Chennai police personnel clean 105 stations in citywide hygiene drive
On Saturday morning, police officers and personnel across Chennai participated in a massive cleanliness drive to clean and clear waste from 105 police stations. The citywide initiative followed direct instructions issued by Greater Chennai Police Commissioner A Amalraj, who aimed to improve the overall upkeep and hygiene of the police station premises.
During the drive, police officers traded their traditional lathis for brooms. Personnel of various ranks joined hands with local conservancy workers to sweep, clean, and clear out accumulated waste from their respective stations. The initiative was part of a broader directive to ensure that all police stations across the city maintain clean, sanitary, and orderly surroundings for both the staff and the visiting public.
The cleanliness campaign was initiated after Commissioner Amalraj recently conducted personal visits to more than 19 police stations across Chennai. During these inspection visits, the commissioner reviewed the working conditions and grievances of the police personnel, which highlighted the need for better maintenance of the station houses.
In addition to the clean-up, the shift to Saturday also aligns with structural changes in the department's weekly routines. According to established protocol, police personnel are required to regularly display their official vehicles, kit bags, arms, and ammunition for inspection.
While this protocol is traditionally scheduled to take place on Thursdays, officers are frequently occupied with active duties during weekdays, making it difficult to carry out the inspections consistently. To address this, the weekly exercise has now been shifted to Saturdays in the city.
While this inspection protocol is strictly followed in the Armed Reserve and the Tamil Nadu Special Police battalions, it has historically not been implemented consistently across many other commissionerates and districts.
The Greater Chennai Police infrastructure currently includes 105 law and order police stations, 105 crime stations, and 39 all-women stations. Under normal circumstances, each of these stations is assigned a single conservancy worker who is responsible for maintaining cleanliness within and around the premises. Saturday's drive saw active participation from the police force to bolster these daily maintenance efforts.
