BMC to rope in robots for Rs 10 crore to desilt reservoirs

MUMBAI: To ensure there is no water contamination and to avoid wastage of water during the water distribution process, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will be appointing contractors to clean silt that is settled in various service-level reservoirs using robots. The proposal worth Rs10.28 crore will be tabled before the standing committee on Friday.

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While earlier the civic body had to empty the water stored in these reservoirs to manually clean the silt, with the availability of robotic technology the cleaning will be handled through computer software.

The robots will be handled by the contractors in a way that the silt isn’t stirred all over the reservoir, said civic officials.

One of the civic officials said, “Six to 12 inches-thick mud is settled in the reservoirs that not only reduces the storage capacity but also its efficiency in supplying purified water directly to households. Earlier the problem was to remove the silt as emptying the reservoir meant wastage of water and was not a feasible option but this technology will prove to be helpful.”

There are about 27 service level reservoirs in the city that provide water at local level and two master-balancing reservoirs — at Bhandup complex and PisePanjrapur — that supply water to these service reservoirs. Six service reservoirs in the Island and seven in the eastern suburbs will undergo the cleaning process after seven years.

The service level reservoirs in western suburbs will be cleaned by the civic body-owned robots.