CHENNAI: The Chennai Corporation is planning to install robotic crawlers fitted with sensors to detect unauthorised sewage connections to the city’s stormwater drain network and to check the quality of desilting work undertaken by contractors.
Speaking to the TNIE, a corporation official from the stormwater department said, “Usually, the corporation is able to identify areas where desilting has not been properly done only when it rains, based on water stagnation and other indicators. However, this robotic inspection system will help us assess the effectiveness of desilting efforts carried out by private contractors more accurately and in advance.”
During inspections, the robotic crawlers which have high-resolution cameras, navigate through the drain network, capturing real-time footage and generating structured data. This data is processed using AI algorithms that convert raw footage into decision-grade reports.
Ahmed Shaik Fahad of Solinas Integrity Private Limited, a company founded by an IIT alumnus and involved in the project, said that before desilting, the crawler is deployed into the drain by the contractor to assess its current condition. It captures visuals indicating flow path obstructions, sediment build-up (both height and spread), structural damage, debris types (plastics, construction waste, organic matter), and the presence of standing water. All observations are geo-tagged,” he said.
After desilting, the same stretch is re-inspected using the same crawler path. The two sets of data are compared, both visually and through AI-based analytics, to verify how much silt has been removed and whether the contractor’s work meets the standards.
The AI system processes inputs such as video feeds, depth and inclination from onboard inertial measurement unit (IMU) sensors, visual pattern recognition for silt, water and debris, GPS tagging (where possible), and distance mapping. It even generates a cleanliness score based on visual clarity and obstruction analysis.
“The IMU sensors are crucial for tracking the orientation and movement of the crawler, ensuring accurate navigation and data collection within the drains. In addition, this sensor can be integrated with others to detect illegal discharges, a proposal that has been submitted to the GCC,” he added.
A corporation official confirmed the proposal and said, “We are planning to use these sensors to detect illegal sewage connections in stormwater drains along with the pre and post-visual inspection to take appropriate action against the violators.”
The GCC has already begun pilot trials in select zones across Chennai. Last month, the civic body also procured high-capacity suction-cum-jetting machines with a vacuum capacity of 4,000 cubic metres per hour to intensify the cleaning of stormwater drains ahead of the northeast monsoon.