Chief Minister Thakur Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu today flagged off 10 electric waste collection vehicles of the Municipal Corporation Shimla from Himachal Pradesh State Secretariat. With this initiative, the Municipal Corporation Shimla has become the first urban local body in the State to begin converting its fleet into an electric fleet for waste management in a phased manner.
He said that to ensure smooth plying of these vehicles, trial runs were conducted by MC Shimla from 10th to 14th November, 2025 during which the vehicles performed successfully in the terrain and conditions of the city. Each vehicle has a total waste collection capacity of one tonne and has been purchased at the cost of Rs. 13.98 lakh.
He said that the charging infrastructure has also been set up at the Municipal Corporation parking facility for efficient and convenient usage. On a full charge each vehicle can travel approximately 130 to 150 kilometers. On the occasion, the Chief Minister lauded the efforts of the Municipal Corporation Shimla and said that the state government is promoting e-mobility in the state and this has been envisioned in the first budget of the present state government.
He said that the state government has taken numerous steps to make Himachal Pradesh a green state of the country and these e-vehicles will go a long way in achieving the goal. He said that the present state government is working meticulously to ensure environmental conservation and the expenditure of MC Shimla will also reduce as the prices of petrol and diesel are increasing day by day.
Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Anirudh Singh, Urban Development Minister Vikramaditya Singh, Town and Country Planning Minister Rajesh Dharmani, Principal Advisor (Media) to Chief Minister Naresh Chauhan, Mayor Surender Chauhan, Deputy Mayor Uma Kaushal, councillors and other senior officers were also present on the occasion.