GUWAHATI: Another New Year beckons with many new changes around the corner and as Guwahati gears up to celebrate the New Year, the city's homeless population faces yet another harsh winter night, battling freezing temperatures without adequate shelter or resources. Despite repeated promises to improve their condition, little has changed for those living on the streets.
The dropping mercury has made survival increasingly challenging for hundreds of people who seek refuge on pavements, under flyovers, and in makeshift shelters. Many lack access to warm clothing, blankets, or even basic medical care, leaving them vulnerable to the biting cold and related illnesses. Is it a lack of concern or just pure ignorance?
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“The nights are unbearable. We rely on donated blankets, but they’re not enough,” said Raju Das, a daily wage labourer who sleeps near Paltan Bazaar, while talking to GPlus. Similar stories echo across areas like Fancy Bazaar and GS Road which are general hotspots for the poor and homeless, where families huddle together, struggling to stay warm.
While NGOs and charitable organisations have stepped in to distribute blankets and warm meals, the efforts are insufficient to address the scale of the problem. Temporary shelters set up by the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC) are overcrowded, leaving many without a place to sleep.
Samaritans and residents have stressed that the administration needs to do more than just reactive measures like blanket distribution.
Talking to GPlus, a senior official from GMC said, “The homeless have been shifted to rehabilitative centres or shelter homes but most of them do not stay there due to one reason or another. And, finally they end up on the streets again. Efforts are taken every year to ensure basic facilities are provided, but sometimes it does come to nought. ”
As the city celebrates with fireworks and festivities, the plight of Guwahati’s homeless showcases the vast socio-economic disparities that persist. For them, the New Year is no time of joy but another time to weather the storm.
