The Rishikesh Municipal Corporation is stepping up its efforts to improve the city's air quality, after doing an excellent job in the National Clean Air Survey. As part of the next phase, four electric vehicle (EV) charging stations will be set up at key locations, and nine modern bus shelters will be built across the city.
On Thursday, officials from the Municipal Corporation, National Highway authority, Public Works Department, Forest Department, and the traffic police jointly inspected the proposed sites for these projects. The goal is to prepare a Detailed Project Report (DPR) for this entire plan within about a month.
It's worth noting that Rishikesh is one of the three cities in Uttarakhand, along with Dehradun and Kashipur, chosen for the Clean Air Program. In this year's survey, Rishikesh made a huge leap, securing the 14th rank, a significant improvement from its 31st rank last year. The corporation is now building these new facilities to improve its ranking even further.
The nine new bus shelters will protect passengers from the sun and rain. Additionally, tiles will be laid in the surrounding areas to prevent dust from flying around, which will help control air pollution.
Furthermore, four EV charging stations are being built to accommodate the rising number of electric vehicles and to provide convenience for the many pilgrims and tourists who visit the city. The Municipal Corporation also has future plans to operate electric buses.
Assistant Municipal Commissioner Chandrakant Bhatt confirmed that the inspection is complete and the DPR will be prepared soon.
Bus shelters will be built at these locations:
- Indramani Badoni Chowk
- Near Yog Nagari Railway Station
- Near AIIMS
- Near Sridev Suman University Campus
- Near PWD Guest House
- On the ISBT road on Doon Marg
- Near IDPL
EV charging stations will be installed here:
- Outside Yog Nagari Railway Station
- Indramani Badoni Chowk
- Near AIIMS
- Near PWD Guest House
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Efforts made so far:
To improve the city's air quality, the Municipal Corporation has already taken several steps. Fountains have been installed at various intersections to suppress dust particles, and roadsides have been paved with tiles. These efforts are what helped the city improve its ranking successfully.