PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
The Municipal Corporation of Dehradun (MCD) is carrying out road sweeping machine services on five key routes in the capital, aiming to improve urban sanitation and minimise traffic disruption. The cleaning operation is primarily being conducted at night between 11 PM and 6 AM.
Deputy municipal commissioner Tanvir Singh Marwah said these routes include several of Dehradun’s busiest arterial corridors such as Darshanlal Chowk to ISBT via Saharanpur Chowk, Clock Tower to Niranjanpur Mandi, Sahastradhara Road to Behel Chowk and Buddha Chowk to Indresh Hospital via EC Road and Rispana bridge. The routes were selected based on traffic density and sanitation requirements. Two road sweeping machines of the MCD are used in the operations.
Marwah said the initiative has been operational for about a month and initial public feedback from some areas has been encouraging. However, he cautioned that it is too soon to draw firm conclusions. “We are collecting feedback, but the service needs more time before any evaluation,” he said. He added that sweeping operations from Ghanta Ghar toward major junctions are running smoothly and have not affected emergency movement. Morning cleaning on main roads is being carried out as scheduled, though some interior and residential areas still require improvement.
Marwah said there is no added pressure on the existing workforce and routine monitoring is ongoing to ensure efficiency. The corporation plans to observe the performance of the sweeping machines over the next four to five months before making any decisions on expansion. If the initial phase proves effective, the service will be gradually extended to additional routes, factoring in public feedback and on-ground assessments.
