NGO report rues ‘pathetic’ condition of Gurgaon night shelters

In response to the report’s findings, the MCG stated that more night shelters will be set up to address the demand.

At present, there are 12 night shelters in Gurgaon district with seven managed by MCG, two by Pataudi Municipal Corporation, and one each by Manesar, Sohna, and Farrukhnagar municipal corporations. Only three of the 12 are permanent shelters.

According to the NGO report, which put the the city’s homeless at 2,703, three additional night shelters are being refurbished and three are under construction.

Having visited eight shelters in the district, the report stated, “The conditions in the visited shelter homes are concerning, pathetic, burned, with many facilities appearing poorly maintained… Deplorable condition and management of two night shelters in Pataudi and Gurugram. Recent incidents of fire have further exacerbated the concerns.”

On concerns about cleanliness, it added, “Residents are often seen living in makeshift porta cabins that are cramped and unhygienic… In one location, a porta cabin was surrounded by accumulated waste, creating an unhealthy living environment.”

The report further said that several residents have to sleep outdoors due to inadequate availability of shelter and end up sharing space with goats, cows, and dogs, raising safety concerns. “The night shelters suffered a fire, highlighting the lack of fire safety measures,” it said, adding that the situation is aggravated by inadequate toilet facilities, unhygienic conditions, and lack of waste management.

The report said that the three permanent shelter homes in Gurgaon have a combined capacity to accommodate 65 people. “In contrast, the population in Gurgaon is estimated at 8,86,519 according to the 2011 Census. According to Shelter for Urban Homeless guidelines, eight shelters are required to accommodate this population, indicating a significant shortfall,” the report said.

MCG’s City Project Officer, Mahendra Singh, said, “Sanitation will be improved as we have given directions to sanitation workers to maintain these set-ups. We will also increase the number of night shelters from seven to 15. In areas where many labourers stay, we will open a shelter – such as at Hero Honda Chowk, Basai Chowk, near Sikanderpur and Sector 18, among others.”

“We aim to have a night shelter every 1-1.5 km radius,” he added.

The report has recommended a comprehensive inspection of all shelter homes, expansion of capacity, establishing additional shelters and collaboration with NULM to seek additional resources and funding to improve the facilities.