SEAL Ashram Launches Mumbai Rescunite 2026 to Rescue People Living on Streets

Pune, June 17, 2026: SEAL Ashram, a shelter home based in New Panvel near Mumbai, launched a special pre-monsoon rescue mission on June 16 to bring vulnerable persons living on the streets to safety ahead of heavy rains across Mumbai city and its suburban districts.

“Every monsoon, we witness vulnerable men and women suffering on the streets without food, shelter, medical care, or family support,” said K. M. Philip, founder-director of SEAL Ashram, in a statement.

He said that on the first day, June 16, volunteers rescued nine people from different locations in the Bandra suburb and brought them to the Ashram.

Mumbai Rescunite 2026 aims to bring the least, the lost and last of society to safety, provide compassionate care, and wherever possible reunite them with their loved ones, he said, while urging all stakeholders to join hands in this noble mission.

“With the onset of the monsoon, hundreds of homeless and mentally ill persons continue to remain exposed to heavy rains, illness, accidents, exploitation, and other life-threatening conditions on the streets,” Philip said.

Mumbai Rescunite 2026 aims to identify, rescue, and provide immediate assistance to these vulnerable individuals before the monsoon intensifies, he added.

Lauding SEAL Ashram’s rescue operation, Dr Abraham Mathai, former vice chairman of the Maharashtra State Minorities Commission, said the Ashram had not only rescued people from the streets but also restored their dignity, hope, and given them a second chance at life.

“When others look away, the Ashram’s rescue efforts are an inspiration driving the power and message of compassion and service," he noted.

"Every life matters. Every person deserves shelter, care, and the opportunity to reunite with their loved ones,” Dr Mathai, who is also the founder of the Mumbai-based Harmony Foundation, said while urging citizens, government agencies, police departments, corporate houses, and media houses to support this noble mission.

The Mumbai Rescunite 2026 initiative builds upon the success of its 2024 edition, during which SEAL Ashram, in partnership with the Navi Mumbai and Thane Police Commissionerates, rescued 140 destitute persons before the monsoon season.

Mumbai Rescunite 2026 was inaugurated by former Justice K. K. Tated of the Bombay High Court, and also former chairman of the Maharashtra State Human Rights Commission, at St Paul’s Institute of Communication Education, Bandra, Mumbai, in the presence of social organisations and volunteers.

Established in 1999, SEAL Ashram has rescued thousands of individuals from the streets over the past 26 years and has successfully reunited more than 700 persons with their families across over 25 states in India. At present, it provides shelter, medical care, psychiatric treatment, rehabilitation, and support services to more than 400 residents at its campus in New Panvel, Maharashtra.

SEAL Ashram rescues destitute, mentally ill, abandoned, and homeless individuals from streets, railway stations, and public places, and provides shelter, healthcare, rehabilitation, and family reunification services.

Courtesy: Deccan Chronicle