As the national capital shivers under extreme winter conditions, the Delhi High Court has stepped in to protect the city's most vulnerable. On Monday, a Division Bench comprising Chief Justice Devendra Kumar Upadhyaya and Justice Tejas Karia took suo motu cognizance of the deplorable lack of night shelter facilities in Delhi.
The Court has directed the Central Government, the Delhi Government, and the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) to file immediate replies explaining the shortage of space and amenities for the homeless.
The intervention was prompted by a disturbing report highlighting the plight of outstation patients and their families.
- Another Bench of Justice C. Hari Shankar and Justice Om Prakash Shukla brought the matter to the Chief Justice's attention.
- They cited credible reports that with temperatures dipping below 5 degrees Celsius, several patients visiting AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Science) were forced to sleep under the open sky outside the AIIMS Metro Station.
- These individuals, hailing from states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, and Jharkhand for medical treatment, reportedly had no means to pay for private accommodation and found the night shelters full or inaccessible.
The Division Bench did not mince words regarding the insensitivity of the administration. Emphasizing the Right to Shelter as a facet of the Right to Life under Article 21, the Court remarked:
"If any of us, God forbid, is required to stay there for a night, we don't know what will happen. Be sensitive."
The Court expressed its expectation that authorities would take immediate, adequate steps to ensure that no resident of the city is left exposed to the chilling cold without a roof over their head.
The High Court has listed the matter for an urgent hearing again on January 14, 2026, just two days from now. This tight timeline indicates the Court's intent to monitor the situation on a near-daily basis until the cold wave subsides and the infrastructure gap is addressed.
This move puts the spotlight back on DUSIB, the agency responsible for maintaining Rain Baseras (Night Shelters), and raises questions about the utilization of urban funds meant for the homeless.