MUMBAI: Citizens can now report illegal hawking across Mumbai through the BMC’s WhatsApp chatbot, with the civic body introducing a dedicated complaint option following directions from the Bombay high court.The new feature has been added to the BMC’s WhatsApp chatbot on 8999-22-8999, allowing citizens to upload the location and a live photograph of unauthorised hawking spots to help civic officials take prompt action.The initiative is part of the civic body’s efforts to strengthen technology-driven grievance redressal mechanisms.Until now, citizens could register complaints related to roads, potholes and other civic issues through the BMC’s 1916 helpline, social media platforms and the WhatsApp chatbot. However, complaints related to different municipal departments were often handled through separate systems.To streamline the process, the BMC recently launched MyBMC MARG (Management and Redressal of Grievances), an integrated platform aimed at bringing multiple civic complaints under a single interface.As part of compliance with the High Court’s directions, the civic body has now added illegal hawking complaints to the WhatsApp chatbot. Citizens can register complaints by selecting the “Hawker – Nuisance of Illegal Hawking” option, after which they can share the exact location and upload a live photograph of the encroachment.Officials said the new facility will make it easier for citizens to report illegal hawking and help ward offices respond more quickly to complaints.
