BMC goes hi-tech, wants electric brooms to sweep SCLR, freeway

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is planning to use technology to keep the Eastern Freeway (Eway) and the Santacruz-Chembur Link Road (SCLR) clean.

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is planning to use technology to keep the Eastern Freeway (Eway) and the Santacruz-Chembur Link Road (SCLR) clean.

The civic body has proposed to spend Rs. 90.52 lakh for two years to procure electric brooms on these two major roads, sources said.

The broom will be used weekly for cleaning and when a VIP is likely to use these roods. Last year, the BMC had purchased six mechanical brooms for cleaning the Bandra-Kurla Complex (BKC) area. The proposal will be tabled in the standing committee for approval. The contract has been given to KBA Infrastructure Private Limited, who is ready to do the work at 31% lower than the BMC’s estimate.

However, along with the mechanical brooms, the BMC has also made provisions for manual cleaning of the roads, which has irked the opposition. “If the corporation is using mechanical brooms, why should we spend on manual workers too for cleaning? The proposal seems to be for the contractor’s benefit,” said Devendra Amberkar, Opposition leader in the BMC.

The brooms will be procured and operated by the contractor.

“In this case, it’s completely the contractor’s responsibility. Since E-way and SCLR don’t have much garbage, the covering capacity of these brooms should be around 3 square meters,” said Siraj Ansari, solid waste management department’s chief engineer.