Pune Municipal Corporation to Receive 13 Jetting Machines from Maharashtra Government for Drainage Cleaning

Pune, 1st March 2025: The Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) is set to receive 13 jetting machines from the Maharashtra State Government for cleaning underground drainage lines within the city limits. The Standing Committee of PMC approved a tender worth Rs 95.04 crore for these machines during a meeting on Thursday (27th February).

The machines will be provided to PMC for a period of seven years, with the cost to be paid in equal installments over this duration. This move is part of a state-wide initiative to improve drainage cleaning in major municipal corporations using mechanical methods and to ensure the health and safety of workers involved in the cleaning process.

PMC had initially requested 8 high-capacity machines (18.5 ton capacity) and 5 medium-capacity machines (7-8 ton capacity) to clean approximately 2,515 kilometers of underground drainage lines and 1,42,463 chambers in the city. The state government approved this request after conducting a detailed study.

The approval of this proposal has sparked discussions within the PMC about the state government’s increasing involvement in municipal affairs, particularly in drainage maintenance. Some officials have raised questions about the long-term implications of this arrangement, including whether the machines will remain with PMC after the seven-year period and if additional bills will be charged for the cleaning work done by these machines.

It’s worth noting that PMC’s Motor Vehicles Department had previously purchased a jetting machine, which has been non-operational for the past two years. The Standing Committee has recently approved a tender of Rs 46 lakh for its repair and maintenance. Additionally, PMC currently hires six machines on a rental basis for drainage cleaning, paying for work on a per-job basis.