With an adversely changing climate intensifying the onslaught of heatwaves, surviving the harsh weather out in the open is getting deadlier for the poor and homeless across India.
The situation is no different in the national capital.
To address the issue, the Delhi government recently announced that the night shelters for the homeless shall be modified to provide some respite to the underprivileged sections of the population. However, two days before the official announcement, when Down To Earth (DTE) visited these shelters at five locations, the arrangements were found to be in a sorry state.
Kanhaiya, a 64-year-old resident of a night shelter at Kashmere Gate, is among thousands of homeless people in Delhi who are seeking refuge at these shelters. When DTE visited the night shelter on June 18, Kanhaiya complained of feeling suffocated inside the shelter amidst scorching heat. That day Delhi recorded a maximum temperature of 44 degree Celsius.
“As far as battling heat is concerned, the day and night are the same. There’s no relief anywhere,” he told DTE.
Displaced from his home in Kalkaji due to a domestic dispute, Kanhaiya now lives in a dingy night shelter managed by the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) at Kashmere Gate.
It was found that the desert coolers installed in the shelter were struggling to maintain a hospitable temperature. A similar situation prevailed in the other four locations visited by DTE — Paharganj, Nizamuddin, Punjabi Bagh and Wazirpur.
The prevailing hot and humid conditions, despite a drop in temperature, are medically considered to be deadlier than heatwaves. This is because the extent of dehydration is greater in humid heat conditions.
According to a report issued by Centre for Holistic Development (CHD), a Delhi-based non-profit organisation, 192 homeless people died between June 11-June 19.
Tin roofs counterproductive
The biggest reason behind the inhospitable conditions inside these shelters was found to be the construction material used. The shelters, supposed to save people from heatwaves, are built using tin roofs. Consequently, they trap heat inside and fans or coolers fail to cool down the rooms.
Kanhaiya mentioned that even the water they get to drink is at room temperature. On rare occasions, packaged cold drinks are provided to the occupants by charitable organisations or nearby places of worship.
As per the database maintained by the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board, there are a total of 343 such shelters across Delhi which have a capacity of 20,264 occupants.
The capacity of these shelters is barely 10 per cent of the total homeless population in the capital — which is estimated to be up to 200,000 people.
To make things worse, the government’s database shows that on June 30, of the total 20,264 homeless people that these shelters can accommodate, only 4,196 chose to stay in them.
Indoori Kumar, a daily wage labourer at a nearby godown and an occupant of the night shelter at Paharganj, finds it difficult to work due to the extreme heat. Consequently, he has been languishing inside the night shelter for weeks.
Similarly, Mohammad Arshad, a daily wage worker mentioned that he has never witnessed such intense heat before.
“The high temperatures make it unbearable to go outside during the day, and even at night, I find it unbearable,” Arshad said.
Many occupants of these shelters have fallen sick or are already suffering from adverse health conditions due to heat.
The desperation of the underprivileged sections of the population can be assessed by the fact that some of the slum dwellers live in these shelters to escape the heat at their houses.
Ramesh Ghai, a resident of the slum area in Wazirpur who works as a security guard at the ATM in Pitampura, mentioned that he and his neighbour, who sleep in temporary shelters, have rented pedestal fans from local tent house owners.
Speaking to DTE, Avinash Chanchal, an environmental activist from Greenpeace, a non-governmental organisation that works on climate advocacy, criticised both the Delhi government and the Union government for their failure to take adequate measures to provide relief for the homeless. He emphasised the necessity of establishing early warning systems for heatwaves to ensure proper preparation.
“Night shelters, which are primarily occupied by construction workers, daily wage labourers, and poor migrants, lack essential amenities. These individuals endure extreme heat while working outdoors to earn a living. There is a rise in deaths among the homeless during heatwaves and many shelters lack coolers and cold running water,” he said.
To address the crisis, Chanchal urged that the government should implement a comprehensive heat action plan which the government has prepared to combat the heatwave conditions.
Even those who can afford air conditioning at their houses are having a hard time paying the rising electricity bills.
Uday Bhatia, a grocery delivery executive living in a DDA flat in Punjabi Bagh, shared his experience regarding the heatwave during night. He stated that until this year, his family managed to stay cool with just an air cooler.
“Due to the rising temperatures, we have now resorted to purchasing a second-hand air conditioner leading to increased expenses,” he told DTE.
“I spend most of my day under the sun, delivering groceries and an air conditioner becomes a necessity for me to be able to cool down and work the next day. I won’t be able to earn my livelihood if I don’t use an AC at night,” Bhatia added.