Covid-19 leaves police stations reeling in Odisha

BHUBANESWAR: The Covid-19 pandemic has adversely affected the functioning of several police stations in the state. A number of police stations and outposts were temporarily shut in the state in the last one month after staffers got infected.
While police stations are the essential service providers, the situation at those establishments may worsen in the future in the wake of alarming rise in Covid-19 positive cases, including among the police personnel in the state.
The Bhadrak district police on Monday sealed its Dhamnagar police station for proper sanitisation after some staff members contracted the novel coronavirus. Besides, detection of other positive persons in the locality has prompted the district administration to declare the area as a containment zone. “We request all citizens, who want to lodge complaint at Dhamnagar police station, to report their cases at Bhandaripokhari police station for the next one week. During the unprecedented crisis, we are trying our best to serve the people,” superintendent of police (Bhadrak) Rajesh Pandit said.
On July 13, Boipariguda police station in Koraput district was temporarily shut following detection of some cops with Covid-19 virus. Jeypore police station was asked to accept complaints related to any offence under the Boipariguda police station. Koraput Town police station too was sealed on July 17 and its functioning was temporarily shifted to the Koraput Sadar police station. “We resumed Koraput Town police station’s functioning from Tuesday,” a police officer said.
Recently, Kumbharapada and Gadisagada police stations in Puri district too were sealed after the cops came in contact with some Covid-19 positive accused persons.
Police officials said they were forced to seal or quarantine the police stations for a few days or hours to allow complete sanitization. But they admitted that the crisis increased the workload of nearby police stations that were asked to accept complaints on behalf of the sealed police stations.
“We have asked heads of all police establishments to follow the government’s standard operating procedure while sealing the police stations for disinfection. They have to find out whether the whole building or part of those needs to be sealed,” a senior police official said.
Significantly, not a single police station has so far been sealed in worst-affected Ganjam and Berhampur police districts. At least 150 cops in Ganjam and another 50 in Berhampur were infected by novel coronavirus. “So far, we have not felt the necessity of sealing the entire police stations. Proper SOP is being followed and disinfectant sprayed in police stations,” deputy inspector general (southern range) Satyabrata Bhoi said.
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