Around two weeks ago when the Kathmandu Metropolitan City brought its five new Italian broomer machines Dulevo-6000 into operation, it announced five different routes where the machines would be deployed to clean the city roads. But the machines have reached only a few VVIP road sections so far, neglecting other areas of the Valley.   

Mayor Bidya Sundar Shakya, Deputy Mayor Hari Prabha Khadgi, Chief Executive Officer at the metropolis Yadav Prasad Koirala, and former Chief Executive of the metropolis Eshor Raj Paudel on March 27 jointly announced the operation of the machines, and vowed to work for a cleaner Kathmandu. But things on the ground are different from the claims made by the officials.

“We saw pictures and videos of the broomer machines on social media and read about the metropolis’s announcement for their operation. It was as though the officials were launching a rocket to the moon,” said Laxmi Narayan Khadgi, 45, who runs Laxmi Bakery in Mitranagar, Chabahil. “But we have yet to see the machines cleaning the roads in our area.”

When the Post visited Mitranagar earlier this week, the road was dusty, and it was almost impossible to walk without wearing a mask. Almost 100 metres of the road section in Mitranagar was missing its asphalts from the installation of pipelines under the Melamchi Drinking Water Project.

The metropolis had assigned the Mitranagar-Purano Baneshwor-Sinamangal-Tribhuvan International Airport-Chabahil-Boudha road section under the fourth route, but no broomer machines have been deployed in the area, locals say.

“We had high hopes that the new broomer machines will give us some respite from the dust,” said Pradeep Upadhyay, 33, a sweets shop owner at Chabahil chowk. “The roads here are so dusty that we have to sprinkle water on them every 15 minutes. I guess these broomer machines are brought for the VVIP areas only.”

Meanwhile, when the Post visited Baluwatar, Maharajgung, Lazimpat, Durbar Marg and Kantipath last week, the roads were clean and dust-free, but the remaining road sections along Chuchepati, Bafal, Kalanki, Tinkune, Sinamangal, Old Baneshwor, Chabahil, Balaju, New Bus Park, Vanasthali and Sitapaila were covered in dust, as the machines didn’t reach those areas.

When the Post inquired why the metropolis has not operated the machines along the said routes, Spokesperson Ishwor Man Dangol said they were still training the drivers.

“Our machines will start cleaning other areas of the Valley soon,” said Dangol.    

The metropolis had announced to bring 10 broomer machines earlier in April 2017 to make Kathmandu a ‘mask-free city’, but it failed to do so at the time. Two years later, the metropolis has brought five broomer machines at a cost of Rs 108 million.