The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Mobile toilets for Sivakasi

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Tuesday, Apr 08, 2008
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Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Mobile toilets for Sivakasi

Special Correspondent

SIVAKASI: A mobile toilet, the first of its kind to be used in a municipality in the State, was launched by Minister for Backward Classes Welfare K.K.S.S.R. Ramachandran on Monday. The civic body intends to buy 10 more such toilets, to be stationed at places where there is a need for them, as part of its efforts to keep Sivakasi clean and green.

The Minister said the government was ready to allocate funds for a new bus station and an underground drainage scheme for the town. With the cooperation of industrialists and service organisations, it would be possible to make Sivakasi a model municipality.

If the mobile toilet was found to be a successful idea, it could be extended to all municipalities in the district, Mr. Ramachandran said.

In his presidential address, Collector V. Chandrasekaran said the mobile toilet would be useful in areas that lacked space to build an integrated sanitation complex and where people found it difficult to have individual toilets.

A plan to improve infrastructure in seven municipalities of the district at an estimated cost of Rs.250 crore had been forwarded to the government. A plea for allocation of Rs.73 crore to repair roads damaged in the recent rain had also been made.

According to an official release, the toilet facility has been introduced at a cost of Rs.9 lakh with contribution from industrialists and philanthropists of Sivakasi. Initially it will be parked at Ward 25 between 6.30 p.m. and 6.30 a.m., and thereafter moved to a discharging point where it will remain from 7 a.m. to 5 p.m.

Identity cards will be issued to residents of the ward with the help of service organisations. They will be paid an incentive of 25 paise a day for using the toilet. Officials said this would prevent pollution of the ward.

The municipality plans to tie up with two local colleges to produce biogas from the waste collected by the toilet. The earnings will be utilised to maintain the toilet, besides paying the wages of those involved in its operation.

The municipality plans to construct a biogas plant at an estimated cost of Rs.5 lakh and supply the gas to homes.

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