Why Delhi's homeless prefer sleeping on pavements over night shelters

Days after 30 children were rescued from illegal shelter homes in Greater Noida and Meerut comes a shocker about Delhi's night shelters. An investigation exposed the appalling conditions of night shelters in Delhi. Filthy, crowded and poorly managed, these shelters are considered to be unhygienic and sources of illness by several homeless people, who would rather take to the footpath to rest for the night. Many also prefer finding refuge under flyovers to sleeping inside the night shelters run by various NGOs in the national capital.

Though the current winter is not one of the worst in the city's recent history, the chill can at times become too much for those without a roof over their heads or walls to hide behind. Occasional fog, cold winds at night and the dipping temperatures means these homeless ones must find different ways to beat the cold. Some cover themselves with cardboard, plastic or whatever that comes their way. Others wait eagerly for cars which come to distribute blankets at night.

The Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) claims it accommodates 17,000 people in the 218 night shelters running in the city. Most of those in need of the shelters are outsiders who are in the city to work during the day as labourers. On being asked why they choose to face the chilly winds and disturbances of vehicular traffic by sleeping outside instead of the shelters, they complain of the poor maintenance of the shelters. "These shelters are not clean. We can contract diseases from the people who are sleeping there or because of the unhygienic conditions. Therefore, I feel safer outside," says Sonu Kumar, who works as a daily wage labourer near AIIMS.

Some even allege bullying by the NGO staff. Some say the NGO staff and workers mistreat those who seek refuge and that the "caretakers" are often drunk and get into brawls. "They even threaten to have us thrown out if we complain against them or question them," adds Sonu Kumar.

Rashi Singh, who is here with her son who is undergoing treatment at AIIMS for tuberculosis, even alleged that she had heard about the traumatic experiences of women and children finding themselves at the receiving end of unsolicited attention or even abuse. "It is always crowded and the staff of the NGO that runs it also deter us from entering," Rashi said.

Fear of losing their money, baggage or kit of appliances is also what deters many from sleeping inside these shelters. Absence of lockers means that anyone can lift anyone else's belongings at opportune moments. Several of the homeless workers work as carpenters, masons, etc, by day. Their work tools and belongings are essential for their livelihood.

It is not as though the streets and roadsides are safe either. But they say they have no choice. "I wake up in the middle of the night at times because I feel cold, or because there is some activity around me. There are many cases of thefts on the roads because of which I can't sleep for long. I have to be alert all the time," said Rani Kumar, a ragpicker.

If all these woes weren't enough, there is also the charges angle that acts as a deterrent. Some claim that these shelters charge a sum of Rs 10 for a night at the shelter. They say that the amount varies from Rs 5-10, depending upon how cold it is outside.

"Whenever I have gone to the shelter they have asked me for money. Why would we pay money to sleep in dirty and unhygienic conditions, when we have the option of sleeping under flyovers and bus stops for free?" asks Uma Devi, who begs at the Ashram Chowk. She sleeps under the Sarai Kale Khan flyover and feels quite safe there.

However, the NGO workers working for "Prerna" at the AIIMS night shelter gave the usual response saying that things at the night shelters are near perfect and that there is no problem at all. They claimed that these shelters are clean and people sleep in comfort at these shelters. When asked why people who are sleeping outside choose to do so, Mukesh Kumar, who works for "Prerna" said, "They sleep there because they are greedy, they collect many blankets from the people who distribute blankets at night, and then sell them." The NGO staff also claimed that their "rescue" team goes out every night to convince people to sleep inside the shelters. But they talked of the additional lure of being able to buy alcohol and other drugs. "These people are all drunkards, they collect these blankets and then sell them to buy more alcohol and drugs."

People sleeping on the streets want the conditions inside the shelters to improve. "The government should do something for us. These shelters must have clean toilets, better security, especially for women," demanded Ravi Baishya, who sleeps regularly under the Nizamuddin flyover.