Odisha to Launch ‘Ama Rasta’ WhatsApp Chatbot for Accidents

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Bhubaneswar: In an effort to curb preventable road fatalities by capitalizing on the critical post-crash “golden hour,” the Odisha Transport Department is preparing to launch a citizen-facing WhatsApp chatbot designed to streamline emergency notifications and speed up roadside rescue operations.

The digital initiative, named ‘Ama Rasta’, enables passersby, drivers, and witnesses to instantly flag traffic collisions by submitting incident specifics and precise live locations directly through the messaging service.

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A high-ranking transport official outlined the technical flow: users will connect with the system via the dedicated mobile contact 7289911033. The moment crash data is submitted, automated alerts will fan out simultaneously to regional authorities, notifying the nearest local police station, state ambulance dispatch teams, and officials within the jurisdiction’s Regional Transport Office (RTO).

Beyond medical intervention, the coordinated alert mechanism provides immediate actionable intelligence to both law enforcement and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI). This allows highway patrol and recovery teams to clear wrecked vehicles and debris quickly, avoiding prolonged gridlock and secondary collisions along busy arteries.

The administration plans to debut ‘Ama Rasta’ as a targeted pilot rollout across designated high-risk, accident-prone, and sensitive corridors before expanding its footprint.

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