No separate night shelter, homeless women in Gurugram brave frigid cold in the open

A spot check by Hindustan Times at seven of 11 shelters run by the district administration on Thursday night found only men at the shelters. The in-charge of these shelters said they don’t allow women in because they can’t guarantee the safety of women inmates, and there are no separate space or facilities for women either

For the homeless in Gurugram, especially the women, the biting cold makes their lives in the open more miserable and they have no option of even seeking shelter in a government run facility -- these centres either don’t have separate quarters for women, or don’t allow women over safety concerns, a spot check by HT has revealed.

Gurugram: Homeless people on a pavement during a cold and foggy winter morning, in Gurugram, Friday, Jan. 6, 2023. (PTI Photo) (PTI01_06_2023_000039B) (PTI)

Unlike neighbouring Delhi, there are no exclusive shelters for women, leaving the women in Gurugram exposed to frigid weather as well as a host of safety hazards at night.

A spot check by Hindustan Times at seven of 11 shelters run by the district administration on Thursday night found only men at the shelters. The in-charge of these shelters said they don’t allow women in because they can’t guarantee the safety of women inmates, and there are no separate space or facilities for women either.

HT found several women cooped up under bus shelters, and by the roadside, huddling under whatever warm clothes they had. Many of them had their children with them.

One of them was Meena, a 31-year-old woman who got married very young and came to Gurugram in 2016. Abandoned by her husband almost immediately after their wedding, she started to work in a food cart to earn a livelihood.

Living on meagre resources and donated blankets, she braves the frigid cold out in the open every year. “Every day is a new day. Come morning, and I’m not sure where I’ll be sleeping that night. Shelters are not safe as they don’t have any facilities for women. Most of the time, I sleep at the bus stop as I feel safer there,” she said.

Another homeless 48-year-old Janaki Rani, who supports her children back in the village by selling winter wear on the streets of Sadar Bazar, said, “I try to save every rupee as my children are dependent on my earnings. It matters not matter where I eat or sleep, though it would have been nice if I had a safe place to rest my head every night. I have tried to get a spot at night shelters but they don’t allow us in even if we are unwell. I cannot afford a place of my own right now,” she said.

At least 30 women were spotted sleeping at the bus stand near Sadar market. They said that despite knowing their plight, no one -- not even the government -- has ever thought of providing them a place. “The government talks of equality but shelter homes are set up only for men and women are left out on the roads at night. There is no support from any department and when we request the staff at these shelters to allow us in, they turn us away saying they don’t want to land in any trouble because of us,” said Sudha Arya, a 49-year-old from Bihar.

Sadhana (65), lives on the street with her grandson and visits residential sectors to collect used clothes and other items to make her ends meet. She said it is difficult for them to spend the night in the open. “We are not allowed to sleep at shelter homes even when the temperature has dipped below 3 degrees Celsius. Many times, we sleep outside closed shops and areas where other homeless sleep. Even the homeless have their “areas” and do not appreciate a new person coming in into “their area”.”

“I beg for a living or find manual work to earn a daily wage. Both my daughter and son-in-law were run over by a truck five years ago in Bhopal, and I have to support my grandson who is nine and lives with me. It is a daily struggle, will we get space tonight or not? Some days, God is kind, other days... what can I say?”

The duo sleeps near the railway station as they find it to be the safest spot in the city.

In Gurugram, visibility remained poor till 11am Friday before the situation improved slightly. The temperature has been falling in the city over the past four days. On Friday, it recorded a minimum temperature of 3.1°C and a maximum of 13.3°C.

Surender Kishore, in-charge of the railway station shelter home, said on average, seven people sleep in the shelter that is about 10 feet tall and 28 feet wide. “Every day, at least four women approach us and request us to let them in. But we don’t have any directions from authorities on admitting them or even a separate space where they can safely sleep. We have extra beddings but we don’t given the women these as they often flee with it the next morning. They ask us to write on their behalf but we are also helpless,” he said.

The guard, who is the caretaker of Bhim Nagar shelter home, said despite having extra space, they cannot allow women in. “There is no security arrangement for women and no women staff present at any of the existing night shelters. Many of the men who come to sleep at night shelters are often drunk. They may misbehave with the women and we cannot take a chance with their safety. Else, we will be held responsible,” said Deshraj Verma.

The authorities have not taken any step to set up a separate night shelter for women in the city.

Gurugram deputy commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav said the issue has been brought to his notice and he will ensure that at least two shelters are set up exclusively for women within the month. He said teams have been have been asked to visit the shelters at night or early morning for surprise inspections. “They have been asked to submit reports with photographs on WhatsApp on a regular basis. We have also directed the teams to also visit bus stands, railway stations, hospitals and other public places to ensure that no person, whether homeless or otherwise, sleeps in the open. They should be guided to the nearest shelter home. The officers shall also carry sufficient blankets with them during their visits and hand these over to the needy,” he said.

Till early 2016, the city had only two permanent night shelters -- at the Kanhai community centre and Bhim Nagar which earlier operated as a dog shelter. At that time, six defunct Haryana roadways buses were converted into temporary night shelters. In late 2016, the MCG introduced portable night shelters, and over the next four years, three more permanent night shelters were opened across the city.

However, no data is available with the civic agency on the number of homeless in the city. And while temperatures and falls in the mercury are diligently recorded, their impact on the ones left out in the cold is never recorded or remedied.