SDMC to install 18 electric vehicle charging points; inks MoU with EESL

New Delhi: Keeping with the Central government's aim to switch to electric public vehicles by 2030, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) on Wednesday signed a Memorandum of Understanding with Energy Efficiency Services Limited (EESL) to install electric charging points for pubic vehicles at 18 parking lots under its jurisdiction. The MoU was signed at the office of the Minister of Power, RK Singh, where Delhi's L-G Anil Baijal was also present along with concerned senior officials of both organisations.

SDMC Commissioner, Gyanesh Bharti said EESL will install these stations as per the guidelines prescribed by the Ministry of Power, which will cater to the requirements of electric cars of the general public. He added that the same charging stations will be replicated at 75 other selected locations in the second phase of the project. Commissioner Bharti also hoped that the electric charging stations for public vehicles will also boost sales of electric public vehicles, which in-turn will reduce pollution in Delhi.

L-G Baijal congratulated the SDMC for thinking creatively and developing infrastructure and facilities for charging electric vehicles. "This project is as per the Central Govt vision of providing a clean environment and doing away with the use of fossil fuel which creates pollution," he said.

Union Minister Singh said that the Central government has a mission to reduce India's carbon footprint and take care of the environment. "We believe to grow responsibly. Our government's objective is to use clean fuel and become less dependent on fossil fuel. And the use of electric vehicles is much cheaper and is the only way of providing a clean environment in Delhi," he said.