Delhi Chief Minister Rekha Gupta and Environment Minister Manjinder Singh Sirsa on Monday took part in a demonstration of new machines aimed at tackling pollution in the city. The Chief Minister during the event said that the Government had decided to hire machines like mechanical road sweepers, water sprinklers and anti-smog guns to reduce dust and air pollution in Delhi.
“We plan to send these machines to every Assembly constituency so that the roads can be cleaned properly,” she added.
CM Gupta said these cleaning machines are advanced and come in different types, including electric ones. “We are trying to use electric machines so that they don’t cause more pollution,” she added.
The Mechanical Road Sweeping (MRS) machines being introduced can sweep roads, spray water and pick up garbage. Machines which were demonstartaed were water sprinklers integrated with smog guns, mechanical road sweeping machine (electric), mechanical road sweeping machine (CNG), litter picker machine, and water jetting machine.
Earlier on May 20, the Chief Minister had announced that the Cabinet had approved a detailed plan to control dust and improve sanitation on roads managed by the Public Works Department (PWD). According to the plan, the PWD will use 250 water sprinklers with anti-smog guns, 70 sweeping machines with 210 sprinklers and anti-smog guns along with 18 dump trucks and 18 water tankers.
A number of machines, including water sprinklers with anti-smog guns, electric and CNG sweeping machines, litter pickers and water jetting machines, were demonstrated at the Delhi Secretariat here, said a statement. The Chief Minister said the goal is to ensure that roads across Delhi are cleaned and sprayed with water throughout the year.
The demonstration shows that the Government is moving towards more modern and technology-based cleaning, she added. One of the machines shown during the event was a water sprinkler with an anti-smog gun. It can hold 17,000 litres of water and run for four hours. It sprays a fine mist that helps reduce harmful dust in the air and can even clean off dust from tall trees, the statement said.
An electric road sweeping machine with a 3.5-metre sweeping range can clean up to 45 km in one shift. It has a water tank that can be expanded up to 2,000 litres and is useful for removing dust, small stones and litter from roads, it added. The CNG-powered sweeping machine is similar and works at a speed of 8 to 10 kilometres per hour, the statement said. A battery-operated litter picker was also on display.
It can be used while riding or walking and it comes with a bin and features like automatic brakes, fire safety, GPS and battery tracking. It can collect everything from small waste to glass bottles, the statement said.
The water jetting machine has a 500-litre tank and can work for six to eight hours after one charge, covering up to 125 km. It also has GPS for monitoring, it added. The Chief Minister said Delhi will get 460 sprinkler machines with anti-smog guns, 70 sweeping machines, 70 litter pickers, water tankers and garbage trucks. All of them will be equipped with the latest technology like GPS, CCTV, air quality monitors, mobile apps and IoT sensors, she added.
Gupta said that over 1,000 water sprinklers will be active across Delhi throughout the year except during the monsoon season. All machines will be monitored from a central control room to make sure they are being used properly and on time, she added.
The Chief Minister also urged people to help the Government by not littering, following construction rules and doing their part in keeping Delhi clean and pollution-free.
Sirsa on his part said that this was an important step towards a cleaner and healthier Delhi.
The new machines will help remove dust and garbage more effectively and improve air quality, he added.
