The new line, which will be formally opened on the Independence Day, will particularly benefit hearing and speech impaired and visually challenged persons.

Many non-profit organisations working for deaf and dumb are running 24X7 helplines but hearing and speech impaired could not approach police in case of emergency.

An interpreter is needed even to lodge a formal police complaint. “There was a demand by organisations working for deaf and dumb to open such SMS service as it’s the easiest way of communication for them (hearing impaired),” said R C Tayde, Assistant Commissioner of Police (Control Room).

In case of an emergency, anybody who is in distress will have to send an SMS to 9320200100. An operator handling the handset at the police control room will keep a log of each and every SMS —the memory capacity of the handset is 300 messages — and forward it to the agencies concerned for prompt action.

Control Room officers have also been instructed to send immediate feedback. Joint Commissioner of Police (administration) Hemant Karkare said, “If this works out well, the number of lines can be increased; the phone number will not change as jumping lines can be used.”

According to sources, initially a mobile handset will be used to receive SMSes, but, if required, a data card could be used to receive message on computer.