HC asks Delhi govt to survey homelessness & assess shelter services under legal norms
New Delhi: The Delhi High Court has directed the Delhi Government’s Chief Secretary and relevant authorities to address a representation seeking a comprehensive survey of the city’s homeless population and a review of shelter services, in compliance with legal requirements.
The petition, filed by the Centre for Holistic Development, highlights the longstanding issue of homelessness in Delhi, pointing to the absence of reliable data despite various government efforts and judicial interventions. The plea noted that past surveys, such as the one conducted in 2010, reported 67,151 homeless individuals in the city, but subsequent surveys have yielded inconsistent results, highlighting the lack of a standardised data collection process.
The petitioners raised serious concerns about the state’s failure to adequately address homelessness, especially during extreme weather conditions. The summer of 2024 saw a tragic heatwave claiming around 200 lives, primarily among the homeless. Despite recommendations from the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), including precautionary measures by the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board, fatalities continued. The petition argued that it was essential to identify homeless people while they are alive to prevent such deaths and properly categorize them as homeless deaths when they occur due to adverse conditions.
“Even if all circumstantial evidence suggests a person is homeless, identifying them accurately remains a challenge. This reflects the state’s criminal neglect of its responsibilities,” the petition stated, underscoring the difficulty of tracking unlisted or unidentified dead bodies through police portals.
The petition also addressed the increased vulnerability of the homeless during the winter months, urging the authorities to take immediate action to prevent more deaths from cold exposure and starvation.
The Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MHUA) has acknowledged that the responsibility for conducting the homeless survey lies with the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board. However, the survey has yet to be completed, leaving the true extent of homelessness in Delhi unclear.
The plea highlighted the increasing number of people becoming homeless during the COVID-19 pandemic and subsequent demolitions, worsening the crisis.
The petition calls for a comprehensive headcount of the homeless to ensure better allocation of resources and services. The bench, led by Chief Justice Manmohan and Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, stressed the urgency of addressing the issue and directed the Delhi Government to review the matter in accordance with the law.
