Posted on September 19, 2017
To save the city from flooding, the state government is pinning its hopes on robotic excavators to swiftly clear the storm water drains. Bengaluru development minister KJ George on Saturday said eight robotic multi-purpose excavators for dredging and cleaning of drains will be deployed to clean SWDs in eight zones.
The excavators may be in operation as early as the first week of October.
At the inauguration of the flyover on Outer Ring Ro ad, George said opposition parties blame the government for kickbacks for any good project they take up.”Ours is no kickback government, only development,” he added. The robotic machines are part of the Rs 800-crore work on reinforcing storm water drains in the city. BBMP commissioner N Manjunath Prasad said robotic machines will help them in complete dredging and other cleaning activities in vast stretches very quickly. The BBMP has submitted a Rs 2-crore proposal for robotic excavators.
A senior BBMP official said the robotic machines make cleaning easier even in narrow work sites. The exca vator is shaped like an octopus and can adjust its legs to position itself in tricky spots along the course of the drains.
Heavy rain during August and September flooded many parts of the city and one reason was clogged storm water drains. Many areas including Koramangala, HSR Layout and Shantinagar were severely affected.
Source: The Times of India
