Differently-abled yet to receive special facilities in public buildings : Coimbatore

Despite the Tamil Nadu Urban Local Bodies Rules that came into effect on February 1, urban local bodies in western Tamil Nadu are yet to implement the rules that make it mandatory for all multi-storeyed and public buildings to provide special facilities for the differently-abled.

According to the provision, special facilities like ramps, lifts, hand rails, special toilets and reservation in car parking among other facilities should be provided to the differently-abled in the city. Commissioners of the urban local bodies are entrusted with the responsibility of ensuring this before giving approval for the building plan of any new multi-storeyed or public building or re-construction of such buildings.

The local bodies are also supposed to ensure that all existing multi-storeyed and public buildings provide these facilities within 180 days from the date of this rule coming into force. However, when TOI spoke to commissioners of Coimbatore, Erode, Tirupur and Salem corporations it was revealed that no action has been taken yet to book errant building owners. S Sivarasu, deputy commissioner of Coimbatore corporation claims about 80 per cent of such buildings in the corporation have disabled-friendly features and added that they will enforce it for new buildings. "We already have about 12 special toilets for the differently-abled", he noted.

Tirupur corporation commissioner, K R Selvaraj declared the buildings in his city are already equipped with special facilities for the disabled even before the rule came into force. "We are also ensuring that each building has at least one disabled-friendly toilet," he added. Erode corporation commissioner; M Vijayalakshmi said a survey is on to identify the buildings that do not have special facilities for the disabled. "As far as new buildings are concerned, we are taking appropriate action as per the rule," she told TOI.

Salem corporation commissioner, M Ashokan said steps have been taken to create ramps and hand rails for the benefit of differently-abled. He added that special toilets have been installed at different places in the city. While this was the scenario with the corporations in western Tamil Nadu, differently-abled persons who have been deprived of special facilities for long in the built environment want this rule to be strictly implemented.

"It is a welcome move but it needs to be implemented within the stipulated time," said M Kamaraj, a differently-abled social worker with Thiramai, a movement working for the differently-abled. Though there have been rules and Acts of similar nature in the past, this rule by the municipal administration and water supply department makes it mandatory. The Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995 says 'local authorities shall within the limits of their economic capacity and development' provide the facilities, but does not make it mandatory.

The new rule includes a range of buildings like educational institutions, hospitals, boarding and lodging houses, bus stations, cinema theatre and even offices of central and state governments. However, awareness about the rule being mandatory seems to have gone unnoticed by the civic body officials. Therefore, a speedy progress in implementing the changes as per the rule is the need of the hour.






Source : TOI , Tamil Nadu ( 10th March 2013 )