Ummid Assistant

Exploring Ramadan: A complete guide in video with English translation

IGNOU trains teachers to develop online courses

Welcome Guest! You are here: Home » Special Reports

Delhi's homeless prefer sheltering sky to night shelters

Saturday August 20, 2011 06:14:11 PM, Rashi Agarwal, IANS

Related Article

Delhi's homeless prefer streets to night shelters

Even as Delhi shivers in the bone-chilling winter, the city's homeless - said to range from 67,000 to 150,000 - prefer to sleep in the streets under the open skies rather than use the 150 night shelters,   »

A lakh homeless spend winter on Delhi's streets

Night shelters should stay till cold abates: Apex court

Give permanent shelter to homeless near Jama Masjid: Court

New Delhi: It's the monsoon when intermittent rains are the order of the day - or night - and roads are often waterlogged and damp. Yet, the capital's many homeless and even beggars say they can be choosers and opt to stay away from the government's night shelters because they are in a state of complete disrepair.

Delhi has about 60 night shelters, of which about 17 are permanent structures while 43 are termed temporary. Not enough for the capital's official 70,000 homeless (NGOs put the number at 150,000), but supposed to help out at least some of those desperately in need for shelter at night.

They are used by rickshaw pullers, balloon and vegetable sellers, beggars, migrant workers and labourers. Many of the capital's poor say they avoid them because they are ill maintained, lack water supply and electricity and are in a state of decay.

Earlier this week, a temporary tented night shelter collapsed in Chandni Chowk in old Delhi on Tuesday after a bout of heavy rains. Nearly a dozen people were trapped but luckily no one was seriously injured.

The accident was waiting to happen, activists say. Agrees Savitri, who was in the shelter when it came crashing down.

"For the past three months, there has been no electricity, no water. The mats are wet and no new mats have been provided. Some of them have even started smelling bad with earthworms in them," she says.

During the rains, water enters the shelter, she says, labelling the shelters "inhuman".

Cash-strapped NGOs tasked with the upkeep of the shelters say they too are helpless because they haven't been paid by the government.

According to Ashok Pandey of the Beghar Sangharsh Samiti foundation, which has been looking after the welfare of homeless for around 10 years, the authorities have not paid them since February this year.

"We have not been paid for over six months now. In order to help the homeless we used our money to maintain the shelters but now even we are running out of money," Pandey told IANS.

Pramod from the NGO Khushi adds that several applications and letters have been sent to Mission Convergence, which he says is the authority supposed to pay them, but there has been no response.

Amod Kumar of St Stephens Hospital, the governing body of all the NGOs, also says that they have not been paid since February.

"It's true that the NGOs have not been paid by the government. There are several reasons behind it," he says.

"Steps are being taken to facilitate the payment."

The government in July this year had approached the Delhi High Court to remove temporary shelters, which used to be set up only during winters.

The reasons cited were that most of them lie vacant and entail huge costs. The appeal was, however, rejected.

"By not paying the NGOs, the government is forcing us to close the shelters...It is but a conspiracy of the government," says social worker Dhananjay Tingal.

While permanent night shelters are relatively in good shape, the temporary ones are going from bad to worse, NGO workers say.

Delhi government officials could not be reached for comments. An official of the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board disconnected the line when IANS sought his comments.

The Delhi government spends around Rs.45 lakh on temporary shelters every month. This amounts to about Rs.1 lakh for each shelter, NGOs believe.

Of this, NGOs that look after the facilities, cleanliness and management of the shelters are paid Rs.24,400 per month per shelter, explains Amod Kumar.



(Rashi Agarwal can be contacted at rashiagarwal23@gmail.com)
 

 

 




 

 

Bookmark and Share

Home | Top of the Page

 

Comments

Note: By posting your comments here you agree to the terms and conditions of www.ummid.com

Comments powered by DISQUS

 

 

 

Top Stories

Open to discussion for strong Lokpal, says PM

he government is ready to have discussions for a strong anti-corruption Lokpal Bill, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh said here Saturday. “We are all in favour of a Lokpal, which is   »

Fasting Anna sets Aug 30 deadline for Parliament nod to Lokpal Bill

Can a Lokpal Bill end corruption?

Anarchy is not the option

 

  Most Read

In Madinah for Ramadan, worshippers relish traditional hospitality

Serving iftar meals to help visitors to the Prophet’s Mosque break their fast is part of the rich tradition of the people of Madinah that dates back to the period of the Prophet   »

Abdullah launches largest ever Haram expansion work, dedicates it to Islamic world

Saudi King Abdullah - the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques,  in a glittering ceremony August 19 launched the largest ever expansion    »

 

  News Pick

Public opinion sought on Lokpal Bill, Team Anna rejects move

As Anna Hazare continued his protest fast, a parliamentary standing committee Saturday invited public suggestions on the Lokpal Bill. Team Anna member Arvind Kejriwal dismissed it as an attention diverting tactic.  »

Hazare movement is destabilising for nation: Sociologist

Paschimbanga: Where's the change dude?

Finally after all the hoopla, it is to be "Paschimbanga". The rechristening of West Bengal has left many, especially the younger generation   »

West Bengal to be christened Paschim Banga: Minister

10 killed as Maoists ambush police party

Nine policemen and a civilian were killed as Maoist rebels Friday ambushed a police party in Chhattisgarh, India's worst left-wing insurgency-affected state, police said. "There is a massive attack on dozens of policemen  »

Over 50 die as suicide bomber explodes in Pakistan mosque

More than 50 people were killed when a suicide bomber, said to be a teenaged boy, exploded himself inside a packed mosque during Friday prayers in northwest Pakistan, media reports said. The deafening afternoon  »

 

Picture of the Day

An artist's impressions of the new expansion of the Grand Mosque in Makkah. The project is launched by Saudi King Abdullah - the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques, August 19. Regarded as the largest ever expansion of the Grand Mosque of Makkah and costing a whopping SR80 billion, the project after completion will increase the mosque's capacity to more than 2.5 million worshippers. The King dedicated the new expansion to the Islamic world.

 

 
 
 
 
 

RSS  |  Contact us

 

| Quick links

News

 

Subscribe to

Ummid Assistant

 

National

Religion

RSS

Scholarships

About us

International

Culture

Twitter

Government Schemes

Feedback

Regional

History

Facebook

Education

Register

Politics

Opinion

Newsletter

Contact us

Business

Career

     

Education

       

 

 

Ummid.com: Disclaimer | Terms of Use | Advertise with us | Link Exchange

Ummid.com is part of the Awaz Multimedia & Publications providing World News, News Analysis and Feature Articles on Education, Health. Politics, Technology, Sports, Entertainment, Industry etc. The articles or the views displayed on this website are for public information and in no way describe the editorial views. The users are entitled to use this site subject to the terms and conditions mentioned.

© 2010 Awaz Multimedia & Publications. All rights reserved.