Delhi's Push for Public Building Accessibility

Sugamya Yatra Abhiyan: Central government's initiative for accessibility audits and awareness in Delhi.

Purple City Plan: Launched by the Delhi government to enhance public building accessibility and promote inclusivity for persons with disabilities.

Administrative Structure: Delhi's governance involves a complex intermingling of central, state, and municipal bodies which leads to confusion regarding responsibilities for public building accessibility.

Key Governing Bodies:

• Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs: Oversees Parliament building constructions.
• Indian Railways: Responsible for railway stations.
• Delhi Education Department: Funds government school constructions.
• Municipal Corporations (MCD, NDMC, DDA): Handle construction, building permits, and completion certificates.

Legislative Framework:

• Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016 (RPWDA): Requires compliance with accessibility standards in new and existing public buildings.
• Unified Building Bye-Laws, 2016 (UBBL): Mandates local bodies to ensure compliance with accessibility before issuing permits and completion certifications.

Judicial Oversights:

• Nipun Malhotra v. GNCTD (2018): Highlighted the lack of awareness among civic authorities about disability rights and challenges.
• Himanshu Goswami v. University of Delhi (2018): Demonstrated fragmented responsibility in making public infrastructure accessible, affecting timely implementation and accountability.
• Maharani Bagh Society v. Union of India (2025): Pointed out lack of accountability in managing waterlogging issues, mirroring similar issues in accessibility.

Challenges: The fragmented governance structure facilitates miscommunication and negligence regarding the implementation of accessibility measures, seriously hindering the participation of persons with disabilities in society.

Urgent Need for Coordination: A well-defined coordination mechanism is critical to delineate responsibilities among the authorities to ensure effective implementation of accessibility initiatives.

Goal for 2025: To establish Delhi as a model city for inclusivity, emphasizing the need for decisive measures and clarity in accountability and governance with respect to accessibility.

Impact of Inaccessibility: Affects the participation of persons with disabilities in daily activities, underscoring the necessity of accessible public infrastructure for social inclusion.