Nagpur: As Vidarbha reels under blistering summer temperatures and relentless heatwaves, hundreds of homeless citizens in Nagpur continue to battle not only hunger and poverty but also the deadly threat of heatstroke on the city’s burning streets. With roads turning into furnaces and daytime temperatures soaring, the Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) has launched an intensified rescue and rehabilitation campaign aimed at protecting the city’s most vulnerable population, homeless people, beggars, abandoned elderly citizens, and destitute families living under the open sky.
In a significant humanitarian intervention, the civic body has so far provided shelter to 466 homeless individuals and successfully rehabilitated 159 people through a combination of rescue operations, counselling, healthcare, employment support and family reunification efforts.
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The initiative, spearheaded by NMC’s Social Development Department, is being viewed as a crucial lifeline for those forced to survive on pavements, near markets, under flyovers and at crowded public places amid the punishing heat conditions gripping Nagpur. Officials fear that without timely intervention, many homeless citizens could fall victim to dehydration, heat exhaustion and fatal heatstroke.
According to civic officials, specially formed rescue teams have been conducting continuous drives across major hotspots in the city where homeless individuals are frequently found exposed to extreme weather conditions. Over the last two months alone, 196 homeless persons were rescued from roadsides, public spaces and vulnerable locations and shifted to shelter homes. Of these, 120 individuals were rescued in April, while another 76 were shifted to safety during May.
Authorities said the rescue drives were intensified in highly crowded and sensitive areas including Cotton Market, Mominpura, Shani Mandir, Sitabuldi and Wardha Road, where large numbers of destitute persons often seek temporary refuge. During one of the recent operations, civic teams rescued 52 people, including men, women and children, and shifted them to shelter centres for immediate care and assistance.
Officials said many of those rescued were found in alarming physical condition, suffering from dehydration, weakness, untreated illnesses and severe mental stress caused by prolonged exposure to harsh weather and street life. Several elderly individuals were reportedly living without food or medical support.
At the shelter homes, the rescued individuals are being provided free accommodation, food, clothing, healthcare, counselling and security facilities. Civic authorities said the shelters are also offering de-addiction treatment and mental health counselling for individuals struggling with substance abuse and emotional trauma.
The seven shelter homes currently operated by NMC under the Deendayal Antyodaya Yojana-National Urban Livelihoods Mission have a total capacity of 450 people. However, due to the increasing number of vulnerable citizens requiring urgent support during the severe summer season, the facilities are presently accommodating 466 individuals, exceeding their intended capacity.
Despite the pressure on infrastructure, officials stated that efforts are being made to ensure no homeless person is denied shelter during the ongoing heatwave conditions.
Beyond temporary accommodation, the civic administration has also focused on long-term rehabilitation measures aimed at helping individuals rebuild their lives. According to NMC data, 79 homeless persons have so far been reunited with their families after counselling and verification processes. Employment opportunities have been arranged for 15 individuals to help them achieve financial stability, while 10 elderly citizens without support systems have been shifted to old-age homes for permanent care.
Officials said the rehabilitation programme is not merely about removing people from the streets but about restoring dignity, safety and hope to lives pushed to the margins of society.
The initiative has gained added importance this year as Nagpur continues to witness intense summer conditions, with temperatures repeatedly crossing dangerous levels. Medical experts have warned that prolonged exposure to direct sunlight and high temperatures can prove fatal, particularly for elderly citizens, children and people living without proper shelter or access to drinking water.
Civic officials have appealed to citizens to inform authorities if they spot homeless individuals, abandoned elderly persons or children living in vulnerable conditions during the heatwave. They said timely information from the public can help save lives and prevent tragedies on the streets.
While the rescue operation highlights the city administration’s humanitarian response during a climate emergency, it also exposes the harsh reality of urban poverty, abandonment and homelessness that continues to haunt Nagpur’s streets, where for many, survival itself becomes the biggest battle during every summer.
