VA Tech Wabag Deploys World’s First Manhole-Cleaning Robot ‘Bandicoot’ in Ghaziabad
VA Tech Wabag has introduced ‘Bandicoot,’ the world’s first manhole-cleaning robot, in Ghaziabad as part of its “One City, One Operator” model to modernize the city’s sanitation system. The initiative focuses on enhancing safety, efficiency, and eliminating manual scavenging.
This deployment extends Uttar Pradesh’s state-wide mechanized sewer maintenance program. The model was first launched in Agra, where Bandicoot cleaned over 1,500 manholes within six months of its rollout in February 2025. The program gained further momentum when Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath inaugurated the robot in Gorakhpur, underscoring the state’s commitment to sanitation reform. Operations are also commencing in Bulandshahr this month.
Introduced in 2018 by Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi, Bandicoot has become an important part of India’s sanitation reform framework. It supports national programs such as the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan, Swachh Survekshan, and the Safaimitra Suraksha Challenge, which focus on safe and dignified sanitation practices.
Developed by Genrobotics Innovations, Bandicoot is built to eliminate the need for human entry into hazardous sewer spaces. The robot is equipped with a robotic arm, stabilizing legs, and an integrated bucket system that can enter manholes, remove hardened sludge and blockages, and restore flow while ensuring worker safety.
In addition to deploying technology, VA Tech Wabag is running training programs to help sanitation workers develop new skills and transition into certified robotic operators.
With operations now active in Ghaziabad and soon in Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh is strengthening its role in advancing technology-based urban sanitation. This collaboration between government, industry, and technology aims to replace manual scavenging with safer, more efficient, and modern sanitation systems.
