Suhail Bhat
Srinagar, Aug 17: The Accessibility India campaign (Sugamya Bharat Abhiyan) to make public buildings accessible to persons with disabilities is facing significant delays in Jammu and Kashmir, leaving many facilities unfinished.
The campaign’s focus in Jammu and Kashmir was to improve accessibility at public buildings and facilities with an initial estimated cost of around Rs 23.65 crores, later restricted to around Rs 7 crores.
An official of the Department of Social Welfare acknowledged that two pilot projects, one each in Kashmir and Jammu, were launched in 2016. However, various factors, including the 2016 unrest, abrogation of Article 370, and the COVID pandemic, led to delays. Additionally, some submitted Detailed Project Reports (DPRs) lacked feasibility, resulting in a restriction of 60% of the total budget.
The scheme’s mandate was to eliminate obstacles and barriers in indoor and outdoor facilities, including schools, medical facilities, workplaces, roads, footpaths, parks, and gardens. One significant component was to improve accessibility in Government buildings, covering services, steps, ramps, corridors, entry gates, emergency exits, parking, lighting, signages, alarm systems, and toilets.
Rashid Ahmad, head of the disability association in Kashmir, pointed out that most Government offices, including the Department of Social Welfare, lack ramps or elevators, rendering them inaccessible to people with disabilities.
Ahmad, who prefers using his hands to move around due to the absence of ramps in the Valley, said: “People frequently inquire about my preference for using my hands over a wheelchair. I do not use one because they are useless in Kashmir and often make getting around more challenging than beneficial,” he said.
Ahmad claims that despite having to visit nearly every Government office, including the Old Civil Secretariat, which houses all of the Government agencies, the Deputy Commissioner’s offices, and the Department of Power Development, none of them are wheelchair accessible.
He said that it is ironic that the offices of the Department of Social Welfare, which cater to their needs, lack a ramp or elevator, making it impossible for them to access. “How can we expect private or small town structures to be accessible when all these Government offices are inaccessible?,” he said.
Zaffar Ahmad, an official from the Social Welfare Department, admitted that accessibility remains a challenge for those with impairments. “The department has been working on improvements through the Centrally supported Accessible India Programme (SIPDA). Approach ramps with railings and guide rails have been constructed at numerous buildings, with plans for two lifts at the municipal office and the headquarters of the Social Welfare Office. The second phase of the programme aims to cover more buildings after completing the first phase,” he said.
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