Dust settles as GHMC sweeping machines halt ops

WITH mechanical sweeping operations on main arterial roads in the twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad coming to a grinding halt following the lapse of the contract period a few days ago, sanitation workers have now taken over sweeping duties manually.

- S Bachan Jeet Singh @Hyderabad

Despite GHMC spending over ₹50 crore annually on mechanised sweeping operations for CRMP or non-CRMP main roads, several machines had issues with their suction systems, preventing effective dust and debris collection.

The 38 mechanical machines operated by private contractors have not been given any extension, as GHMC officials told TNIE that the operations were not yielding the expected results. Although they were supposed to run overnight, the machines reportedly underperformed.