CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu has a total of 12,193 urban homeless of which Chennai alone accounts for 8,226 as per a survey conducted by the Directorate of Municipal Administration on 40 National Urban Livelihood Mission (NULM) cities. Of the 40 cities, Karur with only one urban homeless family, Karaikudi, Theni and Perambalur with five, Sivagangai and Namakkal with three, had the least number of urban homeless.
After Chennai, it was Madurai (845) followed by Coimbatore(721) and Trichirapalli (416) with sizeable urban homeless populations.
The survey was conducted through consultations with local bodies to identify locations where homeless persons normally come to rest besides surveys by night by teams comprising municipal and corporation officials.
It was learnt that a total of 158 urban homeless shelters has been proposed under NULM. Of these, 87 are to be constructed anew, 35 to be refurbished and 36 would require operation and maintenance.
Municipal administration officials reveal that of the 158 shelters proposed, 95 shelters are up and running for urban homeless. Of these 95, a total of 27 are newly constructed shelters while 32 have been refurbished and 36 required operation and maintenance.
It is learnt that the state government has sanctioned a total of Rs 19.38 crore of the Rs 28.04 crore allotted under the scheme.
Factfile
None of the 27 newly constructed shelters, which has a capacity to house 1,444 urban homeless, are located in Chennai. Similarly, of the 12 shelters for urban homeless in Chennai that has to be refurbished or converted, none is ready yet. Sources revealed that all the 12 shelters would be ready by March 2016.
However, all the 28 existing shelters which are under operation and maintenance are functioning.