In the wake of the lockdown imposed by the central government to check the transmission of the dreaded coronavirus it has become virtually impossible for the homeless people to assess affordable and hygenic food.
The Delhi government is taking steps to ensure that the homeless and the poor do not have to face starvation because of the lockdown, for instance the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) has ordered it’s Shelter Management Agencies (SMA)’s to serve two meals free of cost daily to those who reside at the night shelters, apart from this starting 25/3/20, a helpline has been operationalised which would guide the needy to the nearest night shelter so that they could get acsess to cooked food.
After the lockdown even those who were not staying at the night shelters are approaching the night shelters for food. As the SMA’s are not able to cope up with this added demand the Delhi Disaster Management Authority (DDMA) has directed District Magistrates(DM)’s to make nessecary arrangements at appropriate locations in their respective districts to provide cooked food to the homeless people till the lockdown continues. The DM’s have been directed to use the services of charitable organizations that are offering free meals to the underprivileged or utilize the services of charitable organizations which are providing mid day meals at government schools.
The DM’s need to identify two centers in each municipal ward preferably a school or a community Hall where 500 meals twice a day need to be served. This was conveyed in an official statement by CEO of DDMA Sri Vikas Anand.
