New Delhi: Delhi govt has put in place an extensive plan to protect the homeless and vulnerable from the intensifying heatwave.Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), responsible for the welfare of such people, has claimed to have upgraded infrastructure across the shelters it operates. According to an April 27 report, the nodal agency responsible for managing shelter homes in the city, has undertaken a series of actions to improve on-ground preparations, such as strengthening cooling infrastructure, ensuring access to drinking water and enhancing medical preparedness in the shelters.DUSIB operates 197 shelters with a combined capacity of nearly 17,000 people, which are open round the clock. Of these, 82 are housed in permanent reinforced cement concrete (RCC) structures, while the rest function through porta-cabins.Apart from the homeless, those who seek refuge at the shelters are largely from outside the city and are forced to camp near major hospitals to get their relatives treated. “Recognising the needs of such people during extreme weather, DUSIB has identified 13 additional locations, including community halls and schools near prominent, medical institutes like AIIMS and Safdarjung Hospital. These temporary shelters will be operational from May 15 to July 15, offering three meals a day along with potable water to attendants of the patients and other vulnerable people,” said an official.“A summer control room at the DUSIB headquarters has been activated to coordinate efforts and ensure swift action during peak-heat conditions. Awareness initiatives, including information, education, and communication campaigns and workshops, are scheduled between May 1 and May 15, to educate shelter staff and its residents about safety and preventive measures,” said the official.“To further mitigate heat-related risks, we are working on the residents’ access to water and medical support. All shelter homes and associated offices are being equipped to provide critical care to prevent heatstroke and dehydration. Special arrangements have also been made to ensure adequate meals and safe drinking water, particularly at the temporary shelters,” the official added.However, Sunil Kumar Aledia, national convenor of National Forum for Homeless Housing Rights, said contrary to govt’s claims, a field survey conducted on April 24 and 25 across 24 shelters found approximately 50% of the cooling units non-functional. “At shelter no. 7 in Lahori Gate, nearly 70% fans and 71% desert coolers were broken, while shelter no. 251 at Sarai Kale Khan had no functional coolers,” he added.“The sanitation infrastructure within the shelter homes is in extremely poor condition. Toilets are non-functional or inadequately maintained, and bathing facilities, which are particularly critical during summer, are either absent or inaccessible,” said Aledia.“The summer action plan usually kicks in from May 15 every year, but this year we are implementing the plan early because of the rising mercury. All four of DUSIB’s electrical divisions are working on a war footing to check all cooling infrastructure at the shelters and are immediately rectifying all deficiencies they are coming across,” said the govt official.
