GREATER NOIDA: With cold wave conditions intensifying across Gautam Budh Nagar, the district administration has stepped up measures to ensure that no homeless or destitute has to sleep in the open, directing officials to boost facilities at night shelters and intensify outreach in vulnerable areas, officials told HT on Thursday.
Visiting the night shelters in Sector Delta 2 and Pari Chowk on Wednesday, district magistrate (DM) Medha Roopam instructed officials to ensure that all night shelters are fully equipped with beds, mattresses, clean blankets, drinking water, toilets, lighting and security, and that these facilities are maintained round the clock during the winter months.
Emphasising on outreach, the DM directed field-level officials to identify people sleeping in open areas and shift them to nearby night shelters.
“Given the prevailing cold wave and dense fog conditions, our priority is to ensure that no destitute person is left exposed to the cold. All night shelters have been directed to maintain adequate bedding, drinking water, sanitation and safety arrangements, with regular monitoring during night hours,” the DM said.
Officials said the focus is on preventing cold-related distress among people living on pavements, open spaces and traffic intersections, especially as temperatures continue to dip and dense fog conditions persist across the region.
The administration has also been asked to ensure that charpoys or raised platforms are used instead of people sleeping on the floor, and that the bedding provided at shelters remains clean and usable.
In addition, officials have been instructed to ensure that bonfires are lit regularly around night shelters and at identified vulnerable locations, with adequate fuel availability to provide relief from extreme cold during night hours. The arrangements are to be monitored regularly to avoid lapses, officials said.
Additional district magistrate (finance and revenue), Atul Kumar said, “Field teams have been instructed to shift people sleeping in open to the nearest shelter. At present, 18 night shelters are operational across Gautam Budh Nagar for destitute people.”
The measures come at a time when weather conditions across the district remain harsh, with cold nights and reduced visibility adding to the vulnerability of those without permanent shelter.
Officials said that regular monitoring would continue through the winter season to ensure compliance and timely corrective action wherever required.