Pune: The Pune Municipal Corporation has introduced three advanced robots named ‘Bandicoot’ to clean and maintain city manholes safely without workers entering into the manholes. This initiative is in alignment with the vision of Pune Smart City to bring more safety in the maintenance of city manholes using advanced technologies.
Manual scavenging requires humans to enter manholes and clean them physically and this practice has claimed the lives of many workers. To solve this challenge PMC is now using robots to clean sewers.This initiative gives safer and dignified job opportunities to the sanitation workers as robot operators with training and rehabilitation programs.The user interface of the Bandicoot Robot is designed for manual scavengers, which is interactive, and user friendly, and would offer a dignified work profile to these workers as well.
The Bandicoot robot is the world’s first manhole cleaning robot developed as ‘MakeInIndia’ and ‘Swachh Bharat’ initiative by National Award winning start-up – Genrobotics. Bandicoot robot comes with a human comparable robotic arm and various sensors that help the robot to perform the cleaning action more efficiently. These robots are also featured with special 4 IP68 waterproof cameras to clean the manholes in a more precise and efficient manner, even under low light conditions.
The Honourable Municipal Commissioner Shri Vikram Kumar, IAS launched the Bandicoot Robots on 2nd May 22 at Pune MC office. Other dignitaries like the CEO of Pune Smart City Dr. Sanjay Kolte IAS, Additional Commissioner of Pune Municipal Corporation, Dr. Kunal Khemnar IAS, M L A Shri Sunil Tingre Member of Hadapsar Vidhan Sabha, Chief Engineer Shri. Shrinivas Kandul, CKO Pune Smart City Shri.Annirudha Shahpure and Superintendent Engineer drainage department Santosh Tandale attended the event.
The Bandicoot Robotic technology is an AMRUT Tech Challenge Award winner as a Promising Innovative Solution for sanitation by the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, Government of India. This technology has also been exported to other countries to improve safety in confined spaces such sewer manholes, Refinery pits etc.
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