Delhi to Deploy First Batch of 70 Mechanical Road Sweepers by October-November
Delhi is set to receive its first batch of 70 large mechanical road sweepers by October-November as part of an over ₹2,500-crore initiative to combat dust pollution across the city. The project is moving ahead after more than three-and-a-half years of procedural delays and missed deadlines.
A senior official confirmed that a private firm has been selected through a competitive tender process and a work order has been issued. The deployment of the 70 large sweeping machines is estimated to cost the government around ₹900 crore over the next 10 years.
While the Municipal Corporation of Delhi is executing the project on the ground, the entire funding is being provided by the Delhi government as grant-in-aid. None of the sweeping machines will be purchased directly; private contractors will supply both the equipment and the operating personnel.
In addition to the large road sweepers, the broader plan includes deploying 30 smaller mechanical sweepers and 250 water sprinkler machines integrated with anti-smog guns to suppress airborne dust. Anti-smog guns disperse a fine mist through high-pressure nozzles, forcing dust particles to settle. These additional components are currently awaiting approval from the Delhi Cabinet.
The government is also finalising a company to roll out 1,000 litter pickers to clean solid waste along roadsides. That proposal has already secured Cabinet clearance and is projected to cost approximately ₹1,400 crore across a 10-year period. The litter-picking units operate like large vacuum cleaners, using flexible hoses to collect roadside refuse without generating the dust typical of manual broom sweeping.
The overall scheme was initially announced in January 2023 under the previous Aam Aadmi Party administration with a target launch of April 2023. However, it faced repeated delays, including administrative tussles between the Delhi government and the civic body over fund routing and project scope, as well as the absence of an MCD Standing Committee. The Bharatiya Janata Party administration, which took office in February 2025, revived the initiative, though subsequent modifications pushed timelines further.
