The Delhi government’s ₹2,388-crore mechanised road-sweeping project to tackle dust pollution has hit another roadblockwith the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) seeking to widen its ambit by including waste management and road maintenance work into it, according to documents accessed by The Hindu.
The development comes at a time when the city is battling high air pollution levels, which has prompted the Central air quality panel to reimpose most stringent curbs under Stage IV of its Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) in Delhi and adjoining National Capital Region districts.
The project was announced on January 28, 2023, as part of an ambition plan for the “world-class transformation” of city roads by the Delhi government but missed its deadline.
According to a Delhi government source, the project is unlikely to start anytime soon despite the availability of funds due to fresh demands raised by the MCD, which has been tasked with implementing the plan by the Environment Department.
In a letter to the Principal Secretary (Environment) on December 2, the MCD’s Additional Commissioner of the Department of Environment Management Services has sought permission to use the funds not only for mechanised sweeping but also for the management of solid waste and maintenance of roads as part of an “integrated” sanitation plan.
“It is, therefore, requested to kindly provide funds for taking up the complete sanitation in an area,” the officer said.
However, the Cabinet decision pertained to only mechanised road sweeping to control dust pollution, according to documents.
“The additional things that the MCD now wants in the plan were not covered by the Cabinet decision and would require a (fresh) Cabinet approval. With the Model Code of Conduct [for the Assembly poll] expected to come into effect in less than a month, the project is unlikely to begin anytime soon,” the source added.
The source said sanitation and waste management are obligatory roles of the MCD under the DMC Act, so they should be doing it on their own.
“This fund from the Environment Department was meant for fighting air pollution. Despite having funds, the project is not happening because of these new demands raised by the MCD,” the source added.
When asked, the MCD did not respond to queries over the issue.
The hiccups
Initially, the project was to kick off by April 1, 2023. The Delhi Cabinet then passed a proposal on April 4 last year splitting the original plan into two to outsource the work to private companies for a period of seven to 10 years.
Under the first programme, the thrust was on engaging 250 water sprinkler machines integrated with anti-smog guns to control dust pollution. The second one pertained to engaging 70 mechanical road-sweeping machines integrated with 210 water sprinklers.
The Delhi government’s initial plan was to release the funds to the Public Works Department for the entire project.
But after objections were raised by the MCD, which maintains 1,400 km of city roads, the Cabinet decided to give money directly to the MCD as grant-in-aid.
But the implementation of the project got stuck even after that as the MCD did not have a Standing Committee to approve it.
Meanwhile, the Delhi government allotted ₹100 crore for the project to the MCD in the 2024-25 budget. The civic body is still in the process of hiring a consultant for the project, which is one of the initial steps for its implementation.
Published – December 23, 2024 12:54 am IST