SDMC reels under severe shortage of tactical vehicle drivers across four zones

New Delhi: Starting from Jet Spray vehicles and JCB machines to water tankers and garbage collection vans — South Delhi is heavily reliant on the people who operate and drive these vehicles to keep their neighbourhoods clean and pollution-free.

Significantly, the two disastrous waves of the Covid-19 pandemic have now led to a serious shortage in the number of such drivers the South Delhi Municipal Corporation has at its disposal with the civic body delaying filling the positions for several months now. According to the administration, this shortage of drivers was caused by people retiring or passing away during Covid-19.

SDMC approximately has 150 tactical vehicles such as Jet Sprays, JCBs, Water Tankers, Garbage Collectors, etc. across 4 zones but 40 of them have had no driver in the last few months, rendering them purposeless. The vehicles are necessary for keeping the South Delhi area clean and also help combat pollution.

Poonam Bhati, Standing Committee Deputy Chairperson, addressed the matter again on Tuesday, asking the administration as to why no action had been taken yet and by when will the drivers be deployed. She mentioned that the central zone needs to hire at least 20 drivers in order to operate the vehicles.

The issue was previously brought up in front of the Standing Committee in September and councillors were told that the civic body will look into it and provide drivers soon, but even after a month, the matter has not been resolved.

The administration responded that the necessary vendors have been informed, and the drivers should be employed in the next 15-20 days. Standing Committee Chairman Col BK Oberoi said, "Drivers will soon be available, the vendors have been informed and they are already

acting on the issue. The matter was overlooked due to the lack of funds and other financial concerns."

Meanwhile, Prem Chauhan, Leader of the Opposition in SDMC, has insisted that the south civic body actually needs more than 125 tactical vehicle drivers but are now only choosing to hire 40. "Their focus is on completely different things right now and not on bettering the corporation," he told Millennium Post.

Col Oberoi said, "We do not need the same amount of drivers as vehicles, certain vehicles only operate during certain times, such as the water tanker which is needed to help combat pollution, therefore, 40 drivers is necessary only."