Hyderabad: As severe cold grips Hyderabad, Sankalp, a citizens lead, humanitarian initiative, donated blankets to 2000 beggars who spend their nights on roadsides, at bus stands, railway platforms, footpaths, and other public places.
With minimum temperatures settling in the single-digit for the last many days, the streetside dwellers have a tough time catching up on good sleep. Temperatures are falling at the fag end of the year, and are likely to continue for some more time.
According to The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), the city has more than 30,000 beggars who spend their nights on roadsides. The only protective warm clothes they have to keep themselves warm during the winter night are old plastic or jute bags, plastic covers, and flex banner sheets.
To ensure warm sleep to homeless and street dwellers, Sankalp, Hyderabad organized an annual blanket donation drive, that has been taking place every winter.
Sankalp has mobilized contributions from several generous donors and has provided the needy with soft blankets and enabled them to protect themselves from cold during winter nights.
The Sankalp team, staff of Sathguru Management Consultants, has been distributing the blankets for the past three weeks.
“We had an amazing experience and thoroughly enjoyed the Joy of Giving and the happiness on the receiver’s face. Our heartfelt appreciation to the donors in supporting this initiative”, the team expressed.
Sankalp team members have been going around the streets of Hyderabad at midnight and have identified the street dwellers sleeping without any protection and covered them with warm blankets.
They have visited bus stands, railway stations, metro stations, footpaths, hospitals, temples and other public areas where beggars and homeless labourers normally spend their night on the streets and have covered the underprivileged with quality blankets.
“The various locations covered are bus stands, railway stations, and traffic signals – MGBS and city bus stand Afzaljung, Kachiguda, Secunderabad, Begumpet, among others. Hospitals covered include Osmania, Gandhi, Mahaveer, Nilofer,” disclosed the founder of Sankalp, Hemalatha Vijayaraghavan, in a press note issued in the city today.
The team also extended their initiative to those who have no proper houses to live in and reside below metro platforms, temples, and slums in the city. This they reached out to the needy in Hanuman Junction & Vijayawada.