Homeless shiver as Ambala fails to set up night shelters

Manish Sirhindi and Suman Bhatnagar

Tribune News Service

Ambala, December 20

With cold gripping the northern region, the homeless in Ambala are left to the nature’s mercy, as night shelters have not been set up in the city and cantonment area.

Though the Haryana Roadways is operating a night shelter on the premises of a bus stand in Ambala Cantt, the charge of Rs 100 per bed are keeping the poor away. They spend nights under railway overbridges or flyovers. Sometimes they sleep at railway platforms, verandahs of bus stations, shopping complexes, temples and in public toilets.

Unlike last year, the district administration and Municipal Corporation have made no arrangements for the homeless.

There however, is one shelter home being operated by the Nagar Sewa Sangh in Ambala City close to the bus stand. It can accommodate 30 persons. A bed, a blanket and a bed sheet is available for Rs 10 per night and there is a rush in the evening to get the accommodation. Sangh working president Rajesh Kosla and patron Raj Kumar claimed the government was not providing grants to the organisation to run the shelter home.

Sulekha, a rag-picker, who takes shelter under a flyover on NH-1, said: “To keep warm, I cover my head and feet with a blanket. Sometimes, I make bonfire whenever I am able to collect enough wood or use twigs, leaves and tyre or whatever I can manage.”

Banto, who along with her two sisters and as many children took shelter outside the railway station in Ambala Cantt, said: “We have two quilts and some woolen clothes. We sleep on polythene sheets. My priority is to make my children warm. Sometimes, we make do with shawls to cover ourselves during the night.”

The district authorities have, meanwhile, recovered two bodies of unidentified persons from near the bus stand. Mayor Ramesh Mal said he would take up the matter at an appropriate level.