Local bodies in the Chennai Metropolitan Area are planning to deploy robotics and artificial intelligence solutions in the maintenance of sewer lines and storm-water drains. This was proposed to prevent death of workers who cleaned the sewer lines manually.
Senior officials of the Municipal Administration and Water Supply Department have started discussions with experts in robotics and artificial intelligence for maintenance of septic tanks, sewer lines, storm-water drains, prevent contamination of water and reduce losses in water lines.
According to councillors of Greater Chennai Corporation, water contamination was the most important issue in all the 200 wards. Once the State government gives its approval, the civic bodies will adopt robotics and artificial intelligence to tackle the problem.
AIADMK councillor J. John of Ward 84 in Ambattur zone said 1,000 families in the Tamil Nadu Housing Board apartment in Korattur had complained of contamination of drinking water because of mixing of sewage a few days ago. “The residents have complained about skin diseases because they bathe in the contaminated water. At the Makkalai Thedi Mayor meeting with Mayor R. Priya last week, residents in the area complained about the issue. The risk of acute diarrhoeal diseases is high,” said Mr. John.
Korattur resident Prasanna Kumar said the Chennai Metropolitan Water Supply and Sewerage Board (CMWSSB) had been supplying water mixed with sewage for the last six months in his area. “Several fever cases have been reported in our area, particularly among children and senior citizens. It is a criminal waste to supply contaminated water mixed with sewage,” said Mr. Kumar.
“In our residential area developed in Korattur by Tamil Nadu Housing Board in Ambattur zone, Ward 84, contaminated water is supplied through pipelines for one hour on alternate days for the past six months,” he said. Residents of areas such as Pattaravakkam, Kachanankuppam and Periyar Nagar had complained about similar problems.
K. Balakrishnan of CITU said there were at least 25 complaints from each ward every day. With an estimated 5,000 complaints every day, the problems caused by such civic issues had been increasing. “The introduction of robots in Chepauk Thiruvallikeni by Minister Udhayanidhi Stalin was mooted a few months ago. Manual labourers continue to clear blocks in the old drainage network and in storm-water drains filled with sewage. We are using jet rodding machines and super suckers. But this is not adequate. More than 50% of the work has to be done manually by workers. Various organisations have been working towards getting compensation for the workers who died. There has been no effort to prevent deaths,” said Mr. Balakrishnan.
