Self-certification for buildings soon: Govt

NEW DELHI: To make public and private buildings accessible to all, the ministry of housing and urban affairs is working on a plan to allow self-certification. It has formed a committee to finalise the framework, said two officials familiar with the development. The decision comes months after the ministry came out with harmonised guidelines and standards for universal accessibility in India, which is yet to be notified.

“The idea is to allow self-certification of accessible buildings. Currently, there is no rating system for certification of private buildings based on accessibility parameters. This will make it easier for private developers to certify their buildings. The certified buildings will also be allowed to install a plaque mentioning the accessibility status,” said a ministry official, asking not to be named. This will help in making private buildings accessible to everybody, said the official.

The committee comprises two disability rights experts, officials from the ministries of housing and urban affairs, and social justice, the Central Public Works Department and National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA).

“Accessibility is not an option. It is a necessity and should be mandatory to transcend across all forms for age, ability, and gender,” NIUA director Hitesh

Vaidya said.

While details will be worked out by the committee, an official said, the plan is to prepare a checklist for private developers, that can be used to rate building infrastructure as per universal accessibility guidelines.

As per the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016: “All existing public buildings shall be made accessible in accordance with the rules formulated by the Central Government within a period not exceeding five years from the date of notification of such rules.” The deadline was extended by a year till June 2022.

The new guidelines should be strictly enforced, said TD Dhariyal, former state commissioner for persons with disability in Delhi.