CHENNAI: Three weeks after the ramp for persons with disabilities (PwDs) at the Marina Beach was damaged during the IAF air show, the city corporation has started repairing it. On the day of the airshow, PwDs were not allowed on the ramp, as the area was restricted for VIPs and people with special passes.
When TNIE visited the beach on Wednesday, handrails were missing and damaged at multiple places. At three other places, the wooden floor was broken or dislodged. Corporation workers were seen fixing the damages.
“The ramp was battered, some of the panels on the sides were removed for the convenience of VIPs and at some places the nails were protruding on the path,” said Vaishnavi Jayakumar, a member of Disability Rights Alliance.
She has also called on the civic body to improve accessibility for PwDs. “There are no professionals to assist PwDs who come in a bus or car in a wheelchair. Similarly, there are no ‘May I Help You’ boards or boards directing the way to the ramp. We have also requested the corporation to reduce the gaps between two handrails,” said Vaishnavi. She added that it is sad that in just two years, so much damage has been inflicted on the ramp.
Meanwhile, the corporation has started work on laying a similar ramp for the differently-abled at Besant Nagar beach. On October 27, Deputy Chief Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin had inspected the work and said authorities were directed to complete the work by December.