NHRC member writes to chief secretary over 'lack of safety, hygiene' at night shelters

NEW DELHI: In Delhi's bitter cold, the homeless continue to suffer as they struggle to find dignity, safety and respite from the brutal weather according to findings from a surprise visit to some night shelters in the heart of the city by members of the National Human Rights Commission.

Based on the findings from the visit on December 30, NHRC member Priyank Kanoongo on Wednesday shot off a letter to the chief secretary of Delhi calling for urgent measures and an action taken report within seven days.

He sought urgent action citing the 'Right to Life' under Article 21 of the Constitution. Earlier on Tuesday, NHRC had shared posts on its official handle on X with photos from the inspections carried out by members Kanoongo and Vijaya Bharti Sayani.

The photos reflected the poor state of affairs in shelters at Urdu Park, near Jama Masjid, Roshanara Road (Sabzi Mandi), and Kashmere Gate. At some of these shelters inmates apparently raised concerns about inadequate bedding, poor sanitation, drainage problems and even rats posing a health hazard.

In his letter to the chief secretary, Kanoongo drew attention to the "alarming and substandard conditions" in the NGO run shelters he visited. The shelters come under the purview of the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board of the state.

The NHRC member highlighted that at Shelter Home-1 at Urdu Park there were inadequate toilet facilities for inmates and human faeces were found over the seats. In terms of safety, not only was there a lack of lighting inside and outside the premises, women inmates reportedly had no choice but to bathe in an open area outside the washroom and mentioned that, at times, outsiders could be seen peeping over the boundary walls. Moreover, there was no security guard at night.

"Only 10 beds were available for 25 residents and due to shortage of bedding, many residents were forced to sleep on the floor and there was lack of enough blankets. The shelter was infested with rats and food provisions were inadequate," Kanoongo stated.

Similar observations have been made with regards to Shelter Home - 2 at Jama Masjid where there were only three bathrooms and eight toilets to accomodate 250 residents and these too were littered with human and animal faeces. The caretaker was unaware of the exact number of residents and there were some inmates with permanent homes in the city who too were staying at the shelter for years.

At the shelter home in Roshanara Road too there were just four toilets for 40 inmates, no heating or common recreation facility for residents.