Ghaziabad — Earlier this year Panth Lal, a manual scavenger in New Friends Colony, Delhi, lost his life while cleaning a sewer. He died of toxic gases after entering a manhole without protective equipment, leaving behind a widow and five children. His death is one among many that show the persistent, deadly risks of manual scavenging across India.
In June four sanitation workers — Trilochan Bharat, N Santu, Lalu Rana and Amir Khura — died in Podalaguda village, Nabarangpur district in Odisha while cleaning a septic tank. They succumbed to asphyxiation after inhaling toxic fumes.
These tragedies have renewed urgency behind efforts in Uttar Pradesh to deploy robotic systems that remove the need for humans to enter manholes or septic tanks. Under the “One City One Operator” initiative, desalination and water treatment firm VA Tech Wabag has deployed ‘Bandicoot’ in Ghaziabad.
The Bandicoot robot is also operational in Agra where, since February 2025, it has cleaned more than 1,500 manholes. Deployment is now expanding to Bulandshahr, said the company.
The technology has been developed by Genrobotics Innovations. Bandicoot is designed to enter manholes, remove hardened sludge and blockages using a robotic arm, stabilising legs and an integrated bucket system.
It aims to do this without human entry and thereby reduce risk to workers. In addition to physical cleaning its sensors provide high definition imaging and, in some versions, gas detection.
Training programmes are part of the deployment. VA Tech Wabag is working to equip sanitation workers with new skills so that they can operate Bandicoot safely. The model being followed in Uttar Pradesh gives Wabag responsibility for managing and upgrading sanitation services under the “One City One Operator” scheme focused on safety and efficiency.
Experts in human rights law and public health say the robot’s deployment is promising but not sufficient. They argued that “policy enforcement must match technological adoption” if deaths are to stop, noting that many districts continue to rely on manual labour under hazardous conditions.
In addition, experts view that community engagement is crucial and workers must be made aware about their rights. “They must be provided protective gear, fair pay and upward mobility to roles like robotic operators.” Without that, experts warned, the technology risks being another tool that leaves workers behind.
Public policy analysts also observe logistical and financial challenges. One analyst from a Delhi-based think tank pointed out that Bandicoot units cost several lakhs of rupees. Maintenance, spare parts and training add to recurring costs. In smaller towns or villages with weak governance the robot may sit idle or be misused.
Still the benefits are tangible. In Agra the robot has already prevented dozens of risky manual entries. It operates in conditions where toxic gases or physical hazards make human entry extremely dangerous. Use of Bandicoot also reduces delays in cleaning blockages which in turn lessens the likelihood of overflow or sanitation failure during monsoon rains.
From the Thiruvananthapuram-based company’s perspective, Genrobotics has said it designed Bandicoot to withstand India’s varied geography and civic infrastructure. Co-founder MK Vimal Govind has previously stated that the robot can enter manholes, climb down steep covers and operate in tight spaces.
He has also noted that sensory systems, including cameras and gas sensors, are essential to ensure worker safety. VA Tech Wabag, in its public statements, has emphasised its commitment to replacing manual scavenging with safer and more modern sanitation systems.
The size of the problem remains stark. Government figures show that since 2014 around 453 people have died cleaning sewers and septic tanks nationwide. In Maharashtra alone 81 deaths have been recorded. Though many districts are officially declared free of manual scavenging nearly all states report ongoing cases of hazardous sewer cleaning.
Without strong legal enforcement technology will only go so far. But many believe that Bandicoot and similar machines offer real potential to minimise risk. If widely deployed with training, compensation and oversight they could transform sanitation work in India, save lives and bring dignity to tasks that since colonial times have been borne by the most marginalised.
