Shut for two years, Clock Tower shelter leaves homeless in a lurch
With the minimum temperature hovering around 7°C in the city, a majority of the residents are preferring to stay confined to their cosy homes; unfortunately, there are a few who do not have this luxury and have to stay on the roads even in these nail-biting cold conditions.
Many homeless people can be seen sleeping near the Clock Tower, Guru Nanak Stadium, Durga Mata Mandir, Mata Rani Chowk, Dandi Swami Road, Bhadaur House, Chaura Bazar, and the adjoining areas. The sad part is that one of the night shelters that was highly accessible for all these people has been shut for two years after the building was declared unsafe.
On a visit to the night shelter, located near the Clock Tower, one can still see beddings lying scattered in rooms. The shelter also had separate rooms for men and women and boasted a capacity of 50 people.
Bhaskar, who spends his days and nights near the Mata Rani Chowk, said he does not have any family and is homeless. He said it has been years since he has been living here at the chowk, be it extreme winter and summer conditions.
“Earlier I used to go to a nearby night shelter during the extreme winter conditions but it has been lying shut for quite some time, so I am left with no option but to spend my nights here only. The other night shelters are far off, so it is not possible to go there,” he said.
Another homeless man, who was seen lying near the Durga Mata Mandir, said devotees who come here give him blankets and food to eat, so he feels comfortable here only. “Once I went to a night shelter but I feel comfortable here in my own place,” he said.
City resident Parampal said authorities concerned should take measures and open more night shelters at locations that are suitable for homeless people. Delhi has many night shelters and a similar pattern can be followed here, he said.
An official of the civic body said the homeless avoided visiting shelters as they already received blankets, and food from philanthropists on roadsides. They said the night shelter near the Clock Tower was shut, but the other three in the city were open. They said the MC picked up people sleeping in the open and dropped them off at night shelters.
