Goemkarponn Desk
PANAJI: Chief Minister Pramod Sawant today said that by harnessing robotics and AI, the Goa Government is revolutionizing the way we clean manholes in the state, prioritising worker safety and their rehabilitation as Robotic workers.
“By harnessing robotics and AI, the Government is revolutionizing the way we clean manholes in the state, prioritising worker safety and their rehabilitation as Robotic workers,” said CM Sawant
He further said that Bandicoot Robot is developed under Make in India and Swacch Bharat Initiatives as an innovative Solution to eliminate manual scavenging.
“Goa Government’s #MISSIONROBOHOLE deploys bandicoot robots, the manhole cleaning robots, to ensure effective and safe sanitation practices,” he added
The step will help the state government to maintain the city’s hygiene in a better way.
Importantly, sanitation workers who perform their duties under hazardous conditions will benefit from this move.
Through training, they will also be transformed into robot operators. Also, tourists visiting the state will also receive better sanitation services through this project
Noticeably, with the cleaning of manholes requiring human entry, they have also become a death trap for workers due to hazardous gases and other reasons. The state government had earlier deployed the first Bandicoot robot at Margao in June 2022.
Developed by the award-winning start-up company Genrobotics, the Bandicoot is the world’s first manhole cleaning robot that has been developed under the Centre’s MakeInIndia and Swachh Bharat initiative. Along with the human-comparable robotic arm, the robot comes with various sensors. These sensors help the robot to clean more efficiently.
These robots also have features like special 4 IP68 waterproof cameras, which help in cleaning manholes in a more efficient way, even when in low light. The Bandicoot robotic technology has also been honoured with an AMRUT Tech Challenge Award as a Promising Innovative Solution for eliminating manual scavenging by the Centre.