Delhi environment minister Gopal Rai on Thursday launched ‘Paryavaran Saathi’ a chatbot and website to facilitate people’s participation in the fight against pollution.
Talking about the ‘Paryavaran Saathi’ chatbot, Rai said people can share the steps they are taking to fight pollution on WhatsApp number – 9650414141 — and they will be awarded points. The top 100 performers will be honored, he said.
“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,” the minister said.
According to him, the users of the ‘Paryavaran Saathi’ chatbot can send information regarding incidents of carpooling, use of public transport, any grievances, carrying out door-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.
“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.
Using this chatbot as a medium, the government will engage the youth. “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 out door-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.
The chatbot has been made in partnership with UNICEF, Rai said.
Meanwhile, the one-stop website – www.delhifightspollution.in – will let visitors know about the pollution levels in the national capital and the steps they can take to control various types of pollution, Rai said.
