MLA Paranthamen's nifty app helps ease civic woes in Egmore
From stormwater drain blockages to damaged interior roads, complaints have poured in citywide, testing the capacity of civic departments.
Namma Egmore app
CHENNAI: Three days of steady northeast monsoon rain have once again exposed the city's fragile civic infrastructure, potholes, half-dug stretches turned slushy, and water stagnation. Across the city, residents have been flagging civic lapses on social media, tagging officials and waiting for responses. But in Egmore, grievances are addressed relatively quickly, thanks to a local grievance app.
From stormwater drain blockages to damaged interior roads, complaints have poured in citywide, testing the capacity of civic departments. In Egmore, MLA I Paranthamen's 'Namma Egmore' mobile app and its companion WhatsApp bot, launched in 2024, is bearing fruit since it has provided an alternative route for residents to raise issues directly with his office.
Nitish, a resident of Boobathi Nagar on Gengu Reddy Road, said he first tried approaching Corporation officials for garbage clearance without success. "Garbage clearance has been sloppy in our area. I raised the issue multiple times. I got to know about the app via social media and raised a complaint there by attaching photos. Surprisingly, the issue got resolved the next day," he said. "WhatsApp bot or app are quicker to access than in-person or social media forums."
For most citizens, raising grievances during the monsoon often ends with online frustration. The presence of their MLA, if at all visible, is mostly through social media posts. While social media offers space for complaints, most legislators' accounts are limited to reposting official announcements or political party updates.
Paranthamen, among the first MLAs to launch a constituency-specific WhatsApp grievance bot, later expanded it into the 'Namma Egmore' app, inaugurated by Deputy CM Udhayanidhi Stalin.
"While launching the bot, we realised people found it very accessible. We got so many complaints, and had to set up a dedicated team. Now, with the app, though it's not as popular as the bot, it is more streamlined in addressing grievances and makes my work easier," he said.
The app's backend automatically categorises complaints, such as those related to the Corporation, Metro Water, or the electricity department, and assigns them as tickets. A two-member team from the MLA's office coordinates with departments to follow up and update the complainant once the issue is resolved.
