Govt sets up 235 tents for homeless
New Delhi: As Delhi’s winter chill sets in, the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) has launched an ambitious winter action plan, setting up 235 pagoda tents to shelter the homeless during the coldest months of the year. While officials highlight the initiative’s extensive reach, providing essential services such as mattresses, blankets, meals, and health check-ups, homeless residents have voiced concerns, expressing frustration about the ongoing challenges they face in the absence of adequate support.
The government’s winter action plan, unveiled on November 15, 2024, aims to help the homeless by establishing a total of 250 shelters, with 15 tents kept in reserve for emergencies. Additionally, permanent shelter facilities are being upgraded with amenities like geysers for hot water and 24/7 security. Yet, despite these efforts, many homeless individuals with their last year’s experience say the government’s actions fall short of their immediate needs.
Parween Khatoon, a mother of two young children, lives on a footpath near the Jamia Millia Metro station. She recounts the harrowing experience of last winter, when her child was hospitalised after catching a severe cold. “I had no blankets to keep my children warm, and no shelter to take them to. What can we even complain about? The government has big houses and cars, but no one cares about us,” she says, her voice laced with frustration.
Her sentiment is echoed by others in similar situations. For many, the promise of a shelter does not bring immediate relief. Despite the tents providing a semblance of safety, people like Parween are still left grappling with the basic challenge of surviving the cold on a daily basis. “It’s not enough,” says Rohit Kumar, another resident living near the Shaheen Bagh area. “These tents may be set up, but they don’t provide real security. There are days when we can’t even get a blanket, and the food is cold and barely enough. Does the government even know the
number of people who are homeless like us in Delhi? I am sure they don’t.”
The Delhi government’s plan includes the deployment of 16 rescue teams, working from 10 pm to 4 am, to find individuals sleeping in the open and transport them to shelters.
A central control room has also been set up to monitor the operation through a helpline and a mobile app. People can report the location of homeless individuals using the ‘Rain Basera’ app, which tracks their whereabouts via GPS.
However, despite these measures, the homeless community remains skeptical. “What use is the rescue team if we don’t even know where to go? The government’s help is too little and too late,” says Ajeet Singh, a daily wage labourer.
While the authorities claim to be coordinating efforts across various departments, including health, municipal corporations, and police, to ensure smooth shelter operations, the ground reality for many homeless individuals suggests that these measures are not enough to meet their needs. While some were also happy with the facilities.
Ranjana Kumari stated, “I am very thankful to Arvind Kejriwal, he has done so much for people like us. Before that we used to be really worried regarding the place we would be living at during winters, but now we don’t have to worry at all.”
As Delhi grapples with its coldest winter in years, the stark divide between government assurances and the lived experiences of the homeless underscores the urgent need for more comprehensive, long-term solutions to address the city’s growing homeless crisis.
