LUCKNOW, June 26 -- The Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) is set to transfer road sweeping responsibilities in five out of eight city zones to the same private firm that currently manages door-to-door waste collection in those areas. This transition, marking a structural change in the city's sanitation system, will bring approximately 1,200 contractual sanitation workers under the private agency's payroll.

The formalities are nearly complete, and a work order will be issued soon. Once implemented, the private firm will begin sweeping nearly 500 kilometres of main roads across the five zones using its vehicles and manpower, an LMC official said on Thursday.

According to officials, during a trial phase, the company deployed its fleet on...