GVMC steps up measures to tackle drinking water scarcity in Vizag

The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has swiftly implemented a range of measures to tackle the ongoing drinking water shortage affecting sections of the city, announced GVMC Commissioner Ketan Garg on Thursday. The Water Supply Department has introduced the "Dial-A-Tanker" service, aimed at streamlining water delivery, increasing transparency, and enhancing convenience for residents.

On the inaugural day of the service, around 245 tanker bookings were made at the GVMC City Operations Centre by 7 p.m., indicating a significant demand. Garg stated that an online booking system would be soon made available via the GVMC Citizen Portal, enabling citizens to make payments, receive booking confirmations, and check the status of their requests without a visit to the corporation's offices.

All bookings would be handled on a First-In, First-Out (FIFO) basis to ensure fairness and equal priority for every applicant. To monitor the execution of these measures, Executive Engineers, Deputy Executive Engineers, and Assistant Engineers have been stationed for ongoing field-level oversight across 11 key areas of the city.

Garg explained that the COC has established a mapping system to align designated water filling points with corresponding supply locations, intended to optimize the deployment of tankers. He urged citizens to make full use of the "Dial-A-Tanker" service, conserve water, and cooperate with the corporation during this period of scarcity.

Garg emphasized GVMC's dedication to enhancing the city's water supply system using technology-driven, transparent service delivery.