Maharashtra elections 2024: EC’s pilot project in Dharavi passes with flying colours

Polling centre no. 178 in Dharavi where coloured carpets were laid to ease the voting process on Wednesday. Pics/Rane Ashish

A colour-coding system was implemented at polling centre no. 178 in Dharavi to help voters locate their stations easily. Red, purple, sky blue, pink and green carpets were laid between the entrance of the centre and the polling stations within. The Election Commission of India (ECI) is considering implementing the concept, which was initially introduced in the area during the Lok Sabha election, in future elections.

The ECI had distributed slips with QR codes to voters' homes. On the back of them, instructions were printed as well as the colour assigned to the voters' polling stations, indicating that they follow the corresponding coloured carpet to reach their destination. NCC cadets were deployed at the entrance to assist voters with directions.

Sudhir Nimbalkar, assistant returning officer at polling centre no. 178, explained, "Dharavi is the largest area in Mumbai. There used to be 44 centres here, serving 40,000 voters. This year, we reduced the number to 34 and implemented the colour-coding concept at centre no. 178."

"Instructions printed on the back of voting slips explained how to follow the assigned colour to reach one's polling station. Once voters arrived at the polling centre, they only had to check the back of the slip, identify their colour, and follow the carpet. This system has been especially helpful for uneducated voters," Nimbalkar added.

Soniya Nadar, Dharavi resident

He further elaborated, "The concept was successfully used during the Lok Sabha elections and has received appreciation from both the election commission and Special Commissioner of Police Deven Bharati, who visited the centre."

Voters' reactions

Soniya Nadar, a resident, said, "This is a useful concept. It helped me find my polling booth without having to ask anyone. I simply followed the coloured carpet and reached my station. This should be implemented across India."

Radha Mani and Daya Malar, who visited the centre together, said, "A few days ago, we received the voting slip at home. When we turned it over, we found clear instructions to locate our polling station. We just followed the colours and easily reached our station."

Dhananjay Lokhande added, "This system saves a lot of time. Earlier, we had to search for our polling station after arriving at the centre."

Emmanuel Alex Nadar said, "Many people cannot read but can easily recognise colours. This concept has been a great help to Dharavi citizens and should be used in other slum areas. It made finding my polling station simple and hassle-free."

Amaan Khan remarked, "I thank the Election Commission of India for helping citizens find their polling booths so easily."

34
No. of voting centres in Dharavi