A woman traffic constable on duty in Bhubaneswar. Telegraph picture

Bhubaneswar, July 20: Traffic police and the municipal corporation are planning to set up toilets for cops, particularly female constables, deployed to manage vehicle movement across the city.

The idea was mooted for the first time after the inception of the commissionerate police in 2008. Besides, it has also been decided to build a few public toilets near traffic squares so that these would serve the public as well as cops on duty.

The traffic wing has observed that those on duty face problems to attend to nature’s call. Moreover, women constables and homeguards, who are mostly deployed in the busy central parts of the city, are worst affected in absence of any public lavatory in the area.

While male cops find ways to relieve themselves, the women traffic personnel have to depend on government offices located in the vicinity or have to take the help of nearby business establishments that have their own toilets.

The traffic police wing of the commissionerate police gave the proposal to the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation (BMC) to set up these toilets near the busiest traffic squares at the central parts of the city and also where there are no other facilities available for these personnel to relieve themselves.

“We along with the BMC have planned as such. Our target is to set up single room toilets at these squares where our men can use these facilities while on duty. The proposal is in the primary stage and we are trying to have a survey before finalising the plan,” said assistant commissioner of police (ACP), traffic, Jatindra Kumar Panda.

Sources in the traffic police said that one non-governmental organisation (NGO) has volunteered to construct these toilets. As things are in preliminary stages, the officials are looking into various aspects of the plan.

The commissionerate police had brought up the matter of the lack toilets for traffic personnel on duty before the city management group (CMG) in several of the earlier meetings where officials of the BMC, Bhubaneswar Development Authority, general administration department and public works department were present.

A BMC official said that as it would be difficult to get land and set up lavatories exclusively for cops, they are planning to come up with public toilets near these traffic squares as it would serve everyone.

“We have got their proposals and we have our own plans. We are working on these ideas and hope to set up some of these toilets near the traffic squares in the near future,” said a senior official of the BMC.

Besides, it has been decided to set up at least 10 traffic islands in the city. It includes the one at Rajmahal Square, where there would a huge circle to ensure smooth traffic flow.

In addition to traffic lights and street lights, there will be lavatory and other infrastructures facilities at these islands, which would be helpful in better traffic management.

Traffic squares that pose threat to vehicular movements such as the one at Jayadev Vihar Square would be revamped, said an official.

At present, the city has nearly 60 traffic posts, which are manned by over 390 personnel. Ninety of these cops are women.