SHELTER HOMES LACK BASIC AMENITIES AMID DELHI HEAT WAVE

The residents complain of nonfunctional fans and coolers as they cope with sweltering heat.

- TIKAM SHARMA

Delhi has been experiencing an intense heat wave, with temperatures soaring to a record-breaking 52.3 degrees Celsius, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). These extreme temperatures pose significant health risks, including heat exhaustion and heatstroke, and can also strain the city's infrastructure, leading to power outages and water shortages. Many homeless individuals have died due to the deplorable conditions of the shelter homes run by the Delhi government, forcing them to suffer in this scorching heat.

Despite a surprise inspection by Delhi's Urban Development Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj, the shelter homes still lack basic amenities.

Some centres do not have proper arrangements for drinking water. To investigate further, The Sunday Guardian visited a twostorey shelter home in Priyadarshini Colony behind Yamuna Bazaar Hanuman Temple and found that a few coolers and several fans were non-functional for a year.

The first floor, which has 15 beds, needs at least two coolers, but residents have had to cope with just one cooler for the past year.