Delhi govt to revise its Climate Action Plan 2019; “environment health cell” to be created

NEW DELHI: Gopal Rai, Minister for Environment, Government of Delhi, said on Wednesday, August 21, that the Delhi government will revise the Climate Action Plan 2019. In this regard, a draft of the new policy has been released by the minister. This draft will be submitted to the central government in two weeks.

The draft of the new policy includes establishing an “environment health cell” to tackle diseases linked to climate change. It also mentions increasing solar power generation and waste-to-energy plants.

The minister spoke about a comprehensive strategy focusing on seven key areas in the city, including energy, water, waste management, transport, health, green cover, and agriculture, to tackle the effects of climate change.

The new draft includes a vulnerability assessment that shows that Northeast Delhi, East Delhi, and South Delhi are highly vulnerable. New Delhi, Central Delhi, and North Delhi have low scores on the vulnerability index.

In the Action Plan on Climate Change, it is also mentioned that a health adaptation plan will be developed for tackling diseases caused by air pollution, disasters such as extreme heatwaves and cold waves, and waterborne and other zoonotic diseases.

Minister Rai, during the press conference, highlighted that climate change is no longer an abstract idea; it now directly affects human lives. Additionally, he spoke about the need for this initiative after witnessing the severe impact of climate change-induced extreme heatwaves and the extremely heavy rainfall the national capital has seen this year.

In addition to that, the draft includes a strategy for energy efficiency, achieving 100 per cent coverage of LED bulbs, tubelights, streetlights, and energy-efficient fans by 2030. In line with the Department of Power’s Vision 2041, the power distribution companies will be installing smart meters in all households in a time-bound manner.