Sanitation and cleanliness in Cuttack would soon acquire a new dimension as it braces up to switch to mechanised sweeping of roads and cleaning of drains from May onwards. Two machines with 5.5 tonne waste handling capacity per sweep are being procured from Korea along with a smaller one, that has already begun trial runs.
To be undertaken under the र60-crore Integrated Municipal Solid Waste Management Project, the mechanised sweeping and drain cleaning system would be implemented by Hyderabad-based Ramky Enviro Engineers Limited. The responsibilities include not only sweeping the roads clean by using the machines and cleaning the drains but also handling all the garbage generated by the city everyday from collection, segregation to transportation and disposal at the designated yard off the city limits.
The mechanised sweeping would include 15 wards in the beginning and be extended to other pockets gradually. The high capacity machines would work on the main roads and thoroughfares while the small one would work in the lanes and by-lanes.
Two excavators would be engaged in cleaning and desiltation of the major storm water channels and branch channels. Four tippers would be used to transport the excavated debris to the disposal yards. While the process of automation would eliminate manual sweeping of the main and major roads, the company would still engage the existing around 800 sweeper force to work in the narrow lanes and by-lanes. As many as 300 bins would be installed at different parts of the city to streamline collection, segregation and disposal of garbage.