MUMBAI: A child rights group has urged authorities to introduce a 24-hour WhatsApp helpline integrated with Google Maps to help rescue abused children and those facing forced labor and eliminate delays that allow traffickers to transport 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, asked the authorities to make it mandatory to launch rescue operations within 24 to 48 hours of receiving geo-tagged evidence on the proposed helpline.
Pramod Zingade, head of the organisation, said citizens should be allowed to send geo-tagged photos, videos and live locations of children involved in labor or facing abuse, directly to the official WhatsApp number run by the authorities.
He added that such a system would help ordinary citizens act as “protectors of children’s rights” by enabling them to report violations immediately via mobile phones without complicated procedures.
According to the proposal, once a complaint is received with the exact location on Google Maps, the information should be sent to the local police, labor department and child welfare committee for necessary action.
Zingad said the current complaints mechanism often leads to delays, allowing employers or traffickers to remove children before rescue teams arrive at the scene.
He also stressed the need to maintain the confidentiality of whistleblowers so that citizens can report cases without fear of local pressure or retaliation.
He said the proposed “digital work model” could become an effective national model to reduce child labor and strengthen child protection systems through the use of widely accessible platforms such as WhatsApp and Google Maps.
“Citizens often have photos, videos, and live on-site evidence of child abuse. However, photos cannot be sent to 1098, and filing complaints on NCPCR portals is complex and time-consuming for ordinary citizens, especially in rural areas,” Zingad wrote.
The organization has requested NCPCR to announce a nationwide 24-hour ‘official government WhatsApp helpline number’ for child protection related complaints.
It also sought to integrate the helpline with the control room of the National Center for HIV/AIDS Control and district level authorities, including district collectors, superintendents of police and labor commissioners, to enable raids and rescue operations during the ‘golden hour’.
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