SANITATION – OUR PUBLICATIONS
1. Urban Sanitation in Tamil Nadu: A Report on Toilets, January 2012
As a member of the Steering Committee on ‘Urban Water Supply and Sanitation’ for the State Planning Commission’s Twelfth Five Year Plan, Somya Sethuraman, a member of Transparent Chennai, compiled a report on Urban Sanitation in Tamil Nadu. The report was submitted to the State Planning Commission on January 15, 2012, after a detailed discussion with the other members of the Committee including officials from Metrowater, Tamil Nadu Water Supply and Drainage and the Vice Chairman of the TN Planning Commission. Inputs from a meeting that Transparent Chennai had organized in December 2011, along with local sanitation experts, were also incorporated in this report. Click
here to read the report.
2. Issue Brief: Public Toilets Study, August 2011
Transparent Chennai conducted extensive research on one aspect of sanitation i.e. public toilets, and their work revealed alarming findings. There are only 714 public toilets in Chennai for a population of close to 5 million. Of these 714, Transparent Chennai mapped and surveyed all 49 public toilets in Zone 4.
Despite evident need, the survey revealed low usage of toilets by women and children. Reasons for low usage were identified based on the survey and interviews with the government and civil society. Not only are these public toilets badly maintained, they are not even situated in areas of greatest need, such as market areas, undeveloped slums, informal workplaces and areas with heavy pedestrian traffic. Data on public toilets are poorly maintained, and budget allocations for improvement are meagre. There is very little clarity on who is responsible for increasing increasing access to sanitation in the city, especially for the urban poor.
Transparent Chennai has put together an issue brief which summarizes the survey process, findings, and recommendations based on study. Download Issue Brief.
To read our issue brief in Tamil, click here.
3. Blogposts
The Political Economy of Sanitation
Community Participation: an Effective Tool for Solving Local Problems
A short movie on sanitation
Are public toilets safe?
US Army fascinated by Sulabh toilets
Chennai’s slum sanitation woes
Public toilets in Chennai
Transparent Chennai team gets involved in a new initiative
