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Delhi’s night shelters, designed as refuge for the homeless in the biting cold, are becoming inaccessible for many homeless individuals unable to furnish Aadhaar cards or phone numbers. Local news reports, civil society groups and activists have raised concerns over alleged discriminatory practices by the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), amid plummeting temperatures.
Minimum temperatures in early December in the national capital were below 5 degrees Celsius for the first time in 14 years. While DUSIB refutes claims of restricting access to anyone, a report by the newspaper The Hindu quoted many homeless individuals recounting being turned away.
Increased scrutiny has also been reported for Bengali-speaking occupants, the report stated. Homeless individuals from West Bengal noted repeated questioning about their roots, a practice they said is not applied to those from other states, according to The Hindu report. Activists alleged such measures stem from a recent crackdown on undocumented immigrants, leaving many stranded in the cold.
A recent survey revealed that while Delhi’s 343 shelters can house over 20,000 people, nearly 300,000 individuals still sleep in the open. According to The Centre for Holistic Development, 180 homeless people succumbed to the cold last year, warning of a potential repeat this winter.
Civil society organisations, including Basti Suraksha Manch and Delhi Rozi Roti Abhiyan, have petitioned DUSIB to halt Aadhaar-based exclusions and prioritise humane responses. They have also urged compliance with Supreme Court directives mandating dignified shelter as a Constitutional right under Article 21.