CHENNAI: Mayor R Priya launched e-mechanical sweeping machines and battery operated vehicles to keep the city clean and hygienic.

On Friday, the Mayor flagged off 40 battery operated vehicles (BOV) and 12 e-mechanical sweepers to collect and transport solid waste generated daily within zone 5 (Royapuram) and zone 6 (Thiru Vi Ka Nagar).

These two zones were recently given to a private player, Chennai Enviro Solutions Private Limited, to undertake the handling of solid waste management. According to the tender, Chennai Enviro is instructed to collect segregated solid waste, sweep the streets, clean roads, collect and transport silt from drains and canals, disaster waste, and horticulture wastes and also store domestic hazardous waste.

The GCC said that the initiative to hand over two more zones to a private player was to “create and maintain an effective infrastructure for collection, segregation and transportation of solid waste management”.

To upkeep and maintain the solid waste management, the local body has already provided 1,306 BOV three-wheelers, 12 e-mechanical sweeping machines, 6 refuse compactors, horticultural removal machines and several other facilities for zones 5 and 6.