The Delhi High Court on Thursday directed the Delhi
Government Chief Secretary and relevant authorities to promptly address a
representation requesting a comprehensive survey of Delhi's homeless population
and an evaluation of existing shelter home services, in accordance with the
law.
The plea moved in the Delhi High Court stated that
homelessness in Delhi has been a longstanding concern, with early efforts
dating back to the 1950s. Despite past surveys and measures--including
initiatives by the Delhi government, directives from the courts, and NHRC
interventions-- there remains no reliable data on the city's homeless.
Past reports highlight significant urban inequities,
showing the need for targeted interventions. Although a 2010 survey recorded
67,151 homeless individuals, subsequent surveys have produced conflicting
figures, underscoring the absence of a standardized data collection process.
Urgent intervention of the authorities is crucial as Wintertime is a time of
homeless deaths.
However, it is difficult to confidently say that a
person on the street is a homeless person, even if all circumstantial evidence
points to the above, and therefore becomes a commentary on the criminal
negligence of responsibility of the state towards the life of that person. And
it is difficult to identify them through the police portal data - unlisted
unidentified dead bodies, the plea said.
In view of the above, it is important to identify
homeless people when they are alive so that when they are dead due to the
elements of nature or accidents or starvation - all aspects of state, neglect,
their deaths are acknowledged as homeless deaths.
Noted the submissions, the bench led by Chief
Justice Manmohan also comprising Justice Tushar Rao Gedela, directed the Delhi
Government to decide the representation made by the petitioner in this regard
as per law.
"The petitioner organization, Centre for
Holistic Development, through Advocate Robin Raju, raised concerns over the
ongoing deaths of homeless individuals due to extreme weather conditions,
particularly highlighting the heatwave in June 2024, which claimed the lives of
around 200 people. In response to this tragedy, the National Human Rights
Commission (NHRC) directed the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board to report
on the actions taken, which included precautionary measures, but fatalities
continued to occur," the plea stated.
The petitioner's representation to the Ministry of
Housing and Urban Affairs (MHUA) calls for a comprehensive survey of the
homeless population to ensure a more effective allocation of resources and
service delivery.
The MHUA has acknowledged that the responsibility
for conducting this survey lies with the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board.
though the survey remains incomplete.
The aim of the survey, as stated in the plea, is to
obtain an accurate estimate of the homeless population and address existing
gaps in data.
The petition highlights that many individuals,
particularly from marginalized communities, became homeless during the COVID-19
pandemic.
Additionally, the city has seen numerous demolitions
over the past year, which have further displaced a large number of people.
This headcount, the plea asserts, will provide a
clearer picture of the scale of homelessness in Delhi.