Maharashtra Goes High-Tech: 100 Robots to Clean City Manholes, Save Lives

In a historic step to eliminate manual scavenging and improve worker safety, the Maharashtra government has decided to purchase 100 sophisticated robots to clean manholes in 27 municipal corporations. State Social Justice Minister Sanjay Shirsat made the announcement that the pilot project will start with a trial run of the new robot for one month at Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation. After successful testing, the robots, which have been designed and developed indigenously, will be distributed among urban local bodies across the state.

The new-generation robots have greater cleaning and waste sorting abilities, with full 360-degree operation, a considerable improvement from the existing models. The acquisition follows a recent social audit registering key gaps in sanitation workers' safety and the death of 18 people between 2021 and 2024 because of unsafe manual cleaning methods.

Minister Shirsat pointed out that the robots not only bring urban sanitation up to date but also safeguard the dignity and lives of sanitation workers. The government hopes to introduce a new standard in urban hygiene and worker well-being, with Maharashtra following in the footsteps of states such as Kerala that already use robotic methods to clean manholes.

Source: Mid-Day