No accessibility

A few days ago, I had a chance to visit the Khewra Salt Mines along with my husband and ten-year-old wheelchair-bound son. The Pakistan Mineral Development Corporation (PMDC) has turned salt mines into a tourist resort which is visited by a large number of people. The breathtaking mines are a great source of income for the national exchequer as the PMDC charges a decent amount of entry fee which is Rs200 for an adult and Rs100 for a child. An additional Rs100 per person is paid, if someone wants to avail the trolley facility. It was surprising for me to find out that these mines were not accessible for wheelchair-bound people even from the main entrance. We used the trolley facility, with the wheelchair on the mini locomotive, which took us to the core of mines.

While pushing the trolley, we faced a lot of difficulty as the pathways in mines were rough and uneven. It was laborious to push the wheelchair on the rough terrain. Although we called off the tour midway, the staff on duty was kind and supportive and helped a lot in lifting the wheelchair. The authorities concerned should look into this problem and make sure that tourist places are easily accessible by someone with disability. The accessibility code for people who are physically challenged should be strictly followed not only when constructing public buildings, but also while developing such resorts and recreational places.

Fozia Yousaf Awan

Islamabad