Water Board Trails in Digital Grievance Redressal

Hyderabad:Even as several Telangana government departments in the Core Urban Region Economy (CURE) have transformed social media into an effective public service platform, the Hyderabad Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (HMWS&SB) continues to trail in citizen engagement and responsiveness, raising concerns over its digital grievance redressal mechanism.

An assessment of the social media performance of major state departments serving Hyderabad’s urban population places HMWSSB among the worst performers, with an overall score of 7.3 out of 10.

According to an analytical report on the top 10 official handles — responsiveness, engagement style and solution‑orientation — its response to citizen complaints remains inconsistent compared to other civic agencies. However, HMWSSB maintains an active presence by issuing updates on water supply schedules, maintenance works and public advisories, the report noted.

The Hyderabad Traffic Police emerged as the best‑performing department with a score of 9.5, followed by Hyderabad City Police at 9.0 and Telangana Southern Power Distribution Company Limited (TGSPDCL) at 8.8. These departments have set benchmarks in digital governance through real‑time updates, prompt complaint responses and sustained citizen engagement.

In comparison, HMWS&SB has struggled to convert its online platforms into an efficient public interface. Residents regularly approach the board through social media to report sewer overflows, pipeline leakages, contaminated drinking water, low pressure, delayed tanker supply and overflowing manholes. Many complaints either receive delayed acknowledgements or remain without visible updates, often forcing citizens to post reminders or seek intervention through elected representatives and senior officials.

The gap becomes particularly evident during the monsoon and summer months, when sewerage and water supply complaints sharply increase. While departments such as Hyderabad Traffic Police and TGSPDCL are recognised for acknowledging complaints within minutes and providing periodic updates until resolution, HMWSSB’s engagement is largely confined to disseminating official information rather than maintaining continuous interaction with complainants.

Experts say social media has evolved beyond being merely an information‑sharing platform and is now an essential component of public service delivery. Citizens increasingly expect timely acknowledgements, transparent updates and effective grievance resolution through digital platforms. In this regard, HMWSSB is yet to match the standards set by other Telangana agencies.

The assessment also highlights contrasting performances of other departments. Hyderabad City Police has earned public appreciation for proactive communication on law and order, cybercrime awareness and emergency response, while TGSPDCL has built a reputation for swiftly escalating electricity‑related complaints received online. The Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation (GHMC), despite producing high‑quality awareness content, faces criticism over inconsistent complaint resolution but still performs marginally better than HMWSSB in overall digital engagement.

With Hyderabad’s growing dependence on online public services, observers say HMWSSB has an opportunity to improve public confidence by strengthening its social media monitoring, ensuring faster grievance responses and providing regular updates on complaint resolution. A more responsive digital presence, they say, would enhance transparency and accountability in one of the city’s most critical public utility departments.