India is facing a big challenge in the form of COVID 19 pandemic, caused by the Novel Coronavirus. Under this difficult situation, every citizen of the country has been asked to accept the lockdown and stay back home in the wider interest of the people.

In these trying and testing times, the police force of the country is constantly in the news as they are responsible for maintaining law and order and the implementation of the lockdown.

Nevertheless, there is news about an officer of Delhi Police that has come like a whiff of fresh air.

DCP North West Vijayanta Goyal Arya and her team have gone an extra mile in the discharge of their duties as they have taken the initiative to adopt a refugee camp in the Majlis Park area of the city.

The DCP and her team have decided to adopt about 270 families comprising of about 1000 people that are staying in the Pakistani Hindu Refugee Camp in North West Delhi as they faced a livelihood crisis following the 21-day nationwide lockdown.

DCP Arya and her team is providing them with food, medicines and other essential commodities.

The Statesman talked to DCP (North West) Vijayanta Goyal Arya to know more about the same.

Excerpts:

Q. Did any organisation come forward to help or contribute to your mission?

A. Yes! In fact, we have been approached by many organisation who want to make their contribution. They ask us where they can lend a helping hand and in what capacity.

Q. Did you equip them with the necessary equipment like masks, sanitizer, etc. or some other material?

A. Actually, for this particular area, they were in an urgent need for dry ration like atta (flour), dal (gram), chawal (rice), salt, sugar, etc. because one has to eat at least twice daily, so we provided with food initially.

We followed it with basic hygiene and medicines for those who were in need and for that we have also partnered with players from the field of medicine. Very soon we would be providing them with self-hygiene products like soap, shampoo, sanitisers, masks, etc.

Q. The basic question. How did you come up with this initiative, especially when you have to take care of almost 1000 people?

A. We started by identifying the areas within the district wherein our intervention beyond the routine law and order maintenance was required because we had to ensure that during the lockdown period people don’t face a shortage of basic commodities.

Q. Our involvement is basically based on what kind of involvement would be required overall.

A. We have maintained a directory of all the RWAs, groups, and individuals who approached us to volunteer in this work and whenever there is any requirement from any other area we call them and they take care of that area. We are in fact acting as a chain between those who are in need and those who are offering to help. To facilitate their movement we have given them movement pass.

Since they are daily wagers they are the worst hit by the lockdown hence our priority was to take care of this colony.

Q. How has been the cooperation of the common people in your endeavour?

A. Since most of us are aware of the gravity of the situation and the purpose of the lockdown I would only urge people in Delhi comply fully and stay indoors so that the efforts that our government is making are successful.

I will appeal to Delhiites to be inside their homes for their own safety and the safety of others.

Make India win this fight against the Coronavirus pandemic!