Stench from garbage would soon be a thing of the past.

Patna Municipal Corporation (PMC) has invited three shortlisted firms for supplying over 2,000 equipment under the Patna solid waste management project, the execution of which has been delayed by seven years.

The firms have been asked to enter into respective agreements within 10 days. PMC has procured two vehicle-mounted fogging machines, signalling slight respite from the dengue menace.

The move came following repeated prodding by the urban development and housing department to return of funds for the project owing to non-utilisation. Department secretary B. Rajender, in a letter dated November 11, to municipal commissioner Kuldip Narayan had sought return of Rs 23.1 crore for the project with interest. The letter stated that the department, through two earlier missives dated July 28 and September 29, had asked for the same.

On Wednesday, Narayan wrote a letter to department secretary B. Rajender, seeking guidelines on requirement of the PMC board’s approval on procurement of equipment through Bihar Urban Infrastructure Development Corporation.

On July 14, the PMC procurement committee had recommended purchase of 2,000 sanitation equipment, including 1,950 public bins, 21 compactors, four jetting and suction machines and 10 earthmovers.