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This is an archive article published on December 13, 2023
Winter tents for homeless come up across Delhi — month later than usual
As part of the plan, which will remain in force till mid-March next year, pagoda tents are set up across the capital to house the city’s homeless population during the cold, winter nights.
In five tents beside the Lodhi Road Flyover, the caretakers admitted that facilities such as food, drinking water and toilets are yet to be set up. Express
Despite the onset of winters and consistent dip in temperature, with the Capital recording the season’s coldest morning Monday, the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) has launched its winter action plan for 2023-24 only last week, almost a month late as compared to previous years when the plan was implemented starting mid-November.
As part of the plan, which will remain in force till mid-March next year, pagoda tents are set up across the capital to house the city’s homeless population during the cold, winter nights.
On the delay, DUSIB Chief Engineer V S Fonia said, “The tender for pagoda tents was delayed due to approval issues and was processed by November 27. By December 2, we had started setting up tents for the homeless.”
According to DUSIB officials, around 175 tents for the homeless had been set up by Tuesday night. However, a glance through the agency’s daily occupancy report shows that only 10 such tents have been erected. DUSIB officials cited IT issues for the mismatch in numbers even as the website showed regular hourly updates.
Meanwhile, people inhabiting the tents said they were lacking certain basic facilities. In the five tents that have been set up beside the Lodhi Road Flyover, the caretakers admitted that facilities such as food, drinking water and toilets are yet to be set up.
“We have a tap nearby from where we collect water to drink and use,” said Rani, who has been living in one of the camps for two days.
For now, the homeless who are living in the camps have to resort to using public toilets and making makeshift stoves using portable gas cylinders. In the camp on Lodhi Road, people said they prefer to eat from the langar of the Sai Baba temple nearby.
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“Higher-ups have said that arrangements will be made within two to three days,” said Suraj, the main caretaker of the tents near the flyover.
The tents are mostly empty in the morning and begin filling up at night, when the temperature drops. “We have our task cut out,” said Suraj. “Fights break out, people try to consume drugs on the camp’s premises. We have to ensure these situations don’t escalate,” he added.
The caretakers said sweepers have been brought in to regularly clean the campsite. “The mattresses and blankets provided are also clean; we have heard no complaints so far,” said Jitender Kumar, who works as a contractual caretaker for SPYM — an NGO, which runs several homeless shelters across Delhi under DUSIB.
According to a Delhi government official, the situation is set to improve in the coming days. “The tents have been set up only recently. Teams will soon be sent out to visit the tents and ensure all facilities are being made available. Provision for food will also be made at the tents soon. Things have been delayed this time around,” said the official.
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