Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Adding feathers in its 'Swachh' hat, Indore launched 100 electric door-to-door garbage collection vehicles and 6 solar-powered water tankers, on Wednesday.
The e-vehicles were launched by the Indore Municipal Corporation to promote sustainability and make Indore 'future-ready'.
These new vehicles were flagged off from the Indore’s historic Rajwada in the presence of Cabinet Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya, Water Resources Minister Tulsiram Silawat, MP Shankar Lalwani, Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargav, BJP city president Sumit Mishra, MLA Mahendra Hardia, and other public representatives.
The event began with floral tributes to Lokmata Ahilya Bai Holkar’s statue. Senior municipal officers, public representatives, and sanitation workers also took part in the launch.
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Goal? To improve AQI
The new vehicles are expected to improve waste collection efficiency and reduce air pollution in the city.
According to data, most pollution monitoring stations in Indore have reported 'satisfactory' air quality levels (AQI between 51–100) in the month of April.
However, the central part of the city has shown consistently higher pollution levels throughout the month.
Data from the Chhoti Gwaltoli monitoring station indicates that the average daily AQI in this area remained above 150 (poor) in April. The lowest AQI recorded was 118 on April 19, while the highest spiked to a troubling 291 on April 9.
In such a situation, e-garbage collection vans can result in a rectifying step towards the city's worsening air quality.
AQI of Indore at 11:30 am on April 30 |
Visual representation of Indore's air quality on April 30 |
'Symbol of commitment to cleanliness'
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Mayor Pushyamitra Bhargav said, “Indore has become the first city in the country to run clean, green, digital, and solar-powered garbage collection vehicles. This is a symbol of our commitment to innovation and cleanliness.”
‘Step to protect environment’
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Cabinet Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya added, “Replacing old diesel vehicles with electric ones is a thoughtful step towards protecting the environment. It will reduce pollution and improve public health. We are also planning to host the next cabinet meeting at Rajwada to give Indore a stronger identity at the state level.”
