Six night shelters shut in Ahmedabad, others in deplorable condition

According to the civic body, fewer people now come to rain baseras, which makes it difficult to manage expenses to run these shelters. On the other hand, NGOs that manage these shelters cite “administrative problems” for the closure and the poor condition of rain baseras.

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“A caretaker gets around Rs 5,000 per month to manage a rain basera. Other expenses include electricity bill, cleanliness and maintenance. If there are not enough people, it is difficult to bear the expenses since we charge only Rs 20 per person per day,” said Gangesh Sharma, assistant engineer, Housing and Slum Networking Project, AMC.

The authorities claimed that it was the first time that night shelters have been closed for want of people using the facility.

Most people who use the facility are migrant construction labourers. When asked why fewer people put up at these shelters, the reasons cited by caretakers and users varied.

“Married couples or families do not prefer to sleep here since there are separate rooms for men and women. Moreover, a lot of men show up drunk and we cannot take them in,” said Rajesh Koshti, who has been caretaker of the night shelter close to Bima Nagar Garden near Shivranjni Crossroads for two years.

“Problems also arise when people want to cook inside or want to move in with all their belongings. Some request to take the mattresses and pillows outside to sleep on the streets, but that cannot be allowed,” said Rajesh.

Gujarat Mahila Housing Seva Trust, which used to run a night shelter at Saraspur area, cited managerial reasons for its closure six months ago. “We had been running the night shelter for two years. Discontinuing it was a policy decision,” said Bharti Bhosle, project manager at Gujarat Mahila Housing Seva Trust, declining to divulge the issues faced by the NGO.

Even the functional night shelters are in poor condition. Though the AMC directs night shelters to open by 6.30 pm, most open only after 8 pm.

A visit to the night shelter at Gulbai Tekra revealed that in the sweltering heat, there was no electricity supply there for the last three months and people had been sleeping outside in the compound. Moreover, there was no lid over the water tank, making it prone to accidents. The night shelter had no caretaker and one among the many who come to sleep there has been given the keys and the charge of the place.

“There is no electricity, since days after Holi and it gets really difficult at night without fans and lights,” said Bansibhai Bhaatu, a labourer who has been coming to the night shelter for 8 months.

At the night shelter near Bima Nagar Garden, the switch board was broken and the toilets were locked from outside. Approximately, 15 to 20 people come every night to sleep there. “I have been coming to sleep here for the past one week. The fans are not working and that’s why some of us sleep in the compound outside,” said Dinesh Mina, a plumber.

On the revival of these night shelters, the AMC is depending upon the NGOs. When asked about their plan to reopen the night shelters, the AMC assistant engineer informed that an Expression of Interest (EOI) for the closed ones was in process and the night shelters would be functional when NGOs volunteer to take them up. However, there were no plan for the ones running in deplorable state.