GVMC’s ‘Dial Your Tanker’ helpline fails to evoke response

The ‘Dial Your Tanker’ helpline, launched by the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) last month to address the city’s water shortage, has come under criticism, with residents complaining that their calls go unanswered.

Several parts of the city are reeling under inadequate drinking water supply, with borewells going dry and piped supply disrupted in many localities. Residents of apartments and gated communities, especially large complexes, now depend on tankers even for basic needs.

Deficient rainfall has compounded the situation. The southwest monsoon made little impact, as the city and its surroundings received substantially less rain than normal. Poor inflows have depleted reservoirs, while the falling groundwater table has left several borewells dry.

With demand for GVMC tankers surging, the civic body has been unable to meet many requests, forcing residents to approach private operators, who, they allege, charge exorbitant rates.

In a bid to streamline distribution, Commissioner Ketan Garg launched the helpline, backed by a helpdesk at the TSR Complex, where staff receive requests and coordinate deliveries. Residents could book tankers without visiting the complex or pump houses, through the toll-free number 180043500009, the GVMC website, or WhatsApp numbers 9014218870, 8187897569 and 7386001360. The GVMC had announced that 102 tankers from 12 filling points would make about 400 trips a day.

Sourcing water for tankers has posed a challenge. The flow through the Yeleru Canal was stopped to bring water through the Polavaram Left Canal, but the quantity received has been insufficient.

Residents say the helpline is now hard to reach, leaving them no option but private suppliers. Although intermittent showers this week have raised groundwater levels in a few areas, borewells still yield inadequate water.

Residents have urged the GVMC to make the helpline functional again and strengthen its tanker network so they are not forced to rely on costly private suppliers. The immediate task before the civic body is to keep the service accessible and responsive even as efforts continue to stabilise the city’s water sources.