Mysore policemen climb a hill, to 'fit' the bill

Swift move

In an effort to get their men into top fitness, Mysore city traffic police bosses have made it mandatory for traffic police constables and head constables to climb the Chamundi Hills on second Sunday of every month.

The walk begins at Tavarekatte near the arch gate on Chamundi Hills Road and reaches the Nandi statue, the mid-point of the eight-km walk, through the Repeater Station. At the Nandi statue, the cops will make a U-turn for the downhill walk to reach the launch point. ACP (Traffic) Shankaregowda said the aim of the initiative was to make policemen stay fit and help some to regain fitness.

“There are a few men who start their duty at a certain place and remain glued to the location, without moving an inch. While some are forced to take rest often due to obesity, the rest are bogged down by other ailments,” he said.

According to the manual, traffic cops have to work for eight hours a day with a break after the first four hours. But the cops stretch the break up to four hours, before resuming duty. If they take cue from Sunday’s initiative and continue it daily, it will help the cops remain in the “pink of health”, Shankaregowda said.

Of the total 286 cops entrusted with the task of manning traffic at different locations in the City, 210 took part in the walk on Sunday. Led by DCP (Traffic) P Rajendra Prasad, the cops clad in white T-shirts bearing the words, ‘Road Safety,’ began at 6 am and took over an hour to climb the hill.

In his appeal, before sitting down for breakfast arranged for the policemen at Sri Dharmasthala Manjunatheswara Institute for Management Development (SDM-IMD) after  the walk, Prasad said all traffic policemen, barring those with blood pressure, diabetes and other problems, have to stick to the regimen. Those who have health problems can take part on their own volition.

In the past, then Police Commissioner S Parashivamurthy used to take DCPs, ACPs, inspectors and sub-inspectors on walks after the weekly parade on Fridays.

With many violators of traffic norms being agile enough to escape from the reach of the men in khaki, the walk would make the cops fit enough, and not sport potbellies, their bosses hope.