Now, G-Mitra to redress your water grievances

HYDERABAD: In order to monitor complaints received from customers, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) recently launched innovative system 'GMITRA' (Grievances Monitoring & Information Technology Related Associates) and deployed staff from all 14 operation and maintenance (O&M) divisions to manage the user's complaints.
The staff would monitor complaints and give feedback to senior water board officials. Currently , the HMWS&SB is redressing grievances related to supply disruptions, sewerage overflows and open manholes, through the Metro Customer Care (MCC) and sends an SMS to customers who lodge complaints after resolving the issues.In fact, the water board has also identified nearly 700 areas (hotspots) in the city from where complaints are received frequently .
The water board has also taken up various initiatives through WhatsApp, geo-tagging and Jal App to redress complaints.
“Though the board redresses complaints, we are not getting feedback from customers and the officials concerned.To monitor the complaints, we have designed G-MITRA (an IT trainer) by deputing junior officials. We are imparting training to them on giving feedback on complaints,“ HMWS&SB managing director M Dana Kishore told TOI. The G-MITRA staff will contact at least 15 consumers a day, either through phone or social media, and take feedback on status of their complaints and update them. The water board aims to solve all complaints within service level agreement (SLA), he added. The G-MITRA staff would also be responsible to handle complaints received through HMWS&SB's social media like Twitter, Facebook and Jal App, the official said.
“Already, the water board has begun the process in a few O&M divisions. By December-end, we will extend it to all O&M divisions in the city ,“ the water board MD said.
Swipe & pay your water bill
The HMWS&SB has decided to introduce swiping machines for collection of water bills. Electronic point of sale (PoS) or swiping machines will be kept at the cash collection counters of the water board. The move is aimed at encouraging cashless transactions . The machines will be available from December 30.