BMC has only 16 night-time shelters for 40,000 homeless

A homeless man with his belongings at a bus stop, on LBS Road in Vidyavihar West, on Sunday. Pic/Satej Shinde

India's richest civic body is providing nighttime shelter to only five per cent of the city's homeless population. According to a recent survey by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC), there are around 40,000 such citizens in the city. However, in the past 12 years, the civic body has set up only 16 night shelters,
which can accommodate only 2,000 of them.

Jagdish Patankar, coordinator of the Centre for Promoting Democracy, said, "The BMC is the richest civic body but it is still unable to shelter all the homeless. During the monsoon, these people face major problems. The Supreme Court in 2010 directed that one night shelter should be built for every 1 lakh citizens. Accordingly, there is a need for 125 night shelters in Mumbai. But the BMC failed to comply with it." He added, "There are few central government schemes [for the homeless], too. The BMC receives funds from the state government, but it does nothing."

A civic official said, "We have surveyed the homeless and are processing the data. This will give us a better idea of the situation." A provision of Rs 27 crore has been made in the civic budget to build night shelters.

A planning department official said, "We are in the process of building more shelters. We have asked the development plan department to share information about reserved plots for them. Also, we are in the process of renting premises for night shelters. We are thinking ahead. We are also planning to give them skills, which will enable them to stand on their own two feet. We will help and guide them to enrol for government schemes. As we have data on their age and location, we will identify where shelters should be built. Also, we will provide education to their children."

The BMC is framing a policy for the homeless under which the timeline for staying in a shelter will be decided. "During this period, people will receive skill development training, which will help them to get a job or start something of their own," said the official.

Deputy Municipal Commissioner Prachi Jambekar, meanwhile, told mid-day, "We are in the process of developing shelters for the homeless."

Patankar, however, said, "Even if the BMC's plans to build shelters succeed, it will take a few years. What will homeless people do until then? The BMC must make temporary arrangements for the time being."