Emergency helpline to tackle disaster calls, complaints

Dehra Dun, Oct 12 (PTI) The '108' emergency service number in Uttarakhand will now handle calls dealing with issues as diverse as disaster relief, reports of poaching and complaints by women, after being roped in by different government departments to provide swift relief to people in distress. "This is phenomenal and very helpful for the state," Chief Minister Ramesh Pokhriyal Nishank said of the performance of the helpline till now. The emergency number is expected to register incidents of forest fires, poaching activities, environmental disasters and complaint's lodged by women wanting to seek redressal from the state's women commission among other things. The disaster management department, forest and wildlife department and women commission of the state are therefore expected to be linked to the emergency number, COO Anoop Nautiyal said. "By doing this, we can also keep a check on forest fires and poaching activities which are a big concern in the state.People just have to report these incidents to us and we in turn will put the respective departments on alert," said Nautiyal on the '108' service.

Meanwhile, with the state seeing unprecedented rains leading to rampant devastation this monsoon, such emergency services will be of immense benefit for the state, CM Nishank said.

Highlighting the achievements of the helpline, he said that about 1,774 children were born in ambulances of the service since beginning operation in 2008. He also claimed that with this, Uttarakhand is set to become the first state to run air, water and ground emergency services.

Motor-boats and helicopters to provide quick medical facilities are also being proposed to be employed by the state government for this purpose. The '108' Emergency service is being run as a public-private partnership (PPP) with Hyderabad-based infrastructure major GVK.