From fighting terror using guns to battling COVID-19 by producing masks, CRPF jawans switch roles to help nation

Jawans of Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) who have seen deadly encounters in Jammu and Kashmir and in Naxal infested areas of Chhattisgarh are now helping other jawans to fight an equally important and decisive battle, the one against COVID-19.

These jawans, whose unit is currently situated in RK Puram in New Delhi, are making masks and personal protective equipment (PPEs) round the clock for their brothers-in-arms.

One such jawan, Constable Abdul Hamid, who was born and brought up in Kulgam, Jammu-Kashmir, and is currently engaged in manufacturing masks for CRPF jawans told ANI that it was an unexpected challenge for him and his team members. Hamid said that along with other team members they were manufacturing 40-50 thousand masks on a daily basis, without a break.

"I belong to Jammu and Kashmir's Kulgam district and joined CRPF in 2006. I was deployed in various areas including Jammu and Kashmir, but I never expected that I would have to fight a completely different battle by making protective gear for our men," Hamid told ANI.

"Here we are working in shifts and making masks. We have got basic training of making these masks and after that, we have been working consistently, round the clock, to make masks as the demand is very high. It makes us feel great that we are contributing to our personnel and the society in some way during this period," Hamid said.

Another CPRF Constable who was deployed in Chhattisgarh before being posted to Delhi also shared his experiences from fighting with Naxals to fighting with COVID-19.

"Before getting posted to Delhi, I was posted in Chhattisgarh where I have dealt with Naxals. For this new experience I got a basic training to operate an expensive machine which cuts the material into pieces to make three-layered masks. It is also a different experience," the Constable said.

With the sharpest ever increase of 1,463 new positive COVID-19 cases and 29 deaths in the last 24 hours, the total number of coronavirus cases in India on Tuesday climbed to 10,815, said the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare.

The COVID-19 figure includes 9279 active cases, while 1190 patients have been cured and discharged or migrated as of Tuesday. The total deaths due to the infection stood at 353.

As per the Union Health Ministry, Maharashtra with 2337 confirmed cases has the highest number of COVID-19 patients in the country, followed by Delhi (1510) and Tamil Nadu (1173).