Now, sewer-cleaning robots to replace manual scavengers in U.P.’s Prayagraj - Hindustan Times
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Now, sewer-cleaning robots to replace manual scavengers in U.P.’s Prayagraj

By, Prayagraj
Mar 05, 2023 10:57 PM IST

The state government has made available three Bandicoot robotic scavengers to Prayagraj Nagar Nigam and Jalkal department

In a first for the region, now smart robots will begin cleaning clogged sewers of Sangam city. The state government has made available three Bandicoot robotic scavengers to Prayagraj Nagar Nigam (PNN) and Jalkal department—the two main bodies entrusted with the task of upkeep of drains and sewers—for the task. They would be pressed into full-fledged service after Holi, said officials aware of the move.

A Bandicoot robotic scavenger being tested in Prayagraj. (HT photo)
A Bandicoot robotic scavenger being tested in Prayagraj. (HT photo)

Bandicoot is a robotic machine that is engineered for cleaning any type of sewer manholes. The robot consists of two major units: A stand unit and a robotic drone unit. The drone unit is the one that dives into the manholes for the cleaning operations or unblocking operations. The diving depth of the robotic drone is customisable according to the maximum depth needed for the job, the officials said.

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General manager, Jalkal department, Kumar Gaurav said the government had provided three Bandicoot robots costing 1.18 crore that will do the work of workers that were until now engaged to clean drains and sewers. Fully automatic, these robots will directly enter the deep sewer line through the manhole and clean it, he added.

Civic officials also say the robots will prove to be a game changer as they provide a safe and efficient alternative to manual scavenging, which is not only hazardous but also compromises dignity of sanitation workers.

Officials say the move is part of the Swachh Survekshan-2023 and Safai Mitra Suraksha Protocol, which aims to create a clean and healthy environment for sanitation workers and community as a whole. Apart from Prayagraj other regions like Kanpur, Aligarh, Greater Noida in the state too have embraced these Bandicoot robotic scavengers.

These robots, developed by the Kerala-based national award-winning start-up Genrobotics, are expected to be especially helpful in the light that 20 new wards have been added to the Prayagraj Nagar Nigam recently following increasing of the city limits.

Now it will be the responsibility of Jalkal department to connect these new wards with sewer lines along with drinking water supply. For this, sewer lines of 205 km are to be laid for which the government has sanctioned 265 crore and the work of which has almost been completed.

Other benefits of robotic scavengers

These robots have add-on feature Nano coating that enables them to perform operation in any hazardous or corrosive sewerage environments effectively for a longer period.

It has the flexibility to perform more efficient cleaning than humans in terms of time and efficiency of manhole cleaning.

The drone unit is equipped with an extendable robotic arm with four degrees of freedom to perform grabbing, shovelling and unblocking actions inside the manholes.

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  • ABOUT THE AUTHOR
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    K Sandeep Kumar is a Special Correspondent of Hindustan Times heading the Allahabad Bureau. He has spent over 16 years reporting extensively in Uttar Pradesh, especially Allahabad and Lucknow. He covers politics, science and technology, higher education, medical and health and defence matters. He also writes on development issues.

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