Despite shelter homes, many homeless still on streets in city

Hyderabad: Due to water scarcity in summer season, shelter home, located in Koti run by the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), was closed and with that only 14 shelter homes were left in the service of homeless in the city.

In order to provide essential services to the homeless in the city, the GHMC, under the National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM), has been providing around 15 night shelter homes in the city, which can accommodate around 560 people. These centres include beds, kitchen, drinking water facility, blankets, lockers and bathrooms for their convenience.

"We can see many people without shelter sleeping on footpaths, near Metro stations, railway stations and bus stations in Hyderabad and Secunderabad during the night, even though the Supreme Court has instructed that all the civic bodies should provide shelter to all the homeless.

According to a recent survey conducted by the Urban Community Development (UCD) wing of GHMC, there are around 1,532 homeless living in various places, including railway stations, bus stations and on footpaths in city.

There are around 510 people taking shelter in GHMC shelter homes. There are around 114 shelter homes working in city that are run by various NGOs and trusts. About 3,000 homeless are accommodated there in those shelter homes, as per the data provided by the UCD wing for GHMC.

Many homeless are not aware of the shelter homes provided by the GHMC and some people told that shelter homes are very far to go. Now, footpaths near Metro stations have become new addas to sleep in the night for many homeless. The officials say that some homeless want to beg on the roads, so they don't go to shelter homes where they are not allowed for begging.

Speaking to the The Hans India, Soujanya, project director at Urban Community Development (UCD) wing for GHMC, said, "Last month, we have conducted special drive and survey as well, and we found 1,532 homeless. We tried our best to accommodate all of them in nearby shelter homes, run by NGOs and Trusts in some areas," she said.

"Some are not interested to sleep in the shelter homes even though we convince them to stay in shelter homes. We have also placed boards to create awareness about these shelter homes in many areas and also the NGO people give awareness to homeless about the facilities they provide at the shelter homes," she said.

Some NGOs who run shelter homes on the anonymity said that there are lots of people still roaming on the roads and sleeping on the footpaths as well as near railway stations.

Tramp Syed Basha (name changed), who sleeps near KPHB Metro station, said that they don't know that corporation has made arrangements for the shelter-less people to sleep during nights.

Speaking to The Hans India, P Vyasamurthy, who has been helping homeless since 15 years, said "We don't have shelter homes, but I have contacts with some NGOs and whoever calls me, I help them by joining them at shelter homes". Convener at a city-based NGO said that the GHMC is only providing shelter homes and they are not bothered about rehabilitating them.