Be sensitive to need of those in shelters: HC to authorities

New Delhi: Concerned over the plight of the homeless in the city, Delhi High Court on Monday urged authorities to be "sensitive" and take "appropriate and adequate steps to ensure that residents of night shelters are able to save themselves from the chilling cold". A bench of Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia issued a notice to the Centre, Delhi govt and Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board to review the condition of these shelters.The judges took suo moto cognisance of the case after another bench comprising Justices C Hari Shankar and Om Prakash Shukla referred the issue to it, flagging a news report in a daily that highlighted how residents of these shelters were grappling with acute cold.Taking note of the report that focused on the "pitiable condition" of patients and their relatives who are forced to brave the chill outside AIIMS due to a lack of adequate shelter facilities, the high court said the issue called for "urgent executive and judicial intervention"."What did you do? If any one of us is required to live a night there (shelter), we don't know what will happen. Be sensitive," the bench told additional solicitor general Chetan Sharma and standing counsel Ashish Dixit, who assured it that it was a "human problem that should be taken care of". Upadhyaya's bench listed the matter for further hearing on Wednesday and asked the counsel for the authorities to take instructions on steps needed to ramp up facilities at the shelters.