Asha Kiran shelter deaths: HC directs Delhi Jal Board to test water quality

Asha Kiran shelter home deaths: The Delhi High Court on Monday directed the social welfare department secretary to visit the Asha Kiran shelter home premises and file a report in the backdrop of the recent deaths of 14 inmates. The Court on August 5 remarked that the tragic deaths in the city government-run Asha Kiran shelter home for the mentally challenged was a “strange coincidence.”
The bench, comprising Justice Tushar Rao Gedela and led by Acting Chief Justice Manmohan, pointed out that “nearly all” the deceased suffered from tuberculosis. 
The SC, hearing a PIL seeking a probe into the deaths, instructed the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) to test the quality of water in the shelter home in Rohini. In addition to inspecting the water condition in the shelter home, the Court asked DJB to test sewer pipelines as well and file a report.
Justice Tushar Rao Gedela said if the shelter home was overcrowded, the authorities would decongest it and move some inmates to another facility while emphasising that “curative measures” were needed in the matter, reported PTI.
So far, 25 inmates have died at the Asha Kiran shelter since February, among which a staggering number of 14 inmates, including a child, died last month within the span of 20 days. 
According to official data, as many as 980 “intellectually disabled” persons live in the shelter home that houses men, women and children. 
The court listed the matter for further hearing on August 7.
Previously, the ruling Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) questioned Lieutenant Governor VK Saxena over the appointment of a previously “suspended” official as the administrator and sought a magisterial inquiry into the deaths.
“The situation inside is terrible. Half of those living there don’t even have clothes to wear. They get limited food. The situation is not what it used to be four years ago,” NDTV quoted an Asha Kiran staff.  
The diet of inmates was reduced significantly over the past few years, with around 25 others now suffering from tuberculosis.
The Asha Kiran staff said, “They used to get rice, dal, chapatis, vegetables, fruits, milk, and eggs earlier. But now, adults do not get these foods. As a result, they become weak, and some develop tuberculosis—only then do they start getting some essentials. However, once they recuperate, their diet is reduced again.”
(With agency inputs)