Visually Impaired DU Students Face Commuting Hurdles From Burari to Campus

Rajan Kumar, 21, and Nikhil, 19, two visually impaired third-year students at Delhi University's Kirori Mal College, continue to face severe accessibility challenges during their daily commute from their hostel in Burari’s Harit Vihar to the North Campus.

The journey begins at a modest two-storey hostel in Harit Vihar that currently accommodates around 30 visually impaired students. To reach the nearest bus boarding point along the main road, the students must walk 500 to 600 metres through cramped lanes filled with potholes, uneven surfaces, sudden bumps, passing traffic, and stray dogs. During the monsoon, waterlogging frequently submerges the locality up to knee level, making the path impassable and forcing students to miss classes.

At the main road, the students wait without footpaths, pavements, or designated shelters to board buses. While private cabs over the nearly 10-kilometre route would cost several hundred rupees, the students rely on public buses to travel for free. However, overcrowding often forces them to wait through multiple full buses before managing to board.

After disembarking near the North Campus bus station, the students must cross the roadway without the aid of pedestrian signals or zebra crossings, instead relying on broken openings in the central median. A second bus ride brings them closer to the college, followed by a 10-minute walk where tactile paving is frequently broken or missing, forcing them onto the main road alongside traffic.

Rajan, who hails from Bihar, and Nikhil, from Uttarakhand, navigate the route using white cane techniques, sound, and spatial memory. The hostel where they reside provides free accommodation and meals, with students making candles between July and October in return.