Delhi to turn 35 halls into shelters as 11k more arrive at existing ones

NEWDELHI: The Delhi government will convert 35 community halls in the city into shelters over the next two days for those left unemployed and homeless by the nationwide lockdown imposed to prevent the spread of Covid-19, officials said Thursday.

Around 11,000 more people have arrived at the 234 existing shelters in Delhi over last three days, they added. Most are either daily wage labourers, who can neither afford to return home nor can they afford to live in the city with the lockdown depriving them of daily income. Many are homeless, who lived on pavements or other public spaces.

Officials said as the lockdown is being enforced like a curfew, police are not letting anyone remain in public spaces. “Thirtyfive new shelters will come up, where occupants would get two meals a day. We have also written to civic bodies and the DDA to let some of their buildings be used as shelters temporarily,” said Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board member Bipin Rai.

The government has also run out of its stock of folded beds due to the unexpected arrival of people at night shelters over the last three days. A second official said the government has a decent stock of mattresses and blankets. “Under present circumstances, it is not possible to procure more folded beds,” said the official, who did not wish to be named.

The official said the Board is also fast running out of pulses and other essentials. The collectors in all 11 revenue districts of the city have been asked to ensure deployment of officials at the city’s borders for issuing curfew passes to trucks ferrying essentials for the shelters, the official added.

Meals at shelters consist of rice with either lentils or a vegetable stew. The shelter homes in Delhi have a capacity of 16,000 but till Saturday, the occupancy was recorded at around 7,000. Around 7,100 additional people arrived till Wednesday afternoon. Another 4,000 arrived after that.