Kohima, 24 July (MTNews): In order to enhance accessibility for persons with disabilities (PwDs), the Court of the State Commissioner for Persons with Disabilities (SCPD) has served a Suo Motu inquiry to the Municipal Affairs Department of Nagaland. The inquiry was initiated to address concerns regarding the implementation of the 5% reservation for PwDs in Housing Schemes across the state.
The SCPD team, led by Disability Commissioner Diethono Nakhro, along with officials from the Municipal Affairs Department, headed by Additional Director & HOD Municipal Affairs Solesul Tholre, conducted an extensive accessibility inspection on 11 May 2023. The inspection covered buildings constructed under the Basic Services to the Urban Poor (BSUP) scheme at Ruziezou, K Badze, and Meriema in Kohima.
The SCPD Court also made some recommendations basing on specific sections of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016 and the Nagaland Rights of Persons with Disabilities Rules 2019, urging the Municipal Affairs Department to take immediate action to make the BSUP facilities accessible and operational for PwD beneficiaries.
The key recommendations made by the SCPD Court are as follows:
Restructuring doorways: Doorways inside the BSUP units earmarked for PwDs will be restructured to facilitate ease of use for wheelchairs and other assistive aids.
Provision of ramps and accessibility features: All buildings and units designated for PwDs will be equipped with ramps and other necessary provisions as per the Harmonized Guidelines and Standards for Universal Accessibility in India 2021.
Creation of Accessible Pathways: Approach roads to all buildings will be paved, and accessible pathways will be created within the compounds where feasible.
Sanitary and Sewer Improvements: Inconvenient sewer lines and sanitary pipes will be checked and rectified, including the removal of sewer pipes inside the toilets that hinder the movement of PwDs.
Toilet Accessibility: Indian style commodes will be replaced with Western style commodes, and raised platforms will be removed before the installation of the commodes. Vertical and horizontal bars/grab bars/safety frames and hand bidets will be installed in every toilet.
Clearing Stored Materials: Materials stored in BSUP buildings during the COVID-19 pandemic will be removed promptly to facilitate the functioning of the buildings as soon as possible.
Effective Communication: All Notices/Notifications for PwD beneficiaries will be published in electronic and print media and broadcasted on radio and other local news channels to ensure that crucial information reaches all beneficiaries, even those without easy access to government departments or local panchayats.
The Municipal Affairs Department has been granted a three-month timeframe to implement the above directions and submit an Action Taken Report to the SCPD Court.