Traffic police personnel in Vellore, Ranipet, Tirupattur and Tiruvannamalai started getting lemon juice and buttermilk twice a day from Saturday onwards to beat the heat during summer.
The Superintendent of Police (Vellore), N. Manivannan, distributed buttermilk, watermelon and lemon juice to traffic police at key junctions in Vellore town. A sachet containing 200 ml of juice or butter milk will be distributed to police personnel both in the morning and evening hours every day. Depending on extreme heat, the initiative will be continued up to 120 days in a year.
“As Tiruvannamalai is far away from the coast, the town and adjoining areas experience high humidity. Once summer vacation begins, the rush to the temple town by tourists will be high. Such refreshments will help traffic police personnel to do their work with less stress,” said K. Karthikeyan, SP (Tiruvannamalai).
Traffic authorities distributed buttermilk packets during the afternoon hours to cops who were regulating traffic at arterial roads and intersections. The traffic cops were given two packets of buttermilk. Not only this, glucose biscuits and water bottles were also being supplied to keep them energised and maintain their water levels.
Of the total strength of around 5,000 police personnel, including women constables, in these districts, around 600 traffic police personnel will benefit. On an average, each traffic police personnel gets two hours break for every four hours of duty.
On an average, the maximum temperature has been hovering around 38 degrees Celsius in these districts since early April. Regular hot winds were also experienced by motorists in the region.
Alongside buttermilk and lemon juice, traffic police personnel were also provided with jute-made hats in place of old woollen caps to beat the heat. These hats help avoid direct sunlight. Also, small pores in these hats provide better ventilation and air circulation.
