LUCKNOW, April 2 -- The Lucknow Municipal Corporation (LMC) on Wednesday added 250 electric and CNG vehicles to its fleet, bringing its eco-friendly vehicle strength to nearly 1,000. The move aims to slash fuel expenses and improve waste collection coverage across the city.

Chief minister Yogi Adityanath flagged off the fresh batch of vehicles, which includes units from private contractors already engaged in door-to-door waste collection for the civic body. The two private agencies, one managing five zones, the other three zones, will operate the new vehicles alongside their existing fleets.

The expansion addresses a pressing problem: the LMC's reliance on roughly 450 diesel-powered vehicles for secondary operations such as silt removal...