By IANS,
New Delhi : At least 35 places have been identified as night shelters and brisk work was on in some of them Thursday, a day after the Supreme Court rapped the Delhi government for failing the capital’s homeless people in the chilling winter.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) submitted its report to the Delhi government Thursday, identifying 35 venues for setting up night shelters.
“We have given the report identifying some 35 community halls and corporation buildings. We have already started work in some places, by cleaning the buildings and getting the amenities ready,” Deep Mathur, MCD spokesperson, told IANS.
He added that temporary tented accommodations were also being put up at some places.
The MCD also set up a shelter in Motia Khan Wednesday night, providing blankets and basic amenities to the homeless.
There are some 150,000 homeless people in the Indian capital, which has been experiencing a harsh winter. Nights, especially, have been very cold and foggy.
The apex court Wednesday ordered the Delhi government to provide shelter to the homeless by evening. The shelters should also have basic amenities like blankets, electricity and toilets, the court added.
This prompted Delhi government chief secretary Rakesh Mehta to convene a high level meeting Wednesday and direct the MCD to open more temporary shelters.
“We will act within 48 hours and hope this will address the problem,” Mehta had said Wednesday evening.
As against last year, when there were 46 shelters during winter, which included 17 permanent shelters and 29 temporary ones, this year the number has been reduced to 33 (17 permanent and 16 temporary). Of the 16 shelters, one was recently demolished, according to the Supreme Court Commissioners Report of Jan 13.
Paramjeet Kaur of the Ashraya Adhikar Abhiyan (AAA), which manages almost half the 17 government-run permanent shelters, said although there is an urgent need to build more shelters, equal emphasis should be given on increasing awareness about these shelters amongst the city’s homeless.
“For instance, last night in our Fatehpuri night shelter there were 136 occupants. Its capacity is, however, for 400 people. While I can’t generalise the trend because at times it overflows with people, there is a need for more awareness,” she said.
According to Kaur, people who are within a one kilometre radius of a night shelter are generally aware of its existence.
“On days when there are many weddings happening, like last night, the homeless gather there for food and spend the night around that place. Also, because families want to live together, they would rather spend the night on the streets than stay separately in the shelters or leave the women on the roads,” she added.