New summer gear gives huge respite to traffic police in Visakhapatnam
The Police Department has introduced summer-specific gear, in a major step towards ensuring the well-being of traffic personnel. Officers are being equipped with air-conditioned helmets and cooling jackets designed to regulate body temperature while on duty.
Visakhapatnam Commissioner of Police, Shanka Brata Bagchi, provided cool jackets, caps and other gear for the personnel, at two separate programmes. On May 10 (Saturday), the police chief distributed air-conditioned helmets to the traffic police, claimed to be a first in the State. According to Mr. Bagchi, the helmets are manufactured by Poly Propylene Co-polymer material and work with Active Cooling technology. He said that the 740 gram-helmet will work for nearly eight hours if charged for four hours.
The city has been experiencing a temperature of about 37 degrees Celsius to 39 degrees Celsius for the past few weeks. Accompanied by heatwaves, the traffic police officers deployed at major city junctions have been facing harsh conditions, and are the most affected. 'We undergo a lot of stress, headaches, and body pain standing for hours in this heat,' said a traffic police officer posted at a busy intersection in the city. 'We make sure to drink a lot of water to avoid dehydration, but it is still very tough,' he added.
According to the traffic personnel, the heat generally makes it difficult for officers to carry out their duties comfortably, especially in the afternoon between 12 p.m. and 3 p.m. 'It becomes unbearable, especially during the afternoon shift at major junctions. Even if we try to sit inside the outpost or stand under a shade, our body is affected. Fortunately, due to the heatwaves the traffic movement is minimal during afternoons,' he said.
The police personnel said that they take utmost precautions to beat the heat by carrying water bottles, buttermilk, white hats and other items.
Apart from the police personnel, some NGOs also came forward and offer buttermilk to the traffic personnel. The department's initiative to provide cool jackets and AC helmets has been widely welcomed by the force, with many officers expressing hope that such measures will continue and be expanded.
'These new AC helmets are a real game-changer,' said N. Ravi, a traffic police officer. 'They make the job more bearable, especially during peak temperatures. The cool jackets also help as they are light, comfortable and actually reduce the discomfort,' he added.
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