Tiruchi Corporation hires robotic desilting machine to clear sewer blocks

Tiruchi Corporation has rented a robotic desilting machine to clear blocks in the underground drainage (UGD) system in the city

Tiruchi Corporation has rented a robotic desilting machine to clear blocks in the underground drainage (UGD) system in the city.

The machine equipped with advanced gadgets was put to use in the Khajamalai area in Ward 60 on Friday. The civic body hired the robotic machine from Chennai and will check its operational feasibility for five days, conducting trial runs to clear blocks in the underground drainage connections due to narrow pipelines. Based on performance, the civic body will consider purchasing the vehicle at an estimated cost of ₹1 crore.

The machine is designed to navigate through narrow streets that cannot be reached by super sucker trucks. “Unlike the super sucker machine, this can be taken inside narrow and congested areas such as the Singarathope and Main Guard Gate. The machine can be detached from the vehicle and can be easily mobilised inside narrow streets,” said a senior Corporation official.

The advanced robotic machine is equipped with a high-resolution camera and operated via a system through which the silt and blocks can be detected effectively. It has an arm to excavate silt and waste accumulated in the sewers. The vehicle will be employed in areas from where complaints are received. The machine will eliminate the need to dig up roads and remove the blocked pipelines to clear the obstructions.

Mayor M. Anbazhagan, who oversaw the trial runs, directed the officials to identify blocks in the sewer line and resolve the issue whenever they are reported.