Delhi government to get vacuum cleaning road machines to reduce dust particles

As city’s pollution levels worsened, the Delhi government has decided to procure 15 to 20 vacuum cleaning road machines on an immediate basis aimed at bringing down dust particles in the air.

The government has floated short-term tenders to procure such machines to immediately find a solution to the increasing dust pollution in the capital.

The report of the IIT-Kanpur study titled ‘Source Apportionment Study of PM2.5 and PM10’ had recently identified dust and trucks as the largest contributors behind Delhi’s polluted air.

“Public Works Department is expecting to hire about 15 to 20 mechanical dust road sweepers through short-term tender process. Such machines will be hired till March next year.?

“Besides, government has also planned to have long-term tenders to hire vacuum cleaning machines so that there is a permanent solution to deal with dust pollution,” sources said.

Last week, Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia had directed the PWD to re-introduce within two weeks vacuum cleaning on 1,250 km of roads under the agency. The vacuum cleaning of roads was stopped following the monsoon.

“By procuring vacuum cleaning machines through short-term tenders, we can control dust particles immediately on roads.  PWD doesn’t have experience in vacuum cleaning machines as such work is done by the municipal corporations.?

“As the agency is floating short-term tenders to hire vacuum cleaning road machines, it will have experience and then long-term tenders will be called,” sources said.?

To deal with dust pollution, government has also plans ?  to install mist fountain at five important traffic intersections including Mukarba Chowk and Anand Vihar, the most polluted area of the city.

Jet pressure pump technique will be used for water sprinkling on footpath edges, road bumps and central verges.