No scope of relocation of urban homeless in Delhi to alternative sites: NALSA to SC

New Delhi, Oct 14 (PTI) The National Legal Services Authority (NALSA) has told the Supreme Court that there was no scope of relocation of urban homeless in the national capital to proposed sites in view of the DMRC construction work as they were already having maximum occupancy.

The report was filed in the top court following the directions issued on August 29 asking the NALSA to inspect and submit a report over the relocation of urban homeless shelters in the national capital due to DMRC work.

The NALSA report gave its observation on the sufficiency of occupancy of the proposed sites to accommodate persons residing at eight shelter homes situated at Sarai Kale Khan and Anand Vihar.

"Firstly, there is no scope of relocation to any of the alternate sites since the maximum occupancy as found in the attendance register is higher than the occupancy during the visit. Therefore, on any given day, if the shelter homes reach their maximum capacity, there would be no available bed space," the report said.

It said the relocation may take into account the employment opportunities and educational linkages of the occupants, as some adults work near their current shelter homes and some children attend nearby schools.

The NALSA said some of the occupants expressed their unwillingness to relocate to sites proposed by the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB).

"During the visit to shelter homes housing families, it was observed that the number of family members ranged between two to six, including children. The relocation to any proposed site would require arrangements to ensure that family members are accommodated together in a single shelter room," said the report, submitted by NALSA's Officer on Special Duty.

The NALSA visited several shelter homes in the national Capital, which have been proposed to be relocated due to metro work.

The report said during the visit to the proposed relocation sites, it was found that while most facilities at Nizamuddin Basti, Phool Mandi, Chabi Ganj and Ganda Nallah meet the basic requirements with minor gaps.

It said, "the shelter homes at Hanuman Mandi, Yamuna Bazar are unsuitable for relocation during the rainy season, as both facilities are prone to waterlogging and sewer overflow, creating recurring risks to health and habitability".

The report said shelter home at Kashmere Gate and Motia Khan raised serious concerns.

"In its present condition, it is wholly unfit for relocation owing to non-functional toilets, filthy premises with sewage accumulation, absence of CCTV coverage, inadequate security arrangements, and law-and-order issues," it said.

The top court is hearing a 2003 PIL of one E R Kumar, highlighting the closure of eight existing shelter homes at Anand Vihar and Sarai Kale Khan in the capital due to construction work of Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC).

On August 29, the bench was urged by advocate petitioner's counsel Prashant Bhushan that several hundred persons would be rendered homeless due to closure of these shelters.

Bhushan had informed the court that while six shelters had already been shut down in the past, authorities now intended to close down another eight shelters located in Sarai Kale Khan and Anand Vihar, which presently house over 1,000 homeless people.

The DUSIB has permitted the shifting of these shelters for ongoing Delhi Metro-related construction work, and alternative sites have been identified for relocation. PTI SJK ABA ZMN