Urban Seva App comes to rescue of Silk City residents

Hrusikesh Mohanty | TNN | Apr 19, 2020, 04:42 IST

Berhampur: Getting a plumber or an electrician during the lockdown is next to impossible, thanks to the restriction on people’s movement and the lack of public transport. Urban Seva, an app-cum-helpline number launched by the Berhampur Municipal Corporation (BeMC) in January to provide essential services at the doorstep, has come as a relief for many in Silk City.
The app can be used to call skilled persons such as plumbers and electricians who have registered themselves with the BeMC. Around 250 different services are available on the platform, said BeMC commissioner Chakravarti Singh Rathore. Around 50 technicians have registered themselves with Urban Seva, which was launched in collaboration with a city-based private agency.
“On Friday, we assigned more technicians to repair of air-conditioner, computer, battery, kitchen chimney and water purifier,” Rathore said. “Generally, technicians are more in demand during summer since more devices are in use during this time. If one needs a service, Urban Seva will send the required technician to people’s homes,” Rathore added. Mobile numbers of the service providers have also been circulated on different WhatsApp groups. “The charges for these services will be reasonable,” the BeMC commissioner said. Urban Seva is also being used to deliver cooked food to people during the lockdown.The civic body plans to add more services to Urban Seva, given the positive response it has got. “We were worried about how to find an electrician to replace the stabilizer of my AC which went bust. But the problem was resolved in just 30 minutes, following a call to Urban Seva,” said Jagannath Panigrahy of Gandhi Nagar.