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Pollution affects health of traffic personnel

BERHAMPUR: Increase in pollution level has started to show its impact on police personnel put on traffic duty.

But authorities are yet to take any steps to upkeep the health of these personnel on traffic duty. Vehicles on the roads have increased manyfold. With them the amount of carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and other harmful pollutants has increased several times during past one decade. The day temperature at any traffic square is usually too high for a person to work non-stop at the place for several hours. Satyanarayan Suar, a traffic personnel of the city who has received State level awards for his adherence to duty fell prey to sun stroke five days ago.

Sarat Chandra Mohapatra, a traffic havaldar, says he has become prone to allergies due to continuous work at polluted traffic posts. He has to take regular medicines to put his allergies in check. But these traffic personnel are more prone to chest-related disorders.

A traffic constable, Biranchi Narayan Satpathy, has developed continuous cough during past few years. Chest and TB specialist in the MKCG medical college Ganeswar Mishra says the police department has to make regular health checkup of traffic personnel mandatory. Only regular checkup can prevent aggravation of any chest problem of these personnel who work in extremely polluted atmosphere throughout the day.

Small masks can be of help. A traffic havaldar said with mask on the face it was not possible for them to blow the whistle, which is an important part of trafficking job.

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