Clean Air Programme: Thane to roll out 32 e-buses, mechanical sweeping

A meeting was convened by the commissioner on Tuesday to review the work to be done under the Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP) with other TMC officials.

Thane: In a bid to curb pollution, the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) will roll out 32 electric buses (e-buses) by January-end, commissioner Abhijit Bangar said on Wednesday. The civic body is also emphasising switching from manual sweeping to mechanical sweeping.

Thane, India - January 18, 2023: More TMC electric buses to be added in the fleet of the transport service by the end of January month, in Thane, India, on Wednesday, January 18, 2023. (Praful Gangurde/HT Photo) (HT PHOTO)

“Thane is blessed with bio-diversity hills like Yeoor, and it is included in the smart city programme. As a part of the beautification, citizens will soon also experience the changing form of transport services. Eco-friendly e-buses with zero emissions and no noise will give a new identity to the city,” added Bangar.

A meeting was convened by the commissioner on Tuesday to review the work to be done under the Clean Air Action Plan (CAAP) with other TMC officials. Bangar directed the officials to complete the induction immediately.

Under the CAAP, the civic body has received grants for 2020-21, 2021-22 and 2022-23. A mandate has been given to purchase 123 e-buses under this grant. Till January-end, 32 e-buses will be acquired and by the end of June, the remaining 91 e-buses will be inducted, he said.

“I have asked the concerned officials to ensure these buses are acquired on time before the deadline and in case there is a delay the contractor will be fined for the same,” added Bangar.

The civic body chief also asked officials to deploy the e-bus fleet on routes where the diesel buses are generating less revenue. “This will help us at least reduce the cost of the fuel on these routes and generate some revenue,” added Bangar.

Against the backdrop of global warming, environmentally friendly schemes are being implemented by the municipal corporation. While efforts are being made to improve the quality of manual sweeping, on the other hand, mechanical dust sweeping on major concrete roads in the city will help in keeping them clean, claimed Bangar.

Similarly, citizens are consciously opting for gas or electric crematoriums for the last rites.

“Thane needs to move towards environment conservation based on eco-friendly activities in future. As a part of this effort, it has been decided to convert all crematoria to electric and gas under the Clean Air Program,” said Bangar.

Earlier, the grants have been spent for the construction of a mist fountain at Majiwada and Vitawa Naka, a bicycle track at Vartaknagar, tree planting at Anandnagar Eva School, an updated mobile laboratory and installation of a gas mortuary in the crematorium at Lokmanyanagar.

Citizens welcomed the initiatives. “E-buses are a good idea. However, the civic body should introduce them on all routes across Thane. Only then can we can say that it will help save the environment from air and noise pollution. The civic body should acquire more e-buses and completely scrap the other buses,” said Rakesh Mehra, 49, a resident of Majiwada, Thane.