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NT Bureau
Chennai, Sept 26:

PATHETIC!: Is this a noon meal centre or a cattle shed, one wonders. The surrounding is filled with garbage and filth and the walls are covered with ugly posters.

        It is a place meant to be kept with utmost cleanliness. What is at stake is the health of children who throng here in the morning before going to school and once again in the afternoon for lunch.

        Alas, the entire surrounding near the noon meal centre on First Main Road on AVM Avenue at Virugambakkam is picture of decay with garbage and wild growth dominating the scene. 'The noon meal centre was being maintained in good condition. But once the path to the centre and its surrounding became an open toilet, the situation turned worse for poor children who still depend on the structure for their free meal,' says Janardhanam, a resident living near the Corporation facility.

        Nearly 16 students come here for breakfast and lunch with helpers arranging the food and utensils for them. Though the internal structure of the centre is stable and in good condition, the entrance and nearby areas reek of filth and excreta. In the night, miscreants use the vacant and deserted plots nearby as open urinal. After the place was turned into an open toilet, the stench wafting from this spot became unbearable for residents at apartments and houses. 'One cannot imagine the plight of young boys and girls coming here daily to take food in such a foul atmosphere,' he laments.

        James Antony, an IT employee, says the transformer located near the meal centre was vandalised by urchins and loafers who roam the area in late hours. Pointing to all sorts of posters and hand bills stuck on the walls, he says though there is an explicit warning against bill notice being pasted, many use the walls as a publicity board for the common man. When contacted M Narasimhan, secretary, AVM Avenue Residents Welfare Association, informs that compared to the last two years, the noon meal centre is far better now as there was garbage lying in all directions then.

        But the AVM Avenue RWA took upon itself the task of clearing the garbage and jungle weeds through a set of volunteers in recent past. Over time, wild growth with garbage have resurfaced again. 'Having informed the Corporation officials on the pathetic sight of the noon meal centre, we are awaiting a favourable response from them. But time is running out,' he adds.