Mallika Dureja
In a first for the region, intelligent robots will now begin cleansing Sangam city’s clogged sewers. Prayagraj Nagar Nigam (PNN) and Jalkal department, the two primary entities charged with maintaining drains and sewage, have received three Bandicoot robotic scavengers from the state government. After Holi, they will be pressed into active service, according to officials with knowledge of the plan.
Bandicoot is a robotic gadget designed to clean any variety of sewer manholes. The robot has two main components: a stand unit and a robotic drone unit. The drone unit is the one that enters manholes to perform cleansing or unclogging operations. The maximum diving depth of the robotic drone can be adjusted based on the task requirements, according to the officials.
The general manager of the Jalkal department, Kumar Gaurav, stated that the government had provided three Bandicoot robots at a cost of 1.18 crore to clean drains and sewers in place of employees. He added that these robots will penetrate the deep sewer line through the manhole and clean it autonomously.
Officials claim that the robots will be a game-changer because they offer a secure and efficient alternative to manual scavenging, which is not only dangerous but also degrades sanitation workers’ dignity.
The move, according to officials, is part of the Swachh Survekshan-2023 and Safai Mitra Suraksha Protocol, which aims to establish a clean and healthy environment for sanitation workers and the entire community. In addition to Prayagraj, other regions of the state, such as Kanpur, Aligarh, and Greater Noida, have adopted these Bandicoot robotic scavengers.
In light of the recent addition of 20 new wards to the Prayagraj Nagar Nigam as a result of the expansion of the city limits, these robots, developed by the Kerala-based national-award-winning startup Genrobotics, are anticipated to be particularly useful.
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It is now the responsibility of the Jalkal department to connect these new districts to sewer lines and a source of potable water. This requires the installation of 205 kilometres of sewer lines, for which the government has allotted 265 crores and the work is nearly complete.
Additional advantages of robotic scavengers
These robots are equipped with an add-on Nano coating that allows them to operate effectively in any hazardous or corrosive sewerage environment for an extended period of time.
It has the flexibility to sanitise manholes faster and more efficiently than humans in terms of both time and effectiveness.
Inside the manholes, the drone unit is equipped with an extendable robotic arm with four degrees of freedom for grasping, shovelling, and unblocking.
