Winter is not less than natural disaster for poor
Centre and State governments are violating Supreme Court
orders to provide shelters for homeless
Including the north, major part of the country is shivering
with cold with the minimum temperature of 0.7 degree recorded yesterday. A number of records have been established
during the current season including Punjab, Delhi , and Rajasthan. With the icy wind and dense fog, the
extremely harsh weather conditions, the speed of normal life looks to be slow
but not stopped. The depleted sunshine has forced people to cover themselves
with caps, mufflers, gloves and long coats while moving out. The
Metrological department has predicted that this spell of bone-chilling cold
would continue for most part of the week, and there are good chances that fog
may reappear. The visibility during these days become poor, flights,
trains are cancelled or running late hours.
The entire North Indian region is shivering due to intense cold wave,
which has claimed more than 100 lives by now.
In coming 15 days, the dropped temperature would continue
and normally it starts reducing after the Lohri and goes upto the mid of
February. It does not make news unless
and until there is breaking of previous records.
Those who lives in posh houses, in offices with heaters on,
moving out with warm pull overs and taking food of winter season, cannot
imagine as to how difficult is to live without sweaters, blankets. Moreso, when the daily wagers cannot earn for
their food as the sales are down on the road side shops. The winter is more
painful when the poor lives under the roof of sky and the number of such
persons is lakhs in India
and there are also deaths due the winter season.
Nodoubt, certain social organizations come forward to help
the poor during the winter season but as to what arrangements the governments
are making for such class and the shelters like Rain Basera are not sufficient
enough, rather negligible, for the comforts
of poor existing in India .
Moreover, there are not sufficient arrangements in these shelters, to face the
chilly winds. This is the reason that
the winter is not less than natural disaster for poor.
Last year also, Supreme Court has taken a decision with
directions to Delhi and all state governments to ensure that there is no death
on account of cold but no such arrangements have been made by the governments
and it is a violation of the orders of Apex Court and perhaps the governments
are waiting for the next orders after so many deaths.
