"Our policemen are patrolling there day and night. It is our own outpost and our jeep remains stationed there,” stated the officer in charge of the Pardi police station, the one nearest to Udvada, when Parsiana contacted him over the telephone to ascertain whether the new police chowky near the Iranshah Atash Behram had made a difference. Pardi had earlier taken care of the law and order needs of residents of Udvada. However, Peshotan Sidhwa of Globe Hotel mentioned that the chowky "has not yet been inaugurated. Please call us later.” Kooverji Gamadia of Bombay who owns a house in Udvada told Parsiana that around two months ago there were police jeeps patrolling the area. However, they are not much in evidence now, qualifying his reply with saying that he does not stay there much but makes day trips. Another property owner, Hutoxi Kotwal shared, "No one knows the telephone number of the police chowky. Even the gram panchayet told me ‘let us know’ when I obtain the number!” She subsequently added, "The contact number on the board is of Pardi police station.”
New police outpost in Udvada Photo: Histasp Mehta
The high priest of Udvada Dastur Khurshed Dastoor being busy with preparations for his son’s initiation as a navar, Parsiana asked his wife Havovi how the police presence would impact the town. "It would intensify the beat. There would be better access and quicker response time,” she replied.
The alarming spate of break-ins and alleged armed robberies in Udvada in which mostly elderly persons were being targeted had created a fear psychosis in the residents of the town. The new police chowky is the result of their efforts at establishing greater safety measures.