Kolkata: To further strengthen its infrastructure in the cleaning of manholes the New Town Kolkata Develop-ment Authority (NKDA) has introduced three manhole-cleaning robots. Officials of the NKDA said that this has been the first of its kind initiative in the state.
The robotic arms will pick up wastes responsible for clogging of the manholes and the machine having poisonous gas sensors will be able to detect the formation of such gas inside manholes in a specific area. It can extend upto 1.7m to pick up waste.
“The manhole cleaning robots have been procured at Rs 34 lakh each which includes the cost of pro-curing and running a generator for operating the machines. One such robot will be used for each of the three Action Areas in New Town. The machines will effectively replace manual labour and will help in thorough cleaning of the drainage lines along with the suction jetting machines,” a senior NKDA official said.
Presently, suction jetting machines are already in use across New Town for cleaning drains and man-holes. The robots will further augment the cleaning operation. It will be able to clean up much faster too. There will be specific apps to operate the robot machines through an integrated command sys-tem.
With the monsoon to set in soon, NKDA is leaving no stone unturned to clean up clogged drains and manholes for the prevention of waterlogging. The introduction of such modern robots will further boost such operations.
In February 2021, 4 workers died after getting trapped in a manhole in Regent Park in south Kolkata. Recently, Kerala has introduced robotic technology for cleaning manholes putting an end to manual scavenging.