Defective wheelchair ramp at Pune civic body causes inconvenience to end users

It was constructed in 2019 after the civic body came under heavy criticism from different human rights organisations calling for immediate construction of a wheelchair ramp for handicapped persons

A wheelchair ramp hurriedly constructed for physically disabled persons at the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is creating more hurdles for them rather than providing an easy access to the corporation building. A visit to the spot revealed that the ramp constructed at a cost of Rs 12 lakh had the surface coating of tiles which were slippery and could endanger the lives of the visitor.

Ramp has two manhole covers located at a short distance which puts a serious question mark on the overall safety and security of the end user. (HT PHOTO)

Also, the ramp has two manhole covers located at a short distance which puts a serious question mark on the overall safety and security of the end user. The ramp was constructed in 2019 after the civic body came under heavy criticism from different human rights organisations calling for immediate construction of a wheelchair ramp for handicapped persons.

Also, the disabled person who wants to visit the municipal commissioner finds it difficult to reach the lift as it is located far away from where the ramp ends. Similarly, a number of regular visitors park their vehicles near the ramp entrance jamming the access route. There is no dedicated space for wheelchair parking as the existing spot does not have a roof as a result, the chair gets wet during the rainy season and hot during the summers.

Prahar Apang Kranti Andolan spokesperson Rafique Khan, said, “The current ramp is fraught with defects and a single person cannot use it unless he or she is accompanied by an assistant. There is every possibility of a physically disabled person skidding off the ramp, if the anti skidding measures are not put in place at the earliest. Similarly, a sound roof is needed to protect the end users from heat and rain. We have been facing serious difficulties while using the ramp and the administration must take strong steps to mitigate our grievances.”

Radhika Suryavanshi, a disabled person who visits the PMC regularly, said, “We need direct access to the municipal commissioner, but the current ramp is away from the entrance and causes a lot of difficulties. The PMC has provision for only one wheelchair and the number of disabled persons visiting the building are more in number. Also, the parking being done by the general public increases our woes as we have to virtually crawl through the cramped space to reach the building. It seems that the ramp was constructed just to show that they have complied with the ministerial orders, but actually, it is causing more harm to us than providing relief.”

City engineer Prashant Waghmare, said, “We have instructed the building planning department to look into these issues and accordingly take strong and immediate steps to provide relief to the physically disabled persons by removing the barriers and addressing their woes.”