New Delhi, July 24: Replacing diesel vehicles with electric vehicles for door-to-door garbage collection can reduce fuel costs of cities like Amritsar and their municipal corporations by 60-70 percent and carbon emissions can be reduced by 64 percent compared to diesel vehicles, tells a study by the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW).
The study report says that most of the vehicles used for garbage collection in Amritsar and other Indian cities run on diesel or CNG. By electrifying about 200 such diesel vehicles, the municipal corporation can save more than Rs 50-70 lakh annually and reduce 16,000 kg of PM2.5 emissions. Punjab is the only state that has prioritised electrification of its waste collection fleet through targeted incentives in its EV policy, so it is high time to convert this early advantage into a statewide campaign. Amritsar has a population of 1.4 million and generates over 425 tonnes of waste daily. With combined economic and climate benefits, this analysis also informs other urban local bodies across Punjab β including Ludhiana, Jalandhar, Bathinda and Patiala β and national-level planning for low-emission urban services.
The study also estimates that Indian cities with a million-plus population will need over 80,000 door-to-door waste collection vehicles by 2030 and develops multiple electrification scenarios for this.
Dr Himani Jain, Senior Programme Leader, CEEW, said that there is a clear opportunity to integrate waste collection with clean mobility in conjunction with the Swachh Bharat Mission to improve urban sanitation. Door-to-door waste collection is particularly suitable for electrification because routes are fixed, the process is regular and most urban local bodies have parking available. Our study found that, despite the higher initial cost, EVs offer significant lifetime savings, especially when evaluated on a per-tonne basis. This study provides the data and tools needed to make this transition beyond one city to a nationwide effort.
Currently, waste collection vehicles in Amritsar consume more than 3.6 lakh litres of diesel per year. The exhaust fumes from these vehicles worsen air quality and add to the city’s carbon footprint.