This monsoon, Dhanbad Municipal Corporation (DMC) is ready to fight vector menace, even in the narrow bylanes.

After a year-long wait, the civic body last week procured 12 motorcycle mounted fogging machines, each worth around Rs 1.31 lakh, and is planning to buy 12 more.

Dhanbad mayor Chandrashekhar Agarwal, under whose guidance a test drive of two machines was held on Thursday around 5.30pm, said they were more agile compared to those on trucks. DMC already possesses two large and two medium size truck mounted fogging machines.

"They're not only cost-effective but bike-mounted fogging machines can reach nooks and crannies," the mayor said.

He added that they were at present busy preparing for Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Swachh Bharat Abhiyan review, scheduled on Saturday through videoconferencing. "We will streamline the fogging work after that and prepare a schedule for fumigation in all 55 wards. The fogging will be held everyday from 4pm to 6pm throughout monsoon, except during rain when fumigation won't help."

City manager (sanitation) Vijay Kumar said he came to know about the motorcycle mounted fogging machines during a month-long training in XLRI, Jamshedpur, last year. "During the training, we were taught to fabricate such motorcycle mounted fogging machines. After coming back, I showed a video, prepared by us at XLRI, during a meeting of the tender committee of DMC. Impressed, the committee agreed to issue a tender for purchasing 12 bike-mounted machines. But, we had to cancel the first tender and issue a second as the agency selected after the technical bid withdrew during financial bid. The consignment was delivered recently," he said.