As the bone-chilling cold wave continued to sweep Delhi, Uttar Pradesh and elsewhere across the North Indian belt, people struggled to keep warm.
As the mercury went into a free fall in Uttar Pradesh, people sat around bonfires to take the warmth from the crackling flames.
In the national capital, homeless people were seen huddling in government-run night shelters.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), Delhi experienced its coldest day this winter on Tuesday, with the minimum temperature dropping to 5.3°C.
It was still colder in neighbouring Uttar Pradesh, with the minimum temperatures in Kanpur and Agra dropping below freezing point — at 1.1 and 1.0°C respectively.
The night shelters in Delhi are aimed at providing a refuge to homeless people, who live on the streets and have nowhere else to go in the cold. The shelters offer blankets, beds, hot water, and food to those seeking shelter.
A caretaker from one such night shelter home in Delhi’s Anand Vihar told ANI that not only do these homes provide sanctuary to the people, amid the biting cold outside, they also have a rescue team that brings people lying on roadsides to the shelter.
“I work as a caretaker at the Anand Vihar night shelter. Here, we provide refuge to the homeless. We provide blankets, mattresses, beds, and food to people seeking refuge here. Our seniors bring them here. Our rescue team brings people found lying on the roads in the bitter cold,” Mohit said.
“We are provide all necessary amenities here. We are provided blankets, beds, and hot water to stay warm and comfortable. The food is provided by Akshaya Patra (an NGO). They give us simple meals,” a woman, seeking refuge at the Anand Vihar night shelter told ANI.
“The amenities here are very good. I wish to express my gratitude to the Delhi government and (CM Arvind) Kejriwal-ji for taking good care of us,” a man, seeking refuge at the Anand Vihar shelter, told ANI