Chennai: For several days, a photo of Vijaya V, dressed in a blue sari, stared from the missing-person poster on the walls and pillars of Thirumayilai MRTS Station.On Monday, her body was pulled out from the same building with multiple injuries. The posters her relatives put up in search of her now frame a darker question: How safe are these stations that thousands of commuters rely on every day?How did the stench of the decomposing body go unnoticed for days? Residents and workers in the station said they had grown accustomed to the smell of dead dogs, cats, and rats. “We are accustomed to smelling a dead dog or cat in the building now and then. A few days back when we got a bad smell, we thought it must be a dead rat. We were applying phenyl without knowing where the smell was coming from. But the stench never stopped,” a worker inside the station said.Meanwhile, passengers who stomped in and out of the stations had no clue. When asked what can be done to improve the station, Mahesh P, a corporate employee from Tambaram, quickly said cleanliness. “At times, we see human feces near the staircases. The smell of urine has become a part of the character of MRTS stations,” he said. Though the stations have CCTV cameras, he said he was unsure if they even worked.“Vijaya’s death could have been avoided,” said another user, Ulagappan. “If there was someone on rounds or if RPF officers were present, they could have guided her to where the washroom was,” he said.RPF personnel who travel and patrol train compartments rarely address issues inside the station, alleged residents living near the station. “The spot along the Buckingham Canal where the body was discovered is hidden. Every day, we see young people and couples standing there and arguing very loudly. Those inside the station may not see the corridor, but we can,” said Kalavathi. She added that whenever they complained to the RPF, there was no action.“Police and Singappen Special Task Force must come on rounds regularly. If they made it a routine every 10 days, there would be fear,” said Ulagappan. The approach roads lack street lights; TOI found several men defecating in the open on Tuesday evening.The condition of the washrooms, which are on the ground floor near the computerised reservation centre, is also pathetic. Broken doors, dry taps and unclean commodes are what thousands of passengers are forced to use.Southern Railway officials said they could not comment on the incident as it was under investigation. An official said the contractor responsible for maintaining the toilets had abandoned the work, and new contractors were unwilling to take it up. “RPF personnel are regularly on rounds to ensure safety. We will strengthen the rounds further,” the official added.
