Chennai: To protect women from life-threatening situations, there are numerous mobile applications available today for smart phone users. Measures such as distress alert, automatic calls to assigned contacts, location tracking, etc., help to provide assistance.
Even corporates and travel agencies are making use of these applications to ensure the safety of their employees and clients. Most of these apps are simple and effective. For instance, iFollow app sends distress messages and contacts’ selected people at the mere shake of the device.
Saranya, a human resource professional, said, “I find such tools extremely helpful. When women travel to work, they don’t know what to expect from their drivers and co-passengers, so these applications help to safeguard us to a considerable extent.”
Gajanan Sakhare, CEO of Pune-based Smart Cloud Infotech that developed the Nirbhaya app, has identified Chennai as one among the 10 metropolitan cities in the country to be brought under their comprehensive coverage.
“The full potential of the applications can be tapped if only it is integrated with the police force. We are currently engaged with the Uttar Pradesh police for better utilisation of the app in the state, besides coordinating with the 108 ambulance service,” he said.
