‘Homeless need shelter 365 days a year, not just in winter’
Night shelter managers say that in comparison to the number of people living on the streets, the number of corresponding shelter homes is abysmally low and most of them have very poor facilities
The onset of winter heralds special attention from government authorities towards the shelter homes under the Lucknow Municipal Corporation. For these months, police vans will make extra vigilant efforts to round up beggars and homeless people on the streets and bring them to shelters in respective localities. “This should be the case all the year round,” said Sharad Patel, founder of NGO Badlav, who oversees the management of a Nagar Nigam shelter home in Tikaitganj.
“There are scores of people sleeping on the streets, near Hanuman Setu and Parivartan Chowk. People spend the night even on the divider on Bandha road, he added. “As winter comes closer, the administration starts playing a more active role. When people do not go into the shelter homes of their own accord, the police take it upon themselves to round them up.”
The local administrations provide amenities to these shelter homes that are lacking them, like blankets, geysers, first aid, etc. But they only last for as long as the winter season does. Once over, the workers take all those facilities away. A visit to these shelter homes at any given time will prove that these are not year-round privileges. Most of the shelter homes have very poor facilities and poor or no arrangement for meals for those putting up there.
In Lucknow, there are around 32 homeless shelters, temporary and permanent, 9 of which are more recent additions, according to Patel. Fifteen of these shelter homes come under the Deendayal Antyoday Yojana - National Urban Livelihood Mission (DAY-NULM), and two are under construction. These can only provide for around 1000 beds, whereas the LMC estimates the number of homeless people in the city to be close to 5000.
“Homeless people are in danger if they are living on the streets 365 days of the year. It is only during winter that this gets more media coverage due to deaths caused by the cold wave, which is why the government takes action during this time,” said Sandeep Khare, member of Shelter Level Monitoring Committee, Uttar Pradesh.
As for the shelter home run by Patel, it has a capacity of 22 beds, but often has to accommodate a couple of extra mattresses in the galleries and make space for 25 people. On winter nights, police vans will bring in 10-12 people every day, but due to the lack of space, they have to be referred to other homes, most of which are not equipped with adequate facilities for food, first-aid and other amenities. Almost all of the homeless shelters are full to capacity and have to accommodate a few extra people during the winter months.
Khare monitors two shelter homes, one in Paltan Chhawani and another in Indiranagar, both of which are filled beyond capacity all year round and more so during the winter. “There should be a policy which helps us seek provisions or manage these shelter homes better, but there is none,” he added. He reiterated that in comparison to the number of people living on the streets, the number of corresponding shelter homes was abysmally low and most of the non-DAY-NULM shelter homes were poorly equipped in terms of facilities.
He suggested that setting up rooms for the homeless and destitute at a subsidised rent of Rs.10 or 15 could also be a step in the right direction.
