NEW DELHI: Try it if you must: this helpline ‘MCD 311.’ If it pretends to work responding with ‘resolved’ after making rounds of many civic officials, take it for its worthlessness. Here’s a sampler:
This reporter raised a complaint about an illegal garbage dump. The complaint was reassigned multiple times and is still pending.
The Municipal Corporation of Delhi launched the mobile application two years ago. It was meant to empower residents to actively participate in the upkeep of the city by lodging complaints related to various civic issues.
Amit Kumar, MCD spokesperson, said in case a complaint has been wrongly marked as resolved, it can be raised again. “These instances are rare and the overall feedback on the app has been positive,” he said.
Swapnil Agnihotri, a resident of Uttam Nagar East said that a major road in the area was littered with garbage that covered nearly half the road and choked a drain alongside the road. This problem has persisted for a year. Even MCD vehicles dump the garbage they collect at the same spot.
After he complained about the MCD 311 app last year, it was moved from one officer to another before it was marked ‘resolved’ and closed. “The same happened when I re-lodged the complaint this year. Nothing has changed,” Swapnil said.
Residents are supposed to register their grievances like illegal dumping of debris, haphazard disposal of municipal solid waste, potholes, malfunctioning streetlights, and stray cattle.
Last year, Mayor Shelly Oberoi’s office claimed that 95% of complaints raised on the app were resolved. However, many residents have pointed out the app’s inadequacy. Users have flagged technical problems. Many point out the difficulty in registering. “To register, the app requires an OTP on your mobile. But the OTP never comes,” said a user.