The Arvind Kejriwal Government has undertaken a unique initiative of using robots for extinguishing fires in the city. Initially, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government today inducted two robots into Delhi's firefighting fleet that will be able to douse fires in narrow streets, warehouses, basements, stairs, forests and enter places like oil and chemical tankers and factories.
This comes days after a massive fire that broke out last week in a factory in Mundka. In the incident, 27 people had died.
These remote-controlled fire fighting robots will have greater accessibility to places and will be able to navigate narrow lanes, reach spaces inaccessible to humans and perform tasks too risky for people.
Talking about the initiative, Delhi Home Minister Satyendar Jain, said, ''For the first time such remote control robots have been brought into the country which are capable of controlling fire remotely. At present, the Delhi Government has inducted 2 such robots, if the trial is successful, more such robots will be inducted into the fleet. These remote-controlled robots will prove to be major troubleshooters for the firefighters.''
Mr Jain further said that these robots will also be capable of releasing high water pressure at the rate of 2,400 litres per minute.
''After the induction of these robots, there will be a drastic reduction in the risk that the firefighters have to put up with. Apart from this, these robots will also be capable of releasing high water pressure at the rate of 2,400 litres per minute," he said.
The Home Minister further said that the wireless remote attached to this robot is capable of controlling the spray of water. "This means that the robot will be able to douse fire even in places which firefighters cannot possibly access," he added.
The firefighters of Delhi Fire Service have also been given specialised training to operate the robot and a separate SOP has also been prepared which will be followed to control the fire.
"The robots were bought from an Austrian company. A few months ago, the fire incident that happened in the PVC market of Tikri Kalan was controlled with the help of these robots," said the Minister.
Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal said that this initiative will help reduce collateral damage and save precious lives.
"Our government has procured remote-controlled firefighting machines. Our brave firemen can now fight fires from a maximum safe distance of up to 100 metres. This will help reduce collateral damage and save precious lives," Mr Kejriwal tweeted.
This machine can be operated remotely from a distance of 300 metres. It will not be affected by fire, smoke, heat, or any other adverse condition, the government said.
With the help of remote control, it can be sent inside the areas affected by the fire and has a tracking system like army tanks, through which these robots can easily climb stairs. It has a 140-horsepower engine.
Also, there are many nozzles for water showers. It can be modified according to the need and the level of fire. This robot can run at a speed of four kilometres per hour.
The sensor and camera are installed in the front part of the robot. The sensor will go near the fire and release the water according to the temperature there.
The Delhi Government further said that various types of equipment can also be installed in the front part of the robot, with the help of which it can break the window or door and extinguish the fire inside.
The robot has cameras that can take stock of the situation inside the building, etc. With this, it will be easy to know whether a person is trapped inside or not.
The robot will have a pipe attached to its rear so that it can draw water from the tankers standing outside and spray water all around. With this, the fire can be brought under control in less time without any risk.
It also comes with a ventilation fan which can be used to keep the machine cool.
The fire-resistant robots equipped with modern technology can cover an area of about 100 metres at once and is capable of dousing the fire immediately.
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)
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