Rs 430-crore ‘Loo’T: Who’s benefitting?

Is a scam worth multi-hundred crores of rupees possible in a seemingly humble and innocuous toilet maintenance contract? A scrutiny of the Greater Chennai Corporation’s (GCC) tender papers reveals a big ‘yes’.
How? A study of toilets in Royapuram zone is a case in point.

Between Jan 2022 and April 2023, GCC maintained a total of 1,431 toilet seats at a total cost of ₹16.62 lakh, which works out to ₹3.18 a seat per day. Needless to say, the toilet seats were filthy, stinking and a big put-away for people in need, however urgent it may be.

Later, for a six-month period from Feb to Aug 2023, GCC decided to privatise 2,519 public toilet seats including e-toilets and booth toilets in the same zone at an enhanced maintenance cost of ₹78 a seat per day — a jump of 24.5 times. And the total tender cost was ₹3.58 crore.

As if this was not enough, the daily maintenance cost of each seat was increased to ₹363.9 a day for a total of 3,270 seats in Royapuram, Thiru Vi Ka Nagar and Marina Beach — which is a 115-time in costs when GCC directly maintained the seats. The total cost of this tender was an eye-popping ₹430 crore for a period of eight years, including ₹82 crore for constructing 662 new toilet seats in these areas. The tender was prepared in Sept 2022, and a letter of acceptance for the contractor DRRSB Infra was given by the special projects department on Feb 16, 2023. Now GCC has decided to expand the scam across the city at a cost of ₹1,167 crore.

In just eight months, the maintenance cost of a toilet seat rose 115 times – from ₹3.18 per seat per day in Jan 2022 to ₹363.9 per seat per day in Sept 2022. This, when commercial establishments such as Slam Fitness, Naturalz, Vummudi Bangaru Jewellers, and Tony and Guy spend not more than ₹100 to maintain each toilet seat per day.

Despite this mega budget, toilet seats and toilet complexes remain stinky and unusable. Besides, Greater Chennai Corporation has been busy issuing showcause notices but is fighting shy of terminating or punishing the continuously defaulting contractor.
RTI responses accessed by TOI show the first showcause notice, by GCC superintending engineer (special projects) on Oct 27, 2023, said the contractor did not expedite work, showed “least interest” in the project, had poor implementation, did not meet milestones of constructing 21 toilets, and toilets remained with “broken tiles” and “sanitary fittings.” A notice on Dec 22, 2023, said the contractor used “unapproved” and “substandard construction material,” and there was a lack of cleaning staff. The Teyampet zonal officer on Jan 2, 2024, wrote that the contractor did not have the necessary cleaning equipment and accessories on the Marina and did not correct the issues despite repeated violations.
On Feb 8, 2024, the GCC commissioner issued a pre-termination notice, saying work execution was substandard, the contractor failed in key performance indicators, no improvements were made despite notices, and the contractor did not participate in any GCCchaired meetings.
An RTI response in Jan 2025 showed the contractor only set up 37 CCTV cameras against the 372 required. Without CCTVs, it is impossible to monitor the presence of staff from a centralised control room, which the contractor claims to have set up. GCC, which has been issuing paper threats to the contractor without punishing it for default in fulfilling tender conditions, has already released ₹24 crore to the contractor. (1/2)
Industry members say₹364 per seat per day as maintenance cost is huge. “The maintenance cost of a seat would be about ₹100 a day even if we maintain highest standards. We allow one worker earning ₹13,000 salary to clean five toilet seats a day. It costs about ₹86 per toilet seat for labour and just about ₹20 more for chemicals. For e-toilets, it costs ₹150. Water doesn’t cost as it is usually available in the tanks,” said Sharshad Baniyandi, founder-director of Penda Private Limited which manages housekeeping at Chepauk Stadium for IPL matches and counts Slam Fitness, Naturalz, Vummudi Bangaru Jewellers, and Tony and Guy among its clients.
RSB Infra was supposed to carry out new constructions in about 662 toilet seats in the first year at ₹82 crore, including GST. The remaining project cost is for maintenance for the eight-year period. However, the contractor didn’t meet any of the key performance indicators such as installing CCTV cameras, cleanliness, construction, manpower, and cleaning accessories. GCC took no action.
A visit by TOI to toilets in Sowcarpet and Pulianthope (see photos) found them a shambles and locked.

Thread:🚨 Save Kosasthalaiyar: One-third of Chennai is facing a major flood risk as the Kosasthalaiyar River, which runs through North Chennai, is being completely neglected! Despite the Tamil Nadu government spending hundreds of crores on the Vada Chennai Valarchi Thittam, this 136-km river that originates in Andhra Pradesh and drains 127 sq. km of Chennai remains ignored. Key areas like Ambattur, Madhavaram, Anna Nagar (parts), Tondiarpet, Thiruvottiyur, Manali, and others are dangerously exposed.

While thousands of crores have been spent on restoring the Cooum and Adyar rivers running inside middle and upper income areas, Kosasthalaiyar, which affects some of the most vulnerable parts of the city, has seen zero restoration projects in over two decades. A spot check revealed a half-sunken dredging machine abandoned in its estuary, while yellow chemicals pollute the downstream, with over 30 industries contributing to the disaster. In Manali, more than 1,000 encroachments still exist near Sadayankuppam, where a bund-breach occurred last time.

It’s not just industries—Buckingham Canal is dumping massive amounts of sewage into Kosasthalaiyar. The river lacks revetment walls in most parts, and its surplus channel from Thamaraiakkam Dam through Cholavaram and Redhills is polluted near Mathur. The river faces the twin challenges of pollution and flooding, yet nothing has been done, even after last year’s disasters of leaks and floods.

Experts say that compared to Cooum and Adyar, Kosasthalaiyar can be revived with minimal work. Simple solutions like building sewage interceptors at Buckingham Canal and flood walls could make a difference. The area above Manali is free from major sewage and encroachments, making revival possible. Experts urge the Tamil Nadu government to redirect funds collected from polluting industries by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board to restore this critical river.

#RiverPollution #Kosasthalaiyar #FloodRisk #NorthChennai #Ennore #Manali #CycloneMichaung #RestoreKosasthalaiyar

(Rightside video: yellow chemicals released into the estuary in broad daylight. Fishermen say this is released in the afternoon time mostly but sometimes it’s 24 X 7)

(1/n) Pollution at Ennore Estuary (you can note the colour change in water) (2/n)

I want to be at a place where my parents don’t see the price tag when they go to a shop,says Poongodhai, daughter of an auto-driver, who came first among GCC schools scoring 578 in the class XII board exams.

Speaking in fluent English, Poongodhai of Perambur GCC school said she wants to pursue BCom and CA.

She lives in a 1 bhk rented house where she had to share a room with four others. She had to constantly struggle financially and space wise to coordinate and study at home, with her sister who is doing B.Pharm. She said apart from studying , she wants to ensure kids for her locality Kodungaiyur pursues higher education.B.com Her sister Shobana breaks down responding to her sister’s success coming first among GCC schools in the 12th board examinations. Both of them are daughters of auto driver

Visuals of houses submerged in #Miduchur, in Chennai suburbs. The residents have vacated. There’s no entry or exit to these houses as water has completely engulfed this neighbourhood of Varadarajapuram. @xpresstn @NewIndianXpress #chennaifloods2021 If not for the Municipality sign board, one can’t recognise if this is a street or not. A whole neighbourhood in #MullaiNagar at Mudichir looks like a big water body after it was flooded due to rains. @xpresstn @NewIndianXpress #Chennai

Houses for Irulars supposedly worth Rs 1.7 lakh built under PMAY scheme 4 years ago in this Chengalpet village lack ceilings, doors, windows and half-built. This has left 19 tribal families get drenched in rains. @PMOIndia @mkstalin @Kayalvizhi_N

newindianexpress.com/cities/chennai… A look at the quality of houses built under the Pradhan Matri Awas Yojana scheme. Are these even houses and do they look like they’re worth 1.7 lakh? A field report I did for @xpresstn @NewIndianXpress.

Chennai Corporation
announcement on Model Code of Conduct for upcoming #TN Elections.

Defacement of Govt Property:All wall writings, posters/papers, cutout/hoardings, banners, flags etc. on Govt property shall be removed within 24 hrs from the announcement of elections. (1/3). Defacement of public property and misuse of public space:* All political advertisements in Railway Stations, Bus stands, Roadways, Govt. buses, electric/Telephone phones, local body buildings etc. shall be removed within 48 hrs from the announcement of elections. (2/3)