Hyderabad: RWAs crib as water board telephone line goes phut

Hyderabad: The 'Dial Your MD' programme, resumed on Saturday by the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWSSB), left some locals disappointed as they faced difficulties connecting their calls. In response, members of the Residential Welfare Associations (RWA) have requested the Water Board extend the duration from one and a half hours to at least two and a half hours.

The HMWSSB restarted its flagship citizen interactive programme ‘Dial Your MD’ to listen to customer grievances directly and find solutions. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, this programme was regularly conducted on the third Saturday of every month at the HMWSSB head office. However, it was discontinued in 2021 due to various reasons.

Sudarshan Reddy, managing director, HMWSSB, attended 36 calls on the first day, and most of the calls were related to drinking water supply, contaminated water, low pressure, sewage overflow, and leakages from pipelines. This programme will be organised once every 15 days.

RWAs highlighted that following the COVID-19 pandemic, the Water Board reintroduced the programme to address drinking water and sewage issues in various areas. However, on the first day of the programme's revival, many residents encountered difficulties as they tried to reach out but faced busy lines and could not connect.

B T Srinivasan, general secretary of the United Federation of Resident Welfare Associations, suggested, "It would be beneficial if the Water Board extended the duration of the Dial Your MD programme. Additionally, beyond just attending calls, it would be advantageous if the board could upload the actions taken following each programme. This transparency would greatly improve the effectiveness of the initiative."

"Yesterday, residents of Devinagar on Third Cross Street attempted to reach out to the Water Board MD to discuss the long-standing drainage issues affecting their area. Unfortunately, we were unable to get through as the telephone lines were busy. This issue has been pending since it was estimated in 2022, awaiting financial approval since March of that year. Even with light rainfall, the entire street becomes inundated with water, sometimes even entering our homes. The residents are enduring hardship and urgently seek a resolution to this problem," stated locals of Devinagar.

"From our locality, approximately 22 members attempted to contact the Water MD but were unsuccessful. We aimed to address the issue of water contamination, which has persisted in our area for the past month. It would be beneficial if the board extended the duration of the programme from one and a half hours to two or three hours," said Syed Ameed, a resident of

Nampally.