Mumbai, May 23 (PTI) A child rights group has urged the authorities to introduce a round-the-clock WhatsApp helpline integrated with Google Maps to help rescue abused children and those facing forced labour and eliminate delays that allow traffickers to shift victims.
The Mahatma Phule Samaj Seva Mandal, in a letter to the National Commission for Protection of Child Rights and the Maharashtra State Commission for Protection of Child Rights on Thursday, demanded that authorities make it mandatory to launch rescue operations within 24 to 48 hours of receiving geotagged evidence on the proposed helpline.
Citizens should be allowed to send geotagged photographs, videos and live locations of children engaged in labour or facing abuse directly to an official WhatsApp number operated by the authorities, said Pramod Zinjade, the organisation’s president.
Such a system would help ordinary citizens act as “child rights protectors” by enabling them to report violations instantly through mobile phones without complicated procedures, he said.
According to the proposal, once a complaint along with the exact Google Maps location is received, the information should be forwarded to the local police, Labour Department and Child Welfare Committee for action.
Zinjade said the present complaint mechanism often results in delays, allowing employers or traffickers to shift children before rescue teams reach the spot.
He also stressed the need to maintain whistleblowers’ confidentiality so that citizens can report cases without fear of local pressure or retaliation.
The proposed “Digital Action Pattern” could become an effective national model for curbing child labour and strengthening child protection systems by using widely accessible platforms such as WhatsApp and Google Maps, he said.
“Citizens often have photo, video and live location evidence of child abuse. However, photos cannot be sent to 1098, and filing complaints on NCPCR portals is complex and time-consuming for common citizens, especially in rural areas,” Zinjade wrote.
The organisation requested the NCPCR to declare a national-level “official government WhatsApp helpline number” operating round the clock for child protection-related complaints.
It also sought integration of the helpline with the NCPCR control room and district-level authorities, including district collectors, superintendents of police and labour commissioners, to enable raids and rescue operations within the “golden hour”. PTI MR ARU
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