New Delhi: As Delhi shivers under biting cold, several cases of homeless people dying due to cold started surfacing. Sunil Kumar Aledia, executive director of the Center for Holistic Development (CHD), has written a letter to Delhi chief secretary Dharmendra Singh and CEO of Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) demanding steps to prevent death of people dying due to cold in the capital. Along with this, a demand was also made to provide housing and socio-economic protection to these people.
In his letter written to the chief secretary of Delhi and CEO of DUSIB, he mentioned that 474 homeless people died in Delhi from November 15 to January 10 due to cold. According to police records, most of the bodies have not even been identified. Aledia has also written in the letter that more shelter homes and clothes should be arranged to prevent homeless people from dying due to cold.
Aledia has written that the winter season should not prove to be a 'death sentence' for homeless people in Delhi. The national capital's harsh winter is taking a heavy toll on homeless people, leading to a very high mortality and morbidity rate. For those living on the streets, winter brings sleepless nights and a host of health problems, he wrote.
According to Aledia, health problems during winter include respiratory infections, skin diseases, arthritis outbreaks and worsening mental health conditions. Apart from this, asthma, COPD and cardiovascular diseases become more severe due to colds, making many homeless people vulnerable to serious complications and even death.
CHD CEO has sent a copy of the letter to Delhi Lieutenant Governor Vinay Kumar Saxena, Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, Health Minister Saurabh Bhardwaj as well as DM and DCP of all districts. He has also informed the matter to the principal secretary, special secretary, deputy secretary and deputy commissioner of the Revenue Department of the Delhi government. In the letter, Aledia has also given the figures of death in all 15 districts.
