UP saw positive change after peopleremoved political garbage: Yogi

Lucknow: Chief minister Yogi Adityanath on Wednesday said that people removed political garbage to enable change and better governance, claiming that in nine years of reconstruction, Lucknow has now become one of the top three cleanest cities in the country.Flagging off 250 electric and CNG vehicles to strengthen the door-to-door waste collection in the city, the CM contrasted this with the period before 2017, stating that the city was marked by "darkness, insecurity and poor sanitation. He accused previous govts of lacking intent to improve basic services such as electricity and urban upkeep.The vehicles will be deployed in the localities that could not be catered to on a daily basis so far owing to the breakdown and damage of some vehicles in the existing fleet, said an official.Addressing the event, Yogi said the state saw improvement in sanitation and infrastructure after a political shift in 2017.Yogi said the state is moving towards a net-zero goal, with electric mobility and solar energy forming a key part of the strategy. He cited the expansion of rooftop solar scheme and efforts to develop cities such as Ayodhya and Lucknow as solar hubs.He also highlighted changes in urban infrastructure, including the transition to LED street lighting, expansion of metro services and improved connectivity.Lucknow, he said, has seen growth across sectors, including its emergence as a hub for electric mobility and manufacturing. An electric bus manufacturing unit is already operational and electric vehicle production is set to begin at another facility from April 15.The state has also expanded metro services to multiple cities, while electric bus networks are being scaled up to connect urban centres and satellite towns.Yogi said improvements in sanitation and waste management have contributed to better public health outcomes, with a decline in diseases such as encephalitis, dengue and malaria."Before 2017, the city was associated with darkness, insecurity and poor sanitation," he said.The chief minister also referred to broader urban initiatives, including integrated command and control centres with CCTV coverage across cities and ongoing efforts to expand solar infrastructure.He cited work on the Gomti riverfront and the development of "Saumitra Van" in the Kukrail forest area as part of the city's environmental and urban renewal efforts.Yogi said, "Through joint efforts of state and central govts, 17 municipal corporations and the Noida-Greater Noida region have been connected to integrated command and control centres with extensive CCTV coverage and are now being developed as solar cities."The sacred city of Ayodhya, associated with Rama, has already been developed as a solar city. Similar work is underway in Lucknow through installation of solar panels.Under the PM Surya Ghar Muft Bijli Yojana, rooftop solar panels have been installed in more than 4.25 lakh homes in Uttar Pradesh, generating around 1,500 MW of electricity and reducing electricity bills by more than half.