Mana Mitra resolves over 95% cyclone complaints
In Short
Residents used the platform to seek emergency assistance for waterlogging, fallen trees, power outages, and shortages of food and medicines, among other urgent requirements.
Share :
AP Government
Amaravati: The Andhra Pradesh government’s WhatsApp-based governance platform, ‘Mana Mitra’, played a key role in addressing public grievances during Cyclone Arnab, with officials resolving more than 95 per cent of the over 1,500 issues reported through the service by Friday evening.
Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu and IT and Real-Time Governance Minister Nara Lokesh had directed officials to enable residents in cyclone-affected areas to report local problems directly to the government through Mana Mitra. The Real-Time Governance Society (RTGS) promptly activated the facility and conducted extensive awareness campaigns to familiarise people with the service.
Residents used the platform to seek emergency assistance for waterlogging, fallen trees, power outages, and shortages of food and medicines, among other urgent requirements.
RTG secretary Bhaskar Katamneni and RTGS CEO Prakhar Jain personally monitored the complaints. Each issue was forwarded to the respective Swarna Grama or Swarna Ward office, assigned to the concerned officials and tracked until its resolution. Officials addressed the complaints on a war footing.
The highest number of reports came from the Godavari districts, which bore the brunt of the cyclone. Residents of Konaseema, Kakinada, East Godavari and West Godavari extensively used the platform. People from North Andhra also reported problems, with hundreds of complaints coming from Visakhapatnam and Srikakulam districts alone.
The platform’s reach expanded as people in affected areas displayed the Mana Mitra number, 9552300009, as their WhatsApp profile pictures and status messages. Several WhatsApp groups also adopted the number for their display pictures and statuses, helping spread awareness during the emergency. The number consequently became familiar to households across the cyclone-hit regions.
The control rooms established by the Andhra Pradesh State Disaster Management Authority (APSDMA) also provided emergency support during the cyclone. Residents contacted the control rooms through the toll-free numbers 112, 1070 and 1800 425 0101. Officials received a total of 741 calls and addressed the reported issues promptly.
