A New Year far from lavish nightlife
New Delhi: Music, dance, bonfire-this is how the homeless people living at Yamuna Pushta in Kashmere Gate area celebrated the New Year. Away from the city nightlife, these homeless people are living amid the freezing temperature near Yamuna.
Meanwhile, Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) came to the aid of over 900 shelterless people over there.
"Comparing last year, cold wave has increased, but blankets which are given at the shelter home save us from bone-chilling cold," Shyam, a homeless said.
Apart from portacabins, tents have also been installed for these people at Yamuna Pushta. On 31st night, homeless people said that NGO staff arranged a musical night for them.
Rakesh, who is living in the shelter home from the last six years, said, "We celebrated the New Year with joy. DJ system was installed. All of us danced a lot." Other homeless people had the same point of view like Rakesh.
A 26-year-old Ajay Mishra (homeless) told Millennium Post that time flew last night. After the dance, they ate good food.
Severe cold wave persisted as the mercury continued its downward trend across north India on Friday. While Delhi recorded a minimum temperature of 4.2 degrees Celsius and maximum temperature of 13.4 degrees Celsius on Friday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted that this December could be the second coldest in 118 years in the national Capital as temperatures are predicted to drop further. Meanwhile, Golu, another homeless said that outside shelter home, life is very tough. "Temperature in the national Capital is dipping day by day. So it is very tough for the people sleeping without any roof above their heads. We encourage other homeless to come inside shelter homes so that they can save themselves from the chilling winter," said Golu.
When the clocks tick 8 pm, people start coming inside the shelter homes and tents. Shailender, one of the caretakers of shelter homes, said that when the wind blew at speed these people bring woods and lit the bonfire.
Most of the homeless people are labourers, waiters, ragpickers. "We hope that the New Year will bring happiness in our lives," said Sonu Sharma (40).
An official from the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), Bipin Rai said that they have made proper arrangements for the safety of homeless people.
"We gave them blankets as per their requirements. If someone wants four blankets we are giving them. Our rescue teams are continuously shifting homeless to the nearby shelters," said Rai.
