Chief minister Vasundhara Raje has directed all 33 districts of Rajasthan to start competing in reducing their carbon footprints.
A senior official said the state government has decided that districts are to immediately initiate efforts in carbon footprint reduction cutting across sectors such as urban management, tree plantation, water conservation and recycling, controlling tailpipe emissions, encouraging greater use of solar and wind energy etc.
The official revealed that ‘act locally to impact globally’ is the mantra behind the states priority of cleaner, greener cities. Through this, the state hopes to minimise impacts on global warming and climate change.
A committee, headed by additional chief secretary, environment and forests and having both official and non-official members from energy, transportation, urban development, industries shall oversee work undertaken in districts and a third party ‘knowledge partner’ shall study the initiatives and rank the districts.
The best performing district shall receive an award on World Environment Day 2016.
Rajasthan is already surging ahead with renewable energy with memorandum of understanding for over 40 GW of solar power generation in place, as against the government’s own target of 25GWs, the state shall play a significant role in India meeting its carbon reduction.
Priority protection of all existing forests is already underway.
The state is also well known for its performance in plantation activity and there have been consecutive forestry projects funded by JBIC/JICA over the last two decades.
CM to launch meet
Chief minister Vasundhara Raje inaugurate a three-day long 13th International Conference & Exhibition on Sustainable Habitat & Smart Cities in Jaipur on Wednesday.
‘Municipalika 2015’ will have strong conference sessions, and an equally robust exhibition segment. The exhibition will host over 125 participants, government as well private, from India and abroad.
Urban Development, Housing and Local Self Government minister Rajpal Singh Shekhawat and Canadian High Commissioner Nadir Patel will be present at the launch.
Canada, as a partner country of ‘Municipalika 2015’, is bringing over 20 companies.
