VA Tech Wabag Rolls Out Bandicoot Robot for Sewer Maintenance in UP

VA Tech Wabag has deployed ‘Bandicoot,’ the world’s first manhole-cleaning robot, in Ghaziabad as part of efforts to modernize the city’s sanitation system. This initiative forms a core element of the “One City, One Operator” model, which gives Wabag the responsibility for managing and upgrading sanitation services with an emphasis on safety and efficiency.

The deployment in Ghaziabad extends Uttar Pradesh’s state-wide program for mechanized sewer maintenance. The model was first implemented in Agra, where within six months of its launch in February 2025, Bandicoot had cleaned more than 1,500 manholes. The program was further reinforced when the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Shri Yogi Adityanath, inaugurated the robot in Gorakhpur, highlighting the state’s commitment to ending manual scavenging. Operations are also beginning 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.