LUCKNOW, Dec. 8 -- With winter tightening its grip on the city, the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) is facing challenges in operationalising temporary night shelters despite allocating nearly Rs 2 crore for upgrades and expansion. While the civic body says all 25 permanent shelters have been modernised, temporary shelters crucial for overflow during cold nights are yet to appear in most parts of the city. Municipal commissioner Gaurav Kumar said, "We have remodelled the existing permanent shelters and improved living arrangements. Temporary shelters will start coming up at intersections and major points by December 15." Officials noted that permanent shelters are equipped with heating arrangements, proper bedding, lighting and bonfires for warmth. The city is supposed to operate 40 temporary shelters this year, but none have opened so far. LMC chief engineer (civil) Mahesh Verma defended the timeline, stating, "We begin establishing temporary shelters once the permanent ones reach capacity. We are monitoring the occupancy, and the process will start accordingly." Resident Kaartikeya Srivastava criticised the approach, saying, "Waiting for saturation at permanent centres before activating temporary shelters defeats the purpose of winter preparedness." With cold wave conditions arriving earlier than expected, he argued that the civic body should have taken a proactive rather than a reactive approach. Several areas, including Charbagh, Alambagh, Polytechnic crossing, Kaiserbagh bus stand and Aminabad, continue to see homeless people sleeping outdoors. htc...