Chennai: From damaged roads and irregular garbage collection to sewage overflow and water supply disruptions, Tambaram residents grapple with numerous civic problems every day. Though Tambaram corporation rolled out a mobile application to register complaints, it remains inaccessible to residents due to poor awareness.There are more than 10 lakh residents living in Tambaram corporation limits. Last May, the civic body launched the 24×7 Integrated Command and Control Centre (ICCC) and the Voice of Tambaram (VoT) mobile application for residents to register complaints. According to an official report, the corporation received more than 13,000 complaints through the app, of which more than 12,000 were resolved. The engineering and public health departments accounted for about 9,000 and 3,000 complaints, respectively.However, only 5,000 people have downloaded it. “Many residents don’t even know that such an application exists. The civic body has not created awareness,” said P G Sethu Madhavan, member, Chrompet Residents Welfare Association.V Santhanam, a senior activist and resident of Chromepet, said civic issues are currently being raised mainly through WhatsApp groups, which are known only to a limited number of residents. “Many people are unaware of the app and the groups. Even when complaints are raised, there is often no update on whether the issue has been resolved,” he said.Sunil Jayaram of Chitlapakkam Rising said several civic issues involve multiple govt departments and require better coordination. “For example, water bodies such as Periya Eri and Rajakilapakkam Lake come under different agencies, including the water resources department and CMDA. If we knew that there was a mobile application, we would have used it,” he said.Responding to the concerns, Tambaram corporation commissioner S Balachander said the VoT app remains active and can be used to report issues related to water supply, sewage, streetlights and roads. “Steps will be taken to create awareness,” he said.
