HC seeks Centre's response to plea for drinking water for traffic police

New Delhi : The Delhi High Court has asked the Central government and the city administration to file their response to a plea for ensuring clean drinking water and sanitation facility for traffic police officers doing their duty on the roads.

A bench of Chief Justice Rajendra Menon and Justice V. Kameswar Rao on Wednesday also asked Delhi Traffic Police and the Central Pollution Control Board to give their response to the plea, court sources said on Thursday.

The court has listed the matter for further hearing on January 23, 2019.

The court was hearing a public interest litigation filed by an NGO, Legal Forum for Women, through advocate Payal Bahl.

"The brave officers of Delhi Traffic Police don't have the facility of clean drinking water and sanitation made available to them on the roads where they are deputed for duty," the PIL said.

The petition said that traffic police personnel work in highly tense, chaotic and challenging environment. They are also exposed to high air pollution and extreme weather condition.

The NGO said details obtained under the Right to Information law have revealed that neither the Ministry of Home Affairs nor the Delhi government has any such scheme to provide health benefits, water or sanitation to Delhi Police officers.