Keeping in view of the prevailing cold conditions in the national Capital the Delhi Government has decided to provide an additional grant of `5 crore to Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB). The Government has also directed to give at least two blankets to a person at all night shelters in view of extreme cold in the national Capital.
This was announced by Delhi lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung on Wednesday after going over the inspections report on the conditions of night shelters submitted by Departments of Health, DUSIB, Delhi Police and Deputy Commissioners. The lieutenant Governor also directed Deputy Commissioners of Police and Joint Commissioner of Police to inspect night shelters in their areas.
The Delhi Government intends to make available two blankets per person by DUSIB in all the night shelters. Also, separate night shelters will be made operational for homeless families, Jung said. The information regarding augmentation required at specific night shelters was shared by the DCs with DUSIB in a recent review meeting.
DUSIB has added one more night shelter and will add two more porta cabins by Wednesday evening, taking the total strength of night shelters in the city to 224. Also, the cleaning staff in these night shelters have been doubled and action has been initiated against NGOs which have been found lacking.
Officials of Delhi Police informed that they had helped approximately 250 people into night shelters in the trans-Yamuna areas as these were running below capacity. Further, as per the lt Governor’s instructions, 10 community halls of the Delhi Development Authority (DDA) located in Dwarka, Rohini, Narela, Masoodpur, Kondli will be converted to night shelters.
Though there are 184 shelters all over Delhi, DUSIB has put 15 more in different locations in the city. DUSIB stressed that providing shelter to the homeless could be a big challenge in future as migration to Delhi and National Capital Region is increasing day-by-day. Faced with influx of homeless from the neighbouring States, Delhi Government has asked Urban Development Ministry to advice them to provide shelters especially during winter. However, if night shelters are constructed on Delhi-Haryana border or Delhi-UP border, it will reduce burden on Delhi’s night shelters.
According to data available with The Pioneer, Delhi had 23 night shelters for homeless in 2001. The number of such shelters increased to 47 in 2005 and 148 in 2010. There is a proposal to increase the number of shelters for the homeless to 184 in 2014. “Many of these shelters are running above its capacity and such growth in shelter also indicates large scale of migration of poor and homeless to Delhi,” said an official of Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) on the condition of anonymity.