Corporation to procure 1,600 battery vehicles for garbage collection

CHENNAI: Days after handing over conservancy works in eight city zones to a private joint venture, the Greater Chennai Corporation has decided to procure more than 1,600 battery operated tricycles for door-to-door garbage collection in the remaining zones.

According to a Corporation official, 1,680 battery operated vehicles would be procured at a cost of around Rs 37 crore. In 2018, the civic body had spent around Rs 7.40 crore to buy 411 battery operated vehicles that have been put in to use in several zones.

“The decision to use battery operated vehicles was taken to improve the efficiency of the door-to-door garbage collection. These vehicles would reduce the manual effort of conservancy workers and also save time,” the official said, adding that the tender for procuring 1,680 vehicles has been floated.

When asked about the rationale behind procuring new battery vehicles at a time when conservancy works in 11 of the 15 zones were privatised, the official said the civic body would continue conservancy works in Tondiarpet, Royapuram, Thiru Vi Ka Nagar and Anna Nagar.

“The Corporation has already decided to convert all the tricycles into battery operated vehicles. The new vehicles will be used in the four zones where the workers from the Corporation are undertaking conservancy works,” he said.

The private joint venture between Spanish firm Urbesar and Sumeet has been entrusted with conservancy works at Teynampet,

Kodambakkam, Adyar, Valasaravakkam, Alandur, Perungudi and Sholinganallur, where the operations commenced on October 1. Meanwhile, negotiation is under way with another private firm which would take over the work at Tiruvottiyur, Manali, Madhavaram and Ambattur zones.

Apart from spending its own money to purchase the new vehicles, the civic body had also received battery operated vehicles from corporate firms under corporate social responsibility funds.