NEW DELHI: Seeking appropriate provisions to ensure adequate space for each occupant in shelters for the homeless in the Master Plan of Delhi (MPD) 2041, the Supreme Court-appointed Delhi’s State Level Shelter Monitoring Committee (SLSMC) is likely to send its objections and recommendations to the Delhi Development Authority on the draft of the MPD released earlier this month.
One of the main objections is a reduction of space (area of a shelter) from 1,000 square metres (sqm) to just 100 sqm per 1,00,000 population in the new plan. Indu Prakash, social activist and member of the panel, said that the proposal reducing the plot size is in complete violation of arrangements as per the Shelter for Urban Homeless (SUH) under the National Urban Livelihoods Mission (NULM) and ignores the requirements —space and facilities— of the homeless.
“In comparison to the previous master plan (MPD 2021), space for a shelter per 1,00,000 population has been reduced drastically in the MPD 2041. As per the last MPD, Delhi has over 200 shelters, where the space deficit is about 85 per cent. They haven’t fulfilled the requirement. By reducing the space, the DDA is playing a game. In future, nobody will be able to say that there is a shortage of space because the authority will say that it has made arrangements as per the numbers and MPD,” said Prakash.
Over 50 groups including activists fighting for homeless residents in the city prepared a note on MPD 2041 containing objections and nine recommendations under Main Bhi Dilli campaign, which have also been endorsed by the Supreme Court (SC) appointed panel. Prakash has already sent these observations to CM Arvind Kejriwal, Deputy CM Manish Sisodia and Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB).
SLSMC chairman Ramesh Negi said that the panel would send these objections and recommendations to the DDA. “MPD 2041 is innovative. However, it has to be inclusive keeping in mind the ever-increasing migration and isolation of marginalised sections of the society. Homeless, shelterless, and street children should be given high priority while planning infrastructure at ward level,” said Negi.