NHRC, India takes suo motu cognisance of the reported death of 474 homeless persons within a span of 56 days during this winter season in Delhi
Press release
National Human Rights Commission
New Delhi: 30th January, 2025
NHRC, India takes suo motu cognisance of the reported death of 474 homeless persons within a span of 56 days during this winter season in Delhi
About 80 percent of the unidentified dead bodies in Delhi reported being of homeless individuals
The lack of availability of essential protective measures such as warm clothing, blankets, and adequate shelters cited as the reasons
The Commission issues notices to the Chief Secretary and the Commissioner of Police, Delhi calling for a detailed report in the matter within one week
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), India has taken suo motu cognisance of a media report that according to the Centre for Holistic Development (CHD), an NGO working with the homeless, about 474 persons have lost their lives within a span of 56 days during this winter season in Delhi. Reportedly, these deaths have taken place between 15th December, 2024 to 10th January, 2025, due to the unavailability of essential protective measures such as warm clothing, blankets, and adequate shelters. According to the reported claim of the NGO, about 80 percent of the unidentified dead bodies in Delhi are believed to be homeless individuals.
The Commission has observed that the contents of the news report, if true, raise a serious violation of human rights. Therefore, it has issued notices to the Chief Secretary and the Commissioner of Police, Delhi calling for a detailed report in the matter within one week.
According to the media report, carried on 16th January, 2025, many shelters in the National Capital are unable to meet the demand and those, that are available, often lack essential facilities like heating and hot water, leaving the individuals exposed to the bitter cold. Citing a few specific examples of the people living on the streets, the media report has also stated that they are facing numerous health challenges including respiratory infections, skin ailments
सर्दियों में ठंड बेघर नागरिकों के लिए जानलेवा होती है, गरीबी और व्यवस्था की मजबूरी के चलते बहुत लोगों को सड़कों पर ठंड में खुले मे सोना पड़ता है। रजाई, कंबल ओर गर्म कपड़ो के अभाव में कई बार ठंड से लोगों की जान तक चली जाती है।
आइये हम लोगों का सहारा बने।
कंबल देकर , रैन बसेरा तक लोगो को पहुंचाकर, गर्म कपड़े या दान देकर सहभागिता निभाए।
एक कदम बढ़ाए, और कम से कम इस ठंड में एक बेघर बुजुर्ग,महिला या बच्चे का सहारा बने ।
Every year we read about how the number of homeless people living on the streets of Delhi is steadily on the rise-surprisingly enough, there is no concrete data on the number of homeless people on the streets of Delhi. The figures vary from 46,000 to 1,50,000 persons. Every year, we read about a large number of homeless people dying due to the extreme weather conditions in the city-According to the Zonal Integrated Police Network, under the Union Ministry, 47744 homeless people have died between January 2004 and 9th Jan 2020.
Project Sleep Well is a project for the homeless initiated by Mr. Shiven Varma, a practicing Advocate from Delhi along with Social Worker and Activist for the homeless Mr. Sunil Kumar Aledia, and the NGO Centre for Holistic Development(CHD).
Project Sleep Well aims to provide all homeless persons with sleeping bags to help them survive the Cold and Rain.
Distribute sleeping bags over the usual blankets for the following reasons:
Blankets are heavy and cumbersome to carry around. A homeless person does not have a cupboard or a loft where he/she can store the blanket.
Even if a person has a blanket, it fails to insulate him from underneath (homeless persons usually sleep on hard, rough surfaces)
Winds manage to seep through the gaps in the blanket.
On a cold Delhi winter night one needs at least 2-3 blankets to keep warm.
The blankets become wet and cold when the dew settles in during winter- completely defeating the purpose of the blanket.
Project SleepWell started in the winter of 2016 as a pilot project in homeless 284 hotspots pockets in a few parts of Delhi. We tried something new and in our experience, it was a huge success and we got a great response. We have gradually expanded our outreach to the whole of NCR and strive to continue to increase the number of lives we impact every year.
The NGO Centre for Holistic Development(CHD) has been working extensively with the homeless community providing a vast variety of releifs and assistance to the homeless including providing them with sleeping bags, blankets, clothes, food, healthcare or space in a shelter home as per their requirement and need etc.
Centre for Holistic Development (CHD), a Non-Governmental Organisation, which fights for the rights of the homeless people, with an emphasis on social inclusion, leadership, capacity building and livelihoods within the homeless community to help us ensure that the Project is a success. CHD is actively engaged in advocacy and engages stakeholders at different levels to provide support to the homeless community while fighting for the overall social inclusion and better life of the homeless women, men and children.
The collection of funds takes place through crowd funding voluntary donations.
Also currently the project is in the process of training a Self Help Group of Women who are slum dwellers in Delhi to use the collected funds to provide skill development and generate employment by training them in sewing and manufacturing of sleeping bags and employing them to produce our own sleeping bags. What this will result in is that with the support of the jobless/homeless persons sleeping bags will be made by the homeless(generating employment and skill development), distributed to the homeless to help them get a better sleep, and in turn empower, enable and uplift the homeless and underprivileged people of Delhi and NCR. Idea is to create a self-sustainable model with the help of our donors.
The Project also raises awareness about the multitude of problems faced by homeless persons and is committed to play a proactive role in changing the conditions that they live in. We want to provide immediate relief to the most disadvantaged section of society so that they don't have to sleep on the pavements in harsh weather conditions and also develop a long-term holistic solution to the wider issue and as a result further generate a sense of belonging and community, that comes from feeling valued and included by society.
The purpose of this page: Raise funds and give people an opportunity to contribute to the cause.
Distributing one sleeping bag costs approximately Rs.1000
Donate Rs.1000: 1 homeless person impacted
Donate Rs.2000: 2 homeless people impacted
Donate Rs.3000: 3 homeless people impacted
And so on...
However, you are free to donate any amount that you may deem fit. Every rupee will count!
You can check out the Facebook pages of CHD and Project Sleep Well:
https://www.facebook.com/centreforholisticdevelopment/
https://www.facebook.com/sleepwelldonation/
You can also visit and donate through our websites: https://chdindia.org.in/contact-us/
“Realistically, we aren’t going to be able to completely end homelessness. But we certainly can do a much better job that we’re doing right now !!!”
Project SleepWell: A Winter Survival Initiative for the Homeless Initiated by the Centre for Holistic Development (CHD)
- 1. The Urgent Crisis
- 2. Our Solution: Why Sleeping Bags?
- 3. About Project SleepWell
- 4. A Model for Empowerment and Sustainability
- 5. Our Partner: Centre for Holistic Development (CHD)
- 6. How You Can Help: Be the Warmth This Winter
A Chilling Reality Every winter, the streets of Delhi-NCR become a battle for survival for its homeless population. The cold is not just uncomfortable; it is lethal. The recent National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) report, taking cognizance of 474 homeless deaths in just 56 days during the winter of 2024-25, underscores a severe and ongoing human rights crisis.
Tragically, these deaths are preventable. They are a direct result of the unavailability of essential protective measures: warm clothing, blankets, and adequate shelter. With an estimated 80% of unidentified bodies in Delhi being homeless individuals, the urgency to act has never been clearer.
While traditional aid often provides blankets, Project SleepWell offers a more effective, dignified, and practical solution: all-weather sleeping bags.
Blankets, while well-intentioned, have critical limitations for a person living on the street:
Ineffective Insulation: They provide no protection from the cold, hard ground.
Cumbersome: They are heavy and difficult to carry, with no place for storage.
Vulnerable to Elements: Wind seeps through gaps, and dew or moisture renders them cold, wet, and useless.
Multiple Layers Needed: One blanket is rarely enough, requiring 2-3 for minimal warmth. A sleeping bag solves these problems: It provides 360-degree insulation, is lightweight and portable, retains body heat efficiently, and offers a protective barrier against wind and moisture.
Initiated in 2016 by Advocate Shiven Varma and social activist Mr. Sunil Kumar Aledia in partnership with CHD, Project SleepWell began as a pilot project in 284 homeless hotspots. Its overwhelming success has led us to expand our reach across the entire National Capital Region (NCR).
Our mission is twofold:
Provide Immediate Relief: Distribute high-quality sleeping bags to protect the most vulnerable from hypothermia and death during harsh winters and monsoons.
Create Sustainable Change: Build a self-sustaining model that empowers the community we seek to help.
We are moving beyond one-time aid. Project SleepWell is pioneering a sustainable cycle of support:
Skill Development & Employment: We are training a Self-Help Group (SHG) of women from slum communities in Delhi in sewing and manufacturing. These women are employed to produce the sleeping bags we distribute.
A Virtuous Cycle: Your donation does more than buy a sleeping bag. It provides a livelihood, fosters skill development, and empowers homeless and underprivileged families. This creates a powerful model where the community lifts itself up.
CHD is a registered NGO that has been at the forefront of the fight for homeless rights for years. They go beyond temporary relief, working extensively on:
Advocacy for policy change and social inclusion.
Providing access to shelter homes, healthcare, and food.
Leadership and capacity building within the homeless community.
Ensuring that Project SleepWell is implemented effectively and reaches those who need it most.
You can directly save a life and provide a night of safe, warm sleep. We rely entirely on crowd-funded donations from compassionate individuals like you.
Your Impact:
₹1,000 provides one sleeping bag, protecting one homeless person for seasons to come.
₹5,000 provides warmth and safety for five individuals.
Any amount you contribute brings us closer to our goal. Every rupee counts.
"We may not be able to end homelessness completely, but we can certainly do a much better job than we are doing right now. Let's ensure fewer names are added to the tragic list next winter."
LET'S JOIN OUR HANDS 🙌 TO WARM THEM UP!
Help us bring warmth, dignity, and hope to those who need it most.
Donate via our website: milaap.org/fundraisers/support-the-homeless-6
Stay Connected & See Our Impact:
CHD on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/centreforholisticdevelopment/
Project SleepWell on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sleepwelldonation/
#ProjectSleepWell #CHDIndia #Homelessness #WinterRelief #DelhiNCR #SaveLives #SocialImpact #DonateNow
