This night shelter cries for better facilities

Harshraj Singh

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, January 10

The night shelter, which is being run from an old Fire Brigade building, near Vishwakarma Chowk, here, is crying for attention due to lack of facilities. The hygiene conditions are required to be improved at the shelter.

It was even difficult to stand for a minute inside rooms at the shelter that falls under the MC’s Zone C area, as stink was emanating due to the poor sanitary conditions. It seems the rooms were not cleaned on a timely basis and there is no arrangement for washing dirty blankets and other items.

Moreover, there is no proper facility of toilet and bathroom for homeless persons staying at the night shelter. Thus, people are generally being asked to visit the nearby public toilet. There is also a need to instal a water purifier for the provision of safe drinking water for the visitors. Earlier, water purifiers were installed at MC offices. But the facility was not given to the night shelters.

Amid cold nights of the ongoing winter season, nearly 20 persons are staying in two rooms of the building that was converted into a night shelter years ago. A homeless person said: “I used to come here at night these days. I was spending night on roadsides when the weather conditions were normal. I have food from outside before reaching the shelter.”

Notably, the MC chief had earlier given instructions to the officials concerned to contact city-based NGOs and religious shrines to make arrangement of ‘langar’ as per requirement for persons at night shelters. But, there is no provision to provide food or tea to any needy person at the shelter at present.

Councillor from Ward No. 50 Swarandeep Singh Chahal said: “There is no provision of toilet and bathroom for these homeless people at the night shelter. The nearby public toilet facility is paid. The MC must pay attention to ensure all required facilities for them. It must make arrangement of bathrooms at the shelter.”

The shelter opens from 7 pm and people start leaving the place around 6 am. A city bus has been deployed to bring homeless persons from various areas to the shelter while some reach the shelter on their own. CCTV cameras are available at the place for security. These were installed after a theft incident took place in the past, as per information.

Amid the Covid-19 pandemic, some masks and a small bottle of hand sanitiser were available at the shelter but these were not being used. Earlier, it was also announced that a team will be deployed for the medical check-up of the persons visiting the place but to no avail.

On the other hand, officials claimed that everything was fine at the night shelter. SDO Kulwinder Singh said all facilities were available at the night shelter. He claimed that blankets and bed covers were washed regularly.

MC Zonal Commissioner Neeraj Jain said there was a proper provision of toilet and bathroom for people at the night shelter. Sanitation workers had been deployed to ensure cleanliness of the place.

Normally, there was an arrangement for 30-40 persons but nearly 25 persons could stay at the shelter these days due to the Covid-19 pandemic, he added.