MADURAI
To ensure availability of basic amenities like drinking water and toilet facilities during the Chithirai festival, the City Corporation and the Public Health Department are working in tandem and deploying around 1,800 conservancy workers during the festival days.
Corporation Commissioner S. Visakan says that additional caution has been taken this time around to ensure that April 18, the day of the poll and the Meenakshi temple’s car festival as well as Lord Kallazhagar’s ethir sevai, takes place without any major health hazards.
A total of 1,500 workers — permanent, daily wage and on contract — will be working full time to ensure that there is controlled open defecation and availability of a hygienic atmosphere during the festival days, he said.
In 2018, the City Corporation faced a mammoth task of catering to over five lakh people on the day of Lord Kallazhagar’s entry into the Vaigai.
Residents like S. Subbu, who lives at Alwarpuram, said that several people took to defecating on the banks of the river because it was a convenient option. They barely sought mobile toilets or temporary relieving facilities.
City Health Officer in-charge M. Saroja said a total of eight temporary toilets and nine permanent toilets in and around the Meenakshi Sundareswarar temple would be regularly cleaned and maintained starting April 16, a day ahead of the celestial wedding.
“Apart from the conservancy workers, a non-governmental organisation has volunteered to help clean the bathrooms during the festival. There will be a total of 16 temporary toilets as well,” she said.
Another official from the Health Department of the City Corporation said that they will be providing chlorinated water in 84 locations where 1,000 liter water tanks will be placed. He also said that teams would monitor chlorination levels in drinking water at all the points to ensure that public has access to safe drinking water.
The Corporation Commissioner adds that five teams will monitor private water tankers.
He adds that 10 entomology teams will be placed to ensure the mosquito and fly population is kept under control.