The district administration, in association with voluntary organisations, has taken up a programme to repair and revive 408 women's sanitary complexes in the district.
Inaugurating a renovated toilet under the programme at Vellur village in Musiri block recently, T. Soundiah, Collector, observed that many of the sanitary complexes, each built at a cost of about Rs.2.50 lakh about seven to eight years ago, were lying in disuse or misused by anti-social elements now. Water supply lines, borewells, electrical fittings, sewer lines, septic tanks, toilet pans and doors of the complexes have suffered damages and hence abandoned by the users, he pointed out.
Rs.30,000
In an attempt to revive the abandoned toilets, Mr.Soundiah suggested formation of user groups, which would be vested with the responsibility to maintain the complexes. SCOPE(Society for Community Organisation and Peoples Education), a voluntary organisation, had repaired the complex at Vellur and also provided a sanitary napkin incinerator at total cost of Rs.30,000 with the support of Water.Org USA.
M. Subburaman, Director, SCOPE, said that the Union and State Governments were giving priority for repair and restoration of the existing sanitation infrastructure as it would be much cheaper and quicker to extend the basic facility for people.
Participatory approach
He appealed to the users to adopt a participatory approach in the proper upkeep of the complex. G.K. Krishnaveni, president, Garland Service Society, inaugurated the renovated complex. The cost effective sanitary napkin incinerator was a boon for women, she said. V. Ganapathy, Adivsor, Exnora, Tiruchi, said villages achieving cent per cent menstrual hygiene management would be awarded prizes.
N. Rajathi, president of the complex user group, said the local residents have agreed to pay Rs.10 as user fee per month.
Earlier, all members of the user group took an oath to use and maintain the complex properly.
