While Noida is famed for its glittering high-rises and sprawling residential complexes, a different, more humane narrative is writing itself on its cold, dark streets this winter. As a severe chill grips Noida and Greater Noida, a wave of citizen-led compassion is emerging after sunset, with residents and volunteer groups taking to the pavements, bus stops, and flyovers to ensure the city's most vulnerable survive the freezing nights.
Night Patrols with Warmth and Care
In a heartening response to the cold wave, individuals and small collectives have begun nightly missions. Armed not with much, but with what matters, they walk the city's less-traveled paths. Some carry thermoses filled with hot tea and packets of biscuits, heading towards official night shelters. Others traverse their neighbourhoods with bundles of blankets, woollen clothes, and basic medical supplies, offering a lifeline to those braving the elements.
One such group, the Jeevan Arpan Social Service (JASS), comprising young professionals, has been actively patrolling central Noida for over a week. Their volunteers converge after work hours, late in the evening, scouring areas from medians to bus stops for people sleeping in the open. Their mission is twofold: distribute warm blankets and identify individuals requiring immediate medical attention.
"We started this drive around Dec 20," shared Nishu Upadhyay, a JASS member. "The idea was simple. No one should suffer or die because of the cold." In just a few days, the team has provided warmth to many, distributing between 15 to 20 blankets across sectors including 42, 43, 18, and 37.
Grassroots Efforts Spread Across the Twin Cities
This spirit of community aid is not confined to one group. Across Noida, similar stories of kindness are unfolding. In Sector 100, resident Pawan Yadav has taken the initiative to organise food and clothing for homeless people in his vicinity. Meanwhile, in Sector 12, Balraj Goel has dedicated his efforts to providing medical assistance and shelter.
Goel volunteers at Apna Ghar, a shelter home in Sector 34, where he frequently brings people he finds on the streets. A recent encounter highlighted the critical need for such intervention. Goel and his wife, Shalu, discovered a woman in her forties at a Sector 27 bus stop who claimed she was the Prime Minister awaiting an official trip. "We realised she was not mentally stable," Shalu recounted. The couple safely escorted her to the volunteer-run Sector 34 shelter.
Their work continues relentlessly. Last week, they rescued an elderly woman, approximately 65 years old, from a street in Sector 37. Furthermore, on a recent Wednesday, volunteers from the same shelter distributed blankets at the bustling Kanchanjunga market in Sector 53.
Greater Noida Joins the Community Drive
The movement has found resonance in Greater Noida as well. Harinder Bhati, a resident of Beta 1, has been regularly arranging tea, biscuits, and sweets for those taking refuge at the Pari Chowk night shelter. While the Greater Noida Authority operates several such seasonal shelters, residents like Bhati emphasize that official provisions are only part of the solution.
"This works only when people come together," Bhati asserted, issuing a call to action for the community. "Anyone who can help should." His statement underscores the core of this winter response: a powerful synergy between civic infrastructure and proactive citizen participation.
As the mercury continues to drop, these nightly acts of generosity in Noida and Greater Noida are proving that humanity can be the warmest shelter of all. The collective effort, driven by ordinary citizens, is building a crucial safety net, ensuring that the harsh winter cold does not translate into a death sentence for the city's homeless population.
