From barbers on weekends to on-demand TV, night shelters in the national capital are soon going to have it all. Working towards building a better image of the homeless, the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) is all set to initiate a hygiene drive at the night shelters.
DUSIB officials said beginning December 15, barber facilities will be available at all the 198 night shelters in Delhi. “Even though some homeless people work hard to make a living, often they are not hired because of their unkempt appearance. So, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal decided to provide the basic facility of barbers to the people who live in these night shelters,” said an official.
The government will also initiate regular bathing and clothing drives. “We will teach the basic advantages of bathing daily and also initiate a clothing drive, wherein people will be encouraged to donate their clothes for the homeless,” the official said.
The government also plans to distribute hygiene kits to the homeless, which would include toothbrush, soap and toothpaste. “The government has also decided to install TV sets at more than 125 night shelters and to provide them with hot tea and biscuits twice a day,” said DUSIB expert member Bipin Rai.
At present, DUSIB has 198 night shelters that can accommodate 16,338 people. Apart from these permanent structures, DUSIB has decided to set up temporary shelters as well, to ensure that no night shelter is at a distance of more than a kilometre.
“As per our survey, there are nearly 16,000 homeless people in the national Capital. Additional accommodations will be set up to ensure that there is no shortage,” said an official.
As part of its Winter Action Plan, the Delhi government had previously announced that Mohalla clinics will be established in four of its night shelters — Yamuna Pushta, Jama Masjid, Sarai Kale Khan and Shakur Basti. Also, 10 teams of doctors have been formed, which will visit the night shelters on alternate days to provide necessary medical help to the destitute.
