Relief & rescue: Women cops in Himachal show the way

The women police officers in Himachal are displaying exemplary leadership and indomitable courage to lead the flood rescue operations

At a time when floods have devasted parts of the state leaving scores of people dead and many homeless, the women police officers in Himachal are displaying exemplary leadership and indomitable courage.

At a time when floods have devasted parts of Himachal , top women police officers are leading from the front in rescue operations. (Deepak Sansta/HT)

Satwant Atwal Trivedi, the first women IPS in the state whose officiating director general of police is actively involved in the coordinating efforts. The police have set up a war room in Police headquarters to contact the stranded persons and their family members. “So far we have been able to contact nearly 300 people we have received scores of calls on the helpline numbers,” says Atwal.

Quoting an instance she said, “I got a call from one of the relatives to inquire about the tourist stranded in Kullu we made it possible to send their voice messages “said she, adding that the police personnel were actively involved in the rescue operations. Our men have made it possible for the stranded tourist to talk to their relative through the satellite phone, communication is still a problem in many areas “said she. Her husband additional director general of police( Law and Order) Abhishekh Trivedi himself is monitoring the rescue operations in the state while the three women are superintendent of police Soumya Sambasivan, Saakshi Verma Kartikeyan and Shalini Agnihotri superintendents of police in Mandi, Kullu and Kangra district are at the forefront of the rescue operations.

Mandi and Kullu districts are the most affected. Sambasivan played a vital role in evacuating the people along the riverside in Mandi district when the Beas river began to cross the danger mark . “Some people mostly rag pickers from Bangala community were not ready to leave their shanties it was difficult to convince the elderly persons living there “ she said. Similarly, Saakshi Verma, the superintendent of police in Kullu, has been tirelessly engaged in reaching out to the maximum number of stranded tourists and locals, who find themselves cut off due to severed road links caused by landslides, while superintendent of police , Kangra Shalini Agnihotri visited the flood-ravaged areas in Kangra district.