The Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) will conduct an awareness drive this week to inform the homeless about the facilities being provided by it under its winter action plan, officials said on Monday. Thirty volunteers have been working for rescue drives and 15 rescue vans have been deployed at several locations in the city.
"There are two volunteers in each rescue van and so far, 15 such vans have been deployed across the city. We will also start another awareness drive so that more homeless people can avail the benefits we are providing under our winter action plan," DUSIB member Bipin Rai told PTI. The awareness drive will be started by Wednesday.
As the temperature has been dropping in the national capital, around 150 tents have been set up at 33 locations so far by the DUSIB for the homeless. "So far we have set up 150 tents with all the facilities that we have been providing at our shelter homes. We have been increasing the number of tents as per requirements in the city," he said.
The Delhi government has launched the winter action plan for the homeless which includes providing food and lodging facilities across all shelter homes in the national capital. A 24×7 centralised control room has been set up and multiple helpline numbers (14461, 011-23378789 and 011-23370560) have been issued by the DUSIB.
The existing 195 night shelters for the homeless in Delhi include 19 for families, 17 for women, four for drug addicts and three recovery shelters. The facilities provided to the people in these government shelter homes include accommodation, lockers, three meals per day, free medicines and ambulance. People staying at the shelter homes can also avail free medical services at any Mohalla Clinic.
