POLLUTION

Tamil Nadu to Double the Number of e-Vehicles Utilised in Garbage Collection, Make Process More Eco-Friendly

Conservancy workers pictured with a battery-operated garbage pickup vehicle in Chennai, Tamil Nadu.
(L R Shankar/TOI, BCCL, Chennai)

The Tamil Nadu Housing and Urban Development Department has issued circulars to corporations and municipalities to increase the number of e-vehicles utilised in garbage collection. This is part of an effort to improve the eco-friendliness of the process as well as increase the dignity of the garbage collectors.

The Greater Chennai Corporation (GCC) presently employs more than 350 vehicles and has plans to double the fleet size, as per IANS. These e-vehicles can travel up to 100 km, or six hours continuously on a single charge, and requires periodical charging, officials of GCC stated.

R. Mohankumar, an official of GCC said: "The e-vehicles are eco friendly, and give dignity to the sanitation workers. Other than this, these vehicles can traverse through narrow lanes, and as it is battery operated, the sanitation worker does not have to exert much to manage this. Our sanitation workers had to push the carts earlier to collect garbage and discard it, but with the e-vehicles, they are at much ease. This induces self-respect and dignity to the concerned people, for which we are happy."

Tiruchirappalli City Municipal Corporation also plans to buy 88 vehicles in the current fiscal to improve the garbage collection process. The corporation has already purchased 100 e-vehicles for garbage dumping during their last financial year.

According to sources in the Tamil Nadu Urban and Housing Development Department, almost all corporations are increasing their e-vehicle purchase orders. A letter was reportedly sent to newly elected councillors, presidents, and mayors to raise awareness of this issue.

Officials also stated that they intend to hire advertising agencies to place advertisements on these e-vehicles, with the proceeds going toward repaying the corporation's loan and making the e-vehicles more colourful. The department envisions the usage of e-vehicles for all garbage collection in urban areas, and is thus requesting funds from the Union Government for the same.

Maniyamma. K, a garbage collector at Teynampet in Chennai, told IANS: " Our prestige and dignity have increased since we began collecting garbage with e-vehicles. This is a new feel compared to the previous collection technique done using pushcarts. Now, we can sit in the vehicle and battery-operate it. It's also colourful, and I feel proud."

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The above article has been published from a wire source with minimal modifications to the headline and text.

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