Shelter homes offer smog shield to daily wagers, warm relief too

NEW DELHI: Vinod Sahu can perhaps cope with the November chill. But the toxic pollution is another thing. The 63-year-old is in visible discomfort with the smog having aggravated his breathing problems. A tuberculosis patient, the daily wager is currently staying at the recovery

shelter

at Geeta Ghat in Yamuna Pushta. Sahu is lucky because he has a roof over his head and medication for his illness. After two apocalyptic days of toxic air, the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board and the state government’s health department reached out to the homeless and ensured some degree of relief to the vulnerable men and women on the capital’s streets.

On Wednesday evening, when the city cowered under a dark grey canopy, Sahu and others at the recovery shelter huddled under their blankets. Shri Ram, a daily wager, pulled out an inhaler and indicated that he had to use it up to four times to prevent wheezing these days. He was accustomed to using his trusted inhaler just twice before Delhi’s air worsened. Others at the shelter have bigger complications and have been put on medication.

By early evening, the recovery shelter had started to fill up, which was earlier than usual. Ashok, 30, who depends on marriage functions for his daily wages, seemed to exemplify why. He used the thick blanket over his nose as protection from the toxic air. A little distance away the queue at the registration table reflected this urgency to be within the protective walls of the shelter. Aslam Ali, a daily wager who arrives late only to sleep, had reached as early as 6pm.

DUSIB CEO Shoorvir Singh told TOI that around 200 masks acquired from the health department were distributed to shelter inmates on Friday evening. He said the poor weather had prompted Delhi government to implement its winter relief plan from November 15. The health department will send teams of doctors to night shelters twice a week to tend to the homeless sick. This will continue till March 31.

The four recovery shelters — three for men at Geeta Ghat, Sarai Kale Khan and Kalkaji and one for women at Kabir Basti in Malkaganj — provide relief to patients once they are relieved from hospital. Otherwise, the homeless suffering from illnesses ranging from fever to facture, who were sent to the nearest government hospital for treatment, returned to the streets and night shelters for lack of attendants to help them.

DUSIB’s statistics showed Delhi had 266 night shelters (both permanent and temporary) last winter with accommodation for 21,724 people. Peak occupancy was 11,973. This year, to date 183 night shelters are functioning and locations for 55 shelter tents have been identified.