KARIMNAGAR: A photograph of an overflowing garbage heap, a message about a broken culvert or a complaint over a poorly lit street can now spark immediate discussions between residents and local representatives in Karimnagar.
Across several divisions of the Municipal Corporation of Karimnagar (MCK), WhatsApp groups and social media platforms have evolved into forums where citizens highlight civic issues and demand faster action.
The concerns range from sanitation and road maintenance to drainage, streetlights and drinking water supply. Residents are increasingly using digital platforms to document problems, share photographs and bring them to the attention of corporators and civic authorities.
In Division 9, residents recently highlighted garbage accumulation on a main road and raised concerns over incomplete road works that they said posed risks to commuters. The posts triggered discussions within the division’s WhatsApp group, with citizens urging authorities to complete the works at the earliest.
Corporator Vasantha Laxmi-Bhoomaiah said, “We have opened a special ward office to receive and address public grievances. Complaints that can be resolved at the ward level are being attended to immediately, while issues requiring intervention from higher authorities are being forwarded to MCK officials for early action.”
Residents have also flagged culverts that were dismantled during the laying of a new water pipeline and remain unrepaired, causing inconvenience to motorists and pedestrians.
With the monsoon season underway, many have urged officials to desilt drainage canals, warning that overflowing drains could inundate houses in low-lying areas.
For Division 11 corporator Akula Narmada, addressing such issues has become a daily responsibility. Drainage blockages, disruptions in water supply and non-functional streetlights are among the concerns most frequently brought to her notice. Narmada said grievances are attended to promptly and that she conducts site visits whenever necessary to assess the situation firsthand.
What was once confined to ward meetings and office visits now unfolds in real time on mobile phones.