These machines will put an end to the practice of sanitation workers entering manholes and septic tanks for cleaning, Kejriwal said.
In a positive step towards ending manual scavenging in the national capital, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday flagged off a fleet of 200 sewer cleaning machines.
The Delhi Jal Board officials said the machines have been provided to skilled manual scavengers making them 'sani-entrepreneurs'.
"It is a historic day for Delhi to start this initiative and ensuring safety and dignity of human life. These machines will put an end to the practice of sanitation workers entering manholes and septic tanks for cleaning," Kejriwal said.
"We have developed this device to put an end to the inhuman practice," he said.
He said the Delhi Jal Board and its officers had developed the technology and were able to provide this technology -- small sewer cleaning vehicles fitted with machines to the 200 people, who are already engaged in sewer cleaning work.
Rajendar Pal Gautam, minister for SC-ST welfare, said the Delhi government was committed to work for the upliftment of the Scheduled Castes in a better and effective manner.
Anil Kumar Singh, CEO of DJB, said with the introduction of small sewage cleaning machine vehicles, the board will ensure cleaning of sewage in narrow lanes in the city through it.
The machines have been fitted with necessary equipment ensuring hydraulic, jetting, grabbing and roding work. It can ensure cleaning the manholes of 30 feet deep and can clean the sewerage and bring the silt, slug and other waste out to a trolley, Singh said.
"A silent revolution for rehabilitation of sewerage workers by equipping them with sophisticated machines takes place in Delhi when no other full-fledged state has ever conceived of this war against manual scavenging," AAP MLA from Sangam Vihar Dinesh Mohania tweeted.
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