Amid concerns being raised about the safety of night shelters for the capital's homeless, the Delhi government has said that at least 40 temporary tenements made of fire-resistant materials would be set up this winter.

"Between last year and now, 16 night shelters have been lost to fires, so this year we have decided to give safety our top priority and build temporary portable cabins that are blaze-proof," Chetan Sanghi, CEO of Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board, told PTI.

As many as 40 new shelters -- equipped with water and toilet facilities, electricity, blankets and mattresses -- will be set up in various localities in the capital, he said, adding fire alarms would also be installed in these shanties.

"Currently we are constructing 40 temporary night shelters in various localities, 30 of which will be completed by December 10. Three of these will be fully dedicated to women," Sanghi said.

The shelters, built at a cost of Rs 3 lakh each, will be erected in Jama Masjid, Yamuna Pusta, Nehru place and Kingsway camp, among other areas.

In addition, the capital has 64 permanent night shelters, out of which 44 are run by DUSIB, 18 by NGOs and two by the Department of Women and Child welfare.

"Last year the temporary night shelters were set up by the Revenue department and run by NGOs. This year DUSIB has been given the charge and we will work concurrently with the NGOs," said Vijay Sharma, Director of night shelters.

However, when contacted by PTI, some of the NGOs claimed they were not in the know about the new night shelters and expressed scepticism about the safety mechanism put in place in these cabins.

Aashraya Adhikar Abhiyan, St Stephens Hospital for homeless, Butterflies and DAV educational society are some of the organisations that have been chosen to be a part of the project.

"We have not been consulted and it is obvious we are being sidelined. As for the government's promise that safety is being given top priority, they will remain promises on paper," said Paramjit Kaur of Ashraya Adhikar Abhiyan.

"The government always says it has been giving top preference to the homeless during winters. If that's the case, how would you explain the lives that were lost to fires at these homes?" she asked.

Out of the 84 temporary shelters built last year, 16 were lost in fire accidents and others wound up as occupancy was low and there were limited resources to run them.

"Temporary night shelters can not always be the solution for homelessness. The government needs to come up with something more concrete to address the issue," said Amod Kumar from St Stephen's hospital, which is the state-appointed Mother NGO for the homeless.