Paryavaran Saathi Chatbot Launched by Delhi Government to Boost Citizen Participation in Fighting Pollution

Delhi Environment Minister Gopal Rai on Thursday launched a chatbot and website to facilitate people's participation in the fight against pollution.

Talking about ''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 honoured, he said.

The Chatbot is a partnered initiative with UNICEF's YuWaah with over 10 lakh youth already connected, out of which 50 thousand are from Delhi, 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. 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.

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 minister said the students and youth will receive points for these activities, depending on which top 100 will be rewarded and felicitated publicly so that more and more people feel encouraged to join the movement. 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.

He said complete information about all the campaigns being run to keep air pollution in check can be found on the website and effective use of the content will help spread awareness.

Essential information about the EV Policy and Tree Transplantation Policy among other data will be available on the website. The Environment minister further appealed to the youth to participate in the "war waged by CM Arvind Kejriwal against pollution in Delhi" through social media platforms.