Disability rights activist Virali Modi pushes for accessible infrastructure in Mumbai through an online petition demanding action from BMC | File Photo
Mumbai: At the time when the city is in the maze of dug up roads, the issue of accessibility, especially for the disabled population has gone unaddressed. A disability rights activist, Virali Modi has started an online petition demanding the BMC and state government to make Mumbai’s infrastructure accessible for all.
The petition on Jhatka.org talks about BMC’s failure to implement its project ‘Samavesh’ launched in 2023 to make the city inclusive and accessible for persons with disabilities.
“Under the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016, the BMC is legally required to ensure accessibility at public infrastructure. Yet, Mumbai’s streets, footpaths, and transit hubs remain inaccessible, violating both the law and basic human rights. You can make gardens as accessible as you want but if the roads and footpaths aren’t accessible, what’s the point?,’ Modi says in the petition, who is also an motivational speaker and influencer on social media.
BMC chief Bhushan Gagrani in recently concluded conclave by Walking Project acknowledged that missing footpaths is a problem in Mumbai and BMC needs to put more attention on safety and accessibility of all citizens.
“There is no escaping the fact that Mumbai’s walking ecosystem is woefully inadequate, and there is a massive gap between what it deserves and what is available. The BMC recognises this, and we are trying our best to add footpaths where they are missing and upgrade existing facilities wherever possible, particularly in the suburbs,” Gagrani said.
Notably, the BMC in its FY 2025-26 budget has allocated Rs 100 crore to make the streets of Mumbai walkable.
MNS leader and resident of Matunga Vaibhav Karandikar said, “Across Mumbai it feels the BMC has given free hand to the contractors for construction activities. Neither SOPs are followed nor regularly inspections are carried. The problem of half made roads missing footpaths is common in Mumbai. But in Matunga, opposite Central railway station, the developers have completely eaten up the footpaths. They have barricades even the roadside trees and encroached 3 to 4 meters of the road too.”
Karandikar said there are piles of complaint letters given my citizens in BMC offices on the issue, but the officers have paid no heed.
The petition by disability activity Virali Modi highlights that, ‘In 2023, the BMC launched a new project called ‘Samavesh’ to make the city inclusive and accessible for persons with disabilities. To pilot the project, 10 wards were selected and it was also decided that each selected ward will have at least one municipal garden, school, and hospital made accessible, incorporating features like ramps, wheelchair-friendly washrooms, parking, and signage for the visually impaired.”
“While the BMC has shown a willingness to work towards building an inclusive Mumbai, however, what good do these modifications serve when roads and footpaths are not accessible?”, it says. Her petition has gathered 3,630 signature so far.
Now that Mumbai is being rebuilt, why not make it inclusive and accessible once and for all?, the petition says.
