KARACHI, Feb 10: After a lapse of about half a century, sweeping and washing of the major city roads is being started by the city government by using imported mechanized sweepers fitted with water sprinklers and brushes.

Sindh Governor Dr Ishartul Ibad will inaugurate the mechanized sweeping of the city roads at a ceremony Feb 11 at Bara Dari, Bagh Quaid-i-Azam.

On directives of City Nazim Mustafa Kamal, the city government had invited tenders for purchase of 30 mechanized sweepers (machines). The total cost of the project is Rs57 million.

The machines including mechanical sweepers and tractors with toeing draw bands imported from Turkey will be used for sweeping and collecting dirt, sand, pebbles and leaves etc.

These machines will sweep roads along with water sprinkler on the brushes. These machines have the additional feature of high pressure 40 bars water pumps, that enables these machines to help wash trees and plants along major roads.

At initial stage, mechanized sweeping of about 200 kilometres of major roads will be undertaken daily in the city having more than 15 million population and spread over an area of 400 kilometres.—PPI