Pune's Robotic Manhole Cleaners Lie Unused While Manual Scavenging Continues

The much-hyped robotic scavengers purchased under the Pune Smart City Development Limited (PSCDL) to clean the manholes have now been lying unused. The PSCDL had purchased three robotic manhole cleaning machines and handed them over to the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) in May 2022. 

These robotic machines with motorised arms and cameras are capable of doing all the work that human beings can do while cleaning the sewage in manholes. 

These machines were introduced to avoid casualties during manual scavenging. However, out of the three machines procured, only one is currently operational. The remaining two have been defunct and gathering dust at the PMC’s Ghorpade Udyan garden near Swargate for the past six months. 

Social activist Rupesh Keskar pointed out that each machine costs around Rs 40 lakh, and despite the investment, they have not been put to proper use. “The idea was to make manhole cleaning safe and mechanised, but after a few demonstrations, the machines were simply abandoned." 

The Free Press Journal team visited the site and found that the machines were designed by the  `Bandicoot`, a Kerala-based GenRobotics Innovation Pvt Ltd, for cleaning manholes.

"I come here for a daily morning walk, and these machines have been kept here for the past three months, until sometime we weren't aware what these machines were for. But this year, a few sanitary workers in the PCMC area were found dead while cleaning the manhole. I read that news in newspapers, and it's shocking to see our money getting wasted like this," said Deepak Kalabhor, a local resident.  

A PMC official, on condition of anonymity, said, "While the PMC reports fewer accidents compared to other cities during manual cleaning of manholes, the robotic machines were introduced to help clean sewage in slums and narrow areas in a safer manner. These machines require more space and cannot be used on small roads that are less than 6 feet wide. The PMC also needs to clean manholes in slums, which are carried out manually." 

Junior engineer, Pradeep Awhad of PMC, said, "The three machines were received from PSCDCL. All machines are in working condition. This year tender procedure for 3 machines is delayed, hence no agency has been allotted the work. Now tender is in the sanctioning stage, after which work will be started as per schedule for 5 zones. The machines kept in the Garden were covered, but now the cover has gone, so we are shifting those machines to our nearest ward office."

Citizens and activists are now urging the PMC to revive the project and ensure that these costly machines serve their intended purpose to protect sanitation workers and modernise the city’s waste management system.