ADB Hackathon for Making the Sanitation Workers Safe and Dignified
Kathmandu, Baisakh 16: The ADB Hackathon for Making the Sanitation Workers Safe and Dignified, organized as part of the ADB-TA 9897: Accelerating Sanitation for All in Asia and the Pacific (Nepal Project), successfully concluded today. The event was hosted by Asian Development Bank(ADB), the Government of Nepal, Ministry of Water Supply, Department of Water Supply and Sewerage Management, Project Management Office (DWSSM/PMO), and co-hosted by Nepal Academy of Science and Technology (NAST) with the Robotics Association of Nepal (RAN) as the event management partner for the Hackathon.
The Hackathon inspired innovators across Nepal to leverage technology, creativity, and teamwork to develop technological solutions aimed at improving the safety and dignity of sanitation workers in the country as it identified start-up companies with innovative ideas or technological solutions that can improve the health, safety, welfare, and working conditions of sanitation workers in Bharatpur and Nepalgunj of Nepal. Through a competitive selection process, the jury identified four winners who will work closely with the project's expert consulting engineer, PMO and other stakeholders.
The winners are Team BUTWAL SANITARY Pvt.Ltd [First Position] For their innovative project HI-TECH SEPTIC TANK CLEANING VEHICLE Vehicle, Team Mantra Incorporation Pvt. Ltd [Second Position] for the Smart Urban Waste Handling and Management (SUbHaM) Unit, The Joint Venture(JV) Team Baliyo Sanitron [Dipawoli along with Baliyo Venture Pvt.Ltd, Third Position] with Smart Drainage System and Waste Sorting Machine for Sanitation Workers and Team Nechno Technology Pvt. Ltd [Fourth Position] with the innovative idea of Augmented Hands to collect sewage and waste materials efficiently and safely, while also helping them access hard-to-reach areas. Winners all together will be provided with $40000 ( More than Rs.50 Lakh ) grant for the solution development.
The Hackathon featured various activities such as pre-selection and short-listing of potential innovators, orientation sessions, on-site pitching & practicing of innovative ideas, prototype design demonstrations, and a hackathon with mentorship session. The program ran for a period of one month, and innovators from all over Nepal participated.
In passing, ADB, DWSSM/PMO, NAST and RAN will work with all technology startups who participated in the ADB Hackathon Sanitation Workers to further scale up and create feasible and tech solutions for the sanitation workers of Nepal.
