123Pune.com

Pune, April 16: The 6,000-odd class IV conservancy staff of the Pune Municipal Corporation is in a tizzy over the civic body’s move to bring in machines to clean 61 roads in the city.

A total of 129.48 km encompassing Ambedkar, Prabhat, Paud, Bibvewadi-Kondhwa, Baner, Shastri, Saswad, Karve, Jungli Maharaj, Dhole-Patil, Kalyaninagar, Shankarsheth, Senapati Bapat, Fatimanagar, University, Bhau-Patil, Airport, Tingrenagar and GPO roads have been identified for the mechanical cleaning.

A machine, provided by city-based Sumeet facilities Pvt Ltd for the next five years at the cost of Rs 2.3 crore, will clean a 20-km stretch between 11 pm and 7 am daily once the tender is approved.

The PMC workers’ union has decided to hold demonstrations on Tuesday when the standing committee is scheduled to approve the contract.

Union leader Mukta Manohar said, “Mechanical sweeping will not provide relief to the conservancy staff. If the PMC wants to clean the roads in better way, then the workers should be told to work in two shifts,” she said. Manohar said the union had been demanding handgloves and masks which were not provided.

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