BMC to introduce chatbot feature on its app

Introducing the chatbot on its app is part of comprehensive efforts undertaken by BMC to improve communication with Mumbaiites

Mumbai For easier communication with citizens and to streamline the way complaints are handled, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) disaster management department has planned to introduce a chatbot feature to use via mobile phones.

The chatbot feature will be part of the disaster management mobile appl. (HT File)

The feature will be part of the disaster management mobile application. Presently, the disaster management department receives complaints on Twitter and mainly via calls on its helpline 1916. Introducing the chatbot is part of comprehensive efforts undertaken by the civic body to improve communication with Mumbaiites. The chatbot will filter complaints and flag the most important ones on priority.

Suresh Kakani, the additional municipal commissioner in charge of the disaster management department, said, “The trained staff of the department will chat with users who send messages. We will put an automatic system in place so that the respective agency gets an alert right away. For example, if a person is reporting a fire via the chat, the fire brigade control room will be alerted.”

The feature is being developed at present and is likely to take one month to be completed and introduced to the public. To use it, citizens will have to download the disaster management mobile application. BMC’s Information Technology department is developing the feature. While all of its attributes are still not finalised, the chatbot will be linked to all primary and important services offered by the BMC, such as roads, hydraulics, garbage collection, stormwater drains.

Kakani said, “At the start, it will not be fair to filter out requests which will be dealt in person, and those that will be dealt automatically. Once we get to understand the nature of complaints, a filter can be put in place.”

However, it will have an inbuilt standard operating procedure (SOP) for popular requests or complaints from citizens regarding the above mentioned civic services. For such complaints, the ‘bot’ will respond to the citizens and offer a menu at every step of the interaction.