DUSIB’S plan for homeless: rescue teams, increase number of shelters

NEW DELHI: From increasing the number of shelters to forming teams for rescuing the homeless sleeping on the roads at night, the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) said they have prepared a detailed action plan for the city’s homeless.

DUSIB’S chief executive officer (CEO) Shurbir Singh said the board has set up 60 new pagoda tents to accommodate the rescued homeless persons which, in a first, are water proof and fire retardant. The tents can accommodate a total of 1,200 persons at a time. The DUSIB has 248 shelter homes which include 76 permanent buildings, 114 porta cabins and 58 tents. The 248 shelter homes can accommodate a total of 17,645 persons and until Friday, over 11,000 homeless persons were found using the facility.

The national capital this winter season saw temperatures go as low as 2.6 degrees Celsius. This week, New Delhi was also in the grip of a cold wave.

Dismissing media reports that close to 100 homeless persons died in Delhi since January 1, Singh said the Board would take legal action against NGOS who released unverified data. “These organisations are giving a count of unclaimed bodies which is updated by the Delhi police on their website on a monthly basis. To say that they died due to the cold wave is completely false. We are in touch with the police and they have not told us about even one such case. We will take action against those trying to defame DUSIB,” Singh said.