The much-hyped launch of mechanical sweepers, by the erstwhile Municipal Corporation of Delhi to clean city roads, has gone down the drains. In less than two years of its introduction, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) has decided to terminate the contract of the mechanical sweepers.
The decision was taken in view of their ineffectiveness in cleaning the roads, a majority of which are potholed and uneven. As these sweepers failed to function properly, the roads had to be cleaned manually, and the respective Municipal Corporations had to bear additional costs. However, taking a strict measure, the SDMC has terminated the contract with operator of these mechanical sweepers.
The idea of procuring mechanical sweepers was mooted ahead of the Commonwealth Games, so that the roads could be cleaned faster and effectively. It was finally launched by the unified MCD in September 2011 for cleaning roads that are wider than 60 ft. But, the scheme was plagued with troubles right from its launch, with several complaints registered against the contractors operating and maintaining the machines.
Each of the 28 machines cost Rs 50 lakh. Mechanical sweeping was being done in three out of the four administrative zones of South Corporation - Central, South and West zones. “The Executive Engineers in DEMS Department of South, Central and West zones have been directed by the Municipal Commissioner to process the matter for termination of contract in respect of mechanical sweepers. The order comes in the wake of the project proving to be a total failure despite repeated attempts to make the system work,” said a senior official of the Corporation.
The contract of operating and maintaining the machines was given to three companies for seven years. The firms were charging the Corporation between Rs 907 and Rs 1,124 per kilometre.
The functioning of the sweepers has been under the scanner since the time they were rolled out. The machines were often rendered ineffective, especially on potholed roads. With the civic bodies getting complaints about the sweepers, a team of officials was assigned the task of patrolling with the contractors while the mechanical sweepers were at work. GPS system was installed in these machines to keep a check on their position, but they were stolen.
On the other hand, leader of Opposition in SDMC, Farhad Suri accused the BJP-ruled Corporations of wasting public money.
“Most of the projects brought by the officials have caused monetary losses to the civic body. The discontinuation mechanical sweepers come after failure of Government-to-citizen kiosks, waterless urinals and high-end toilets. There is connivance between the officials and the contractors that needs to be probed into,” Suri said.