'Women Sleeping on Floor, No Beds, Mattresses': Swati Maliwal on Asha Kiran Shelter

NEW DELHI: Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Rajya Sabha MP Swati Maliwal on Friday said that she visited the Asha Kiran Shelter in Delhi's Rohini after the death of 14 inmates, saying it has become a horror house. Speaking to Republic TV, Swati Maliwal said she visited the place as a Member of Parliament and but cannot tell how appalled she was adding this kind of situation exist because there is absolutely no oversights.

“When I visited I was absolutely shocked, I went where the residents are staying, I interacted with them, the staff, doctors, went through all the case files of deceased person. 14 people have died in July out of which 8 are women. One of the main reasons of these deaths is malnutrition, 30 per cent of the inmates of the Asha Kiran Centre are suffering from malnutrition and has a BMI of less than 18. Out of the 8 women, two of them stayed malnutrition,” Swati Maliwal said. 

Further speaking about the situation of the shelter home, Maliwal said, “One woman who died was 32-year-old, there is a lot of overcrowding, there are over 280 women and 75 children. I went to their section and saw there are only six rooms, each having 45 residents, who are just siting there with no beds, no mattresses, they have to sleep on each other, its a complete apathy."

Asha Kiran shelter was operating at double capacity  

The Asha Kiran shelter was housing 493 women inmates, nearly double the permitted capacity of 255, according to the fact finding committee report of the NCW.

National Commission for Women (NCW) Chairperson Rekha Sharma led a fact-finding team to the Asha Kiran shelter in Rohini following a disturbing report of 14 deaths, including eight women, last month.

The commission said overcrowding in the shelter home has led to a range of issues, including contaminated food and water, malnutrition and stale food. The majority of deaths reported were linked to symptoms such as fever and diarrhoea, raising serious concerns about the quality of care provided at the shelter, it said.

The NCW also pointed out that the Delhi government-run facility, meant for individuals with intellectual disabilities, has been plagued by severe overcrowding, health concerns and poor hygiene.

Upon investigation, the team found that Asha Kiran is housing 493 females, nearly double its intended capacity of 255. The NCW team also observed a lack of proper hygiene and sanitation facilities, exacerbating the health risks faced by residents.

Sharma expressed grave concern over the conditions at Asha Kiran and vowed to take immediate action to address these issues.

The NCW said it will work closely with the Delhi government to ensure that the shelter is brought up to acceptable standards and that those responsible for the neglect are held accountable.

With inputs from PTI