In the coming months the civic body will phase out all the push carts it uses for collecting waste door-to-door. It will in turn use battery-powered and light commercial vehicles.

The Corporation at present uses over 1,000 push carts, the operators of which are expected to collect waste from around 150 houses. In reality, the operators cover fewer houses. And, not all the 1,000-odd are in workable condition, say the civic body sources.

The push cart operators, who collect the waste dump it in the nearest bin, from where the civic body uses lorries to transport the waste to either the nearest transit station or directly to the dump yard in Vellalore.

The use of battery-powered and light commercial vehicles will improve waste collection in the number of houses covered will increase – a battery-powered vehicle will cover 400 houses and a light commercial vehicle 1,200 houses.

It will also eliminate the need for bins on the streets as the vehicles will transport the waste directly to the nearest micro composting centre, where the Corporation will turn them into manure.

The sources also say that the transportation of waste to the nearest micro composting centres will also eliminate the need for transporting the waste to Vellalore – around 350 tonnes a day, which will help the civic body save fuel cost.

Under this arrangement, the civic body has estimated the number of battery-powered vehicles required at 455 and light commercial vehicles at 282. It has floated tenders and will award contract shortly.

The sources further say that though the civic body has not correctly assessed the fuel savings, it is expected to be huge.