Support shelters to combat homelessness: NGOs

AS peak winter approaches, authorities and NGOs in the capital are gearing up to provide shelter to thousands of destitute.

- PRABHAT SHUKLA

The Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), the nodal agency for improving the quality of the life of slum dwellers, recently announced that it has installed 235 pagoda tents across the city to provide refuge to homeless individuals during the harsh winter nights, as part of the Delhi government's 2024-25 winter action plan.

Launched on November 15, the plan includes the setup of 250 tents, with the remaining 15 reserved for emergencies.

However, in the past, DUSIB shelters have proven to be inadequate in providing housing to all of the city's homeless. The last official survey by the agency was conducted in 2014 and estimated a total of 16,670 homeless individuals.

NGOs say that the real figure is far higher.

According to the Centre for Holistic Development (CHD), 180 homeless people died as a result of the cold last winter.

The organisation also claimed that at least 192 homeless people succumbed to the heatwave in June this year.

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) had even issued a notice to the Delhi government on the basis of the report.

In November, the Delhi High Court instructed the Chief Secretary and other authorities to swiftly act on a plea seeking a detailed survey of the homeless population in Delhi.