GPS trackers damaged in 83 of LMC’s 170 garbage trucks

LUCKNOW : Fuel sensors and GPS-enabled trackers installed in trash trucks to keep a check on fuel leakage and pilferage have been damaged in 83 of the 170 vehicles of the Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) that ferry around 2,000 tonnes of solid waste every day to the Shivri landfill site. This has been done either by drivers or officials interested in oil theft, said insiders.

Petrol is still being issued to the vehicles that have not hit the roads for the last few months and LMC is losing around ₹10 crore annually due to the alleged fuel theft, they said.

Civic staff is also allegedly having diesel issued for pumps to flush out flood water from some areas (all this on paper despite the rainy season being over). Around 70 litres diesel is being given daily for Tikait Rai pumping station of Zone 6, said those aware of the issue.

Leader of opposition in LMC House Sayyed Yawar said, “Due to the failure of measures to stop oil theft, the annual expenditure of petrol and diesel in the LMC has reached ₹50 crore. Anomalies have come to fore during surprise inspection, audit and checking of bill payments. But there is no improvement in the situation.”

He added, “Employees involved in oil pilferage have damaged the GPS-enabled vehicle tracking system (VTS). Those involved in diesel theft had even threatened engineers who installed the VTS in the vehicles.” Additional municipal commissioner Pankaj Singh said, “The LMC is introducing Radio Frequency Identification Device system to prevent oil theft. Action will be taken against employees found guilty of oil theft in the earlier investigation. Vehicles with damaged VTS will not be issued fuel unless the system is restored.”