It was a relatively cooler Monday for ASI Veer Singh, posted at a busy roundabout in Chanakyapuri, as he tested a prototype ‘AC helmet’ introduced by the Delhi Traffic Police to help personnel cope with the capital’s intense summer heat.
The traffic police has launched a pilot project under which 10 cooling helmets have been procured and distributed among personnel. The initiative is part of a broader heat-relief drive that also includes refrigerated refreshment vans, rechargeable portable fans and additional roadside booths at key locations, according to Khushi Bhuta's Times of India report.
Often described as the foot soldiers of Delhi’s roads, traffic personnel spend long hours exposed to extreme heat and rising temperatures from the asphalt. Singh, who commutes daily from Shahdara and begins duty as early as 4am, said the cooling equipment is helping officers manage difficult working conditions.
“We deal with intense heat, sweat and dehydration during the summer. Even our shoes begin slipping on the hot roads. This is providing some comfort during duty,” he said, pointing to the helmet while holding a portable fan.
According to DCP (Traffic) Shobhit Saxena, six helmets are currently being tested in the New Delhi range and feedback is being collected before a wider rollout.
“We have six helmets in the New Delhi range and are in the process of collecting feedback. If the response is positive, we will procure more helmets for wider circulation among personnel,” Saxena said.
The rechargeable helmet operates for four to five hours on a single charge and comes with adjustable cooling modes and a battery display panel. Police officials said refrigerated vans carrying cold water, ORS and lemonade are also making regular rounds across deployment zones, while additional shelters have been installed at stretches including Teen Murti Marg and Kartavya Path to provide relief during peak summer hours.
(With TOI inputs)
The traffic police has launched a pilot project under which 10 cooling helmets have been procured and distributed among personnel. The initiative is part of a broader heat-relief drive that also includes refrigerated refreshment vans, rechargeable portable fans and additional roadside booths at key locations, according to Khushi Bhuta's Times of India report.
Often described as the foot soldiers of Delhi’s roads, traffic personnel spend long hours exposed to extreme heat and rising temperatures from the asphalt. Singh, who commutes daily from Shahdara and begins duty as early as 4am, said the cooling equipment is helping officers manage difficult working conditions.
“We deal with intense heat, sweat and dehydration during the summer. Even our shoes begin slipping on the hot roads. This is providing some comfort during duty,” he said, pointing to the helmet while holding a portable fan.
According to DCP (Traffic) Shobhit Saxena, six helmets are currently being tested in the New Delhi range and feedback is being collected before a wider rollout.
“We have six helmets in the New Delhi range and are in the process of collecting feedback. If the response is positive, we will procure more helmets for wider circulation among personnel,” Saxena said.
The rechargeable helmet operates for four to five hours on a single charge and comes with adjustable cooling modes and a battery display panel. Police officials said refrigerated vans carrying cold water, ORS and lemonade are also making regular rounds across deployment zones, while additional shelters have been installed at stretches including Teen Murti Marg and Kartavya Path to provide relief during peak summer hours.
(With TOI inputs)
