As Delhi shivers at 5.7 deg C, homeless flock to shelter homes

New Delhi, Dec 24: Delhiites shivered on Tuesday with a minimum temperature plummeting to 5.7 degrees Celsius, second lowest in December this year. The minimum temperature on December 19 fell to 5.2 degrees Celsius.

As the biting cold persists in the national capital, scores of poor including women, migrants from Bihar and Uttar Pradesh, flocked in huge numbers to these shelters which is free of cost and have blanket provisions, electricity, water and also a television.

People are allowed in these shelter if they procure ID proof in most shelters, however, reportedly, "Rain Basera" shelter admitted even those without Aadhaar cards or other ID proofs.

Moderate fog wrapped the city dropping visibility and delaying train traffic. Sixteen north-bound trains were delayed by 1-6 hours with Chennai Nizamuddin Duronto running over six hours late, said a Northern Railway officer.

At 364, air quality index of the city was in 'very poor' category. The visibility at Safadarjung and Palam was 500 metres and 300 metres at 5.30 AM. It improved and became 600 metres at both places at 8.30 AM, said a MeT department official.

Relative humidity was 92 pe cent at 8.30 AM, he said. The cold conditions will prevail till the weekend, the said.

Mainly clear sky is forecast for rest of the day and maximum temperature will be around 14 degrees Celsius, said the official. On Monday, Delhi recorded a high of 14.3 degrees Celsius and a low of 8.3 degrees Celsius.