Keeping infection away from the men in uniform

A few good men are helping the police in their own way in Bhubaneshwar’s Old Town area. Led by Prafulla Swain and Arun, a group of 16 men are spraying chlorine solution in different localities of Old Town since the past six days. Their work is voluntary. It’s their way of showing respect to the cops, who are toiling hard to ensure safety of millions of lives.

“Initially, we were spraying it in alleys and by-lanes. We received a call from the Lingaraj police station. The policemen requested us to disinfect the police station. That’s how we started sanitising the police stations,” says Prafulla, who is a small businessman.So, far the group claims to have disinfected five police stations and the vehicles parked there. “The policemen are risking their lives so that we can stay healthy. We all must co-operate with them and try to help them as much as possible,” says Prafulla.
Pooling money from their own savings, these Good Samaritans have managed to raise `30,000 for the sanitisation programme.

“We bought six hand-held sprayers and chlorine solutions from nurseries and shops selling agricultural products,” says one of the group members.The team goes around in neighbourhoods twice a day to carry out disinfection from 9.30 am to 10. 30 am, and 4.30 pm to 5.30 pm. “After two to three days, we will again visit the police stations to spray chemicals to disinfect tables, chairs and the walls once again,” the group member says.