Questioned by mininster, Gurgaon civic body stands by its use of sweeping machines
Gurgaon: The corporation has found nothing wrong with the operations and maintenance of mechanical road sweeping machines (MRSMs) in the city. These MRSMs have proven to be economical, productive and environmentally suitable options for road sweeping in the city, an MCG probe panel has said.
According to the report submitted by the MCG panel — which TOI has accessed — these machines (16 are in use in the city) traverse 480km each day, offering improved accountability, decreasing dependency on manual workers, while adhering to pollution control standards.
It was in April that the department of urban local bodies (ULB) extended the contract of the operating firm of the road sweeping machines by one year. The extension coincided with the period when concerns about these machines' effectiveness emerged.
Out of 44 machines, used across various state corporations, 16 machines are being operated in the city and five in Manesar.
The use of these machines is "more cost-effective" than manual sweeping by sanitation workers, the panel has said. According to the MCG's cost analysis, a single sweeping machine can cover 30km of road each night. The monthly cost for manual sweeping of the same 30km stretch is Rs 15.8 lakh. This figure is based on the need for 90 sanitation workers, with three workers allocated per kilometre as per Central Public Health and Environmental Engineering Organisation (CPHEEO) norms and three supervisors required for the 90 workers, each earning Rs 16,900 and Rs 20,000 respectively.
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In contrast, the monthly operational and maintenance cost of one sweeping machine, as per the report, is Rs 4.7 lakh, with an additional Rs 1.87 lakh as fuel expenses each month, totalling Rs 6.57 lakh for each machine. The MCG concluded that the use of sweeping machines, costing Rs 6.57 lakh per month, is more economical than the Rs 15.8 lakh required for manual sweeping of the same distance.
"The use of MRSMs has proven to be a cost-effective, efficient and environmentally compliant solution for road cleaning in Gurgaon.
However, there are certain other technology vehicles, such as self-propelled mechanical road sweepers, that can also be considered in comparison to vehicle-mounted mechanical road sweeping machines. In the present scenario, after minor operational changes, these MRSM systems can be made more effective," the report says.
Meanwhile, ward 11 councillor Kuldeep Yadav said the absence of a councillor or mayor in the MCG's committee examining sweeping machines' effectiveness and cost analysis raises questions.
"Our inclusion would have contributed valuable insights from field observations. Councillors possess comprehensive knowledge and maintain thorough supervision of actual operations of the sweeping machines," Yadav said.
The MCG panel was constituted in May. On May 9, Badshapur MLA and Haryana industries and commerce, forest and environment minister Rao Narbir Singh said he would conduct an investigation into the functioning of sweeping machines and super sucker machines run by MCG and MCM.
The MCG panel had been constituted to evaluate how well the mechanical sweeping systems function, their operational effectiveness, difficulties faced and cost considerations, alongside a comparative analysis with conventional manual sweeping . The minister had questioned whether the machines' use justified their cost.
The sweeping machines were purchased by ULB in 2019. Subsequently, the operations and maintenance of 44 such machines across various state corporations were outsourced to a private company for five years, although the machines remain the property of ULB. TOI reported on April 22 that the sweeping machines managed by a private contractor for MCG, which should operate throughout the night on city roads, were underperforming.
"We have assigned duties to 16 clerks to monitor each of these sweeping machines throughout their working hours. It will ensure their efficient working," MCG commissioner Pradeep Dahiya said.
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