In a bid to trace missing children, the Government Railway Police have proposed to install face recognition software in CCTV cameras at different stations across the State.
“Many children run away from their home fearing failure in the exams. We can upload pictures of such missing children in the face recognition software so that CCTV cameras at the railway stations can identify them,” said Rohith Nathan Rajagopal, Superintendent of Police, Government Railway Police.
He was speaking at an awareness programme, organised by Arunodhaya Center for Street and Working Children at the Egmore railway station on the occasion of the World Day against Child Labour 2018, held on Tuesday.
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According to data, the Child Help Desk at the Egmore station, supported by the Ministry of Women and Child Development in association with the Ministry of Railways and Childline India Foundation rescued 422 children between April 2017 and March 2018. Out of this, more than 90% are boys.
Virgil D. Sami, executive director, Arunodhaya, said the help desk at the Egmore station was started in June 2015 and till March 2018, a total of 1,328 children had been rescued. A majority of the children rescued were in the 15-18 age group. Most of the children are from Bihar.
“Most often, the children come to Chennai for sight-seeing without their parents. The next common reason is quarrelling with their parents,” she added.
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During the awareness programme, an announcement to create awareness of rescuing missing children was released.
“The announcement educates the public to hand over children loitering at the railway station or in trains to the help desk. This will be played at the Egmore station,” said a staff of Arunodhaya.