RTI revelation: For 14 years, 1 weekly death due to hunger in Delhi
17 Jul, 2012A reply to an application filed under the Right to Information (RTI) Act from four out of the eleven Delhi Police district has revealed that there have been 737 deaths in the past 14 years either due to hunger or poverty. That converts to an average of one death every week. The other seven districts have replied that there were no deaths in their area due to hunger or poverty. The activists claim that these deaths were never probed seriously and hence, the actual number of deaths may be higher as many deaths go unreported.
In 2002, twenty one persons died/committed suicide due to hunger while another fifty five died/committed suicide due to poverty. In 2005, eighteen persons died/committed suicide due to hunger while another fifty six died/committed suicide due to poverty. This indicates no significant improvements in the figures.
An acute lack of nutrition may lead to death due to staying out in the open in extreme heat or cold. As the India ‘shines’, the statistics call for a radically different way to look at problems and find solutions for the same.