“We can’t use the toilet at the Metro station because it takes over 10 minutes to get there. There was a government-run facility nearby but that has been shut for days for maintenance work”, said Tomar.
While hearing a PIL seeking toilets for slum dwellers in Outer Delhi, the Delhi High Court asked the three municipal corporations in the Capital whether traffic policemen had access to toilets. Tomar, who is stationed outside the Dhaula Kuan Airport Express Metro station, agrees it’s a problem
Since when have you been posted on this route?
We are a three-member team. I have been posted here for the past three months. Earlier, I was stationed at the Rashtrapati Bhavan route, which is also a high-security area.
How long are your shifts?
We have two shifts of about eight hours each. The morning shift is from 7 am to 3 pm and the afternoon shift is from 3 pm to 11 pm. We end up standing for hours at a stretch because it is a very heavy traffic route. The only time we get some rest is around 2.30 pm when the traffic slows down. The rest of the day the volume of traffic remains high.
How often do you take breaks?
There is no time. Today, three traffic signals at the Dhaula Kuan intersection are not working. It has been over 45 minutes and the signals are still down. We have been managing the traffic all by ourselves. Several dignitaries pass through this route and, in case of an accident, their routes would have to be diverted, causing snarls in other areas.
Do you have toilets in your vicinity?
We can’t use the toilet at the Metro station because it takes over 10 minutes to get there. There was a government-run facility nearby but that has been shut for days for maintenance work. So now, I go around looking for the right bush, wall or hole in the ground to relieve myself, while my colleagues take my place at the signal.
How do you manage in the absence of toilets?
I make sure I don’t eat a heavy breakfast because I cannot afford to go looking for a toilet while at work. And anyway, I can’t expect to find a place with water to wash up after I am done. We are expected to work in some of the toughest conditions, so even if we want to go to the toilet, we train ourselves to suppress the urge for as long as we can.
