Bhubaneswar: With the Capital city witnessing dense fog during night amid falling temperature, the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC), Wednesday, decided to increase the capacity of urban shelters here to accommodate more homeless.
The civic authority, earlier this month, had deployed different service providing agencies to rehabilitate the urban poor and homeless in the city to SUH (Shelter for Urban Homeless). However, despite the efforts many were seen spending nights on the footpath, railway station, bus stands, under flyovers and market yards.
“We have decided to increase the capacity of beds in social equity centres from 50 to 100. The increased status will be operated as per government provision. If number of rescued persons is more than capacity of all of SUHs, the BMC would go for another 50-bed temporary SUH to accommodate inmates,” BMC Commissioner Prem Chandra Chaudhary said.
Presently, the BMC has seven SUHs: Ghatikia, Baramunda Bus Terminal, Unit VI, Ashok Nagar, Chandrashekarpur, Bhimpur and Kharavel Nagar. While the Ashok Nagar SUH is exclusively built for the elderly, the Chandrashekarpur SUH caters to female refugees only. Meanwhile, Bhimpur SUH has been exclusively made as a de-addiction centre.
“We are also focusing on timely and instant mobilization of the homeless and other destitute found sleeping on streets. Two agencies have been roped in for managing SUHs and instructed for regular mobilisation with the support of local police. As per the order of the commissioner, no person is allowed to sleep on roadsides or any open spaces,” a senior BMC official said.