Fact finding: Homeless cluster on the sides of Railway track at Pili Kothi, Pul Mithai in Old Delhi

Post Date: Wednesday, May 25, 2016

Local leader Subodh shared that there are approximately 380 homeless families and individuals living in the cluster since 1984. Total population is around 2500-3000. While the perception is that most homeless people are migrants, Shakeel, a social activist from Haq shared that most of the homeless people/families in this area have been staying in Delhi for decades– and that many were born in the city.

Families live inside makeshift houses of plastic sheets with no civic amenities. Water and sanitation is a huge issue. The people living in this area bathe and wash clothes near the railway track and use water from a single water source i.e. broken water pipeline. They have no toilet facilities and are using open spaces near railway track.

Local cluster people shared that they are involved in petty work as masons, electricians and most of them are involved with spice and grain related work and are daily wage earners. They sell spices or work as loaders and cleaning spices. Some women are also involved in cleaning spices and grains. Police is a major concern for them as they have allowed outsiders to put their shop and original homeless family members are forced to share the space/shack on the roadside. If they protest police implicate them in false cases. The resident’s voter ID cards were cancelled in 1998 and they were issued new voter ID cards recently. As a result, it difficult for them to prove that they have residing in the area for the last 25 -30 years.

These people face a constant threat of evacuation and live in perpetual fear. They are always perceived as ‘encroachers' and as being in ‘illegal occupation. Shelter home is not a solution as most of these people live with their families and only individual homeless people can go and stay in the shelter home. Beside this resettlement at the outskirts of Delhi is not a good option as they have their employment in the local market. The local MLA has been supportive or this cluster as shared by Subodh.