Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation’s Rapid Survey of Shelters conducted during between January 20-21 by deploying about 95 teams all across 18 circles of GHMC has revealed that a total of 3,498 people, including 978 women sleep on roads, pavements, open spaces without proper shelter and there are 447 such locations around the city.

The survey was held after the GHMC commissioner Somesh Kumar, reviewed the functioning of the existing shelters and it was proposed to conduct a rapid survey to know the field problems so that the concept of Night Shelter can be analysed and strengthened.

While 1,209 had migrated to the city for a livelihood and had found themselves homeless, around 724 were on the roads after arriving in the city as patient attendants for medical treatments. Nearly 488 of them were in the city for temporary works and another 127 of them were just in transit. Over 300 had no permanent home  whereas 647 had various other reasons for sleeping on roads.

Of the total 3,498, around 1,539 expressed their willingness to shift to a GHMC night shelter. And of the total, 1,078 were beggars. South zone topped the list of those who were here in the city with temporary works and those who had migrated for a livelihood where as those who had come for medical treatments and as patient attendants were the most in Central zone.

The GHMC has compiled and analysed the data in terms of gender, nature of stay, occupation and area of operation to make suitable arrangements to the shelterless people. The corporation is now preparing a plan to address the issue of shelterless in Hyderabad involving various stakeholders.