The Haryana Government is formulating a policy on climate change, setting up an eco-city and has taken a number of concrete measures to tap renewable and clean energy sources and promote energy-efficient products and devices to provide our future generations a better place to live in.
“We are considering a proposal to set up a Climate Change Division in the Environment Department,” the Principal Secretary to Haryana Chief Minister, Chhatar Singh said in New Delhi on Monday while addressing a Press conference on the sidelines of the Indian International Trade Fair (IITF) where the event this year is “Avenues for Clean and Energy Efficient Products and Services.”
Singh said that draft action plan on climate change is being prepared in coordination with concerned departments like forest, renewable energy, fisheries, urban development, development and panchayats, public health, Haryana State Pollution Control Board and Revenue Departments.
A major initiative of the State Government, the eco-city project is being developed on a pilot basis at IMT Manesar by a consortium of Japanese companies. Once implemented, Haryana will replicate it at various other locations in the State.
“We need to take more such steps to enable our country to graduate into a low-carbon economy. This would require greater focus on fostering scientific temper and technological innovation which facilitate production of clean energy and reduction of emissions. This is one road we must take,” said Singh.
“Conscious of our responsibility towards our future generations, we are among the first States to formulate a forest policy to increase forest cover in the State; and have taken effective steps to tap renewable energy sources and evolve energy-efficient devices,” he added.
The State Government has decided to lay focus on energy conservation in the industrial sector which consumes 26 per cent of total energy in the State. Despite meagre water resources, steps have been taken to generate hydel power.
The State Government is implementing various enactments to tackle the problems related to environmental pollution. These include the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, and the Air (Prevention & Control of Pollution) Act, 1981. For speedy disposal of the cases filed under various acts, two special environment courts have been set up at Faridabad and Kurukshetra.
