GUNTUR: In a significant push to upgrade urban infrastructure, Education Minister N Lokesh, on Monday flagged off five advanced civic vehicles aimed at improving sanitation and road maintenance in the Mangalagiri-Tadepalli Municipal Corporation (MTMC) limits. The launch is part of Lokesh’s ambitious 100-day challenge to make Mangalagiri a pothole-free constituency.
The fleet, valued at Rs 4.4 crore, was dispatched from the minister’s residence in Undavalli.
It comprises two refuse compactor vehicles, two mechanical sweeping machines, and one pothole repair unit.
The compactors, each costing Rs 1.91 crore, are being introduced for the first time in AP, having previously operated in cities such as Bengaluru, Chennai, and Hyderabad. These vehicles will streamline garbage transportation from local collection autos and tractors to central dumping yards.
A Rs 1.48 crore pothole repair machine has been deployed to carry out real-time road patchwork, directly addressing a key civic concern. The mechanical sweepers, worth Rs 1.2 crore, are expected to enhance street cleanliness and overall sanitation standards. Lokesh urged officials to ensure timely, high-quality civic works. He stated that public complaints regarding potholes would be accepted via WhatsApp.