Hundreds of families living in the densely populated residential area of Kasturibai Colony along the Ooty Lake Road near Khandal, continue to defecate in the open as they do not have access to clean and functional toilets.
Locals said there were more than 600 families residing in the area bordering the Ooty Lake. Mostly daily wage workers who have been living in the Nilgiris for more than two decades, the residents have been urging the Nilgiris district administration for toilets for many years.
S Jaimary, a resident, said the only public toilet in the area has fallen into disuse due to lack of maintenance and has remained closed for many months.
“People have to defecate inside the thickets surrounding the Ooty Lake. Apart from insects and wild animals, residents, especially children, are at risk of getting run over by passing vehicles when they go to defecate after dark,” said M. Kavitha, another resident.
Even the individual household toilets, built using funds from the Swachh Bharat mission, in Kasturbai Nagar have never been used, say locals.
“With funds released by the Udhagamandalam Municipality, we built a toilet at a cost of ₹ 30,000,” said resident A. Sarasu. She has spent ₹22,000 from her own pocket for the construction. However, the toilet, along with six others that were built in the colony, have not been used since they were built more than a year ago, as the municipality has failed to connect the outflow pipes to the main underground drainage (UGD) line.
“Because residents defecate in the open, the stench from the Ooty Lake wafts into the area in the mornings and evenings. Children often fell sick, and we suspect that it is because of the poor sanitation,” added Ms. Sarasu.
When contacted, The Nilgiris Collector Innocent Divya said that UGD works were under way in Khandal area, and once completed, the toilets will be connected to the sewage line and can be used. “We expect the work to be completed within the next two weeks,” she said.
