CHENNAI: How many of us think our city is clean? Not many, according to a livability survey done by The Times Of India and Indian Market Research Bureau . Chennai was ranked fifth on civic sense, on a par with Delhi. Residents gave the city a poor score of two on a scale of five.

Residents say most roads are dirty. Roads along the Cooum or Buckingham Canal also stink because of the dirty water. “You can’t drive past with your car windows rolled down. Now, other areas smell too because garbage is not cleared regularly,” said M Jayashree, a resident of Greenways Road.

Government officials and NGOs say people don’t have a sense of civic responsibility. “We keep telling people that they should treat public places like their own. Will they urinate in the halls of their houses? Or spit on their walls?” said a top corporation official.

“Even people who are supposed to be educated spit from their cars or throw waste on the roads,” said Siddharth Hande from Transparent Chennai , an organisation working on urban development. Tourists spots are

not clean either. At Marina beach , the strong smell of urine cuts through the wet sand and fresh catch of fish. People reaching Chennai can smell Central railway station long before they see it. In Mamallapuram too, tourists have to hold their breath as they admire the famous caves and stone sculptures.

Experts say citizens are not entirely to be blamed. The corporation has just 714 public toilets for five million people. A survey by Transparent Chennai showed most urinals were locked or badly maintained . “There is a severe shortage of public services. Even slum dwellers who want to keep their neighbourhoods clean do not have options,” said Nithya V Raman of Transparent Chennai. The corporation does not have figures for the number of people fined for urinating and spitting in public though it banned both in 2008.

The corporation planned to set up spit holes but nothing has been done. Red paan stains can be seen on walls of government buildings such as the Public Works department , police stations, Ezhilagam, Namakkal Kavignar Maaligai and the corporation . “Older people do not consider spitting on roads wrong. Authorities should educate them,” said Raman.

Railway officials say freshly painted seats are scratched, defaced or written on within five days. Suburban train compartments are littered with popcorn, groundnuts and food packets.

However, some NGOs are optimistic about the city getting cleaner. “I think there is some amount of awareness, and a sense of shame about littering,” said B Nirmal of Exnora.

So, what do experts think the government can do to bring Chennai on a par with Singapore ? Their answer: “Forget beautification. Improve public services. Be proud of your city and keep it clean.”