NEW DELHI: In Delhi, distress doesn’t always arrive as a crisis; it often rings in as a question. Last year, nearly 94,000 calls poured into the child helpline. However, only about 7,500 translated into active interventions. The gap between the incoming calls and real emergencies reveals a system caught between urgent rescues and everyday help.
“Is it a holiday tomorrow? Has the exam been cancelled? Elder sister is hitting me... The bag load is 12 kgs, what to do...?” and endless questions like these keep coming up at ‘1098’, a free emergency helpline for children in distress.
Since 2023, the 1098 helpline, operated under the Childline India Foundation and now overseen by the Department of Women and Child Development (WCD), Delhi, has become a 24x7 lifeline for children in distress. Backed by state control rooms and district-level units, it is designed to respond swiftly to cases of abuse, neglect, and exploitation. But the reality on the ground is more layered.
“Calls don’t stop, day or night,” said Arun Sharma, a child protection officer in the North West district. “Some are serious, but many are children anxious about exams or seeking someone to talk to,” he added.
Each district unit, called the District Child Protection Unit (DCPU), staffed by eight to ten personnel, filters these calls, escalating emergencies to police or child welfare authorities while addressing others through counselling. There are 11 such DCPUs in the national capital.
Officials say the service has helped prevent child marriages and intervened in vulnerable situations the most. Yet, the surge in calls also reflects a broader dependence on helplines for emotional support, blurring the line between crisis response and social counselling.
A parallel pattern is visible in calls to the women’s helpline run by the Delhi Commission for Women, which has received over 400 complaints since January, largely related to domestic violence and harassment. The WCD department had restarted afresh from January after remaining closed for a long time due to lack of leadership.
WCD Secretary Rashmi Singh said, “Most cases involve women being thrown out of their homes or facing abuse. Out of these 400-plus cases, most pertain to domestic violence.
Counsellors and police support are deployed where necessary.” Still, access gaps persist. Of the 11 publicly listed district helpline numbers, only one responded when contacted. Arun Sharma admitted that most district officers handle emergency calls during working hours, redirecting others to 1098.
Technical hurdles, including the ongoing shift from MTNL to BSNL networks, have further slowed responsiveness.
This article is written by Ifrah Mufti
