The Government of Himachal Pradesh, with support from ICLEI South Asia, is steadily moving towards a cleaner future by embracing electric mobility. From introducing electric buses on state roads to deploying electric vehicles for waste collection in urban and rural areas, the state is taking practical steps to reduce emissions, improve public services, and build greener communities.
A major milestone in this journey was achieved on 30th July 2026, when Hon’ble Chief Minister Shri Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu and Hon’ble Deputy Chief Minister Shri Mukesh Agnihotri flagged off 297 new electric buses for the Himachal Road Transport Corporation (HRTC). With this addition, nearly 500 electric buses are now serving passengers across the state, making public transport cleaner, quieter and more environment friendly.
The state’s transition to electric mobility is also transforming municipal solid waste management. The Transport Department, Government of Himachal Pradesh, in collaboration with urban local bodies, has introduced electric waste collection vehicles to make waste management cleaner and more efficient. After successful trials in Shimla’s challenging hilly terrain, the first fleet of electric waste collection vehicles was inaugurated by the Hon’ble Chief Minister on 4th May 2026 and deployed in the cities of Shimla and Manali. Encouraged by their results, other ULBs, such as Solan, Dharampur, Sarkaghat and Sandhol, are now moving towards introducing electric waste collection vehicles.
This initiative has also been extended beyond towns and cities to rural Himachal. On 6th August 2026, the Hon’ble Chief Minister, along with Hon’ble Rural Development and Panchayati Raj Minister Shri Anirudh Singh, flagged off 14 electric rickshaws under the Swachh Bharat Mission (Grameen). These e-rickshaws will support door-to-door collection of segregated waste in Gram Panchayats, making rural waste management more efficient while encouraging better sanitation. In the first phase, 133 e-rickshaws will be deployed across 11 districts of the State.
ICLEI South Asia has been supporting the Government of Himachal Pradesh throughout this journey by providing technical assistance, coordinating with key stakeholders, conducting vehicle trials suited to the state’s difficult terrain, supporting the vehicle procurement process, and helping accelerate the adoption of clean mobility solutions. These collaborative efforts are contributing to the state’s vision of becoming greener, cleaner and more sustainable.
