Traffic police personnel in the city who are sweating it out under scorching sun would be given lemon juice every day to beat the heat till end of July.
Commissioner of Police Sanjay Mathur inaugurated the juice distribution, a scheme introduced by Chief Minister Jayalalithaa.
Around 200 traffic police personnel from constables to Inspectors of Police would benefit from the scheme.
He said that 200 ml of lemon juice bought from a private juice stall would be distributed to them four times a day — at 11 a.m., 1 p.m., 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. A total of Rs. 1.46 lakh would be spent on this, Mr. Mathur said.
The Deputy Commissioner of Police (Crime) and in charge of city traffic, K. Feroze Khan Abdulla said that the juice sachets would be distributed to all the traffic police personnel at their respective work spots.
They were also given solar pith hats that would reduce the impact of heat on them. Besides, the traffic police personnel were given giant umbrellas.
The Commissioner said that the constables were already supplied masks to protect themselves from air pollution. The traffic constables man all important junctions in the city in two batches. The first batch who report for duty at 7 a.m. work till 10 a.m. and then again work between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. The second batch works between 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and later between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m., the Assistant Commissioner of Police, S. Yellapparaj, said. For those police personnel who are diabetic, juice with salt would be supplied, he added.
Assistant Professor at the Institute of Pharmacology, Madurai Medical College, Dr. M. Sheik Davooth, said that lemon juice that was rich in Vitamin C will help the police men fight dehydration.
The juice would rejuvenate their body system that gets tired after exposed to scorching sun for prolonged hours.
Vitamin C in the lime juice will help prevention of common cold and protection against infection, he added.
