Chennai airport’s toilets in both domestic and international terminals will now get some much-needed renovation in a phased manner.
Officials of the Airports Authority of India (AAI) said about 16 sets of toilets will be refurbished, one after the other, in the coming weeks in both terminals. “The faucets, other equipments and toiletries will all be changed. We are also planning to bring a new feedback system soon and that will help us better in the maintenance of the washrooms. The work will be carried out in a phased way,” an official said. Early last year too, many of the toilets were renovated.
This is one of the constant complaints that many passengers raise when they travel out of Chennai airport. They say the toilets are poorly maintained and the upkeep has to improve drastically. This is especially so in the old arrival hall of the international terminal. But officials said they have been working to improve the upkeep continuously. “The maintenance is definitely far better now. We have been continuously monitoring the upkeep; as soon as there is a complaint, we immediately take action,” another official said.
Chennai airport has been witnessing the second phase of modernisation at an estimated cost of nearly ₹2,500 crore. The whole airport will function as one integrated terminal once this project is completed. It may take another year and half to finish the whole project in two phases, officials said. “In the new integrated terminals, we are trying to ensure that the existing issues don’t emerge and of course, a good feedback system is available for passengers to immediately raise their concerns, if any,” another official said.
The construction of terminals is currently underway now and it is likely that one major part of this second phase of modernisation will be over by the end of this year.