New Delhi: Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) Tuesday began trial operations of vacuum-based, battery-operated litter picker machines in eight wards of Keshavpuram zone, marking another step towards strengthening the city’s cleanliness and waste-management efforts.The machines were inaugurated by chief minister Rekha Gupta on Oct 17. MCD plans to deploy 1,000 such machines across Delhi, with four machines allotted to each of the city’s 250 wards.“These machines are equipped with a suction hose that collects litter such as plastic bottles, paper cups, wrappers, leaves and other light waste. The machines are designed to facilitate efficient cleaning of markets, public spaces, narrow lanes and busy commercial areas, particularly locations that are difficult to access with large mechanised road-sweeping machines,” officials said.The civic body said the trial operation is aimed at familiarising sanitation staff with the efficient use of the machines in markets, high-footfall areas and congested locations.Officials said the machines would supplement existing cleanliness drives by improving litter collection and helping sanitation workers clean areas that are difficult to reach through conventional mechanised equipment.
