Delhi govt to roll out 250 temporary winter shelters for homeless on November 15

New Delhi, Nov 6 (PTI) Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta on Thursday said that the government's Winter Action Plan will roll out from November 15 with 250 temporary and 197 permanent shelter homes prepared for homeless and needy people.

She also stated that a new policy has been introduced to improve the quality of shelters. A quality and cost-based selection system is now being adopted for selecting agencies for 24/7 operation, cleanliness, maintenance, fire safety, electrical systems, and overall security of the shelters.

The government’s objective is that every homeless person should receive shelter and safety under the Winter Action Plan, which will be effective from November 15 to March 15, the chief minister's office (CMO) said in a statement.

Gupta said modern technology is being employed to ensure comfortable shelters and monitoring for smooth operation.

"The Delhi Government is sensitive towards the needs of the poor, as they are often the hardest to reach. We are determined to take our services to them," she added.

Under the Shelter Home Scheme of the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), there are currently 197 operational shelters in the capital. These include 153 for men, 17 for women, 19 for families and children, and 8 for special categories such as persons affected by HIV, TB, or drug addiction.

Each shelter is equipped with beds, mattresses, sheets, pillows, blankets, electricity, mosquito control devices, water coolers, and CCTV security systems for women.

Apart from these, the government is also setting up 250 temporary shelters for the approaching winter. These shelters are being set up across 120 locations in Delhi and will collectively accommodate about 2,500 people, the statement said.

A central control room and rescue teams are also being arranged to ensure that the needy are sent to these shelters. The GPS-enabled rescue vans will operate from 10 pm to 4 am every night to safely transport homeless individuals from the streets to nearby shelters, it added.

According to the chief minister, DUSIB has integrated digital technology for monitoring and rescue operations. The Rain Basera mobile application is used for reporting and tracking homeless citizens, while the Night Shelter Inspection App (NSIA) helps oversee shelter operations through GPS tracking and real-time data updates.

Attendance of shelter staff will now be tracked through Aadhaar-based biometric systems. Shelters for women and children will be integrated with nearby Anganwadi centres to provide essential health, nutrition, and education services, the CMO stated.

The shelter operations are supervised by the Supreme Court Monitoring Committee, the Joint Apex Advisory Committee (JAAC), and the chief engineer of DUSIB.

The DUSIB also carries out regular inspections of all shelters to ensure hygiene, fire safety, pest control, and timely maintenance. PTI VIT ANM HIG