NEW DELHI: To check increasing cases of human trafficking, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Friday reminded the states to set up a round the-clock toll-free helpline number for real-time reporting and special surveillance in railway stations, bus depots and airports.
Issuing twelfth advisory to the states and Union Territories on the issue during the pandemic, the human rights panel said that "COVID-19 pandemic has disproportionately" impacted the vulnerable sections.
"The advisory on human trafficking has been sent to Union Ministries and all States/UTs for implementation and submitting the action reports. This is the 12th advisory in the series of advisories issued by the Commission in context of the COVID-19 pandemic," said NHRC in a statement.
The 'Advisory to Combat Human Trafficking in the Context of COVID-19 Pandemic' also urged the state and UT governments to activate Anti-Human Traicking Units (ATHUs) in all districts of the country.
The Ministry of Women and Child Development received 27 lakh distress calls and intervened in 1.92 lakh distress on the ground. Out of these interventions, at least 32,700 were cases of trafficking, child marriage, sexual abuse, emotional abuse, forced begging and cybercrimes.
In its earlier advisories, the NHRC had also directed states to record details of migrants going in and out of villages and to intercept cases of trafficking. It had also called for arrangements to be made at village level to identify children who are not attending schools as well as drop-outs, the advisory said.
The NHRC also asked the government to take adequate steps to provide livelihood opportunities through schemes like MNREGA, PM-GKY and DDU-GKY.
"The Commission viewing the unprecedented situation across the country and being deeply concerned about the rights of the vulnerable and marginalised sections of the society affected by the coronavirus pandemic and the lockdowns, constituted a ‘Committee of Experts on Impact of COVID-19 Pandemic on Human Rights and Future Response’," NHRC said on Friday.