The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) has developed ‘BBMP Contains’ - a mobile application exclusively for residents living in containment zones that have been sealed. A trial run of the app, which aims at “timely redressal of grievances and effective monitoring of surveillance mechanisms,” will be conducted on a pilot basis in containment areas ot Mahadevapura zone, after which it will be rolled to other parts of the city.
According to officials, the app will be a one-stop platform that will allow citizens to register all types of grievances including health-related emergencies, requirement of essential services, waste collection, power cuts, problems with water supply, etc. BBMP promises that their grievances will be attended to within 180 minutes.
Hephsiba Rani Korlapati, MD, Bengaluru Smart City Ltd., and in-charge of BBMP War Room, said the app was developed to empower people who will be updated on important government circulars, media bulletins, FAQs, and so on. Citizens in sealed areas can also use it to raise complaints against people breaking home quarantine rules, defying social distancing norms, breaking down barricades, etc. “Users can upload photos and videos of such violations,” said a senior civic official.
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The BBMP hopes that the app will improve the efficiency of the system and bring in more transparency and accountability. A team of police personnel, health official and a civic official under an incident commander are posted at containment zones to ensure standard operating procedures are followed.
Once a complaint is submitted or a request is made, a team at the War Room will inform the nodal officers present in the containment zones to take immediate action. “A thorough validation and ascertaining of the genuineness of the complaint will be carried out. We have planned a trial demonstration of the app in the containment zones under Mahadevapura zone from Monday. It will be rolled out to others soon,” said Ms. Korlapati.
A containment zone is a 100-metre radius around a COVID-19 positive case premise which will be sealed for 28 days from the date of the report of the latest COVID-19 case. As on April 26, there are 21 containment zones in the city.
