Sulabh Sauchayalaya is not sulabh (readily available) at all for lady traffic cops! Female traffic constables deployed at various intersections in Ranchi are devoid of toilet facilities. Worst is that the serious and obvious problem is ‘not that big a issue’ for the top police officials sitting in their lavish offices armed with attached toilet facilities.
Describing the scenario at Siromtoli Chowk, Constable SK Singh said, “lady constables here either have to go to a police station or station which is about half a kilometre from this point for toilet. We have conveyed this issue to our traffic officers several times during face to face interaction. They assure us to inform Ranchi Municipal Corporation (RMC) and construct a ladies toilet here itself but nothing is done.”
Often the lady cops have to walk or travel kilometre to attend the nature’s call. “For female cops specifically there is no nearby toilet. They have to walk to the Jharkhand Armed Police (JAP) ground or High Court compound which is around 10 minutes walking distance from here.
As an immediate remedy, we cannot request local shopkeepers everyday to allow them to use their washrooms. As a police personal it looks odd,” said constable Om Prakash at Devendra Maji chowk, Doranda. Though at prominent junctions like Albert Ekka Chowk, Argora Chowk, Birsa Chowk, Ratu Road and Sarjana Chowk there are Sulabh Sauchalaya as an alternative but situation of others remains unnoticed by the senior cops.
“Yes, there is a problem of toilet for lady cops here but if the officers are not taking interest over this situation, we are no one to suggest,” said a male traffic policeman at Kutchery Chowk.
A constable at Dangratoli chowk informed that there is no such provision for the single lady cop who is on duty here in the weekdays. Traffic constables at HEC gate said, “JAP and State Police mahilaon ko traffic duty mei laga toh diye but unke Sauchalaya ke liye kuch nahi socha inn police adhkariyo ne (JAP and State Police women have been associated with traffic management but police officers have not thought of nearest toilet facilities for them).”
Defending such opinions, Traffic Superintendent of Police (SP) Rajiv Ranjan Singh said, “Traffic police women are given the liberty to go home for two to three hours in case of ‘nature’s call’. Please ask RMC that why they have not made enough toilet facilities at every traffic junctions.” However, when asked whether this issue has been discussed at the top level, Singh said, “The liberty to go home is already being followed.” Notably, the duty place of police force keeps shifting after every 15 days making the ‘go home’ option virtually a useless idea for most of the ladies.
Making this lavatory provision mandatory at every traffic zone, Ranchi Director Inspector General (DIG) Sheetal Oraon said, “As per our directions, all the traffic stoppages must have toilet facilities for lady cops. It has to be made at many places. But why it is not being made, please ask the concerned SP.”
The problem seems ignored by the senior lady officers as well. “I am no one to comment over this female centric issue,” said DIG Hazaribagh Suman Gupta. When asked about this issue, DIG Dumka Priya Dubey disconnected the call and Inspector General Human Rights Tadasha Mishra’s mobile was switched off. A month ago, this problem was discussed between Traffic SP and Jharkhand State Commission for Women members but no solution has been implemented. Till something happens the poor ladies have to ignore nature’s call for the sake of their call of duty!