Provide adequate facilities in night shelters, Delhi HC tells authorities

New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday asked city authorities to "be sensitive" and provide appropriate and adequate facilities in night shelters so that the inhabitants are protected from the "chilling cold".

"We expect the authorities to take appropriate and adequate steps to ensure residents of night shelters are able to save themselves from the chilling cold," the court stated.

A bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia issued notices to the Centre, Delhi government and Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) after another bench of the high court, comprising Justice C Hari Shankar and Justice Om Prakash Shukla, referred the issue to it.

Taking suo motu cognisance of a news report on the "pitiable condition" of patients and their kin staying on streets while they await treatment at hospitals, the bench headed by Justice Shankar, in an order passed on Monday, said the issue called for "urgent executive and judicial intervention".

The chief justice's bench listed the matter for further hearing on Wednesday and asked the counsel for the authorities to take instructions on the steps taken to provide adequate facilities at night shelters to equip dwellers against the severe cold.

"What have you done? If any one of us is required to live a night there, we don't know what will happen. Be sensitive," the bench said.

Responding to the bench's urging to "do something", Additional Solicitor General Chetan Sharma said it was a "human problem which should be taken care of".