India court orders shelters for homeless in winter

India's Supreme Court has ordered states to provide adequate night shelters for the homeless during the coming winter, reports BBC. "You should not allow even a single person to die this winter from the freezing cold," the judges said. Indian-administered Kashmir, Haryana, Punjab and Uttar Pradesh states usually experience severe cold snaps. The capital Delhi is also affected, with one 2008 estimate saying 150,000 sleep rough in the freezing cold. More than 50 people died in the cold in northern India last year. The cold snap also forced authorities to close down schools. The court expressed concern that most states were yet to provide adequate shelters to the homeless, and asked the authorities to file a report on the condition of the facilities by 3 January.