QR code tags help trace missing children during Dasara Utsavams atop Indrakeeladri in Vijayawada

The Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS) and Anganwadi staff have been issuing QR-code tags to children visiting Indrakeeladri for the Dasara Navaratri Utsavams in Vijayawada. The initiative aims to facilitate the tracing of missing children during the festival festivities.

Anganwadi ayahs and ICPS staff have tagged around 17,000 children with QR codes within the first two days of the celebration. District Collector G. Lakshmisha reported that the tags have proven effective in locating missing children.

WD&CW Project Director Shaik Ruksana Sultana Begum instructed staff to scan the QR codes as they move along the queue lines at multiple locations, placing tags on all children. During last year's Dasara Utsavams, about 75,000 children were tagged with QR codes.

Within the first two days of this year's event, seven children were traced and returned to their parents after their parents scanned the QR codes. The QR code system provides vital information about the child's parents, including names, contact numbers, and addresses.

Parents have expressed satisfaction with the QR code system. Mylavaram ICDS Supervisor Ch. Madhavi stated that the response from parents has been positive. ICPS officers Durga Prasad and Y. Johnson highlighted the deployment of 260 staff, including child helpline workers, for the Dasara Navarathri Utsavams.

A relieved mother, Chandana, shared her positive experience, stating that her son went missing in the festival rush, but within ten minutes, the authorities called to inform her that her child had been traced. District Collector G. Lakshmisha highlighted the use of the QR-Code tagging system during previous events such as Krishna Pushkarams, Vijayawada Utsav, and other occasions in the State.