Development authority cracks accessibility rule whip on high rises
The entrance to the Idco Tower complex in Bhubaneswar does not have a ramp
The development authority has at last woken up to the needs of the differently-abled.
It issued a public notice on Thursday
asking all owners of highrises in the city to build ramps for the use of
physically challenged persons.
Last month, the women and child development department had asked development authority to ensure that ramps were built for the physically challenged in buildings such as public offices, educational institutions and private structures. The authority has issued a public notice in response to that circular.
Planning member of the authority Pitabasa Sahoo said: “The People with Disability Act, (PWD) 1995, says public places should always be accessible to the physically challenged. Section 43 of the Planning and Building Standards Regulations, 2008, of Bhubaneswar Development Authority also makes it mandatory for multi-storeyed buildings to have ramps for the physically challenged.”
Many buildings in the city, including the office of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, did not have ramps even two years ago. In April 2011, an accessibility audit was conducted by an expert group, which suggested that a ramp be built. Only then was it constructed. The development authority’s building has a ramp, but not at the entrance.
Sahoo said: “We have issued a public
notice, and I hope the real-estate developers, builders and private
construction agencies will take it seriously. Violators will be taken to
task. Right to access for the physically challenged is now codified.”
Some ramps built near public offices have elevation problems, lack support on both sides and tactile tiles to guide the visually challenged. Also, access to toilets and other important destinations after landing from the ramps, are missing. All buildings in the city need to reorganise their accessibility.
President of the Indian Institution of Architects (Odisha chapter) Akshaya Beuria said ramps should be built not only at the entrance to buildings but footpaths, bus stops, tourist destinations and other important locations too needed them. Beuria said the development authority had a major role to play in bringing about these structural changes in accessibility.
D.S. Tripathy, a senior member of the Confederation of Real Estate Developers’ Association of India (Odisha chapter), said: “The development authority will have all the co-operation from the real-estate developers as the buildings will be built for our own people.”
He also suggested that architects keep this in mind while putting their ideas into action.
Sruti Mohapatra, well-known activist for the rights of the differently-abled, said: “Not only ramps, building plans too should be made friendly to all types of persons with disabilities.”
“The design of toilets, spacing of the commode from the door, use of tactile tiles to guide the visually challenged, elevators with audio guide, numbering of each floor near the elevators to help hearing impaired persons and commissioning of elevators on buildings with more than two floors should be a priority,” she said.
Source : The Telegraph ( Calcutta ) , 16th June 2013
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