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Night shelters in Ludhiana open their doors amid precautions
Health officials have been directed to provide 100 masks at each of the four shelters, a thermal scanner and hand sanitisers
A day after the homeless were forced to brave winter nights on the streets, MC commissioner Pardeep Sabharwal conducted a meeting with the civic body officials at Zone D office on Wednesday and directed them to make the night shelters operational from Thursday onward.
The city has five permanent night shelters, but the MC was yet to open their doors, forcing the homeless to bear the cold on the roadsides. The shelters are situated in Haibowal, near Clock tower, Moti Nagar and Millerganj area.
While the superintending engineers (SE) have been directed to make proper arrangements of bedding, lights, potable water at the shelters, the health branch officials were told to provide 100 masks at each of the four shelters, a thermal scanner and hand sanitisers. The bedding arrangements will be done to ensure social distancing among the inmates of the shelter and teams of the health department will also conduct medical check-ups of occupants.
Further, the officials have also been directed to arrange food for the homeless at night shelters by roping in different NGOs and gurdwara management committees.
Additional commissioner Rishipal Singh has been deployed as the nodal officer.
The officials said that if required the civic body will also set up temporary night shelters in different parts of the city.
Sabharwal said, “The officials have been directed to open the shelters from Thursday onward and duties have also been assigned. Strict directions have been issued to all to adhere to the Covid guidelines at the shelters, besides keeping them clean.”
Four buses to ferry homeless to night shelters
Sabharwal said, “This year we have also decided to deploy four city buses - one in each MC Zone, for shifting the homeless to the night shelters. Bus drivers will make rounds in different areas and the homeless will be shifted to night shelters.”
MC chief donates 40 blankets
Appealing the residents to come forward for providing food and other required material at the night shelters, MC commissioner Sabharwal donated 40 blankets in night shelters.
