Delhi: Rain, humidity keep people away from night shelters

Inside a parking area at Sarai Kale Khan, several families have made porta cabins their homes. Although they are not formally authorised to live there, the families have been allowed to remain because they have nowhere else to go.

The government has repeatedly tried to persuade them to leave, but most have refused.

“It is not fair to them either if we do not allow them to stay here, since the question then arises: Where will they go?” said Dheeraj Kumar, caretaker of the facility.

The monsoon, however, has prompted several families to leave temporarily.

Tin roofs and leaking cabins

Over the past week, spells of rain have caused widespread disruption across Delhi, leaving roads waterlogged, worsening traffic congestion and filling potholes with water. The monsoon has also caused problems for those living in porta-cabin night shelters.

According to Preeti Kumari, an 18-year-old who has lived with her family at the Sarai Kale Khan shelter near the metro station for the past three years, most residents have been staying there for several years.

“Even when the numbers change, it reflects that a few people may have left with their families or may have returned home,” Kumari said.

She said many residents left before the rains or at the beginning of the monsoon.

“The sheds are made of tin, so the constant noise makes it very difficult to sleep. Also, there are many spots across these spaces where water seeps through, so many just choose to leave during this period,” she said.

Karanjeet Kaur, another resident who has lived at the shelter for the past three years after losing her previous job, offered another explanation.

“While it is true that a few leave during this time, the ones who stay here do not let other families settle in properly either,” she said.

Although the facility is meant to accommodate around 180 people, the rain basera has fewer than 100 beds.

“Technically, it is always at full capacity since all the beds are taken,” Kumar said.

When too many people arrive, he added, some have to sleep on the floor, which becomes particularly difficult during the monsoon.

“So, they just leave for their home state, but even when they are not here, the other inmates do not let other people take up the space of those who have left,” he said.

Sharp decline in occupancy

Occupancy fell at most shelter homes during the week, particularly at night.

According to occupancy reports from the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB), the decline was visible between August 10 and 16, 2026. Daytime occupancy remained low, as it does across seasons, but the more significant change was recorded at night, with several shelters reporting no occupants.

Reinforced cement concrete buildings, which have a combined capacity of 9,636, generally recorded night occupancy of around 2,000. However, the figure fell to 1,364 on August 16.

The decline was more pronounced at porta cabins and shelters established under special drives.

Porta cabins, with a combined capacity of 5,730, recorded night occupancy of 2,040 on August 10; 1,592 on August 11; 2,062 on August 12; 1,574 on August 13; 2,073 on August 14; 1,616 on August 15; and 1,099 on August 16.

Shelters established under special drives have a combined capacity of 808. Their occupancy stood at 306 on August 10, 290 on August 11, 289 on August 12, 301 on August 13, 299 on August 14, 312 on August 15 and 76 on August 16.

The occupancy figures must also be viewed in the context of how the different shelters are used. Many porta cabins are designated for both families and general use and are consequently occupied by long-term residents.

Shelters established under special drives are newer. Although some have sections for families, they primarily accommodate homeless people rescued from the streets.

Nehru Place shelter overcrowded

Occupancy at the family shelter in Nehru Place, however, remains above capacity. Although it has only 30 beds, its occupancy has consistently exceeded 50. On the night of August 16, it housed 76 people.

“It is always filled with residents. We have asked for more space, but it has not been of much help since DUSIB has not responded yet,” caretaker Pushpa Devi said.

“There is not enough space even for the people already living here. There are only 30 beds inside the night shelter meant for families. It is not sustainable,” she added.

Several residents, originally from Rajasthan, now regard the Nehru Place shelter as their home.

“They have been taking away basic amenities one by one. Even our toilets do not have a proper water facility, but we are also obstinate, and we will stay,” said Renuka, 48, a waste picker who lives at the facility with her 28-year-old son and his wife.

“We do not have anywhere to return to, so this place and a single bed are all the life that we know,” said Ram Kumar, 22, another resident who works with the Municipal Corporation of Delhi.

August rain brings temporary relief

Delhi had received 227.2 mm of rainfall in August by August 14. The rain also improved the city’s air quality, bringing the daily average Air Quality Index down to 98, in the satisfactory category.

Between 8:30 am and 5:30 pm on August 14, Pusa recorded the highest rainfall at 30 mm, followed by Chhatarpur at 24.5 mm, Narayana at 10 mm and Palam at 8.4 mm.

Mayur Vihar recorded 8 mm, Ayanagar 7 mm, Lodi Road 3.2 mm, Janakpuri 3 mm and Delhi Ridge 1.8 mm.

Safdarjung, Delhi’s primary weather station, recorded 5.8 mm during the same period. This took the station’s cumulative rainfall for August to 226.6 mm, against the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) long-period average of 233.1 mm for the month.

IMD data also showed that the first seven days of August were the wettest for that period in two years.

The maximum temperature on August 14 was 30.5°C and was expected to remain below 35°C over the following six days. The IMD forecast several spells of very light to light rain for August 15, with similar conditions and generally overcast skies expected until August 18. No rain-related warnings were issued for the following days.

According to media reports, dry north-westerly winds subsequently brought some relief from the muggy weather across Delhi, Punjab and Haryana.

The change occurred as the monsoon trough moved closer to the Himalayan foothills, altering rainfall patterns across northern India. Satellite images from INSAT-3DS on August 16 showed the main monsoon cloud activity concentrated over eastern and central India, while Delhi, Punjab and Haryana remained largely clear.

Sustained north-westerly winds exceeding 10 km/h brought drier air into the region. Although daytime temperatures were not expected to fall sharply, lower moisture levels reduced humidity and made conditions more comfortable through August 17.

The dry spell, however, was expected to be brief. Weather models indicated that a low-pressure area moving inland from the Bay of Bengal between August 18 and 20 would pull the monsoon trough southwards, gradually bringing renewed rainfall to north-western India later in the week.