Delhi govt starts work to bring sewer cleaning robots

NEW DELHI: In a bid to eliminate manual scavenging from Delhi, the AAP-led government has started its work toward bringing sewer cleaning robots. In this project, the government is taking help from the Kerala Government thereafter, Social Welfare Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam on Friday visited Kerala to learn about the robots which could be used to clean the sewer in Kerala instead of manual scavengers. The idea was first discussed in February during a meeting with experts from IIT Delhi and the Delhi Jal Board, an official of the government's social welfare department said. Since then, the minister has held two meetings in this regard. But due to the code of conduct during elections, the idea could not be taken forward, he said.

Gautam along with DJB vice-chairman Dinesh Mohania, in Kerala, witnessed live demonstrations of a robot named Bandicoot, developed by Kerala-based start-up Genrobotics which has been commissioned by municipal bodies in Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh. "Afterwards, the minister visited the R&D Lab of Gen Robotics, where the team gave the presentation of another robotic machine mounted on a vehicle. After visiting the Genrobotic Innovations and going through all of the research works and up-coming projects which are being developed to completely eliminate the practice of manual scavenging and seeing the live demonstration of the Bandicoot robot, the Delhi government is planning to bring such robots in Delhi which will also work with the machines to clean sewers, by both these technologies the government would look to eliminate manual scavenging," noted an official.

Gautam also visited Kerala Chief Minister and discussed the problems of manual scavenging and its eradication. "Government of Delhi and Kerala invest a lot in social welfare and do the needful once & for all to eradicate the inhuman practice of manual scavenging," said the official.