Kerala to use robots to clean sewers, end manual-scavenging
Thiruvananthapuram: Robots will soon replace men in cleaning up sewer holes in Kerala, ending the age-old practice of manual scavenging in the southern state.
'Bandicoot', the robot developed by the start-up firm Genrobotics, will be used for cleaning sewer holes.
The Kerala Water Authority (KWA) and Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) today signed an MoU for transfer of technology and products, including use of the robots for the purpose.
The MoU was signed between Kerala Water Innovation Zone under KWA and KSUM at the Chief Minister's office here, a statement said here.
'Bandicoot' will start its work, so far mostly done manually, by cleaning sewer holes in the city during the coming famed Attukal Pongala festival in Thiruvananthapuram in March, it said.
The robot has four limbs and a bucket system attached to a spider web looking extension, which can go inside the manhole.
After shoveling the heap of garbage at the bottom of the manhole, it will be collected by using the bucket system before lifting it upward.
It also has Wi-Fi and Bluetooth modules, it said.
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, Minister for Water Resources Mathew T Thomas, IT Secretary M Sivasankar, KSUM CEO Saji Gopinath, Additional Chief Secretary, Water Resources,Tom Jose, KWA officials and eight representatives from Genrobotics were present on the occasion.
KSUM had funded for the project by Genrobotics, which conducted a field study to find a solution for manual scavenging.
Meanwhile, KWA is also conducting research on the issue following the Chief Minister's instruction to find a remedy for it.
Genrobotics is planning to market the product within six months.
It has already got enquiries from states like Tamil Nadu to take it to the national-level.
Founded in 2015, GenRobotics specialises in powered exoskeletons and human controlled robotic systems.
The robot is powered by pneumatics (using gas or pressurised air) since using heavy electronic equipment inside is risky as they can react with the explosive gases present in the manhole.
The KSUM is a nodal agency of the Kerala Government for entrepreneurship development and incubation activities in the state.
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7 killed after bus overturns in Jharkhand's Hazaribag
Hazaribag (Jharkhand), Nov 21: At least seven people were killed and several others injured on Thursday, after a Patna-bound bus overturned in Jharkhand's Hazaribag district, police said.
The accident occurred near Gorhar Police Station area, around 50 km from the district headquarters, as the bus turned turtle while negotiating a sharp bend, a senior officer said.
Hazaribag SP Arvind Kumar Singh told PTI seven persons were killed, while some suffered serious injuries.
There were around 50 passengers in the bus, which was on way to Patna from Kolkata, another officer said.
Motichand Prasad, a passenger, said his wife Rajkumari Prasad was killed in the accident.
"We were asleep when the accident occurred in the morning. We boarded the bus in Kolkata on Wednesday for Bihar," Prasad, a resident of Bihar's Gopalganj, said.
Another passenger from Bihar Sharif, Ganesh Kumar, said the incident took place around 6 am.
"As the driver tried to negotiate a sharp bend, he lost control over the bus and the vehicle overturned," Kumar said.
A police officer present on the spot said around 10 injured people were in critical condition.
Sub-divisional Police Officer (SPDO), Barhi, Ajit Kumar, said only three bodies could be identified so far – Rajkumari Prasad (55), Niti Samanta (25) and Ejaz Ahmed (40).
“Four other bodies are kept at the morgue of Sheikh Bhikhari Medical College and Hospital (SBMCH) at Hazaribag for identification,” he said.
Three critically injured persons were referred to Ranchi’s RIMS, while the others were being treated at SBMCH.
In a separate incident under the same police station area, two youths were crushed to death by a bus coming from behind.
The deceased were identified as Amit Kumar and Pappu Kumar, who were on a motorcycle when the bus struck the vehicle, an officer said.
