Though the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is implementing the project, the funds will come from the Delhi government.
| Photo Credit: PTI
After more than three-and-a-half years of delays and missed deadlines, the Delhi government’s over ₹2,500-crore project to deploy mechanical road sweepers (MRS) and other machines to curb dust pollution is set to move ahead, with the first batch of 70 large MRS machines expected to hit city roads by October-November, a senior official told The Hindu on Sunday.“The government has selected a company through a tender process and issued a work order. We are expecting to get some of the 70 MRS machines by October-November,” the official said, adding that the project will cost the government around ₹900 crore over the next 10 years.Though the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) is implementing the project, the funds will come from the Delhi government.As part of the project, the government also plans to deploy 30 smaller MRS machines and 250 water sprinkler machines integrated with anti-smog guns to control dust pollution, the official said. These projects are currently pending the Delhi Cabinet’s approval.Anti-smog guns spray a fine mist of water into the air using high-pressure nozzles, helping dust and other particles settle to the ground and thereby reducing air pollution.Solid waste removalThe official said the government is in the process of finalising a company to deploy 1,000 litter pickers to remove solid waste from city roads. The proposal has already been approved by the Delhi Cabinet and is expected to cost around ₹1,400 crore over 10 years.The litter pickers function like large vacuum cleaners, using long flexible pipes to collect solid waste and reduce the dust generated during manual road sweeping with brooms.The official added that none of these machines will be purchased by the government. Instead, they will be outsourced to private companies selected through the tender process, which will provide both the machines and the staff required to operate them.Over the years, multiple deadlines, including the latest set by the Commission for Air Quality Management in the National Capital Region and Adjoining Areas, have been missed for various reasons, including a tussle between the Delhi government and the MCD.The final cost will be known after a fresh Cabinet decision, but it is likely to exceed ₹2,500 crore, according to sources.Years of delaysThe project was first announced on January 28, 2023, by the then Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government as part of an ambitious plan for the “world-class transformation” of city roads, but it missed its original deadline.Though the project was supposed to begin on April 1, 2023, the Cabinet approved a ₹2,388-crore proposal three days later, splitting the original plan into two and outsourcing the work to private companies for seven to 10 years.Under the first programme, the focus was on deploying 250 water sprinkler machines integrated with anti-smog guns to control dust pollution. The second involved deploying 70 MRS machines integrated with 210 water sprinklers.The Delhi government initially planned to route the funds through the Public Works Department. However, after objections from the MCD, which maintains about 1,400 km of city roads, the Cabinet decided to release the money directly to the civic body as a grant-in-aid.The project remained stalled in the absence of an MCD Standing Committee to approve it. In December 2024, another hurdle emerged when the civic body sought the Environment Department’s approval to use the funds not only for mechanised sweeping but also for solid waste management and road maintenance as part of an “integrated” sanitation plan.Though the Bharatiya Janata Party government, which came to power in February 2025, revived the project through a fresh Cabinet decision, subsequent changes to the plan led to further delays. Published - August 31, 2026 12:14 am IST
