New Delhi:
As the city reels under bone-chilling cold, Lt Governor Najeeb Jung today directed authorities to provide shelter to all the homeless people in the city and appealed to residents to donate blankets and give other possible help.
The Delhi government has so far set up 223 night shelters across the city but homeless people can be seen out on the pavements in various localities with officials admitting that the current accommodation was not sufficient.
Officials said 12 more shelters will be made operational in next few days as Delhi Development Authority has provided 10 of its buildings to be used as night shelters.
The temperature in the city today plummeted to seasons lowest of 2.6 degrees Celsius and Jung directed Chief Secretary D M Spolia to ensure that no homeless person was without shelter.
Mr Jung has also directed all senior officers of Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), the agency responsible for ensuring shelters to the homeless, to conduct inspections of all such facilities and remove deficiencies, if any.
Apart from facilities such as bed, blankets, water and toilet facilities, the night shelter users are being provided tea and rusk in the morning.
Doctors from Delhi Government-run hospitals are also regularly visiting the night shelters to provide medical treatment to the needy.
The Chief Secretary along with DUSIB CEO Amar Nath conducted inspection of 15 night shelters at Yamuna Pushta area last evening to get a first hand account of the facilities being made available to the homeless people.
In an appeal to the citizens, Mr Jung said "let us pledge that no one in Delhi sleeps without a warm bedding".
"The Lt Governor thanked people for extending their support in donating blankets and clothing for homeless people and has further appealed them to demonstrate the kindness and love for their brethren," the LG office said.
Nath said all Deputy Commissioners, SDMs and Tehsildars are regularly conducting inspections, and through the NGOs are persuading the homeless to use the night shelters.
"All Station House Officers (SHOs) and other beat official of the police are also patrolling various areas to ensure that homeless people use night shelters and don't sleep in the open as the cold can prove fatal to them," he said.
The DUSIB is also monitoring the occupancy of night shelters online using a web based SMS system.
"It is geared up to provide additional shelter wherever needed," Amar Nath added.