The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) will soon have a WhatsApp bot for the residents to get in touch with the corporation with their complaints and suggestions.
So far, people have been getting in touch with the corporation via e-complaints and Twitter handles.
A WhatsApp bot is a software programme used for sending encrypted or automated messages to people.
“The WhatsApp bot will be for grievances and feedback. For instance, it will play a major role in bringing out the experience people have in civic hospitals, gardens or public toilets. Right now, there is no way I will get to know about them. With the WhatsApp bot, people can share their experiences and feedback. For instance, if a garden is opening at 5pm, and anyone wants to suggest it to open at 3pm, that can be done via the bot. Expectations, suggestions and complaints would reach us through the bot,” NMMC commissioner, Abhijit Bangar, said.
The mechanism of addressing the bot will be the same like that of addressing the e-complaints. The complaint or suggestion sent would be sent to the respective department and if it is not resolved in seven days, it is sent to the head of the department. If it is not resolved in seven days there, it is then forwarded to the commissioner.
This year, NMMC received 2,668 grievances in the first five months of which the highest was from Koparkhairane ward with 419 complaints while Digha had only 155. The e-complaints mostly included complaints about garbage dumping and encroachment. On an average, the complaints were resolved in six days by the corporation. When a resident is not happy with the action taken in the complaint, the person has the option of reopening the complaint. A total of 341 complaints were reopened, which is 12.78% of the total complaints.
“We have to bring the percentage of reopening of cases down and we would be trying for the same,” Bangar said.