Indore: While Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) has constructed Rain Basera (shelters) for homeless people, many youngsters and NGOs will take up initiatives to provide essentials for those who often lose their health and life due to severe cold.
As the temperature falls and Christmas is on its way, many youngsters and NGOs have collected woollen clothes and blankets, which will be donated to the underprivileged.
Some, who are regularly, ensuring the much-needed help for the underprivileged, include Daan Patra run by AIG Sonali Dubey, Create Stories run by Deepak Sharma, and various clubs in the city. Create Stories ensures to provide woollens especially blankets to underprivileged every year.
Daan Patra works regularly by picking up donated clothes from people and providing to those in need.
This year, IT professionals are also joining in. They will run a drive to facilitate donation of blankets and woollens.
“This year, we will provide blankets to homeless people who on sleep footpaths, railway stations and bus stands,” said IT professional Amit Mishra. He stated that they have a group of around 10 people who will contribute for the noble cause.
IMC commissioner Asheesh Singh said that IMC has built a dozen shelter homes across the city for homeless people. “NGO volunteers roam around and tell homeless people to go to shelter homes,” he added.
Film Colony Rain Basera manager Kamal Tiwari said 50 to 60 people come to the shelter home daily to sleep at nights. Stay in shelter home is free. They are also provided meals for Rs 5.
The IMC has also instructed all zone officers incharge to make arrangements for bonfire at all the shelter homes and at major public places like Rajwada, bus stand, railway stations etc for homeless people.
All the zonal officers have been told to stock up wood logs for bon fire.
Many sleep on roads for money, clothes: Many underprivileged people sleep on footpaths despite shelter homes in the city. These people are mostly from villages who come to the city to beg. One such person is Mamta Bai from a village in Betma. She along with her daughters and a son come to city for alms every winter. “If we sleep on footpaths in cold nights, people stop by and give alms. If we will go to shelter homes, we won’t get anything. After Sankranti, I will return home,” she said.
Kamal Bai from Chanded village in Dhar district said she has come to city to get blankets and warm clothes NGOs and people distribute. “Such donations are given only at night times, so we can’t go to shelter home. After winter, I will return to my village,” she added.
