Sat Nov 16 13:11:47 IST 2024: ## Bengaluru to Combat Dust with 86 Mini-Sweepers
**Bengaluru, November 16, 2024** – The Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) is tackling the city’s persistent dust problem with the purchase of 86 small, battery-operated mechanical sweepers. These compact machines, smaller than an autorickshaw, will target narrow streets in congested market areas and commercial hubs where larger sweepers cannot reach.
Currently, the BBMP utilizes 25 larger, truck-sized sweepers primarily on main roads at night. However, these are unsuitable for the densely packed lanes of areas like Old Pete and Shivajinagar, where dust pollution is a significant concern.
Funding for the ₹5.8 crore project comes from the 15th Finance Commission Grants, with the state government approving the purchase of sweepers with a capacity of less than two cubic meters. The smaller, electric sweepers are expected to be deployed by next summer, with a four-month delivery timeframe following the awarding of tenders.
A senior official from Bengaluru Solid Waste Management Ltd (BSWML) emphasized the machines’ utility in tackling dust build-up during summer months or periods of civic work. Sajjan Raj Mehta, a Chickpet shopkeeper and trade activist, welcomed the initiative, expressing hope for deployment in even the narrowest lanes of the Pete area to significantly reduce dust pollution.
First Piper 