A permanent wooden ramp has been installed at Chennai’s Marina Beach and will be put into use after it is inaugurated by Chief Minister MK Stalin at 4 pm today. The Greater Chennai Corporation has decided to install the ramp so that physically challenged residents can enjoy the scenic beauty of Marina Beach.
This ramp is India’s first permanent ramp for people with disabilities and will be the first of many to be installed at several locations in the city.
Permanent Lamps: A major game changer
According to a report in the Hindustan Times, the permanent wooden ramp will be a game changer for physically challenged residents, allowing them to enjoy the waves and sea breeze off the shore.
In the first photo, taken in November 2016, disabled people could reach a considerable distance from Marina Beach in their wheelchairs, and now, thanks to the beach walkway, they can get very close to the beach! @DisabilityIndia! #DisabilityRights pic.twitter.com/Geh2CH9Lt8
— Ananth Rupanagudi (@Ananth_IRAS) November 27, 2022
The length of the ramp is 235 metres and its width is 3.4 metres. Built at a cost of Rs 15 million, the ramp is located opposite Vivekananda Ilam in the Marina, providing easy access for residents. Moreover, handrails have been installed to help elderly and physically challenged persons using the ramp.
“This is India’s first permanent beach ramp for disabled people. It is made of three types of wood — Babur, Red Meranti and Brazilian. There will be openings every 10 metres so that pedestrians can walk on the beach sand. The viewing platform will be about 10 metres away from the sea,” an official told The Hindu.
“Everyone benefits”
Several activists have been demanding the installation of a ramp at Marina Beach for over a decade and have organised several protests for it, including Deepak Nathan, state president of the 3 December Movement, which works for the rights of people with disabilities.
“Not only people with disabilities but many others including the elderly will benefit from this. I have seen social media posts that say people have started enjoying the facilities. This inclusion project should be a great lesson for all of us as it will target and benefit many elderly people as well,” Nathan said.
Several people have taken to social media to talk about the installation of the ramps, welcoming the move, with some commenting that it’s a “great initiative”, while another user named Aja wrote, “It’s a great initiative by the government to provide an outdoor relaxation space for the elderly and those suffering from various ailments.”
Another Facebook user, Lakshmi Ramakrishnan, posted about attending an event where a temporary ramp was set up on the beach for people with disabilities: “It was so moving to see the joy on their faces as the waves brushed against their feet,” she wrote.
But internet users are concerned that the bridge is not only open to disabled people, with one user named Sam posting on Facebook: “Great initiative, but I hope the authorities introduce a system to ban non-disabled people from the bridge.”
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