NDMC flags off first CNG-based mechanised road sweepers in Delhi

New Delhi, Feb 3 (PTI) The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) on Tuesday flagged off two CNG-based mechanical road sweepers to tackle dust and air pollution in the heart of the national capital, a statement said.
     The NDMC became the first civic body in the city to introduce mechanical road sweepers on a CNG chassis, it said.
     The CNG-based sweepers, introduced under the Swachh Bharat Mission at Connaught Place, are part of NDMC's push to strengthen mechanised road cleaning on major roads during both day and night, the statement read.
     Officials said that three more CNG-based road sweepers are expected to be added by the end of the month, adding that four mechanical road sweepers are already operational. The total cost of the five new CNG-based road sweepers is around Rs 3.71 crore, it added.
     Speaking at the inauguration, Vice chairperson Kuljeet Chahal said the initiative is meant to address growing concerns over road dust and deteriorating air quality, particularly in high-footfall areas frequented by residents, tourists and office-goers.
     The NDMC currently undertakes mechanised sweeping across key stretches and aims to clean nearly 415 km of roads daily, Chahal said.
     "To meet this target and manage dust pollution in the high-security VVIP zone, the civic body has procured five new mechanical road sweepers, all running on CNG in line with National Green Tribunal norms that bar diesel vehicles in Delhi," Chahal said.
     He stated that the NDMC has also begun night wet cleaning and sweeping so that citizens wake up to cleaner streets each morning.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)