The September 1 disruption lasted from 1.45 am to 8 am and was attributed by Mahanagar Telephone Nigam Limited officials to a technical issue at its telephone exchange. Despite the outage, the BMC’s disaster management operations continued through alternative helplines and communication networks.
Civic officials familiar with the matter said on Thursday that two major disruptions were observed this monsoon, which they described as “a number that is much less compared to the past”. However, discussions are underway to switch to an operator with less downtime, similar to the BMC’s internal hotline, which was migrated to a private operator in April this year.
“ The September 1 disruption stemmed from a technical issue at our telephone exchange,” said an MTNL official.
“These disruptions cause some inconvenience to the callers/citizens who aren’t aware of alternative helpline numbers; coordination of disaster management — Internal communication, cross-agency communication, inward calls — functions the same,” stated a civic official.
The BMC’s disaster management department can be reached directly through 1916, 18002101916, 22694725 and 22694727. Indirect emergency communication channels include 100, 101, 108 and 1077. Individual ward-level disaster cell phone numbers are also available.
The helpline has faced disruptions at other points this monsoon. On July 1, it remained unavailable for approximately 14 hours, from midnight to 7 am and from 11 am to 6 pm. On July 6, the disruption lasted five minutes. On September 1, the outage lasted six hours, from 1.45 am to 8 am.
“July 1 was an optical fibre issue,” stated an MTNL official.
The 1916 helpline receives approximately 500 to 700 calls during an eight-hour shift. During peak monsoon, the number rises to around 1,000 calls, according to a civic official.
Avinash Dhakne, additional municipal commissioner in charge of the BMC’s Disaster Management Department, said, “1916 services have been restored since, with no current disruptions. Alternate communication channels are always available in such situations; these channels were recently upgraded. The process for upgrading the 1916 helpline is also ongoing to prevent such disruptions in future.”
According to civic officials, 1916 is a centralised 24/7 public helpline operated by the BMC. It primarily enables citizens to report various civic issues and make emergency calls to the civic body. The BMC’s disaster management department receives these incoming calls and coordinates them with the respective civic departments and other government agencies, including hospitals, police and the fire brigade.
Civic officials said the disaster management cell remains functional around the clock and that disruption of 1916 alone does not affect its operations. The department maintains multiple channels for smooth internal and cross-agency communication during emergency coordination, including 1916, operated by MTNL, an internal hotline operated through a private operator, an advanced digital remote radio system and ham radio.
While the 1916 helpline has experienced multiple interruptions during the monsoon, BMC officials said its disaster management coordination continues through alternative communication systems, ensuring that emergency operations remain functional even when the primary public helpline is disrupted.
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