BMC to buy 37 machines to clean sewers

16 Feb 2021 Editorial Team

The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) is set to buy 37 high-tech machines to stop human involvement in sewage cleaning in manholes.

According to the BMC, there are 3.5 lakh manholes across Mumbai. Although manual scavenging is banned, human involvement is required in some manholes that are inaccessible to machines.

While 24 machines will enable cleaning sewers in compact pipes or narrow lanes with a 300 mm diameter, seven quick response machines for cleaning up quickly in case of urgent calls like a choke up, three 600 mm high capacity main sewer cleaning machines and three others for silt and sludge dewatering that will be used for cleaning septic tanks, will be purchased, a BMC official told the media.

Make in Steel 2021

24 February

Click for event info

4th Indian Cement Review Conference 2021

17-18 March

Click for event info

The BMC will spend more than Rs 160 crore to buy these machines. This year, the civic body has prepared an estimated budget of Rs 275 crore for laying and widening of sewer lines. The BMC has also kept aside Rs 2,000 crore for the upgradation of existing Sewage Treatment Plants (STP).

The BMC will require Rs 15,000 crore for reconstruction and upgradation of seven STPs, including Malad, Bhandup, Versova, Ghatkopar, Bandra, Dharavi, and Worli. These STPs will have a 50% sewage treating capacity collected at tertiary level, which can later be reused for non-potable purposes.

Image: Many conservancy workers have lost their lives due to inhalation of toxic gases from the sewage.

Also read: Mechanised scavenging to be made mandatory

Infrastructure Transport

17 Sep 2025

Adani wins Kedarnath ropeway project to cut trek to 36 minutes

Adani Enterprises Ltd (AEL) has secured the contract to build a 12.9-km ropeway connecting Sonprayag with Kedarnath, a project expected to transform the pilgrimage experience. Awarded by National Highways Logistics Management Ltd (NHLML), the project will be executed under the National Ropeways Development Programme – Parvatmala Pariyojana.Currently, pilgrims undertake a gruelling nine-hour trek to Kedarnath. The ropeway will reduce this journey to just 36 minutes and can transport 1,800 passengers per hour in each direction, serving the nearly 20 lakh devotees who visit annually.The Rs 25,0..

Gurugram Rapid Metro to shift from DMRC to GMRL control

The Haryana Mass Rapid Transport Corporation Limited (HMRTC) has begun the process of transferring Gurugram’s Rapid Metro operations from the Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) to Gurugram Metro Rail Limited (GMRL). The decision was taken at HMRTC’s 62nd Board meeting, chaired by chief secretary Anurag Rastogi.Committees have been formed to oversee the transition, covering technical, legal, and operational aspects, with definitive timelines being prepared. Until the transfer is complete, the system will be managed jointly by DMRC and GMRL.The Rapid Metro has shown notable performance impr..

Chandigarh Metro cost climbs to Rs 25,000 crore amid delays

The long-awaited Chandigarh Tricity Metro project has seen its estimated cost balloon to nearly Rs 25,000 crore, following delays in approvals by the Union Territory administration. The cost, which stood at Rs 23,263 crore in February 2025, has risen by Rs 1,737 crore in just seven months, according to officials.The matter was raised during the transport standing committee meeting of the Administrator’s Advisory Council, chaired by AAP state president Vijay Pal. A presentation by Rail India Technical and Economic Service (RITES) strongly recommended that the Metro is the most suitable mass r..