Minister of State for Housing and Urban Poverty Alleviation Babul Supriyo informed, based on the information furnished by the Delhi government, the Rajya Sabha that there are 16,600 homeless persons in Delhi and 184 night shelters that can accommodate 14,584 people.
“The challenge to accommodate the homeless people in this winter begins at their conflicting numbers. While the government figures have not gone beyond 16,660 ‘Delhi human development report — 2013’ suggests that city had 55,955 homeless people in 2010,’ says Sunil Aledia, CEO Centre for Holistic Development.
As per the 2011 census, Delhi’s homeless population stood at 46,724. In the same year, the Supreme Court Commissioner’s Office (SCCO), DUSIB, Mother NGO (MNGO), Homeless Resource Centre conducted an independent survey of the homeless people in Delhi, the figure stood at 246800.
Kamal Malhotra, DUSIB director, said that all these numbers which NGOs have come up with are thoroughly irrelevant. These surveys are conducted under commissioners and who are the commissioners. They are only advocates. In many cases NGOs influence the numbers of homeless to stay relevant. Delhi government has already rejected these numbers.
Dr Indu Prakash Singh, National Convenor, National Forum for Housing Rights said that if we go by the National Urban Livelihood Mission’s scheme for shelters for the urban homeless (NULM-SUH) benchmark of 50 sq ft per person, only 4889 persons can be accommodated in present 184 shelters.
“We have given 42 locations where DUSIB could have put the temporary shelters; however, only 15 tented shelters have been deployed so far. It would be simpler for DUSIB,for a time being, to put abandoned buses to provide the shelter to homeless people,” said Dr Indu.
Speaking to Millennium Post a top official of Delhi Transport Corporation said they have not received any proposal regarding abandoned buses converting in to night shelters.
On the question of abandoned buses DUSIB director said that they don’t think they need those buses as they have deployed 15 more temporary shelters to meet the demand.
“The challenge to accommodate the homeless people in this winter begins at their conflicting numbers. While the government figures have not gone beyond 16,660 ‘Delhi human development report — 2013’ suggests that city had 55,955 homeless people in 2010,’ says Sunil Aledia, CEO Centre for Holistic Development.
As per the 2011 census, Delhi’s homeless population stood at 46,724. In the same year, the Supreme Court Commissioner’s Office (SCCO), DUSIB, Mother NGO (MNGO), Homeless Resource Centre conducted an independent survey of the homeless people in Delhi, the figure stood at 246800.
Kamal Malhotra, DUSIB director, said that all these numbers which NGOs have come up with are thoroughly irrelevant. These surveys are conducted under commissioners and who are the commissioners. They are only advocates. In many cases NGOs influence the numbers of homeless to stay relevant. Delhi government has already rejected these numbers.
Dr Indu Prakash Singh, National Convenor, National Forum for Housing Rights said that if we go by the National Urban Livelihood Mission’s scheme for shelters for the urban homeless (NULM-SUH) benchmark of 50 sq ft per person, only 4889 persons can be accommodated in present 184 shelters.
“We have given 42 locations where DUSIB could have put the temporary shelters; however, only 15 tented shelters have been deployed so far. It would be simpler for DUSIB,for a time being, to put abandoned buses to provide the shelter to homeless people,” said Dr Indu.
Speaking to Millennium Post a top official of Delhi Transport Corporation said they have not received any proposal regarding abandoned buses converting in to night shelters.
On the question of abandoned buses DUSIB director said that they don’t think they need those buses as they have deployed 15 more temporary shelters to meet the demand.