Data released by Maharashtra Police indicates that more than 10,000 policemen spread all over the state have tested positive of Corona Virus.
Out of these 107 have died due to the virus. Half of these dead are from Mumbai.
The question that needs answer is that given the fact that the force has been on the front line and is well aware of the do’s and don’t of handling the infection, why are so many infected and how so many deaths have taken place.
The answer probably lies in the past. A typical Maharashtra policeman on outdoor duty spends nothing less than 12 hours on the watch. He/she often spends 3 to 4 hours traveling from home to work and back and often lives in poor accommodation as the organization has been unable to create proper living quarters for them. Add to that the fact that in the current lock down they don’t have proper access to transport from home to their place of duty and unavailability of food from hotels and restaurants that are shut and you have a disaster waiting to happen.
Not only that, one visit to any police station will show you that they work in very cramped conditions and hardly have any personal space available for resting. They often have to do with street food and irregular work hours.
This has led to them being unhealthy, over weight, suffering from hyper tension, diabetes, etc. lifestyle diseases often associated with the rich.
Government after government and senior IPS officers have ignored their problems and pushed them to their physical limits. This has probably made their immune systems weak.
The policemen on bandobast duty also are front line warriors who have to implement social distancing and other requirements of the lock down.
That is why almost 54 have lost their life in Mumbai alone and a similar number all over the state.
The state government should take note of these sorry conditions under which its force operates and address their problems for the long term such as they don’t suffer and their living and operating conditions improve.