RAIPUR: In a push to technologically upgrade Chhattisgarh’s security and justice delivery systems, Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Monday flagged off the state's advanced 'Dial 112' emergency response service and a fleet of modern mobile forensic vans during a state-level ceremony in Raipur.
The initiative aims to scale up emergency assistance across the state and reinforce scientific investigation capabilities under the newly enacted criminal laws.
The 'Dial 112' emergency service, operational since 2018 across only 16 districts, has now been comprehensively upgraded and extended to all 33 districts of Chhattisgarh. The revamped system integrates Artificial Intelligence (AI) for precise location identification, allowing emergency teams to pinpoint the exact geographic coordinates of individuals in distress.
To ensure uninterrupted operations, a secondary backup control centre has been activated at the Police Headquarters in Nava Raipur, complementing the primary control centre at Civil Lines in the capital. This setup guarantees that the emergency response system remains fully operational even during technical failures or natural disasters.
As part of the statewide rollout, a total of 400 new advanced emergency response vehicles, 33 special surveillance vehicles, and 60 highway patrol vehicles were deployed to various districts.
Citizens can now trigger emergency alerts through multiple digital channels beyond traditional phone calls, including the '112 India' mobile application, SOS signals, SMS text alerts, AI-powered chatbots, emails, and web requests.
The event was attended by Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai, Deputy Chief Minister and Home Minister Vijay Sharma, and Assembly Speaker Dr Raman Singh, alongside senior administrative and police officials.
Prioritizing women's safety, the updated system features a 'Panic Button' and special tracking mechanisms. It seamlessly integrates police assistance, ambulance services, fire brigades, and women’s helplines into a single unified platform for rapid response.
In compliance with the new criminal laws—specifically Section 176 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS)—forensic examination and scientific evidence collection are mandatory for all grave offenses carrying a punishment of seven years or more.
The 32 especially equipped mobile forensic laboratories vans commissioned by the government and were dispatched for field operations have blood sample testing kits, digital evidence collection tools, systems to extract CCTV footage and in-built GPS, high-capacity laptops, and independent generators for uninterrupted power
These mobile units will enable forensic experts to reach crime scenes swiftly, preventing the tampering or degradation of crucial biological and digital evidence.
