THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The project to deploy AI-powered robotic cleaning systems in the Amayizhanchan Canal near Thampanoor railway premises, G Spider - Automated Robotic Solution for Canal Cleaning, is nearing completion, with trial runs expected to begin in the first week of February.
The city corporation has partnered with Genrobotics to introduce an automated cleaning solution in the canal stretch where manual cleaning has proven risky and at times fatal. The initiative follows the tragic death of sanitation worker Joy, who lost his life while clearing waste from the canal.
Genrobotics has set up the system at a cost of Rs 60 lakh, while the corporation will bear operational expenses. The civic body is expected to pay around Rs 40,000 per month for upkeep and maintenance. Though the project was originally slated for launch in December, it faced delays due to elections and procedural clearances. The company received permissions for road cutting and power connection from KSEB only recently, slowing implementation.
“This stretch of the canal sees the highest accumulation of waste,” said Arun George, co-founder of Genrobotics. “We have installed cameras to detect waste in real time, and the system will automatically handle removal. The collected waste will be stored in a static unit. The system is also capable of directly dumping the removed waste into garbage trucks,” he added
He said installation work is entering the final phase and the trial run is likely to commence by late January or early February.Despite court directives and the Human Rights Commission, the Amayizhanchan canal remains heavily polluted despite multiple cleaning drives. Successive councils have failed to curb rampant dumping and sewage flow into the waterway, leaving the stretch polluted and clogged with waste.