Gurugram civic body receives 100 applications at special camp for e-vehicles

The camp was organised to encourage autorickshaw owners to switch to electric vehicles (EVs) by providing them with government subsidies and scrap value for old vehicles

At least 100 applications were submitted at the special camp organised by the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) for the conversion of diesel or petrol autorickshaws into electric autos, according to a press release issued by the civic body on Thursday.

Mayor Madhu Azad launched a dedicated website for Project Parivartan, in Gurugram on Thursday. (Vipin Kumar/HT PHOTO)

The camp was organised to encourage autorickshaw owners to switch to electric vehicles (EVs) by providing them with government subsidies and scrap value for old vehicles.

The MCG, Gurugram traffic police, district administration, and transport department jointly organised the camp at the civic body’s Sector 42 office , according to the officials. It was held under the aegis of Project Parivartan, which aims to promote the use of e-autorickshaws in the city by replacing diesel and petrol autos, in accordance with a National Green Tribunal (NGT) order which states that diesel vehicles older than 10 years and petrol vehicles older than 15 years cannot ply in the national capital region (NCR). E-vehicle makers, scrap dealers, charging station installers, and bank representatives set up stalls in the camp.

Mayor Madhu Azad, who launched a dedicated website for Project Parivartan on Thursday, said, “Under this scheme launched by the Haryana government, old diesel-petrol three-wheelers will be speedily converted into e-autos. The Project Parivartan website has also been launched to provide help and detailed information to applicants through a single-window system,” said Azad, adding that auto owners and drivers can also contact the MCG’s helpline number — 9821395225 — for the e-auto conversion project.

According to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) directions, petrol autos older than 15 years and diesel autos older than 10 years cannot ply in the city from April 1, or else they will be impounded with an immediate effect.

The mayor also said that the MCG has set up charging stations at the civic body’s Sector 42 office, Sector 29 fire station, and Sector 27 community centre.

“The work is being done expeditiously towards converting old diesel and petrol autos into e-autos in Gurugram under Project Parivartan, for which the central government and the MCG are providing a subsidy of ₹30,000 to auto owners and drivers to buy scraps from authorised dealers,” said Mukesh Kumar Ahuja, commissioner of MCG.

He also said that “e-vehicles have an important contribution in reducing environmental pollution, and this mode of transport is the future as well”.