Bhopal, Aug 14 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh has officially adopted ‘112’ as its new integrated emergency response number, aligning with global standards such as ‘911’ in the US and ‘999’ in the UK. Chief Minister Mohan Yadav formally launched the service, marking the beginning of a phased transition from the decade-old Dial-100 system.

The rollout of Dial-112 is expected to gradually replace existing emergency numbers — 100 (police), 101 (fire services), 102 (ambulance), and 108 (disaster management). However, these legacy helplines will remain operational for at least one year to ensure a smooth transition.

With this move, Madhya Pradesh joins a growing list of states and union territories — including Andhra Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Kerala, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Puducherry, Lakshadweep, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Dadra & Nagar Haveli, Daman & Diu, Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Nagaland — that have already transitioned to 112 as their primary emergency helpline.

A senior police official described Dial-112 as “an integrated, smart, and multi-agency emergency response service, carrying forward the legacy of Dial-100”.

He added, “Given the growing complexity of emergency situations and the need for coordinated responses, the system has been redesigned to meet the demands of a rapidly evolving technological landscape.”

With the rollout of Dial-112, citizens will now be able to access a wide range of emergency services — police, ambulance, fire, women’s helpline, cybercrime, highway accident response, disaster relief, and child protection — through a single number.

The upgraded platform is not merely a merger of services but a comprehensive overhaul of the state’s emergency response architecture.

The new contact centre, equipped to handle 100 agents per shift and supported by a 40-seat dispatch unit, is backed by advanced technologies including SIP-based trunk lines for seamless call connectivity, real-time location tracking, and data analytics.

The system also incorporates number masking to protect caller privacy, chatbot-enabled citizen interaction tracking, and exclusive mobile applications for both citizens and police personnel. Transparency and operational efficiency have been prioritised through the deployment of dashboard and body-worn cameras in Field Response Vehicles (FRVs), biometric attendance systems for staff, and fleet management software to monitor vehicle maintenance.

These upgrades are designed not only to respond to emergencies but to anticipate and prevent them, marking a shift from reactive to proactive public safety.

The launch of Dial-112 builds upon the formidable legacy of Dial-100, which was introduced on November 1, 2015, as India’s first centralised, statewide police emergency response service. It deployed over 1,000 GPS-enabled four-wheelers and 150 two-wheelers, equipped with mobile data terminals and location-based systems that allowed call-takers to trace callers in distress and dispatch help swiftly.

According to official data from Madhya Pradesh Police over the past ten years, Dial-100 received nearly nine crore calls, of which more than two crore were actionable. Assistance was successfully provided in nearly two crore cases, including over 19 lakh interventions related to women’s safety, more than 12 lakh responses to road accidents, and over two lakh cases involving mental health emergencies such as suicide and depression.

The service also played a crucial role in rescuing abandoned newborns, assisting senior citizens, and locating missing children.

–IANS

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