The rollout of electric buses in Belagavi has moved a step closer, with the North Western Karnataka Road Transport Corporation (NWKRTC) floating a ₹10.24 crore tender for the construction of a new Electric Vehicle (EV) Depot at Depot No. 2 under the Central Government’s PM-eBus Sewa Scheme.
The project has been estimated at ₹10.24 crore, with a completion period of nine months, excluding the monsoon season.
The tender covers the development of a modern depot equipped with all the infrastructure required for operating electric buses. The scope of work includes construction of a two-storey administrative building, workshop and store building, concrete parking and circulation areas, compound and retaining walls, drainage network, septic tank, underground and overhead water tanks, security cabin, fire protection system, high-mast lighting, electrical works, road markings and signages. It also includes dismantling of existing administrative buildings and repair bays to make way for the new facility.
The largest components of the project are the workshop and store building (₹2.83 crore), parking and circulation area (₹2.29 crore) and the administrative building (₹1.90 crore).
Earlier this month, the Karnataka Transport Department sanctioned ₹25.83 crore for electric bus infrastructure across ten cities under the PM-eBus Sewa Scheme. The funding includes ₹14.96 crore from the Central Government and ₹10.87 crore from the State Government.
Belagavi has been allocated ₹2.95 crore under this package, comprising ₹1.71 crore from the Centre and ₹1.24 crore from the State Government, to support depot modernisation and associated infrastructure.
The Centre has already sanctioned 100 electric buses for Belagavi under the PM-eBus Sewa Scheme, which aims to deploy 10,000 air-conditioned electric buses across more than 100 cities nationwide to promote sustainable urban mobility.
The floating of the depot tender is a significant milestone, as the availability of charging, parking and maintenance infrastructure is a prerequisite before the electric buses can be introduced into the city’s public transport fleet.
The EV depot at Belagavi’s Depot No. 2 will serve as the operational hub for the new fleet, with facilities for bus parking, charging, maintenance and administrative operations, marking a major step towards cleaner and greener public transport in the city.