PUNE: On the evening of August 17, a frazzled senior citizen from Mundhwa contacted the Pune police via their designated WhatsApp number to complain about a dhol-tasha troupe’s “loud noise.” The complainant and other locals were greatly relieved when a beat marshal took immediate action on the complaint.
Since its July 10 launch, the Pune police’s “anytime complaint” initiative to assist citizens in need has received positive feedback. The Pune police have received 1,224 complaints through WhatsApp through a 50-day period ending on August 30 from all over the city, including a small number from other districts.
As soon as the WhatsApp message was received, the sender’s location was sought, and the relevant police station was notified, according to a police officer speaking about the Mundhwa case. The dhol-tasha practice was in progress when the beat marshal arrived. He instructed the group to turn down the music and respect the 10 o’clock curfew. The group complied, so the police contacted the complainant and requested his input,” the officer said.
According to an analysis of the complaints that were submitted as a result of the initiative, “noise pollution” accounted for the second-highest number of complaints that the Pune police received during the two-month period. Since the WhatsApp number’s debut, 247 loud noise complaints from bars, hotels, and restaurants, also known as dhol-tasha pathaks, have been sent to it. As soon as the complaints were received, patrol marshals were dispatched to the locations, according to Pune police commissioner Retesh Kumaarr.
On the WhatsApp number, some odd complaints that fell outside of the police’s purview were also received. A person who got lost in another district made one of these complaints.
“The initiative’s main goal was to motivate women and girls to file complaints about issues that affect them. Our primary goal is to reduce crimes against women. We could better serve the women if we received a simple text message on their WhatsApp number, according to Kumaarr.
At least 70 women and girls filed complaints on the provided number up until August 30, which allowed police to take action. When commercial establishments’ noise levels exceed the established limits, senior citizens, children, and the ill frequently find themselves in a difficult situation. They find it very convenient to solve the problem by simply sending a text message with the location and address while they are still in their homes. The police commissioner stated, “Our team is working effectively to ensure that all complaints are addressed in a timely manner.
Anshuman Choudhari, a local of Wadgaonsheri, complained that the restaurants and bars in the area have been too disruptive. We will definitely use the initiative from the Pune police, which appears promising. The Pune police team contacts the complainants again to get their feedback after receiving the complaints via the WhatsApp number and taking appropriate action.
A Dhayari resident praised the initiative and suggested that police raise awareness of it to encourage more people to file complaints about problems that affect them. “Noise from commercial establishments is a serious problem, particularly at night. The resident suggested that more people call the special helpline to voice their concerns.
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