As Mumbaikars continue to gasp for breath amid declining air quality and rising dust pollution, a new concern has surfaced. Are the vacuum-based vehicle-mounted litter-picker machines deployed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) to suck up roadside trash adding to pollution instead of reducing it? A mid-day reader from the eastern suburbs has shared a photograph showing one such machine emitting smoke and kicking up dust, raising questions about its environmental impact.
The poor air quality is driven by multiple factors, from ongoing infrastructure and construction activity to continuous roadwork across the city. In its Friday edition, mid-day highlighted concerns of Juhu and Santacruz residents white dust coating roads and trees due to the demolition of private buildings and construction work. Residents say that they have not seen any AQI (Air Quality Index) meters outside construction zones.
BMC workers use a litter-picker machine to suck up dust near Aarey Milk Colony in Goregaon East on April 26, 2020. FILE PIC/SATEJ SHINDE
They said they understand that development was necessary, but it should be done responsibly. After the article was published, Mulund resident and environmental engineer Chinmay Joshi shared a video of the BMC’s vehicle-mounted litter-picker machines at work.
The incident
Environmental engineer Chinmay Joshi said, “On Thursday morning, I spotted a litter-picker machine on the Eastern Express Highway near the Vikhroli-Kannamwar Nagar exit. I’ve seen it several times, and while the BMC introduced these machines to curb dust on highways and roads, they often seem to do the opposite, lifting dust from the road and releasing it into the air. With the city already battling poor air quality, this appears to be exacerbating the problem. The BMC should consult experts to assess whether these machines are actually effective, or if taxpayer money is being wasted on a system that may be causing more harm than good.”
Bhagwan Kesbhat, founder and CEO of NGO Waatavaran
In Joshi’s video, a worker is seen holding the suction pipe to collect dry leaves, but the pipe’s outlet appears to be releasing dust back into the air. The service road along the Eastern Express Highway is used by morning walkers, bikers, and motorists. In July 2024, mid-day revealed that the BMC had approved a proposal to procure 21 vehicle-mounted litter-picker machines. The civic body claimed the new machines will help collect litter from tougher, congested spaces that the human hand can`t reach.
Sunil Dahiya, founder and lead analyst at Envirocatalysts, a think tank that looks into air pollution, said that at a time when Mumbai is already struggling with hazardous levels of air pollution, using a vehicle that blows fine dust directly into the air is nothing short of a crime, especially if it is a systemic issue rather than a lapse on the part of this particular operator.
“This is not a minor lapse; it is a direct threat to public health. This machine should be trapping dust, not throwing it back at citizens. Without filtration, it acts as a moving pollution source, exposing everyone on the road to harmful particulate matter,” said Dahiya.
Sunil Dahiya, founder and lead analyst, Envirocatalysts
Bhagwan Kesbhat, founder and CEO of NGO Waatavaran, said, “If Mumbai is genuinely committed to achieving clean air, every decision we make must be viewed through the lens of emissions. This includes the way we plan transport, regulate industry, manage waste, and even how we conduct basic municipal services like road sweeping. Practices that reduce dust on the ground but release it into the air defeat the purpose of cleaning.”
Godfrey Pimenta from the Watchdog Foundation said, “Most BMC-owned vehicles do not comply with air pollution norms. Deploying diesel or poorly maintained vehicles that emit smoke may defeat the purpose of removing visible litter and waste on the streets by creating hazardous air pollution.”
How the machines work
In an earlier mid-day report, a solid waste management (SWM) official from the BMC had stated that these machines not only collect waste but also capture fine particulate matter up to 10 micrometres. According to the official, they are efficient and faster than humans and can clear debris from areas that are otherwise inaccessible to sanitation workers.
The SWM official also said these machines’ telescopically extendable hoses can suck both dry and wet waste, and are capable of segregating the two. It was also claimed that these machines can be used to clear garbage from community bins. Each unit has a storage capacity of 1.5 cubic metres and is deployed to collect dry waste from roads and open dumping spots.
Official Speak
Kiran Dighavkar, deputy municipal commissioner, solid waste management department, said, “The cleaning of the Eastern and Western Express Highways has been outsourced to a contractor who uses vehicle-mounted litter-picker machines to maintain the highway and service roads. These machines are not supposed to emit any dust or smoke. However, if residents feel that a particular machine is contributing to pollution, we will issue a notice to the contractor and take appropriate action. The contractor will also be instructed to immediately stop using any machine found to be causing dust emissions.”
