usable Unusable due to : Women and Men's :No lights inside the toilet cubicles Free/ Payuse Time of operation Cleaning per week Locality Toilets ( Pay-use 7 Slum /3 Pay-use 4:00 21:00 7 High Road (Disabled) 22