Over 7.35 lakh senior citizens registered with UP Police's emergency 112 service

Over 7.35 lakh senior citizens across Uttar Pradesh have so far registered themselves with the state police's 'Savera' initiative for "enhanced response" when the emergency 112 number is called, officials said.

Additional Director General (ADG) of Police (112 service) Asim Arun said the initiative was launched in 2019 with an objective to prepare a database of senior citizens in the state.

"At times senior citizens call 112 during emergency situations but are unable to describe their problem or inform their location. In case of cities having multi-storey and high-rise apartments, the PRV (police response vehicle) may track the call location but then there are hundreds of flats and difficult to find the callers location," Arun told PTI at the 112 headquarters in Lucknow.

"So, for an enhanced response during such situations involving senior citizens, the Savera initiative was launched and 112 now has over 7.35 lakh senior citizens registered on it," he said.

The data base, he said, includes information like name of a senior citizen, their home and work address, contacts of spouse, family or local acquaintances.

"There is also an option for them to share their basic medical history so that in case it is a medical emergency, the 112 responders would already have adequate knowledge about the caller. But this information sharing is voluntary," the senior IPS officer said.

Arun cited a number of cases, like incidents of domestic violence, in which the emergency police responders have prevented serious mishaps, fights, and even suicide attempts because of this initiative.

According to 112 officials, such an enhanced response to distress calls creates a sense of security among the citizens.

Any senior citizen living in Uttar Pradesh can get their primary registration in 'Savera' done by calling 112, the officials said.

After primary registration, the local police station or beat officer goes to the residence of the senior citizen and gets the detailed registration done in which essential details like health, family (if provided by the senior citizen) are sought, they added.