New Delhi, Jan. 11 -- As severe cold and pollution afflicted Delhi, homeless individuals and patient-attendants faced a critical shelter shortage on one of the coldest January nights in two years. Sixty-year-old tuberculosis patient Channu Shah, who travelled from Madhya Pradesh for treatment at AIIMS, was forced to sleep on a pavement. "The caretakers said it is impossible. The shelters are full. We have no choice but to sleep here," he said. A spot check of nine shelters near major hospitals found only two met prescribed norms; others were overcrowded with poor amenities. Delhi Urban Shelter Improvement Board CEO Rupesh Kumar Thakur acknowledged the shortage around AIIMS and Safdarjung Hospital, stating approval had been sought to erect makeshift tents. Under Winter Action Plan, 197 shelters are operational, for 7,092 people, with 200-250 more tents planned. For many, like Kamal from Jharkhand whose son has cancer, shelter remains elusive. "Every shelter says there is no space. I have slept on the road for days. In this cold, you feel your bones freezing," he said....