Integrating Technology into Urban Sanitation: AI Robots and Electric Vehicles Transforming Cities

Launched on October 2, 2014, the Swachh Bharat Mission is evolving into a new form through the implementation of cutting-edge technology. Urban sanitation is becoming digital, sensor-equipped, and electrified, which is not only making cities cleaner but also creating safer workplaces for sanitation workers and making civic services more responsive.

The Raipur Municipal Corporation has introduced a digital Fecal Sludge Management (FSM) dashboard prototype through the 'UPYOG' (Urban Platform for Delivery of Online Governance) platform. Through this system, citizens can submit online requests for septic tank cleaning (desludging), make payments, and digitally track the entire process. This platform is linked with the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA), the National Institute of Urban Affairs (NIUA), and the National Urban Digital Mission (NUDM). Under this initiative, a 'one application, one trip' approach has been adopted, and drivers upload photographs after the work is completed to enable digital verification of the service.

In Thiruvananthapuram, an AI-powered robot named 'G-SPIDER' has been deployed to clean inaccessible and hazardous locations. Developed by Genrobotic Innovations, this robot uses machine vision and sensor intelligence to detect waste and employs biomimetic claws to remove it. This system enhances the safety of sanitation workers by reducing direct contact with toxic gases and contaminated water.

The use of electric vehicles (EVs) has also increased in the field of waste collection. In Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, more than 200 GPS-enabled electric autos have been deployed, which is estimated to save 71,000 liters of diesel annually and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 21,000 tons over a decade. In Chennai, the Greater Chennai Corporation has deployed 5,478 battery-powered e-rickshaws across 15 zones, reducing carbon emissions by approximately 41 tons per day.

Indore, Madhya Pradesh, has linked this transformation with renewable energy. The city has deployed 100 electric vehicles for door-to-door waste collection, which are monitored via the Integrated Command and Control Center (ICCC). Indore has also established 20 solar charging stations capable of charging 80 to 100 vehicles per day, producing between 800 and 1,000 units of green energy daily. This is expected to reduce annual carbon emissions by approximately 24,918 tons and save about 5.97 crore rupees in fuel and maintenance costs.