Kolkata is one of the most polluted cities in the world. Harmful black smoke emitted from thousands of vehicles is blamed as the main source of environmental pollution. Hence new plans have been outlined to bring down the level of pollution in Tilottama. The Kolkata Comprehensive Electric Mobility Plan jointly developed by the Asian Development Bank and NITI Aayog has set a target of getting more electric vehicles on the city’s roads by 2030. This will reduce carbon dioxide emissions significantly.
Initiatives to prevent pollution in Kolkata
Niti Aayog has identified different categories of vehicles separately. Half of the bikes and scooters sold in Kolkata and three-wheelers are fully electrified during the said period. Plans to make 15% of private vehicles and 30% of commercial vehicles electric have also been mentioned. If successful in meeting the target, 28 lakh tonnes of carbon will be prevented from entering the air.
The report mentions that there is a huge potential for electric vehicle sales to grow in Kolkata. Currently, there are around 3,500 electric vehicles in the West Bengal capital. But crossing 3,55,000 by 2030 is now the biggest target. The report also mentions that more than 3,008 crores of money is needed in this regard. However, operational savings from the sale of electric vehicles are expected to cross Tk 14,529 crore. Again, an investment of Tk 74.8 crore is required for the development of charging infrastructure in the city.
Meanwhile, EV adoption in Kolkata has seen a four-fold increase from 2021 to 2022. Electric two-wheelers have made the biggest contribution in this field. Two-wheeler battery vehicle registrations account for 64% of total vehicles. Whereas the percentage of four wheeler sales is 35%. In reference to this report, State Transport Minister Snehashish Chakraborty said, West Bengal government’s efforts to promote electric vehicles have been strengthened.
