App to track activities of those quarantined

Lalit Mohan

Tribune News Service

Dharamsala, April 2

Development Logics, a local startup, has come out with two applications that are now helping the administration in tracking the movement of quarantined people and issue online curfew permits for medical emergencies and maintaining supplies of essential commodities.

Startup founder Varun Rattan said Director (IT), Himachal, Rohan Thakur had entrusted them with the task of developing these applications as quickly as possible after the nationwide lockdown was announced to contain the spread of Covid. Software engineers of the company worked day and night and developed both application in just three days, he said.

Varun Rattan said the first application was designed for the state Health Department to track nearly 800 residents who had been home-quarantined due to their recent travel history to foreign countries.

It was difficult for the department to ensure that these people followed the mandatory quarantine period in their homes located across different villages in the state.

He said the application was downloaded on the cellphones of the suspected patients. “Once downloaded, the application sends alerts to the department every 15 minutes regarding the location of the quarantined person. In case the person moves even 50 metre outside the house with his cellphone the application will send an alert to officials,” he said.

Varun Rattan said the second application was designed for issuing online permits. Anybody can now download the application —— covidepasses.hp.gov.in —- on their cellphones and apply for an e-pass to move around under curfew conditions. E-passes were being issued by the respective district administrations for medical emergencies and maintaining supplies of essential commodities.

“In the last three days, we have received 35,000 applications for e-passes from across the state. The e-requests are passed to the respective DCs who are the final authorities for approving or rejecting the permits. An SMS regarding approval or rejection of e-permits is sent to the applicants by the SDMs,” he said.