After it was pulled up by the High Court over poor sanitation facilities at night shelters for the homeless, the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) on Friday told the court that toilets in permanent shelters are directly connected to the sewer. In temporary shelters, toilets are connected to septic tanks which are cleaned periodically by civic authorities, DUSIB said. On Thursday, representatives from various NGOs, under the banner of the Shahri Adhikar Manch (SAM:BKS), had informed the court of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice R S Endlaw about the poor upkeep of these shelters. The NGOs also told the court that there was a lack of uniformity in the amount paid to them for maintenance. While DUSIB claims to pay Rs 53,000 per month for upkeep of bigger shelters, NGOs said some of them received only Rs 35,000. They said more permanent shelters were required for winter. The court asked DUSIB to apprise it of the manner in which contracts for maintenance of the shelters are given to NGOs. NGOs said there was insufficient water and medical facilities at the shelters and asked that Rs 6/per shift entry fee for men and children above 16 years be waived. The court will pass order on September 24.
