'UP 100' averted 858 suicides in 2017

The ambitious Uttar Pradesh Police emergency system, UP 100, foiled 858 suicide attempts last year and saved 134 accident victims daily, officials said on Wednesday.

The service got 15,954 distress calls of suicides being committed. The fast response ensured that the police reached the crime scene, broke open bolted doors and barged in to save lives, the officials said on the first foundation day of UP 100.

Police in Ghaziabad won the first prize for the fastest response by reaching a crime scene in 14.59 minutes, said Additional Director General Aditya Mishra.

The second and third slots went to Muzaffarnagar (16.06 minutes) and Noida (16.06 minutes).

The three districts excelled in a system where the average response time last year was 15.23 minutes. "We are trying to improve it further across the board and bring it down to 15 minutes."

A fleet of 1,500 two-wheelers would soon be added in the system, Mishra added.

Superintendent of Police Mohammad Imran said they set a target of picking 98 per cent of telephone calls within five seconds. Now 99.75 per cent calls are answered under five seconds.

Officer Raghvendra Dwivedi said that on an average as many as 134 lives were being saved daily due to timely intervention in road accidents.

With UP 100 having more than 3,000 four wheelers, double the number of ambulances (1,500) under 108 emergency number, the service was turning out to be a boon for the injured during the critical post-accident period.

Averaging 1.25 lakh calls a day, the system has led to direct police intervention in 47,39,795 cases. Of these, most related to row with neighbours, over property, domestic violence, accidents and brawls.

A staggering 338,028 calls were made by the elderly in the past one year for help while 363,912 cases of domestic violence were reported by women and a significant 54,355 calls came from children.

UP 100 has also got 7,566 distress calls from men reporting beating by wife.

The Rs 2,300-crore ambitious project was launched in 2015 and kickstarted on January 10, 2017.

--IANS

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