Day 1 of Swachh Map app: Glitches reported, only 18 issues resolved

The low redressal of sanitation-related grievances and technical faults blemished the Swachh Map app launched by the Municipal Corporation of Gurgaon (MCG) on its inaugural day.

More than 600 people downloaded the app on Monday. Of the 78 complaints of garbage or debris submitted by residents, only 18 were addressed on day one, an MCG official said.

The technical faults included duplication of complaints under one phone number, incorrect location being notified and inability to access the app in areas near the Delhi-Gurgaon border.

“Technical loopholes are expected during the inaugural weeks and will be rectified in consultation with Intel India. (the software developer). The Swachh Map complements the existing workflow of waste collection, and will improve efficiency and accountability,” Amit Khatri, additional commissioner of the MCG, said.

Swachh Map will help identify garbage sites across the city and get them cleared by the civic body.

The app involves usage of colour coding on Google Map -- red for dirty site and green for cleared site.

A user has to tap a red button on the map to report a filthy site and upload a picture of the garbage or debris pile. The complaint with latitude and longitude readings is then forwarded to the MCG for clearance.

If the complaint is not addressed in two days, the superior officer concerned is intimated and the complaint reaches the commissioner within 10 days.

The app was launched by PWD minister Rao Narbir Singh on Sunday, making Gurgaon the fourth city to adopt the Swachh Map App after Bhopal, Rajkot and Siliguri. The app has over 5,000 registered users across the country.

In November 2015, the Delhi government had launched a similar app -- Swachh Delhi. The MCG too had launched a similar app in 2012 but it was withdrawn after reports of the concessionaire uploading photoshopped images of cleared sites emerged.