New Delhi: For the past one year, every night, 35-year-old Sushila feared for the safety of her three minor children, including two daughters, while sleeping under a flyover in northwest Delhi’s Shalimar Bagh, an area frequented by drug addicts and other anti-social elements. That fear has now eased.As part of Delhi Police’s drive to provide safe night shelters to homeless children, Sushila’s children, aged between 10 and 13, are among 20 minors relocated to a govt community centre along with their immediate families.“Now we feel safe,” said Sushila. The family, originally from Jaunpur in Uttar Pradesh, survives by selling balloons in the city.The vulnerability of children living on the streets came into focus after the recent rape and murder of a 10-year-old girl in south Delhi, renewing concerns about the safety of homeless minors, particularly at night.The northwest district police has launched the initiative to shield them from abuse, exploitation and other dangers while ensuring that they have access to food, shelter and a secure environment. Police teams are identifying homeless children living under flyovers and on roadsides, and shifting them to community centres, where they are being provided with basic necessities.“They cook using firewood as they often receive raw food items while selling balloons or other items. They are preparing their meals in the community centre’s kitchen. We also provide them with essential supplies,” an officer said.Each morning, the families leave the centre to earn a living and return to the shelter in the evening. Most of the children are between three and eight years old, and the majority of the families are from Rajasthan.Deputy commissioner of police (northwest) Akanksha Yadav said homeless children remained among the most vulnerable sections of society and required institutional protection. “Our priority is to ensure that no child spends the night in unsafe public spaces. We are providing immediate shelter while also working towards their long-term rehabilitation,” she said.The initiative is being implemented across the district to identify and assist more homeless families. Police said efforts were also underway to enrol the rescued children in schools and connect them with govt welfare and child protection services to secure a safer and better future for them.
