Delhi LG ‘shocked’ to see destitute people defecating near Yamuna | Delhi News | Jobs Vox

NEW DELHI: During a night visit to shelters in Delhi, Lt. Governor V.K. Saxena He was shocked to find that many people defecated along the Yamuna River and slept on footpaths due to lack of toilets and adequate space.
Saxena went to a nearby shelter on Friday evening Kashmir Gate and interviewed residents in and around the shelter.

The Lt. Governor inquired about the amenities provided to them and made an assessment about the facilities and amenities of these households.
People told him that the night shelter could only accommodate 600 people, and that there were about 5,000 homeless people like them in the area, many of whom slept on the side of the road and on pavements.
He was told that the houses only served meals to residents registered with the shelter, which meant that a thousand others had no choice but to look elsewhere for dinner.
They also faced an acute shortage of toilets in shelters, forcing them to resort to open spaces along the banks of the Yamuna, officials said.
Although the official said that the LG is deeply concerned about the lack of capacity in the shelters and toilets, the official appreciates the adequate number of blankets/blankets and cleanliness inside the shelters.
“The Lieutenant Governor is shocked that thousands of people are forced to defecate in the open in the national capital while remote areas of the country are fulfilling the Open Defecation India target.
“We have also taken note of the lack of cleanliness in the vicinity due to open dumping of paper/plastic cups and cups,” the official said.
Apart from directly polluting the already polluted Yamuna, open defecation also deprives poor people of their personal dignity and poses various health hazards, the LG official added.
According to his office, Saxena said that the Delhi-2041 master plan would include provisions to provide housing to the homeless and provide them with basic amenities.
He will also take up the issue with the Chief Minister to ensure that those who sleep on the streets are immediately given the opportunity to sleep elsewhere in the city, the official said.
Saxena also stressed the need to have shelters near the workplaces of these people, many of whom are migrant workers.
This will help employees save time and transportation costs and free up space for those forced to live in ISBTs.
People at the shelter told Saxena that many of them are hired by caterers to work as waiters and waitresses at weddings in far-flung locations.
The LG has also come up with a comprehensive plan to rehabilitate beggars and drug addicts in the area, the official said.
More than 1,000 beggars living near Kashmir Gate will be shifted to night shelters elsewhere in September next year in view of the G20 summit here in September next year, the government said.
The city administration had on December 15 requested the Delhi Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) to evacuate the beggars living in the area.
(with input from PTI)