Amid heatwave, Delhi govt orders rescue of homeless

As heatwave in the national capital continues unabated, the Delhi government has directed officials to rescue the homeless from footpaths, parks and send them to shelter homes.

An order on it was issued to Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) by Delhi Urban Development Minister Saurabh Bharadwaj on Wednesday.

With the summer season at its peak in Delhi and various advisories issued by concerned government departments (NDMA, NPCCHH, NCDC, state health departments, etc.), it has been directed to carry out rescue drives in Delhi, the order stated.

According to the order, the rescue drive will be carried out in order to tackle the ongoing extreme summer situation as a part of heatwave action plan and rescue homeless people sleeping on footpaths, open spaces, parks, etc. by providing suitable accommodation in the shelter homes of DUSIB.

"Therefore, all shelter management agencies (SMAs) are hereby directed to form the rescue teams and start the rescue drive in their jurisdiction/cluster from today itself. The rescue drive will be carried out from 12 pm to 12 am every day during this summer season and subsequently, the report of the previous day's rescue drive shall be submitted by 11 am next day positively," the order read.

Appropriate medical assistance to people in distress due to the heat should be prioritised and Centralized Accident and Trauma Services (CATS) ambulance can also be used to send sick persons to hospital, it said.

A report on the drive should be sent daily and any laxity on it will be viewed seriously, the order added.