QR code tags help trace missing children, senior citizens at Kanaka Durga temple

The ‘Tags with QR Code’ initiative for children and senior citizens visiting Kanaka Durga temple has yielded positive results atop Indrakeeladri. “About 12 children and three senior citizens who went missing from their families were traced and reunited,” said NTR District Collector G. Lakshmisha.

A total of 25 teams, comprising members from Anganwadi centers, the District Child Protection Unit (DCPU), the Integrated Child Protection Scheme (ICPS), and a couple of NGOs, were deployed to tag children and elderly devotees, the Collector said. “We have tagged nearly 14,500 children below the age of 10, as well as senior citizens atop Indrakeeladri. Parents have expressed their gratitude for the system,” Mr. Lakshmisha, who monitored the programme, told The Hindu on Wednesday.

“My son went missing in the rush, but within a few minutes we received a call saying he was at the Model Guest House. We rushed there and received him. Thanks to the QR Code Tagging System,” said Meenakshi, a relieved parent.

Women Development and Child Welfare NTR District Project Director Sk. Ruksana Sultana Begum explained that staff feed information such as the child’s name, father’s name and phone number, gender, age, and other particulars into the QR Code.

“When a child goes missing, police can scan the QR Code to access the parent’s details and alert them. A message is automatically sent to the father’s phone after the scan,” Ms. Ruksana Sultana said.

Police Commissioner S.V. Rajashekara Babu added, “Twelve children and three senior citizens who went missing in the last three days were traced. Children were rescued within 10 minutes and reunited with their parents.”

Ms. Ruksana Sultana further stated that teams will patrol the queue lines round the clock in three shifts, from Vinayaka temple to Kanaka Durga temple, to ensure all children are tagged.