Some arterial roads of the city got a taste of Europe style cleaning on Saturday afternoon.
A clean up was carried out in the state capital with a vacuum sweeper machine on - a trial run for the many high-tech road clean ups to be carried out in the future. The device was seen cleaning Bailey Road, Airport Road and Circular Road among others.
The urban development and housing department is soon going to procure few such trucks for regular vacuum cleaning of the city streets. Department minister Maheshwar Hazari told The Telegraph on Sunday that few such machines would soon be brought for Patna Municipal Corporation.
"We are aware of the air pollution caused by dust particles and associated health hazards. Accordingly, officials suggested going for vacuum cleaning of streets for better results. A successful trial was held on Saturday and we are likely to take a decision on getting such vehicles within a week or two," said Hazari.
The vacuum sweeping machine seen in Patna on Saturday was brought from Biharsharif, which is on the list of the 100 cities under Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Smart City scheme. Patna however, could not make it to the list, which envisages development of each city utilising funds to the tune of Rs 100 crores, over a period of five years.
Bhagalpur and Muzaffarpur are the two other aspiring smart cities from Bihar.
Biharsharif Municipal Corporation procured the vacuum sweeping machine from Ludhiana-based Pyara Singh & Sons about a month ago.
Deliberating on the working of the machine, Harjit Singh, marketing head at the firm, said: "The sweeping brushes fitted underneath the trucks comprise special metallic bristles and suction nozzles. Besides, there are multi-bladed vacuum fans to ensure sufficient vacuum power. The machine has a suction capacity of 3 to 6 tonnes. This makes it possible to suck in maximum dust and rubble from roads."
Harjit further said truck-mounted vacuum sweeping machines, manufactured by their firm, are already being used in Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Rajasthan and Maharashtra among others. "The cost of the machines vary in the range of Rs 50 to 60 lakh or even more, depending upon variations in the specifications," said Harjit.
Bihar State Pollution Control Board has, through a state government advisory, recently recommended regular sweeping of Patna roads. The move was initiated over the alarming level of air pollution in the city.
The board in its advisory issued on December 14, last year, stated that the air quality index (AQI) of Patna crossed the 400 mark in November and December, breaking all its past records. AQI is an assessment of air quality, taking into account eight pollutants - PM2.5 (particulate matter less than 10 micron), PM10 (particulate matter less than 10 micron), nitrogen oxides, sulphur dioxide, ozone, carbon monoxide, ammonia and lead.
The annual average of PM10, which is also called respiratory suspended particulate matter, in Patna in 2014-15, was more than three times the national limit. Against the prescribed standard of 60 microgram per cubic meter, the corresponding actual annual average of PM10 stood at 185.85 microgram per cubic meter in the city.
PM10 invades the lungs and triggers respiratory diseases and even cancer.
Patna mayor Afzal Imam welcomed the initiative.
"A2Z Infrastructure Private Limited, which looked after solid waste management in 2010-11, had a road vacuum sweeper machine, which they took it away after withdrawing their services in July, 2011. We would be glad if such machines are brought again," he said.
Health experts hailed vacuum sweeping of the city roads.
"Particulate matter of more than 10 microns gets filtered in the nasal cavity but finer particles reach the lung and cause damage to the respiratory system. Common ailments caused by high level of air pollution include chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, allergic reaction to lungs, bronchitis, sinus blockage and asthma among others.," said Diwakar Tejaswi, a physician in the city.
World Health Organisation had classified pollutants, such as PM10 and PM2.5, as carcinogenic (cancer causing agents) in October 2013.
