[sustran] Re: The Article in The Hindu " We should be ashamed" : Wrote to Kalpana ji : Your thoughts most welcome: Thanks

[Kanthi Kannan]

Dear all

 

Greetings!!

 

Yesterday I wrote to Kalapana ji in response to her article in the Hindu on
Sunday

 

Thanks

 

Your suggestions are most welcome

 

Kanthi 

 

 

Jan 23, 2012

 

Dear Kalpana ji

 

Greetings!!

 

Your article in The Hindu "We should be ashamed" could be renamed for us as
"We are ashamed". The Right to Walk Foundation is a Hyderabad based NGO
campaigning for pedestrian rights. We have been campaigning regarding the
issue of open urination for the past 3 years and we have taken the
photograph of the same place (photograph enclosed) and submitted to the
concerned authorities and discussed the issue at several levels in the
government.

 

We have also filed a Human Rights petition at the AP Human Rights Commission
regarding the issue of "obstruction to walking" as a human right violation
at the APHRC. This was done in Aug 2009. Yet despite several hearings, there
is no change in this area and almost no difference in the entire city.

 

What makes the issue even more sad is the fact that there a 600 Crore
flyover alongside these footpaths and the 600 Crore has come from the Tax
Payers money. There is no toll for the flyover and this connects the city to
the airport.

 

There are two toilets on either side of these footpaths but both are charged
and not well maintained. The point that needs to be discussed and surveys
need to be conducted whether urination is to be charged and if so why? The
argument from the authorities is that it costs a lot of money to maintain
the urinals. 

 

The irony is that the flyover has an interest component of almost 5 Crores a
month and the car drivers get the facility free but for the common man even
the natural urge of urinating is to be charged. Of course this open
defection and poor sanitation is part of the poorer areas of the city and
not near the rich bungalows or the elite homes.

 

We are therefore ashamed that we have so far not been able to change this.
We have filed a request with the GHMC (Greater Hyderabad Municipal
Corporation) to allow us to rebuild the footpaths in the area and also
maintain the footpaths at our cost. Let's hope that we are able to do this
and eradicate this open defection at least in this area.

 

 

Thanks

 

Kanthi Kannan

 

The Right to walk Foundation

 

 www.right2walk.com <http://www.right2walk.com/> 

 

THOSE WHO WALK CANNOT DECIDE AND THOSE WHO DECIDE DO NOT WALK

 

 

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