If Mike Rowe hasn’t highlighted this on Dirty Jobs yet, he’s missing probably the dirtiest job of all: that of the Sewer Diver in India. In addition to being one of the world’s dirtiest jobs, cleaning sewers by hand is also one of the world’s most dangerous.
The work is slow and tedious, and most sewer divers don’t live past 60 due to health issues related to manual sewer cleaning. Despite a national ban, sewer diving is still being practiced throughout the entire country.
Genrobotics, a start-up in India, has developed the Bandicoot, a robotic machine that is engineered for cleaning any type of sewer, billed as the “World’s first robotic scavenger.” Already in use in 16 of India’s 28 states, Genrobotics plans to reach all corners of the country.
At first wary that the robot would replace their jobs, former sewer divers are being trained to actually operate the Bandicoot. Now professional sanitation workers, they are truly grateful for their fresh start.
