Provide data on de-addiction centres, night shelters for homeless in capital: HC to govt

The High Court bench of Chief Justice G Rohini and Justice R S Endlaw has also asked the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) to give information on the number of temporary and permanent night shelters available for the homeless in the city, along with data on how many shelters have temporary/permanent toilets. The direction came after representatives of the NGOs alleged that there were no sanitation facilities at many of the shelters, and the few toilets that were available were not properly maintained.

“Please inform us tomorrow as to how many permanent and temporary toilets are there in shelter homes and how many of them are connected to the sewer,” the court said.

The court had, in 2010, taken up a PIL on the condition of night shelters for the homeless in the city, and has been monitoring the issue.

SAM executive committee member Indu Prakash also told the court that there were serious problems related to maintenance of these shelters. “There is no proper water supply, no toilet facilities or sanitation and no electricity in the night shelters,” Prakash said.

The court will now take up the matter on Friday and said it will issued directions to DUSIB.