No toilet facilities for differently-abled

A survey conducted by an NGO has revealed that no BJP-ruled municipal corporations in the national Capital have disabled-friendly toilets. It further revealed the New Delhi Municipal Council has 100 toilet facilities for specially-abled, but most of these are either non-functional or serve as make-shift shelter homes. The survey further revealed that out of 1,200 public toilets in the city, only 301 are for women.

The year-long survey, conducted by NGO Samarthyam paints a grim picture about the access to public toilets by physically-disabled people in Delhi. “Never ever have the civic agencies shown concern about the needs of persons with disabilities. The Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Clean India Campaign) cannot be a success till it is inclusive,” Samarthyam executive director Anjlee Agarwal said while sharing the findings of the survey. This national Capital has a population of 2.5 million differently-abled people.

Shockingly, a UN report, released in May 2014 has also revealed that a staggering 597 million people in India — more than half the population defecate in open. The 100 toilets in NDMC areas were built in the run up to the Commonwealth Games in 2010.

“Toilets for handicapped are themselves handicapped as many of them are not built keeping their special needs in the mind. Many of these were found to be locked down. Some served as storehouses,” Anjlee added.

The survey also found the disabled, particularly those who was wheel-chair bound, found it difficult to access the toilets as there were no ramps.