Delhi exploring robotic solutions for cleaning sewers

Ananya Panda

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, February 21

The Delhi government is exploring the possibility of adopting technological solutions to convert manholes into 'roboholes', — a step aimed at eliminating the dehumanised practice of manual scavenging.

A move inspired by Bandicoot — a semi-automatic robot — commissioned by municipal bodies in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh for cleaning sewer and septic tanks, assumes significance coming in the backdrop of recent incidents of blatant violations of laws banning manual scavenging that cut short many young lives while cleaning clogged sewers in the capital.

In this regard, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) will constitute a committee comprising experts from IIT, Delhi Technological University and Netaji Subhash Institute of Technology for execution of plans and methods to use robot or other technologies in cleaning sewers.

The decisions were taken in a meeting convened by Delhi Cabinet minister Rajendra Pal Gautam today to discuss the possibilities and feasibility of getting robotic solutions, particularly for smaller lanes, bylanes and areas where machines cannot go. The minister assured that requisite funds will be provided to the DJB for implementing the robotic solutions. This at a time when the AAP government is actively on the job for introducing a fully-mechanised system to clean the sewage system and septic tanks in the city.