Night shelters for homeless people in Delhi have seen about 65% to 66% occupancy this week, the daily reports compiled by the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board show.
The 248 night shelters being operated by the DUSIB can accommodate 17,645 people, according to a DUSIB statement on Saturday. On Friday night, the occupancy was 11,805, around 66% of the total capacity, DUSIB’s daily report showed. The occupancy was 11,715 on Thursday night, 11,612 on Wednesday night, 11,379 on Tuesday night and 11,537 on Monday night.
In response to allegations by some activists that homeless people had died on the streets of Delhi due to the cold, DUSIB member Bipin Rai on Saturday said there had been no evidence to suggest that the cause of death of any of the unidentified bodies found by the police in December and this month had been linked to the cold. He added that the DUSIB had increased its night shelters’ capacity to cater to more users when the mercury dips. The peak occupancy of DUSIB shelters was recorded in January 2018, when about 14,700 people used the night shelters, he said.
Apart from increasing the capacity, the DUSIB had also set up 16 rescue teams to take homeless people to the shelters, he added.