‘Manual Scavenging’ is a term mainly used in India, where a human being is used for "manually cleaning, disposing of, human excreta in an insanitary latrine or in an open drain or sewer or a pit". They usually use hand tools such as buckets, brooms and shovels. In India it is legally not allowed to use manual scavengers but they are still used. People who are employed to clean septic tanks, sewers and remove human excreta from public streets are forced to risk their lives to earn a livelihood and because of this they suffer innumerable skin and a variety of other disorders. Also a number of people who were killed while cleaning sewers and septic tanks have increased considerably over the last few years.

Taking a major step towards eliminating this problem, the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) is in the process of procuring robots and using them to clean manholes. According to media reports, the civic body is procuring two 'Bandicoot' branded robots at a cost of ?80 lakh to clean the sewer vents and blocked drains across the city. The robot would go inside the manhole and perform the task like a human. Bandicoot robots also have waterproof, night-vision cameras that transmit high-resolution videos and images. The operator can monitor, control and operate it seamlessly. Reports suggest that these machines will be capable of clearing the manholes up to 10-meters in-depth with utmost precision and minimal supervision. Additionally, the sensors inside it can also detect and warn of the presence of toxic gases.

 K Venu Gopal, the Superintendent Engineer of Water supply & Underground Drainage Management, GVMC, said that the use of such robots is intended to eradicate the harmful and dangerous environments in which the sanitation workers tend to find themselves, subsequently reducing the lives lost in the process. 

Tags

• Manual
• Scavenging
• Scavengers
• GVMC
• Bandicoot

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