Hyderabad: Following the Supreme Court’s directions to the state governments and civic bodies, the GHMC held a survey to identify homeless orphans who are staying on footpaths and in parks.The survey revealed the presence of 1,491 homeless persons, 364 of them women.
The survey, which was held on March 23, found that most of the homeless were in two GHMC circles – Abids and Secunderabad.
While the Abids circle had 354 homeless staying on footpaths at Public Gardens and Nampally railway station, the Secunderabad circle had 331 homeless persons at the railway station, Tank Bund and on footpaths at Ranigunj and RP Road.
The GHMC runs Shelters for Urban Homeless at 12 places but these can take 380 persons. The shelters house 227 homeless persons.
The GHMC has constructed shelters for attendants of patients at government hospitals and is building a few more.
GHMC commissioner B. Janardhan Reddy said that staff was compiling the reports received from the circles.“We are categorising the homeless based on age groups. Once that is done, we shall hold a meeting with NGOs to take up programmes for the homeless,” he said.
Data pertaining to children below 18 years will be given to the child protection officials for action. Those in the 18-30 age group would be counselled to take up jobs instead of begging. “We plan to provide shelters with the help of NGOs to those who are unable to work,” Dr Janardhan Reddy said.
