Appalled by the recent flood fury, the residents in the city are now annoyed over the half a minute long caller tone regarding covid-19 information superseding to phone calls as and when they are failing to get help during the ongoing emergency like situation.
“During the time of emergency, people largely expect urgent help from their near and dear if not the authorities sitting away from their places. However, with every call during the emergency time we were made to hear a caller tone regarding covid-19 information, it was really pathetic,” bemoaned Abul Fatah Syed Bandagi Badshah Quadri, a resident of Malakpet.
As several people died, colonies inundated, vehicles submerged and many people are missing after the flood leaves a trail of destruction in the entire city on Tuesday night, several incidents came up wherein irate citizens were seen expressing anger over the 30 seconds long caller tone continue to squeal the time of emergency.
“At a time when people are afraid and are trying their hard to know the fate of their relatives leaving in another part of the city, the lengthy covid-19 caller tone made it difficult for them to reach out to authorities seeking emergency help or finding their near and dear,” C.Vinod Kumar, a resident of Manikonda.
In a few fractions of a moment, he said, several houses were collapsed besides incidents of people and vehicles washed away with the flow of floodwater. Whenever the citizens tried to report any incident or disaster to the authorities during the emergency, they only made to hear a lengthy caller tone filled with covid-19 information making it difficult for them to reach the authorities on time.
Different telecommunication services have added the covid-19 tone superseding to phone calls in order to stimulate the residents about the pandemic. The Department of Telecommunication is said to have instructed the telecommunications companies to incorporate 30 second long advisory regarding covid-19 soon after the outbreak of the contagion.
“It is the need of the hour that the government especially the Department of Telecommunication should instruct the service providers asking them to hold the extended caller tone of covid-19 for the moment as a major part of the country is facing an emergency like situation due to floods in several states,” Mohammed Imam Tahseen, a social activist.
