MUMBAI, May 13: After ten years of service, despite stiff labour union opposition, the two mechanical sweepers bought by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) in 1984 are being converted into dumpers.

However, BMC has decided not to buy any more of such labour-saving devices. With the inclusion of these two dumpers, the total number of dumpers with the Solid Waste Management (SWM) department for the western suburbs will go up to 16.

Officials at the Central Workshop of the SWM department in Santacruz are busy preparing a proposal to convert the mechanical sweepers into dumpers.

Earlier in March this year, in a letter to the Standing Committee, the municipal commissioner had remarked that a decision had been taken to convert the mechanical sweepers into water tankers. The BMC obviously has changed it mind. The commissioner was answering a question addressed to him in 1993 by the late BJP corporator, Ramdas Nayak, where the latter had urged the civic body to purchase more such machines. The commissioner, while admitting that increased mechanisation was necessary for cleaning the city, had added that mechanical sweepers were uneconomical.

One of these machines was obtained from Kirloskar Oil Engines Ltd, while the other was imported. With the stiff opposition to its use, especially in the city limits, the vehicles were shifted to the western suburbs.

``Eventually, the machines wore off, and it became difficult to get spare parts for them,'' said a official attached to the Santacruz workshop. Though one of the vehicles is indigenously made, the sweeping unit in both the vehicles are imported.

BMC will soon call quotations for building load bodies of these vehicles. ``The load body alongwith a tipping facility will be fitted to the vehicles,'' he added. While a new dumper costs Rs 4.5 to Rs 5 lakh, the load bodies would cost around Rs 80,000.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.