Pollution Takes Its Toll on Traffic Cops in Hyderabad
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21/07/2014
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New Indian Express (Hyderabad)
HYDERABAD: It’s official! At least 40 per cent of policemen including law and order, traffic and other wings in Cyberabad and Hyderabad Police Commissionerates are suffering from severe health hazards, according to a study conducted recently. The policemen are suffering from BP, diabetes and other lung-related problems like pneumonia and bronchitis due to air pollution, while 25 per cent of them are facing hearing impairment due to high-level of noise pollution. Cyberabad police commissioner CV Anand told Express that work pressure and hectic work schedule are the key reasons for health hazards among policemen.
‘’For the first time, we provided health cards to traffic policemen working in all traffic police stations in Cyberabad. We are also planning to provide the cards to other personnel working in law and order police stations,’’ Anand said adding regular medical check ups are being conducted in Cyberabad. In Hyderabad, the fifth largest metropolitan city in the country, 32 per cent of the traffic police personnel are suffering from lung-related disorders.
According to official figures, there are in all, 3,236 traffic cops in Hyderabad in various cadres - including 19 inspectors, 77 sub-inspectors, 13 assistant SIs, 172 head constables, 846 constables and 1,276 home guards. Increasing air pollution was affecting their health, he said. ACP (Traffic) Jitender told that the department was providing the cops with disposable nose mask, Polaroid dark spectacles and rain coats.
Number of Deaths
July 21, 2014: A 40-year-old ASI D Hari died of heart attack. He was supposed to join duty at RGIA police station on Monday.
May 29, 2014: A constable Ch Kiran Kumar, 29, working in Chatrinaka police station committed suicide by hanging himself to the ceiling in the Chatrinaka police out-post where he was deployed on duty.
He was suspected to have committed suicide due to ill-health.
March 22, 2014: A 28-year-old constable Kishore working in Ramgopalpet police station committed suicide by consuming soft drink laced with poison.
March 3, 2014: Constable Loka Maheshwar, 28, of Kulsumpura police station committed suicide by hanging himself at his house.
February 4, 2014: Constable of Gandhi Nagar police station A Srikanth, 30, attempted suicide by consuming sleeping pills.