Jai Ram Thakur, Chief Minister of Himachal Pradesh (HP), flagged off truck-mounted sewer jetting and litter picking machines, provided to the Municipal Corporation of Shimla by Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID), as part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiative.
Suresh Bhardwaj, Urban Development Minister of HP, V K Singh, Director (Personnel) of POWERGRID, Kailash Rathore, Executive Director, Northern Region-II of POWERGRID and other senior officials were also present on this occasion.
POWERGRID had sanctioned funds amounting to `1.98 crores for providing four special purpose vehicles (SPVs) to the state of HP. One truck-mounted sweeping machine with vacuum cleaner and one truck-mounted compactor had been handed over to the Municipal Corporation of Shimla in December 2020. The remaining two machines were flagged off on the day before yesterday.
This initiative of POWERGRID shall help the municipal corporation in creating smart city infrastructure. These machines shall help in maintaining the cleanliness and hygiene of the city. Furthermore, with the introduction of these technologically advanced machines, the process of cleaning, especially in difficult terrains of the hilly region, will be done easily and rapidly.
Earlier, one SPV mounted vacuum-assisted road sweeper, two sewer cleaning jetting vehicle machines costing `1.31 crore had been handed over to the Sub Divisional Magistrate (SDM) of Manali, district Kullu. Apart from this, 3,250 solar LED street lights and 13,000 twin-bin dustbins having financial implication of `11.49 crore, have been supplied and installed in various parts of HP.
Besides, POWERGRID has also undertaken efforts for skill development for local youth in district Lahaul and Spiti, through infrastructure additions & capacity building in the field of mountaineering & allied activities with the financial implication of `32 lakhs. As part of CSR efforts in the state, 4 Medical Mobile units costing `1.06 crores to Bilaspur District Authorities, two ambulances in IGMC Shimla and District Hospital, Chamba have been provided in the state of Himachal Pradesh.
