'Disha' App Gets Great Response But Cops Fail To Achieve Its Objective

Designed to help women stay safe and aware of their surroundings, the Disha mobile application (app) has created a record with more than 1.17 crore registrations since its launch in Andhra Pradesh but it has not been able to deliver the required results because of the apathy and laxity on the part of the police.

Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy had launched the app and also inaugurated the first Disha police station at Rajamahendravaram in East Godavari three years ago to combat crime against women of the State. The initiative came following the brutal rape and murder of a 26-year-old veterinarian in Hyderabad which shook the conscience of the nation.

The main objective behind launching the mobile was to assist women in need and alert the closest police patrol car by prompting the SOS button or simply by shaking the phone five times. The police department from time to time encouraged not only women but also men to download it on their smartphones.

The app is available for free download on Google and has gained immense popularity among the woman mobile users. It has even overtaken 'Dial 100' helpline in the number of calls received in a day. The Disha Control Room at Tech Tower, AP Police Headquarters, Mangalagiri, Hyderabad, is said to be receiving more than 15,000 calls per day against 5,000 by Dial 100 Control Room.

No doubt increasing downloads of the app reflect the growing confidence among women in the security offered by the application and the ease of its use. Police are said to be getting about 250 calls a day and their response time is 5 to 7 minutes in urban areas and 14 minutes in rural areas.

As far as overall response is concerned, it all look honky-dory. However, on the flip side, not all the calls from the app have had satisfactory responses, nor the police have registered FIRs in all the reported cases on the app. The data provided by National Crime Records Bureau (NCRB) shows that only 11 per cent of the calls received through Disha app find their way into police records.

Moreover, the lack of seriousness of the callers too has become a matter of concern. It is observed that women often would use the app in non-emergency cases domestic disputes, marital discord, husband coming home drunk and creating nuisance, parents not accepting a marriage alliance, etc. This irritates the cops and hence hampers their response rate.

There is a need to give widespread publicity for proper use of the app which can help women in distress in case they face a threat to their modesty or life. The State government should put up billboards and banners at all educational institutions, public and private offices as well as village and wards. The app should also be publicised through film theatres, cable TV and social media platforms, so that more people use them in the nick of time and save themselves.