United Nations Environment Executive Director Erik Solheim and Mr K T Rama Rao flagged off electric vehicles on the occasion of World Environment Week celebrations in Hyderabad on June 1, 2018.

Mr K T Rama Rao highlighted Telangana State Government’s mission to protect the environment, reduce pollution, and make Hyderabad a clean and green city.

Some of the environment-friendly measures that are already taken up are:

• Haritha Haram programme to plant saplings in different areas of the state.

The goal of the programme is to increase the tree cover in the state by planting 230 crores of seedling in the state. Of which ten crore saplings will be planted in the city.

• Generate solar power by tapping solar energy.

Telangana has an installed capacity to generate solar power of 3200 MW, and it is the highest in the country.

• Hyderabad Metro Rail

The corridor -1 of Metro Rail began operations in November from Miyapur to Nagole and, the construction work on the other corridors are progressing well.

• Swacch Bharat Scheme to collect garbage and build toilets to make Hyderabad, an open defecation free city.

During the World Environment Week celebrations in Hyderabad, Mr K T Rama Rao unveiled plans to replace 3800 Road Transport Corporation (RTC) diesel vehicles with electric vehicles.

Highlights of the programme are as follows:

In the first phase, 500 electric vehicles replace the existing diesel vehicles. The remaining diesel vehicles will be phased out periodically and replaced with 4000 new electric vehicles in all.

They also plan to replace 2500 garbage collection auto-trolleys with electric vehicles.

The state government plans to roll out a new electric vehicle policy this year.

UN Director, Erik Solheim appreciated the efforts taken by the state government to protect the environment and make the state, clean and green.

By: Shailaja K