The Times of India 10.12.2013
NMMC spends Rs 1.8L per day for cleaning two roads
NAVI MUMBAI: An official from the civic body has claimed that it spends around Rs 1.8 lakh a day on cleaning major arterial roads, especially those that don't need to be cleaned everyday.
The Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC), in its cleanliness drive in 2012, had decided to use sweeping machines to clean major roads in the satellite city. It had floated a tender and awarded a five-year contract to Anthony Waste Handlings and Bharat Vikas Group (BVG) to clean the roads.
Anthony Waste Handlings was given the contract at Rs 690 per km for cleaning 80km, while BVG charges Rs 705 per km for sweeping 90km everyday.
Sanitation officers said that the companies, that employ eight machines, only clean Palm Beach Road and Thane-Belapur Road, while the other dirtier roads have been assigned to the conservancy workers. The source maintaned that that these roads were usually clean and that the rates were too high for roads that were not dirty.
"Two vehicles are used as combo-washers and used for cleaning street furniture such as railings, sign boards and benches. The agencies use sweeping machines after 8pm, as it is not possible to do so due to constant vehicular movement," said NMMC's sanitary officer, Raju Singh Chavan.
The source said that the companies have also inserted a clause in their contract that they can raise the rates when fuel prices rise. The NMMC plans to extend the contract of these companies so they can clean other roads as well. Navi Mumbai: It a startling revelation, the Navi Mumbai Municipal Corporation (NMMC) is spending an exorbitant amount of around Rs 1.78 lakhs per day on sweeping machines for cleaning of only arterial roads viz; Palm beach road and Thane-Belapur road. It is alleged that the two agencies appointed for the very purpose are simply plying the sweeping vehicles along these two arterial roads, which rarely needs cleaning on daily basis, thus minting huge money by just covering the required kilometers for which they are been paid the charges on the basis of per kms, which too is allegedly exorbitant.
However, as per the tender agreement between the agencies and NMMC, the former are required to clean only particular stretches of arterial roads by plying the sweeping machines while the other internal roads are not a part of the contract for cleaning the roads using sweeping machines.
DMC (SWM) Aziz Shaikh, " There are eight sweeping machines been utilized for cleaning the roads , 4 vehicles in each zone. These sweeping vehicles are into operation since October 2, 2012. Apart from cleaning the arterial roads like the Palm beach road and the Thane-belapur road, these sweeping vehicles are been used even in APMC and Vashi nodes. Presently, only selected stretches of roads are been cleaned by theses sweeping machines while the other internal nodes are been cleaned by the conservatory workers ."
When contacted, NMMC's sanitary officer, Raju Singh Chavan said, "Apart from Thane-Belapur road and the Palm beach road, the two sweeping vehicles are even used for the stretch of Amra marg from Uran phata till Belapur killa junction within the NMMC jurisdiction. While, two vehicles are used as combo-washers, one for each zone, which are used for washing and cleaning the street furnitures like railings, sign boards, etc. The agencies use sweeping machines for carryout cleaning of internal roads of nodes during night hours after 8 pm, as it is not possible to do cleaning of such roads due to constant vehicular movement."
H e added, "The agencies appointed are Mahape based M/s Anthony Waste Handlings Pvt Ltd for zone-1 and for zone-2, Pune based Bharat Vikas Group (BVG) India. These agencies are been paid by NMMC for using the sweeping machines on the basis of the distance in kilometers travelled by these vehicles for sweeping the arterial roads. Also, for maintaining transparency, these sweeping vehicles have been installed with GPS system to track down the vehicles' location, thus ascertaining that these vehicles are actually cleaning the entire stretch of the arterial roads. For zone-1, the agency is paid Rs 690 per km, while for zone-2, the concerned agency is been paid Rs 705 per km. Daily, the agency has to clean a distance of 80 kms in zone-1 and another 90 kms in zone -1. Now, we have sent a proposal to the municipal commissioner seeking to add more internal roads for sweeping using the vehicles. We has suggested that the sweeping vehicles should not be used only for a particular stretch of roads, but should also be used for other internal nodes in both the zones."
