Bengaluru: The five city corporations are set to call for tenders to rent 46 mechanical sweeping machines under Greater Bengaluru Authority’s (GBA) Rs 613-crore sweeping initiative, with the rental period now extended to 10 years.The move comes after GBA issued orders, including detailed specifications for renting the machines along with pricing clarifications, to the five civic bodies to initiate the tendering process. According to the directive, RITES Ltd has prepared a detailed feasibility study and cost estimates for the sweeping machines, which the corporation commissioners were asked to examine, obtain govt approval for, and proceed with tenders. The order also notes that the earlier proposed rental period of seven years was extended to 10 years. As a result, the five corporations will collectively rent 46 mechanical sweeping machines for a decade, at an estimated cost of around Rs 610 crore. At present, no mechanical sweeping machines are operational in the city, leaving roads clogged with silt, dry leaves and debris, significantly contributing to dust pollution. The previous sweeping contract ended in early 2025 and was extended for a few months, but only a limited number of machines were deployed on the ground. Recently, tech professionals from the East zone carried out citizen-led silt removal drives near their neighbourhoods. On road stretches of less than 100 metres, they collected two tractor loads of silt in two such drives, highlighting the severity of the problem. The overall cost is estimated to cross Rs 600 crore over a decade, but officials said the RITES study justified the expenditure by projecting higher efficiency and tighter monitoring. The study recommended self-propelled sweepers capable of cleaning up to 10km per shift, compared to the earlier benchmark of 7km, while operating within similar fuel consumption levels. It also factored in a higher salvage value of 30% after seven years and limited annual operation and maintenance costs to around 5%.To address concerns over poor utilisation of earlier sweeping equipment, the RITES study recommended mandatory GPS and camera installations on all mechanical sweepers, with real-time monitoring through a centrally-controlled management system (CCMS). Maheshwar Rao, chief commissioner, GBA, told TOI: “Our priority is to ensure that dust and silt are removed from roads so that citizens’ health is not affected. Hence, we want to procure sweeping machines at the earliest. We have shared the study report which govt sought us to do, and the corporation commissioners can now study it and begin the tendering process. There is no rule requiring them to strictly follow the model or pricing suggested through the study. They are free to make any changes they deem necessary.” 46 machines for 5 corporations Officials said the allocation broadly reflects the length of arterial roads and traffic density across zonesZone – No. of machines – Estimated cost over 10 years (in Rs cr)East – 11 – Rs 146.6 croreWest – 10 – Rs 133.3 crore North – 10 – Rs 133.3 croreCentral – 7 – Rs 93.3 croreSouth – 8 – Rs 106.6 crore *Cost rounded off
