Tk30cr road sweepers prove ineffective, burdening city corporations

In a bid to modernise urban cleaning, the Ministry of Local Government, Rural Development, and Co-operatives (LGRD) handed over 20 road sweepers worth Tk30 crores to 12 city corporations in September 2020. However, these road sweepers have now become an added burden for city corporations.

Officials and experts have criticised the procurement process, highlighting that the sweepers are unsuitable for local conditions and are proving inefficient.

City corporations have reported that the machines fail to clean the roads properly, instead spreading dust and sand into the air. Additionally, the vehicles consume large amounts of fuel, further raising concerns over the high operational costs.

According to the city corporations, most of the road sweepers are inconvenient to use and underutilised. They argue that the manual cleaning system remains more cost-effective and efficient than the mechanical sweepers.

Imported from Italy, each vehicle cost around Tk1.5 crores, with the LGRD ministry explaining that the high price was due to the advanced Japanese technology used in the vehicles.

At an inaugural event on 30 September 2020, the then-LGRD minister Md Tajul Islam distributed the 20 road sweepers to the 12 city corporations. Dhaka North, Dhaka South, and Chittagong City Corporations each received three sweepers, while Narayanganj and Gazipur City Corporations each received two. The remaining city corporations received one sweeper each.

According to officials, each vehicle is capable of cleaning about 12km of road a day. However, workers in charge of the vehicles claim that the number of sweepers is insufficient to manage the daily accumulation of dust on the roads. Moreover, the combination of dust and garbage on the streets renders the machines ineffective after a short period of use.

A Local Government Division official, speaking anonymously, told The Business Standard, "During the previous government's tenure, such equipment was bought to facilitate large-scale corruption. These projects were carried out without proper feasibility studies, and equipment was imported from various countries at two to three times the actual price.

"It's clear that the road sweepers' machinery is not suitable for Bangladesh's climate and environment, yet public funds were wasted on them."

Mahbuba Ireen, deputy secretary of the Local Government Division (city corporation-1), said, "I wasn't in this division in 2020. Road sweepers are purchased every year. I don't know if they are working or not. I'll need to check and inform you later."

She added, "Before buying such equipment, proper checks and evaluations should be done. I don't think they were meant to be unusable."

City officials express frustration

The six vacuum road sweepers provided by the LGRD ministry to the Dhaka North and Dhaka South City Corporations have become a waste for these corporations.

A recent visit by a TBS reporter to the car workshops of the two city corporations showed that the modern road sweepers were left unused, filled with dust.

Employees inspecting the vehicles at the workshops said that the vehicles were initially used but began to cause problems after only a few days. The vacuum pipes of the vehicles could not handle heavy dirt, leading to clogs after just five minutes of use. This resulted in a gradual reduction in the vehicles' usage.

Fida Hasan, chief waste management officer of Dhaka North, told TBS, "The three road sweepers provided by the LGRD ministry are not working. They are completely unsuitable for our country's environment, and using them just causes road dust to mix with the air. These vehicles are more of a burden to us."

Mohammad Shafiullah Siddique Bhuiyan, supervising engineer of Dhaka South Waste Management Department, said, "These machines had technical problems from the start. They are not helping us effectively, so we no longer use them. It's faster and cheaper to have manual workers clean the streets."

Latiful Hoq Kazmi, chief conservancy officer of Chittagong City Corporation, said, "These machines are not very useful. Each vehicle consumes 7 litres of octane per hour, and their fuel usage is not cost-effective. That's why they remain unused."

Before 2020, Sylhet City Corporation had never used a road sweeper. When they received one from the LGRD ministry, they hoped it would simplify road cleaning. However, the machine quickly became troublesome.

Initially used on wide roads, it soon faced mechanical issues, requiring frequent part replacements. After a few months, the machine began blowing road dust into the air instead of cleaning it, and fuel consumption increased over time.

Mohammad Eklim Abdeen, chief waste management officer of Sylhet City Corporation, said, "Now, we only use this machine a few times a year. It works well in winter, but instead of cleaning, it spreads dust in the air. We don't have roads that are suitable for this machine. It's designed for cold countries and can't handle excess waste."

Md Mainuddin Chisty, executive engineer of Cumilla City Corporation, said, "We used it at first, but there are no suitable roads in Cumilla. To use this machine, we would need to develop the roads like those in developed countries. During the monsoon, it's impossible to take the vehicle out."

Md Abdul Aziz, superintending engineer (mechanical) of Khulna City Corporation, said, "We don't use this vehicle regularly. We only use it to clean the main roads at night on special occasions or when senior government officials visit Khulna. However, we mostly use it to spray water instead of sweeping. This machine is not suitable for our roads because they are not smooth."

Md Arifur Rahman, chief waste management officer of Mymensingh City Corporation, said, "Using this machine, which costs crores of taka, only results in complaints. When it's used, dust is blown into the air. That's why we only use it on special days at night. It is not suitable for use in our city corporation."

Although the LGRD ministry announced that road sweepers would be provided to all city corporations, Barishal City Corporation has not received one yet.

Md Yusuf Ali, assistant conservancy officer of Barishal City Corporation, told TBS, "We have not received any road sweeper from the LGRD ministry. In 2020, we were informed that Barishal City Corporation would receive one of the sweepers allocated to city corporations, but we still have not received it." The official added that an old road sweeper is used occasionally.

What experts say

Urban planners and experts have criticised the Awami League regime for prioritising their own interests when purchasing mechanical equipment, often opting for expensive foreign imports that benefit those involved financially.

Ahmad Kamruzzaman Majumder, chairman of the Center for Atmospheric Pollution Studies, told TBS, "Whenever we make recommendations on air pollution or other issues, we see that various ministries and agencies take up projects and purchase machinery or vehicles without proper evaluation. This results in the waste of public funds, and those involved in the process exploit the situation. Ultimately, no real solutions are achieved.

"The purchase of road sweepers is one such example. The machines bought did not help control pollution. When purchasing such equipment, it is important to consider what is suitable for Bangladesh's conditions."

Adil Mohammed Khan, president of the Bangladesh Institute of Planners, told TBS, "Any initiative by government agencies should be cost-effective and appropriate for Bangladesh's needs. The previous Awami League government misused funds through unnecessary and ineffective projects.

"We need to focus on solutions using domestic technology, rather than relying on imported machinery. Additionally, the government must ensure sustainable solutions in these changing times."