474 homeless persons freeze to death in Delhi in 56 days
Highest casualties near Jama Masjid
Raghunath has been living on the streets of Nizamuddin in central Delhi with his wife for the past several months (Photo: Masrat Nabi)
With little sign of the cold wave easing up any time soon, Delhi’s homeless population is struggling for survival as over 474 persons have already lost their lives to it in just 56 days. Despite the government’s efforts to provide temporary shelters, a significant number of people remain exposed to the bitter cold on the streets, with inadequate protection.

Raghunath has been living on the streets of Nizamuddin in central Delhi with his wife for the past several months (Photo: Masrat Nabi)
Raghunath, a 60-year-old homeless person, has been living on the streets of Nizamuddin in central Delhi with his wife for the past several months. With no roof over their heads and only tattered blankets for protection, they spend their nights huddled together on the pavement, battling Delhi’s bitter winter. As temperatures drop dangerously low, survival becomes an increasingly desperate struggle for the couple.
“We have been living on the road for months now, and it is getting harder every day. The cold is unbearable, and we have nothing to protect ourselves with. Some days, I feel like we won’t make it through the night. We don’t know when it will happen, but I am certain the cold will take us soon. It is a constant fear, and every time the temperature drops, I wonder if this will be the end for us. All we want is a little warmth, a little peace. But instead, we face the cold and the fear of not surviving another night. It feels like every moment is bringing us closer to the end, and we don’t know when that final breath will come,” Raghunath tells Media India Group.
Each night, the freezing temperatures claim more lives, with bodies found curled up on pavements, shrouded in frost and despair. For the homeless, every breath is a fight for survival, and every sunrise is a fleeting victory.
“I have seen so many people lose their lives in this unbearable cold, and it feels like no one even notices or cares. Every day, I see people lying lifeless under blankets of frost. We cry for help, but there is no one to hear us,” Raghunath adds.

Around 300,000 people, including, families, women, children and older persons are forced to live in the open without shelter
According to a report by Centre for Holistic Development (CHD), an NGO working with the homeless in Delhi, between December 1, 2024, and January 6, 2025, Delhi witnessed a devastating loss of life, with 474 unidentified bodies of homeless individuals recovered from the streets.
For days on end, as the city’s temperatures remained dangerously close to 5°C, the footpaths became silent graves for those who had nowhere else to go. With each passing year, this tragedy unfolds with alarming consistency, yet the city’s preparedness to address the plight of its homeless remains inadequate.
The toll of 474 is a stark reminder of the silent crisis unfolding on Delhi’s streets. Shelters set up by the Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB) and other agencies have not been able to meet the growing demand, with many shelters overcrowded and lacking basic amenities.
According CHD, a staggering 80 pc of the “unidentified dead bodies” found in Delhi are believed to belong to homeless individuals. This alarming statistic underscores the deadly toll that winter has taken on the city’s most vulnerable population.
The CHD attributes these tragic deaths to a combination of freezing temperatures and the severe lack of essential protective measures, such as warm clothing, blankets, and adequate shelters. With the city’s homeless population often left to sleep on the streets, exposed to the elements, the risk of hypothermia and other cold-related conditions becomes all too real.
CHD goes on to highlight the range of health risks that homeless individuals face during the winter months. For many, the biting cold exacerbates existing health issues, leading to a host of complications. Respiratory infections are common, as the cold air can irritate the lungs and make individuals more susceptible to illnesses like pneumonia and bronchitis. Skin ailments, including frostbite and trench foot, also become more prevalent when individuals are unable to protect themselves from the cold and wet conditions. Moreover, winter’s impact on mental health cannot be overlooked; the constant exposure to harsh weather and the uncertainty of survival take a toll on an individual’s emotional well-being, often leading to depression and anxiety.
According to SAM:BKS, a forum of over 20 organisations working on different dimensions of homelessness, around 300,000 people, including, families, women, children, and older persons are forced to live in the open without shelter even during the rainy season.
Out of 300,000 persons, only 5,108 homeless persons were recorded in over 190 shelters operated by Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board (DUSIB).Thus, nearly 1.58 pc of the total population of Delhi, as enumerated in Census 2011, can be said to be living in homelessness.
The severity of Delhi’s winters remains unchanged. During the same period last year, 325 homeless individuals were found dead on the city’s streets. Both the Centre and the Delhi government continue to shift blame, offering little help to the affected.
Photos of the deceased fill the Zonal Integrated Police Network (ZIPNET) a web-based system that allows police to share information and search for missing persons, painting a grim picture of Delhi’s harsh winter reality. From the frail and elderly to the young and seemingly fit, the brutal cold spares no one, exposing the vulnerabilities of the city’s homeless population. Footpaths have become gravesites, with metro pillars standing like silent tombstones marking lives lost to neglect.
Despite the escalating death toll, governmental support remains woefully inadequate, leaving NGOs to shoulder the bulk of rescue efforts. Among the areas most affected, the jurisdiction of Jama Masjid Police Station has earned the haunting title of “Homeless Capital.” This area records the highest number of homeless deaths, even as it hosts multiple night shelters, including Delhi’s largest hangar tent, which accommodates 60 people. Yet, these shelters fall far short of meeting the overwhelming demand.
Tragically, most of the deceased individuals listed on the ZIPNET website were discovered near shops or around the historic Jama Masjid, a stark juxtaposition of life and death in one of Delhi’s most iconic locations. The rising fatalities underscore the urgent need for a more robust and humane response to the city’s ongoing homelessness crisis.
“Many homeless individuals choose to stay on the streets rather than use the night shelters we provide. Some lack the necessary identification cards required for entry, while others avoid shelters because of the rules and restrictions we have in place. A lot of them have habits like drinking and smoking, and they don’t want to give those up, but we can’t allow such activities in the shelters. We have women and young children staying with us, and their safety and comfort are our priority. We explain to them that if they are willing to leave behind these habits, they can stay in the shelter, but most of the time, they choose not to. They prefer to remain outside, and sadly, that decision puts them directly in harm’s way,” Mohammad Asgar, an official of night shelter home in Jama Masjid, tells Media India Group.
“The struggle of homeless people in Delhi during the winter months is a dire reality that often goes unnoticed. With temperatures dipping to dangerous levels, the most vulnerable members of society those without shelter or basic necessities are forced to endure conditions that can be life-threatening. Without access to warm clothing, blankets, or heated shelters, many face the bitter cold on the streets, where the risk of hypothermia, respiratory infections, and other cold-related illnesses is high,” he adds.