Chandigarh Administration comes up with Rs 9,200-crore plan to fight climate change
The UT Administration has chalked out a state action plan on climate change.
Punjab Governor and UT Administrator Gulab Chand Kataria on Saturday released the action plan with a Rs 9,200-crore roadmap to be implemented by 2030. The plan focuses on public, commercial and private transportation.
According to the Climate Modelling Project, the annual average maximum temperature in the city may increase by 1.47 degrees to 1.70 degrees by the year 2050. The annual average minimum temperature is also expected to increase by 1.49 degrees to 1.76 degrees. With this, Chandigarh is likely to exceed global targets to limit warming.
The plan lays out major investments across sectors, with the highest allocation—Rs 5,700 crore—for renewable energy.
Other large allocations include Rs 1,685.7 crore on transportation with focus on boosting electric mobility, including the purchase of 750 electric buses and installation of 88 fast-charging stations by 2030. Incentives will be provided for e-rickshaws, two-wheelers and four-wheelers.
The authorities have planned to spend Rs 591.57 crore on real-time water monitoring and retrofitting of water infrastructure, Rs 712.5 crore on new sewage treatment plants, Rs 4.04 crore on wastewater treatment and Rs 10 crore on flood early warning systems.
A sum of Rs 1,047.2 crore will be earmarked for solid and biomedical waste management, Rs 200.7 crore for integrated solid waste systems and Rs 36 crore for biomedical waste and effluent treatment.
Areas like Khuda Lahora, Dhanas, Maloya, Industrial Area, Manimajra and Mauli Jagran have been identified as hot spots where surface temperatures are significantly higher. The plan proposes targeted greening, promotion of eco-clubs and enhanced forest cover at an estimated cost of Rs 20 crore for plantation drives.
Other investments include drainage system upgrade (Rs 101 crore), silt control in Sukhna Lake (Rs 10 crore), energy efficiency (Rs 1.8 crore) and climate capacity building (Rs 13.5 crore).
The climate model projects major changes in precipitation trends — annual rainfall to increase by 7%–8%; monsoon rainfall to rise by 12.72%; heavy rainfall days to rise by 25.44% annually and winter rainfall to decrease by 15%.
Chandigarh