NEW DELHI: With the Delhi government mulling using robots to clean sewers in the city’s narrow lanes, Social Justice Minister Rajendra Pal Gautam will travel to Kerala at the end of the month to talk to a group of engineers in this regard.
In February, the AAP government procured 200 sewer cleaning machines, but their large size doesn’t allow them to enter narrow lanes.
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“In cramped areas, people still resort to manual cleaning of sewers, many times without any safety gear. Our government is committed to completely eradicating manual scavenging. Now, we are considering roping in robots developed by a Kerala-based company to clean manholes,” Gautam said.
The minister said he would visit Kerala in July end and the company, Genrobotics, will give a “live demo of the robot”.
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.
According to the company, the robot, named Bandicoot, takes 15 minutes to clean small sewers and around 45 minutes to unclog bigger ones. It can travel up to a depth of 20 metres.