“We have prepared the action plan and after getting suggestions from the public and various stakeholders it would be sent to Union Ministry of Environment and Forests for approval. We are much ahead in preparing the draft plan,” G. Theva Neethi Dhas, Special Secretary to Government of Puducherry told The Hindu.

To prepare residents of coastal villages in dealing with natural calamities arising due to climate change, the Puducherry Coastal Zone Management Authority would create awareness. The draft policy points out government's effort to demarcate coastal stretches on the basis of high tide and low tide. The Coastal Zone Management Plan was being revised with the assistance of Anna University and National Institute of Ocean Technology, Chennai.

The government also planned to take up coastal protection programme with the assistance of World Bank under phase-11 of a project taken up by Ministry of Environment and Forests. This apart, the government was in the process of mapping vulnerable areas prone to natural calamities, the draft policy outlines.

As an adaption measure, the territory plans to promote solar power generation in a major way. As a beginning, steps would be taken to generate around 13 megawatt of power from solar energy.

The Renewable Energy Agency is offering subsidy for installation of solar water heating system and provide 50 per cent subsidy to the public for purchase of solar cookers. Besides, government would take steps to enforce optimum utilisation of electrical energy in government buildings during office hours and minimum use during non office hours, the draft policy said.

Mr. Dhas said public can send their suggestions and views to Members Secretary, Pondicherry Pollution Control Committee, Director Department of Science and Technology, 3 {+r} {+d} floor, PHB Building, Anna Nagar, Nellithope or can email their comments to dste.pon@nic.in and ppcc.pon@nic.in.

The complete draft policy had been posted on www.pon.nic.in, he added.