Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai launched a chatbot and website to encourage people to participate in the battle against pollution on Thursday.
Regarding the “Paryavaran Saathi” chatbot, Rai said that people may discuss the steps they are taking to combat pollution on WhatsApp number 9650414141 and be rewarded with points. He added that the top 100 performers will be honored. The Chatbot is a collaborative initiative with UNICEF’s YuWaah, with over 10 lakh youth now linked, 50 thousand of them are from Delhi.
“One can simply text ”Hi” on WhatsApp to 9650414141 to talk to the Chatbot and become an active contributor in the Delhi government’s movement against pollution. Paryavaran Saathi Chatbot is a medium to engage the youth by making them the ”Paryavaran Saathis”. These Saathis will be given points based on their participation; out of which the top 100 will be felicitated,” explained Rai.
“The objective of this chatbot is to enable the youth, especially those who regularly use WhatsApp and other social media platforms, to play a crucial role in the fight against pollution for them to become a ”Paryavaran Saathi,” he added.
“This way we aim to make the young users aware of all the initiatives in place by the Delhi government and encourage them to become our ”Paryavaran Reporter”, for example by downloading the Green Delhi App and reporting pollution incidents across the city.
“They can use the chatbot to send information regarding incidents of carpooling, use of public transport, any grievances, carrying outdoor-to-door campaigning to get people to sign pledges. They can also perform Nukkad Naataks, paint encouraging messages on walls, and use other creative ways to do their part, all of which can be shared with us via the chatbot,” Rai said.
