For residents in areas under the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC), information on power outages, restoration time and even the status of restoration work will soon be available online or on cellphones.

The civic body has decided to automate its operational system, in which its complete electricity and water network will be put on an e-platform.

The project — which received approval in the last month’s council meeting — will enable the civic body to have an overview of the consumption history of its 70,000 customers and offer them a host of facilities.

The NDMC will also be able to directly monitor all sub stations and power poles.

The civic body says the initiative will help enable better forecast of energy, water requirements and consumption and reduce any loss of energy as any theft or misuse will be easily detected by the system. The new system will ensure that all consumers receive accurate and consolidated bills for electricity and water. The customised bills will even come with a “bill graph”, explaining how one’s energy consumption is varying with time.

Besides, the civic body will also advise on ways to conserve energy and let customers choose their own billing cycles.

Moreover, as part of the automation system, the NDMC will enhance its call centre efficiency, whereby the staff will have complete access to customer account history, which will help speed up the redressal process.

The system, say NDMC officials, will ensure bill accuracy and consumers will have complete access to their consumption and billing history.

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