CHENNAI: Mayor R Priya on Saturday flagged off 23 new vehicles for the Greater Chennai Corporation at the Ripon Building, aimed at replacing older units used for catching stray cattle and clearing debris in the city.

According to an official release, the new fleet includes eight vehicles powered by compressed natural gas to catch cattle, procured for Rs 2.28 crore.

Additionally, as part of corporate social responsibility initiatives to support cleanliness works in the Anna Nagar zone, 15 battery-operated vehicles were added to the fleet. The HDFC bank funded 10 BOVs while the Federal Bank funded five.

After flagging off the vehicles, the Mayor also inaugurated a sunflower seeding initiative led by volunteers to improve the urban environment and enhance the aesthetics of parks and public spaces across the city.

The event was attended by Deputy Mayor M Magesh Kumaar, Greater Chennai Corporation Commissioner J Kumaragurubaran, Standing Committee chairman (Education) K Viswanathan, and HDFC Bank Tamil Nadu head Prem Anand, among other officials and volunteers.