MP’s Indore leading way to ‘Green City’ with innovative sustainable solutions

Bhopal: Indore, Madhya Pradesh’s cleanest city, is now striving to become a ‘Green City’ by introducing innovative ideas to reduce carbon emissions and conserve energy and water, aiming to improve the living environment.

Speaking to Millennium Post, Shivam Verma, Commissioner of the Indore Municipal Corporation (IMC) and an IAS officer of the 2013 batch, emphasised that the city has consistently set benchmarks in cleanliness and sustainable urban development. He added that the focus is now on transforming Indore into a ‘Green City’ through targeted initiatives across various sectors.

“Our focus on green mobility is part of this larger vision to create a healthier, more sustainable city for our citizens. We have expanded the number of electric buses as well as the charging infrastructure, including solar-powered stations, which are vital to reducing the carbon footprint and improving the quality of life,” said Verma on the Green City mission.

“We plan to introduce 200 more electric buses by next year, aiming to phase out diesel buses on intra-city routes and further bolster Indore’s green credentials,” he added.

Atal Indore City Transport Services Limited (AICTSL), a part of the IMC, has been operating a diverse fleet of over 600 buses, including 180 CNG and 70 electric buses for intracity and intercity travel through the BRTS. AICTSL was felicitated with the HUDCO Award on October 9 by the Government of India for best practices to improve the living environment.

Indore is India’s cleanest city, a title it has held for seven consecutive years. Indore’s BRTS is one of the most successful in India.

An 11.8 km “Green Mobility Adaptive Corridor” currently runs 59 buses, including 30 premium electric buses and 29 CNG buses. This transition to cleaner energy has reduced carbon emissions by about 2.85 crore kg of CO2 over the project’s lifespan, enhancing the quality of its public transportation system.

The city’s status as a green mobility hub is further strengthened by Asia’s largest 550 TPD organic waste-based Bio-CNG plant, inaugurated by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This plant supplies CNG to buses operating on intra-city routes.

Additionally, AICTSL has constructed 25 solar-powered electric charging stations under a PPP model, catering to a range of vehicles from two-wheelers to four-wheelers, with another 20 stations currently under construction.

To ensure seamless last-mile connectivity, AICTSL has also developed a public bicycle-sharing system at 150 locations throughout the city.

“Our goal is not only to maintain Indore’s title as the cleanest city but also to set new standards as a “Green City”. We are creating a sustainable transportation network that reduces emissions,” Verma added.

“We are also working on increasing the capacity of our sewage treatment plants. The treated water will be supplied to industries, it not only generates revenue for the corporation but also conserves the groundwater that industries have been using,” he further added.

In addition, a floating solar power plant, part of the city’s broader renewable energy initiative has been set up at the Yashwant Sagar Lake, which will soon be operational and generate 40-60 MW of power, and the energy produced will help reduce our energy costs by 25% electricity, he said.