MULUGU: For the first time at Asia’s largest tribal festival, the Medaram jatara, Mulugu police are set to introduce QR code-based ‘Child Tracking Monitoring System’ to rescue missing children and elderly persons.
The system uses QR code tags to help pilgrims during the Sammakka-Sarakka Jatara, to be held from January 28 to 31 in the tiny village of Medaram. Large numbers of pilgrims have already started arriving ahead of the festival.
Due to the massive crowds, children often go missing at the site. Mulugu SP Sudhir Ramnath Kekan told TNIE that lakhs of devotees rush to Medaram even before the official start, leading to daily cases of lost children and elderly who lose their way in the chaos.
Drawing from past jatara experiences and modern technology, police have prepared 25,000 QR code tags, mainly for children aged 0-8 years. These will be issued at all entry points, including altars, bus stands, and parking areas.
Staff deployed at approach routes will identify vulnerable individuals, collect parents’ or guardians’ details (name, language, mobile number) via a dedicated application, and affix the QR tag.
If someone goes missing, parents can immediately inform announcement centres. Police will scan the QR code to instantly retrieve the registered details on screen — including contact information — and relay them to help reunite the person with their family. This initiative marks a first in Medaram jatara’s history and aims to provide quick, effective assistance in the crowded festival grounds, Kekan added.
Pilgrim injured in hoarding collapse
A pilgrim sustained injuries on Friday after a hoarding collapsed at Medaram. The incident took place at the ‘Y’ junction, where the road leads to the Jampanna Vagu in which devotees take a holy dip before taking a darshan of the deities at Medaram during jatara.
The injured pilgrim, E Narsaiah, was shifted to a hospital by the police. He was treated as an out-patient and discharged. Mulugu Superintendent of Police (SP) Sudhir Ramnath Kekan directed the jatara authorities to inspect all the hoardings at Medaram and ensure the safety of the pilgrims.
Centre releases Rs 3.7 crore for jatara
The Union government has sanctioned and released Rs 3.70 crore for the Sammakka–Saralamma Jatara at Medaram village in Mulugu district.
Union Coal and Mines Minister G Kishan Reddy said the funds were sanctioned following appeals by Telangana BJP representatives. In a press release, Kishan Reddy said the Union government was developing visitor amenities and infrastructure under the Tribal Circuit Scheme at Mulugu, Laknavaram Lake, Medaram, Tadvai, Damaravai, Malluru and Bogatha waterfalls with an outlay of Rs 80 crore. He also said Rs 140 crore was being spent on development works at the UNESCO-listed Ramappa Temple.