NEW DELHI: The residents complain of non-functional fans and coolers as they cope with sweltering heat.
Delhi has been experiencing an intense heat wave, with temperatures soaring to a record-breaking 52.3 degrees Celsius, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). These extreme temperatures pose significant health risks, including heat exhaustion and heatstroke, and can also strain the city’s infrastructure, leading to power outages and water shortages. Many homeless individuals have died due to the deplorable conditions of the shelter homes run by the Delhi government, forcing them to suffer in this scorching heat.
Despite a surprise inspection by Delhi’s Urban Development Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj, the shelter homes still lack basic amenities. Some centres do not have proper arrangements for drinking water. To investigate further, The Sunday Guardian visited a two-storey shelter home in Priyadarshini Colony behind Yamuna Bazaar Hanuman Temple and found that a few coolers and several fans were non-functional for a year. The first floor, which has 15 beds, needs at least two coolers, but residents have had to cope with just one cooler for the past year.
Although eight fans are installed, two of them are not working. On the second floor, which has 20 beds reserved for women, the situation is slightly better, with all fans functioning properly but only one cooler available.
Additionally, the shelter home lacks drinking water facilities, forcing residents to buy water on their own.
The newspaper also visited a shelter home in Shakarpur, located next to the flyover on the railway line near Akshardham Metro Station. Here, some people were lying in front of the coolers while others were sitting. From a distance, it seemed that the arrangements were quite good. However, upon closer inspection, it was found that all three coolers were operating without water. This was because the coolers were 8-10 years old and their respective containers to hold the water had been destroyed. Consequently, people were using just the fans of the coolers. Additionally, an electric water dispenser was installed for supplying cold water, but the water cans were empty. It was found that the water tanker had not arrived since because of the ongoing morning due to the ongoing water crisis.
Similar conditions were observed at the shelter home located beside the footpath near Uttam Nagar (East) Metro Station. This shelter home was empty during the day, forcing many people to sleep on the footpath. When asked, people said they were only allowed entry at night, as the caretaker would lock the gate from the inside during the day. Those who stay there at night mentioned that the cooler in this shelter home also was not working.
All the shelter homes run by the Delhi government share similar stories. Despite the visit by Bhardwaj, the conditions of the shelter homes remain unchanged. These night shelters are managed by private agencies that are paid for their services, Bhardwaj said.
However, if these agencies fail and officers are complacent, senior officers are expected to conduct surprise checks and address the deficiencies.
Earlier last week, the minister directed the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) CEO to take action against three senior officers for failing to comply with his instructions to inspect homeless shelters. He stated, “I have not received the inspection reports from DUSIB to date. Therefore, you are directed to take appropriate action against the officers for not following the directions.”
BJP MP Praveen Khandelwal criticised the Delhi government led by Arvind Kejriwal for inadequate arrangements at the shelters. Speaking to The Sunday Guardian, he expressed that the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has consistently failed in Delhi, asserting that Delhiites are aware of this truth, leading to neglect of the I.N.D.I. alliance in the city. Khandelwal accused the Kejriwal government of making empty promises, highlighting the poor maintenance of shelter homes that force people to seek alternative shelter, subjecting them to heat waves. He further claimed that in the last decade, the AAP-led Delhi government had not undertaken any significant development work in the national capital.
The Sunday Guardian also tried to contact the Aam Adami Party, but the calls went unanswered.