ERSS Nagaland received 5350 distress calls, mostly non-actionable

Launch in Dec 18’, ERSS is a Pan-India single emergency response number ‘112’ for all kinds of emergencies & distress calls 

DIMAPUR, MAY 18 (MExN): Since its official launch in Nagaland on December 1, 2018, the Emergency Response Support System (ERSS) which is a Pan-India single emergency response number ‘112’ have received a total of 5350 distress calls till date.

However, out of the total distress calls, only 17 were tagged ‘actionable’ while the rest – 5333 was categorised as ‘non-actionable,’ stated a report by state DIPR, without elaborating on the terms. 

The first state in the northeast region and second in the country after Himachal Pradesh, the ERSS was officially launched by Union Home Minister, Rajnath Singh in Kohima on December 1, 2018. It was an initiative to strengthen women safety in India

Thereafter,  the Nagaland Government had setup the Emergency Response Centre (ERC) in the state capital Kohima at the State Police Control Room (SPCR) where all the distress calls made to ‘122’ are received. 

A vision of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA), ERSS, more commonly referred to as Pubic Safety Answering Point (PSAP), is a Pan-India single emergency response number ‘112’ for all kinds of emergencies and distress calls across the country providing a 24 x 7 efficient and effective response system.

The DIPR report also stated that 3 District Coordination Centres (DCC) from where all the assistance needed will be dispatched to have been setup in the districts of Kohima, Dimapur and Mokokchung. 

The same has been implemented by CDAC (Centre for Development of Advanced Computing) which has been engaged by MHA as the Total Service Provider for the project.

The PSAP will handle all distress signals (viz. voice call, email, SMS, SOS panic request/calls) through ‘112’ calls and provide necessary assistance to the people in distress within the best possible time. The citizens of Nagaland no longer need to remember multiple helpline numbers; they can simply dial ‘112’ instead.

The PSAP since its launch is functioning on a 24 x 7 basis with personnel from the various line departments including Police, Fire & Emergency Service and Health & Family Welfare. 

An ERSS success story in Nagaland

Case: At 10:05 pm on December 9, 2018, a woman returning home alone and harassed by miscreants on the streets of Dimapur dialed ‘112’. Understanding the immediate need for assistance, DCC Dimapur dispatched a police patrol vehicle at 10:08 pm, 1.7 km away to reach her location. The Police reached her in 4 minutes.

The total time taken since the receipt of distress call received was 7 minutes and her safety  was ensured.