Urban Migrants a project realized with Maria Tavernini

This projects aims at documenting the deplorable condition of thousands of people coming to Delhi from the poorest states in India and eventually become homeless.

Thousands of homeless in the Indian national capital are struggling to overcome the harsh winters and the hot summers. Homelessness has been a problem for centuries in India but authorities systematically failed to address the issue in the country and the problems faced by its shelterless population in adequate manner. People living, eating and sleeping on the streets is so common in India that has became as a cliché of modern India contradictions.

Millions of poor that cannot afford buying or renting a roof over their head end up on the footpaths and under the flyovers of India’s fast-developing metropolis. They are poor, illiterate, orphaned or elderly people, physically and mentally challenged, natural disaster’s victims, poverty migrant and runaways. Even women, children and unemployed youths are forced to footpath and bridges as shelter. Homeless people can either be described as living on the streets or institutions or sleeping in other places not meant to be adequate residences.

Delhi being the national capital generates enormous job opportunities for labourers, both skilled and unskilled workers. They come to Delhi and find odd, daily jobs as construction workers, textile industry, bricks-kilns or transportation, such as coolie or rickshawala. Only a meagre two per cent makes a living with begging. Urban homeless face a wide range of problems linked to their precarious conditions, due to the lack of food, shelter, drinkable water, sanitation, health and education just to list the main. They also face discrimination and abuse as they are treated as second-class citizen with no legal rights.