<![CDATA[With summer in full swing, most of us have stocked up on sunscreen lotions, face masks and scarves, and try every measure to protect ourselves from not just heat but pollution as well. This year in particular has seen heat waves flashing across the country. While a lot of us are indoors for most part of the scorching day, many like the traffic police officers, spend hours together under the relentless sun. Given the number of hours they spend under the sun on duty, the heat is likely to take a toll on their health. One man in Mumbai has taken it upon himself to show these cops that we care, and has been distributing face masks and camouflage caps to the road guardians in the city. Ganesh Pardeshi, a 46-year-old electronic supervisor in the Indian Navy, feels that the attitude one generally has towards the traffic police is that of scorn and antagonism, specially fearing fines. Five years back, when Pardeshi was passing through the Chhatrapati Shivaji Terminus, he noticed that many old traffic personnel, including women, managing the traffic under intense heat. The sight saddened him, making him realise that there may be many traffic personnel across the city suffering the same fate. The very next day, he got some masks and caps, overwhelming them by his act of kindness. Today, Pardeshi has distributed masks and caps to more than 2,000 personnel. Of the caps and masks that he distributes across the city, Pardeshi either takes them from the stock at his workplace or buys them at his own expense. Upon being asked about cost and expenses, he laughs it off, saying he hasn’t kept a track of it. “Little acts from our side as a citizen are what can make the city a better place to live. It should not be just the responsibility of people in uniform to man the city but us as well,” says Pardeshi. People like Pardeshi and his sensitivity towards the services of our community helpers like the Mumbai Traffic Police definitely sets the benchmark for a good Samaritan, inspiring for all of us to do our bit for society.]]>
