The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) Standing Committee has approved a Rs. 9.24 bn project to deploy 70 mechanical road sweeping machines across the capital for 10 years. The decision was taken at a meeting chaired by committee chairperson Satya Sharma on Friday. Smaller sweepers under the project will operate on electricity, while larger machines will use either electricity or compressed natural gas (CNG). The agencies awarded the contracts will supply, operate and maintain the equipment throughout the contract period. The project has been divided into three packages covering 29, 28 and 13 machines. Lion Services has received the 29-machine package at a cost of Rs. 3.7 bn. The GA Infra-VN Engineering consortium will operate 28 machines under a Rs. 3.69 bn package, while JS Enviro Services has secured the third package for 13 machines at Rs. 1.85 bn. The report does not identify the roads or zones where the machines will be deployed or provide a start date. The committee also approved a barrier-free toll collection system at 126 entry points into Delhi. The existing Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) system will be upgraded to Multi-Lane Free Flow technology, using RFID and Automatic Number Plate Recognition to collect road tax and Environment Compensation Charge from commercial vehicles without requiring them to stop. The project will run for six years, including six months for implementation. The committee directed officials to begin recruitment for 1,066 vacant Public Health Department posts, including 14 Anti-Malaria Officers, 105 Malaria Inspectors, 398 Assistant Malaria Inspectors and 549 multi-tasking staff positions. Sharma sought immediate action and said contractual appointments could be considered if regular recruitment takes longer. She also ordered surprise inspections by zonal deputy commissioners and directed officials to equip at least one park in every ward with a rainwater harvesting system. The report does not provide a completion deadline or details of existing installations.