Bandicoot, the sewer-cleaning robot, to replace manual scavengers in Kanpur

With machines taking over the work of manual scavengers in many parts of the country now, we can finally see an end to the world's worst job. And when we talk about such machines, Bandicoot, India's sewer-cleaning robot, is what is gaining popularity these days.

After being widely accepted by municipalities in different cities, Bandicoot will now be put to use by the Kanpur Municipal Corporation. Under the Smart City mission, Kanpur has joined the league of cities that has adopted Bandicoot to implement cleaning of drains with precision and in lesser time.

The move will render a huge relief to the contractual workers and labourers who have been cleaning these sewers manually since the beginning of time, while often being exposed to poisonous gases and hazardous substances.

The robot, which costs ₹30 lakh per piece, was tested first in Arya Nagar in November where it surpassed the expectations of the admin. The robot cleansed out some 80 kgs of garbage from a manhole, following which the Municipal Corporation planned to buy more of the machines. It has the capability of sweeping silt in less that 10 minutes.

The initiative will also reduce manpower for only one person will be required to operate the machine and after the manhole lid is removed, the robot will, pretty much, take care of the rest of the job. The arms of the machine can be adjusted as desired, in order to remove garbage efficiently. 

As per stats, above 50 sanitation workers in Uttar Pradesh have lost their lives in the past 3 years due to the dangers encountered in these underbodies. The aim, of course, is to end manual scavenging in the country. With dire jobs like these handled by automated machines, the future seems to be in good hands.