HYDERABAD: People attempting to reach out to government agencies or the state health department seeking help for information on Covid-19 or assistance in similar situations are getting no response if they are using helpline phone numbers in different districts of the state.
These phones remain switched off or send out messages saying the numbers are invalid.
All these phone numbers — spread over the 33 districts of the state — were listed in the affidavit submitted on May 31 by the state director of public health to the Telangana high court, as part of the state government’s submissions during the hearings on public interest litigations (PILs) on Covid-19 at the High Court.
Deccan Chronicle on Thursday called all of the 59 helpline numbers listed in the affidavit, and some of them were called multiple times. It was found only 17 of these phones were functional and responsive. The rest were either invalid numbers or have been switched off.
The affidavit submitted in the HC lists two phone numbers for Hyderabad district. When called, one was in ‘switched off’ mode while the other number was not answered despite several attempts. DC did not receive any call back from the particular number.
The numbers listed for districts of Bhadradri Kothagudem, Jagtial, Asifabad, Mahbubnagar, Mancherial, Medak, Nagarkurnool and Yadadri were all invalid.
In cases where multiple numbers were listed, only one number was working in most districts, or both were not reachable — like in the case of Rajanna Sircilla, where two out of the three numbers did not answer while the third number was switched off.
In case of Warangal Urban, out of the six numbers listed by the government, only one responded to the correspondent's call.
In the case of Sangareddy, Suryapet and Siddipet districts, the numbers listed in the affidavit for people to reach out for help on Covid1-9 were the same for all three. And, of these three, two numbers turned out to be invalid, whereas the receiver at the third number said that it was not a helpline number but was only for giving Covid-19 test reports.
Incidentally, the only helpline number from this lot of three listed for Siddipet was an invalid number. The number that worked for both Suryapet and Sangareddy was the one where the receiver said it was meant for Covid reports.
Of all 33 districts, Deccan Chronicle found only one district where all five landline numbers provided in the list actually worked and that was Rangareddy.
No reply
A status report on helpline numbers mentioned in the government’s affidavit to the High Court
Hyderabad
7337371002: Not answered
7995039793: Switched off
Adilabad
8732220462: Invalid
Bhadradri Kothagudem
8744241950: Invalid
8744246655: Invalid
Jagtial
87242222204: Invalid
Jogulamba Gadwal
8546274007: Invalid
8546295052: Invalid
Asifabad
Invalid
Mahbubabad
8719298526: Invalid
8719240400: Invalid
Mahbubnagar
8542241165: Invalid
Mancherial
4024651119: Invalid
Medak
8452223360: Invalid
Medchal Malkajgiri
8418297820: Invalid
Mulugu
9492624469: Not helpline
Nagarkurnool
8540230201: Invalid
Nalgonda
9581555093: Switched off
Nizamabad
8309219718: No reply
Peddapalli
Numbers not reachable, or disconnects
Rajanna Sircilla-
6309141122: Not answering
9521842941 (Rajasthan number) Switched off,
739653254: Not answering
Sangareddy
8455272233: Invalid
8455272525: Invalid
7093324551: For Covid reports
Siddipet
Same as Sangareddy, invalid
Suryapet
same as Sangareddy, only for Covid reports
Vikarabad
Out of reach
Wanaparthy
8545233525: Invalid
Warangal Urban
7207188040: Disconnects
7093250040: Disconnects
7995118405: Switched off
8179243595: Switched off
8341812395: Switched off
Yadadri:
18004257106: Not in service
8685200020: Invalid
