Hyderabad: City cops wilt under job pressure

Hyderabad: Performing the daunting task of keeping people indoors and implementing social distancing, the police have come in for lavish praise by Chief Minister K Chandrashekar Rao who even assured incentives are in the offing for the police force.

Complaints of brute force notwithstanding, cops are winning hearts by implementing the lockdown regulations without fear or favour - often working round-the-clock. They are also tasked with enforcing social distancing whenever people are seen crowding at a place.

Not only are they ably carrying out this essential task, but are also turning saviours for the destitute by distributing food to the poor or migrant labourers, going beyond the call of duty. The city cops do not seem worried – or hide if they have any – that they are facing grave risks of contracting the very virus from which they are trying to protect the public.

However, putting in long hours of exacting tasks in the hot sun without adequate rest or good meals, they bemoan they are wilting under pressure of the job. Anger and frustration seem to be getting better of them.

Scorned by those not allowed to pass through barricades, the police are instantly roasted the moment they run out of patience and use the last means of force to deter people from venturing out. Reasoning with the people desperate to go on often wears them out. The Hans India reporter came across many cops who say they are being made to sweat it out for hours on end, without supply of food or water in time. "While everyone is talking about the plight of migrants from various states who are stranded with no means to sustain themselves in the city, there is hardly anyone asking us how we are managing," says Ramulu (name changed on request), a police constable manning the picket at Kushaiguda.

"Working from 9 am to 9 pm is taking a toll on my health," he adds, tired as he was from the long hours of strenuous job. Workforce on the patrol beat are putting in 12 hours of work and those at check posts are working for 8 hours. A constable Srinivas (name changed to protect identity) at the Triumalgherry check post said, "People get irritated when we ask questions but there is no other way but to restrict them to their homes to beat this epidemic. We are stern as we know that people are coming out aimlessly, putting their lives and others' in peril." "Stopping people and asking the same questions can be boring and also irritating," said a home guard. "By the time I reach home and get to bed it is almost 11 pm. I am hardly getting any time to rest and speak to my kids," said Suresh (name changed).

The police force in all the three commissionerates are being served lunch as well as dinner packets. However, many are seen carrying lunch boxes. A constable said that they appreciate the gesture but at times there is sauce served with rice and it is difficult to eat.