CHENNAI: With summer heat on the rise, the Information and Resource Centre for the Deprived Urban Communities (IRCDUC) has urged GCC Commissioner J Kumaragurubaran to roll out a summer action plan to protect the homeless, especially the elderly, children and those with mental illness.
Vanessa Peter, founder of IRCDUC, said in a petition, “Lack of access to safe drinking water, toilets and shade has resulted in increased cases of dehydration, sleeplessness, restlessness and despair among persons living on street.”
IRCDUC urged the GCC to coordinate with food distribution volunteers to also supply drinking water and basic rehydration essentials. The NGO recommended setting up water kiosks and mobile toilets with sufficient water in high-density homeless ‘hotspots.’
The NGO also urged the GCC to conduct awareness campaigns encouraging people to report high-risk individuals to the corporation’s 1913 helpline to facilitate timely rescue. IRCDUC’s rapid assessment in September 2024 found that 945 elderly persons and 1,430 children were residing on streets of Chennai.
This included 691 women, 94 girls, 123 boys, 282 elderly women, 522 elderly men, 14 transgender persons and 20 individuals with mental illness. A 2025 survey by Madras School of Social Work revealed over 60% of the city’s homeless population are vulnerable, including women, kids and elderly.