NEW DELHI: The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) is set to develop a standard operating procedure (SOP) to enhance the cleanliness of roads and public spaces, emphasising on the use of pressure-jet water cleaning and mechanised sweeping in the Lutyens’ area. NDMC chairman Manoj Kumar Dwivedi said on Friday that pressure-jet water cleaning was already being undertaken and would be integrated with other cleaning measures before being institutionalised through an SOP.
Six mechanised road sweeping machines have already been deployed, he said, with plans to add more soon. He highlighted the importance of maintaining a consistent water supply for these machines to effectively control dust while they sweep the roads.
On a social media post on X, he said, “We will integrate it with other things and make an SOP for best cleaning and dust/ dirt removal. Then we will institutionalise it.” He acknowledged that dust on the roads is linked to issues with road conditions and the maintenance of green spaces alongside the roads. Some of these issues are “legacy problems” that will take time to resolve, he noted.
The chairman also indicated that the NDMC is considering ‘reengineering’ measures to address these challenges and emphasised that international standards will be followed in the construction of new roads. He announced that wearing fluorescent safety jackets will be made mandatory for all ground staff. The jackets are aimed to make the workers more visible to the public, while fluorescent strips would enhance their safety during nighttime work.
Mayor Pravesh Wahi inspected the Bhalswa landfill site on Saturday and reviewed the ongoing biomining operations. He directed officials to complete the waste disposal work at the site within the stipulated timeframe and said that additional machines should be deployed to accelerate the bio-mining process.