New Delhi, Dec 22 (IANS): Delhi Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung Monday made an emotional appeal to Delhiites to help the city's homeless by giving them clothes, saying that displaying “yeoman” kindness” was a rare opportunity in life.

Jung's appeal came on a day which recorded coldest Dec 22 in the last five years.The minimum temperature dipped to 4.2 degrees Celsius.

According to the Delhi government, there are nearly 60,000 homeless in the capital city itself, but NGOs estimate them to be over 150,000.

Jung reminded the residents of they rising to occasions during bad times and said: “Delhi is a city, which has opened its heart to people in emergencies over centuries.”

He asked them to help the “poorest of the poor by providing them with succor, in the form of warm clothing and bedding material, but to be donated only at the night shelters.”

He said that not providing blankets to poor on streets as this would dissuade them from sleeping in open.

“Life does not always give us the opportunity to display yeoman kindness. This is the time,” he added.

In the past few days, through newspaper advertisements, Jung has been appealing people to come forward and help the homeless in Delhi.

He also asked them to motivate homeless to shift to the nearest night shelter or inform the control room of Delhi Urban Slum Improvement Board.

The Delhi government has established 221 night shelters for homelesspeople with basic facilities such as clean drinking water, toilets,blankets, bedding etc.