MCD to hire 1,066 staff for mosquito control; clears Rs 923.6 crore for road-sweeping project

The Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) has approved the recruitment of 1,066 contractual employees to strengthen its efforts to prevent mosquito-borne diseases, including dengue and malaria. The civic body has also cleared a Rs 923.6-crore project to deploy 70 mechanical road-sweeping machines across the city.

The MCD's standing committee approved both proposals on Friday to address staff shortages in its public health department and improve road cleaning, according to a report by The Times of India.

Also Read: Delhi-NCR pollution: CAQM orders construction ban, 50% work-from-home from November 5 to 20


The proposed recruitment is aimed at filling vacancies in posts responsible for monitoring mosquito breeding sites, carrying out anti-larval operations, fogging and inspecting vulnerable areas.

The public health department currently has 1,066 vacant positions. These include 14 anti-malaria officers, 105 malaria inspectors, 398 assistant malaria inspectors and 549 multi-tasking staff (MTS) in the public health department.

Standing committee chairperson Satya Sharma said the department plays an important role in preventing and controlling infectious and vector-borne diseases. “Making regular field inspections, surveillance, larval testing and public awareness campaigns essential to control mosquito-borne diseases,” she said.

Also Read: India urges UN to advance human rights through dialogue, cautions against political bias

Separately, the standing committee approved Rs 923.6 crore for deploying 70 mechanical road-sweeping machines over the next 10 years. The initiative is intended to reduce dust accumulation on roads and curb particulate pollution caused by vehicular movement.

The project has been divided into three packages. Work involving 29 machines under the first package has already been awarded to an agency for Rs 369.5 crore. The second package, covering 28 machines, has been approved at Rs 368.8 crore, while the third package for 13 machines has received approval at Rs 185.2 crore.

Smaller-capacity sweeping machines will operate on electricity, while larger machines will have the option of running on either electricity or compressed natural gas (CNG).

In another decision, Sharma directed officials to develop rainwater harvesting facilities in at least one park in each of the MCD's 250 wards, in addition to existing operational facilities.

The committee also raised concerns over roads being dug up by multiple agencies without adequate permission or coordination.

(With inputs from TOI)