Provide adequate facilities at night shelters to protect people from biting cold: HC

The Delhi High Court on Monday asked the authorities in the Capital to provide adequate facilities in night shelters to protect people from the biting cold. “What have you [authorities] done? If any one of us is required to live a night there, we don’t know what will happen. Be sensitive,” said a Bench of Chief Justice D.K. Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia.

The direction was issued after the court took suo motu cognisance of a January 11 report by The Hindu titled ‘Night shelters packed, patients, kin brave the cold outside hospitals’, which detailed the plight of patients and their kin staying on the streets near AIIMS due to the lack of affordable accommodation.

“Counsel for the respondents [city authorities] shall have complete instructions not only in respect of the night shelter regarding which the newspaper has published the report, but also in respect of the situation prevailing in the night shelters across the city,” ordered the court.

“We also expect that the authorities concerned shall take adequate steps to ensure that residents of the shelters can save themselves from the chilling cold,” the court said.

The Bench listed the matter for further hearing on Wednesday and asked the counsel for the authorities to take instructions on the steps taken to provide adequate facilities at night shelters to equip dwellers against the severe cold.