On Thursday afternoon, around 20 people in wheelchairs gathered at Jorpati and pulled down recently built sidewalks to protest against the authorities’ apathy towards their right of movement while constructing infrastructure in the city.

“Our constitution has guaranteed the right to free movement. However, the construction of infrastructure such as these sidewalks along the Chabahil-Sankhu section is not disabled-friendly,” reads a letter written by the protesters under “disabled (wheelchair)-friendly road and footpath struggle committee” to the Department of Roads.

The people with disabilities said that they had to resort to the protest after their numerous efforts and pleas to the authorities concerned to build disabled-friendly road infrastructure went in vain. The protesters have also made an appeal to the Department of Roads to meet the international standards while constructing roads and sidewalks.

(All photos by Anish Regmi)