The South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) was chastised by the Delhi high court on Monday for failing to conduct a “proper” social disability audit in the Vasant Vihar region and for failing to take steps to make roadways and pavements wheelchair-friendly.
While hearing a contempt complaint alleging the authorities’ inaction in preserving trees and preventing their concretisation, Justice Najmi Waziri took note of a video showing civic officials conducting the audit while in a wheelchair but with the assistance of another person.
The court ruled on November 15 last year that SDMC engineers must tour the entire colony’s walkways in a wheelchair without assistance to ensure the footpaths’ use. In order to comply, officials from the civic body conducted an audit, but with assistance.
The court stated that every citizen has the right to walk about in the state-created area and inquired as to why SDMC employees were not using wheelchairs independently.
“Did they find it difficult to travel around in wheelchairs?” the court inquired of SDMC counsel.
When the counsel replied in the negative, the court was perplexed as to how they did not find it difficult, as well as why another person was pushing the wheelchair while the official seated in it was unable to move it on his own.
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