Nagpur: Nagpur’s government-run juvenile shelter home at Patankar Square is facing severe overcrowding, with 88 children currently housed at a facility designed to accommodate just 50. The situation has raised concerns over the safety, welfare, counselling and rehabilitation of juveniles living at the centre.

The shelter home accommodates both juveniles in conflict with the law and children in need of care and protection. Although the two groups are housed in separate sections, the facility is operating at nearly twice its sanctioned capacity.

The shortage of personnel has added to the pressure. Of the 12 sanctioned posts, five are vacant, including the post of a psychiatrist. The absence of an in-house mental health professional is a major concern, as several children require psychological counselling, behavioural support and rehabilitation services.

Authorities currently rely on consultation-based counselling support from Indira Gandhi Government Medical College and Hospital (Mayo Hospital).

The overcrowded conditions have also increased operational challenges, including stress on staff, the possibility of clashes among juveniles, attacks on security personnel and attempts by children to escape from the premises.

At present, four guards and four caretakers are responsible for supervising and caring for all 88 children through eight-hour shifts. The staff shortage makes maintaining round-the-clock supervision and providing individual attention increasingly difficult.

The rising occupancy has also raised questions about whether the shelter home has adequate infrastructure to provide proper living conditions, counselling and rehabilitation facilities to children who are eventually expected to reintegrate into society.

The growing number of juveniles entering the shelter system has highlighted the need for additional infrastructure, increased staffing and specialised psychological services. Filling the vacant posts, particularly that of a psychiatrist, along with expanding accommodation capacity, has become crucial to ensure effective rehabilitation and prevent further strain on the facility.