Ahmedabad: The Ahmedabad Fire and Emergency Department, which often conducts water rescue operations in the Sabarmati River, city lakes, and other water bodies both inside and outside Ahmedabad, is set to strengthen its capabilities with new technology as it will procure two underwater ROVs.

The AMC, in a note, stated that during rescue operations, firefighters often face significant challenges, particularly at night, as locating objects, equipment, or even victims underwater can take hours—sometimes from morning until night—without any guarantee of success. To address these challenges, the department is set to acquire two Underwater Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) at a total cost of ₹196.5 lakh.

The advanced ROVs can operate at a maximum depth of 200 meters and are capable of lifting objects weighing up to 100 kg. This equipment will allow firefighters to identify and retrieve objects, materials, or even bodies underwater without having to dive themselves, making operations safer and more efficient.

Besides rescue missions, these ROVs will also assist in investigations. Police and fire department personnel can use them to search lakes, rivers, drains, or other water bodies for objects or evidence, such as equipment discarded during criminal activities.

With the addition of these underwater robots, the Ahmedabad Fire Department aims to enhance the speed, safety, and effectiveness of water rescue and recovery operations across the city.

Notably, earlier the state police had procured two advanced ‘Deep Tracker Underwater Remotely Operated Vehicles’ as a pilot project. One of these vehicles has been assigned to Vadodara and the other to Rajkot. DeshGujarat