Though it is not known whether the situation changed suddenly, in the past five months traffic policemen are regularly complaining about health issues that seem to be a direct effect of emissions by vehicular traffic.

Consequently, the number of cops taking leaves has also gone up.

The situation was highlighted not long ago by KGMU faculty member, Professor Ajai Singh, during a seminar on May 23. Singh used the findings of a 2013-14 survey, wherein, a team of doctors spent time with 266 traffic policemen. At the end of the survey, 190 doctors were found to be more vulnerable to health issues as the level of lead in their blood streams exceeded 5 micrograms per decilitre, which is the recommended level.

"The study focused on the conditions in which traffic policemen work and found that the quantity of lead in their bloodstream was higher than the normal level ", said Singh.

Even after the findings, little seems to have changed on ground. Traffic policemen are exposed to vehicular pollutants for a stretch of eight to 10 hours every day. Most cops do not take basic preventive measures, such as wearing masks, to shield themselves from the emissions.

"It becomes irritating to use masks when the temperature soars or humidity increases. Motorists in the city are highly impatient and we have no choice but to give priority to traffic management than to our own health," said a head constable posted at Burlington Chauraha, an area where vehicular density rarely drops.