Delhi's homeless shiver under open skies

With the temperature plummeting to 2.6 degrees Celsius, homeless people in the capital struggled to find some warmth in the open. Lamenting the lack of assistance from the government, they said they feel ignored and hoped the inclement weather has mercy on them soon.

"We are not getting any assistance from the government, not even shelter. Due to this, we are forced to live on the streets. We don't have woollen clothes, hence we spend our nights shivering. Nobody is doing anything to make our life comfortable," Rajiv Kumar, a homeless man living near Vasant Kunj, told IANS.

It is estimated that there are around 67,000 to 150,000 homeless in the capital.

According to a recent survey by NGO Centre for Holistic Development (CHD), at least 248 people have died of cold since the beginning of December.

"Of these big numbers of homeless in the capital, only 4,889 get shelter. This amounts to a mere 3.2 percent of these homeless being provided a dignified shelter," CHD founder Sunil Kumar Aledia told IANS.

"The remaining are left to fend for themselves or squeezed into limited spaces," he added.

According to CHD, Delhi has 222 shelters (92 permanent, 109 temporary and 21 tents (only in winter) for the "city makers" or homeless residents. This accounts for a mere 12.6 percent of the proposed space for them under the Master Plan for Delhi 2021.

The NGO also claimed that 4,889 people can be accommodated going by the National Urban Livelihood Mission's Scheme for Shelters for the Urban Homeless (NULM-SUH) benchmark of 50 square feet per person.

"The Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) claims to cater to 14,584 people, coming to 16.76 square feet per person," it said.

Despite these shelters, many homeless are not even aware of their existence and are wondering where they can hide in the chilly weather.

"We are not getting any help from the government and there is no authority available to complain about the issue. We also don't have proper clothes. Please tell us what we should do," pleaded Anuj, a rickshaw puller.

However, it was announced Monday that Delhi Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung has granted an additional Rs.7 crore for the upkeep of night shelters for the city's homeless.

Jung has also asked the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to provide space to DUSIB for setting up more night shelters.

"Last year my belongings were stolen at the night shelter. So, I have decided not to go anywhere. I would rather keep my belonging safe because every year this time, we face trouble. But then we have got used to it as well," Sona, a balloon seller who lives near Pusa Road, told IANS.