‘The world is not designed for the visually impaired’

Chanbus Patu with his wife Vinita. Pics/Hanif Patel

Forced to walk on the road, as the pavements are full of illegally parked vehicles in Vasai, a visually impaired retired banker drifted away from his regular route and got lost last week. The man has been complaining to officials for years to get encroachments on pavements and illegal parking along a road removed, but claims the authorities are not paying heed to the issue. A local school boy, who knows him, came to his rescue at Ambadi Road and took him home. But two days back, the man was injured when he dashed into vehicles parked illegally just outside his home. With his confidence now crushed and no help coming from the authorities, Chanbus Patu, 68, has become very disturbed.

Illegally parked vehicles force Patu to walk in the middle of the road

Patu, who walks with the help of a white cane, told mid-day that the world has been designed for the ‘seeing people'. He also added that the damaged covers of manholes pose a serious threat in Sai Nagar in Vasai and he had once fallen into one injuring his leg.

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"When I step out to go to the market or Vasai station, I try to walk on the pavement. But at some places, the pavement is broken or the paver blocks are missing. I have to walk with extra care. If there is uniform arrangement of paver blocks, the path is blocked by illegal parking of two wheelers. So naturally, I go down on the road but again there is illegal parking of tempos and auto rickshaws…kidhar jau mai?" Patu said, distraught.

The footpaths also have illegally parked vehicles

"The motorcyclists are another problem. Youngsters ride so fast that I get scared, thinking they will skid on the road," he added. "The world has been designed for the seeing people and not for people with vision impairment. There is no special lane for physically challenged people like me," Patu lamented.

‘No heed to complaints'

"I have been writing complaints to the municipal corporation and local police station since 2018, but my requests have fallen on the deaf ears. I have also written to the urban development ministry in 2018, but nobody cares about a physically challenged person," said Patu, who has been doing social work post retirement.

The uneven footpath with broken tiles and drain covers

He said he often drifts from his regular route due to the laxity of the municipal corporation and police. "I have approached Manikpur police but no one listens to me. Why can't traffic police tow away the vehicles parked illegally? Installation of a ‘no parking' board will not deter the traffic offenders, severe action at regular intervals is required to give relief to people like me. I am sure many physically challenged people face the same serious issue," Patu added.

Patu stays with his wife Vinita, son and daughter-in-law at Sai Nagar in Vasai west. "I have been living in the area since 1984. If I am lost in the market due to the encroachment, local residents assist me to reach my house," Patu said. "These days he is very disturbed because of the encroachment in the area as he cannot walk freely," said Vinita.

Officials speak

Assistant Municipal Commissioner, Gilson Gonsalves, said, "I am not aware of the damaged pavements of Sai Nagar area. I will get them fixed at the earliest." "I have not received any complaint yet, but our towing vans often take rounds everywhere in the area to identify illegally parked vehicles before initiating legal action against them," said Shekhar Dombe, the in-charge of Ambadi Road traffic chowkie.