New Delhi
Electric vehicles (EVs) are playing a key role in changing how household waste is collected under the Swachh Bharat Mission-Urban (SBM-U), the government said on Tuesday. These zero-pollution vehicles help reduce noise and air pollution while managing daily waste more efficiently.
By replacing diesel-fuelled garbage trucks, EVs are helping to lower carbon emissions and support the goal of creating cleaner cities. According to the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs, this step blends clean transport with better waste handling.
In Guntur, Andhra Pradesh, over 200 electric autos are now collecting garbage from homes. Backed by the United Nations Industrial Development Organization (UNIDO) and the Global Environment Facility (GEF), this move saves over 71,000 litres of diesel a year and cuts an estimated 21,000 tonnes of carbon emissions over ten years.
Chennai has introduced 5,478 battery-powered e-rickshaws across all 15 zones, covering more than 2.1 million homes. Each vehicle travels around 40 kilometres daily, reducing about 41 tonnes of carbon emissions every day. These e-rickshaws are also used to spread awareness about waste segregation using audio messages.
Indore is another city leading this change. It has launched 100 electric vehicles for door-to-door garbage collection. This shift is expected to save nearly ₹5.97 crore yearly in fuel and maintenance. Indore has also set up 20 solar charging stations, each producing enough clean energy to charge 80 to 100 vehicles per day.
The government says this move not only benefits the environment but also creates jobs. Over 6,000 people are now employed under this system, making it a sustainable and people-friendly solution.