The Climate Action Plan (CAP) for Chennai is a positive sign that the government acknowledges the need to tackle climate change, but questions remain on the practicalities of the initiative, said city-based civil society groups on Thursday.
In a discussion held by Citizen Consumer and Civic Action Group (CAG), the 300-page action plan released a month ago, was analysed by representatives of Care Earth Trust, Poovulagin Nanbargal, IRCUDC, Chennai Climate Action Group. The CAP essentially focusses on six areas - electrical grid and renewable energy, building energy, sustainable transport, solid waste management, urban flooding and water scarcity and vulnerable populations and health.
In the transport sector, much focus has been given to electric vehicles (EVs). The government also plans to electrify 100% of the MTC buses by 2050. However, this push to electrify buses comes across as absurd because public transport contributes much lesser emissions as compared to private and commercial vehicles, said Sumana Narayanan, CAG.
It was also pointed out that wider adoption of EVs by the public will pose different problems such as increased power consumption, battery waste, and higher dependency on thermal plants as the State is yet to build a robust renewable energy infrastructure.
Under the solid waste management sector, the CAP envisions 80% of source segregation by 2030 and 100% by 2050. The civil society groups questioned the need for a 20-year gap for a simple programme. “When microplastics is emerging as a problem across the country, there is no mention of this,” said Ms. Narayanan.
The CAP also does not talk about waste pickers or stopping production of plastic bags, the group said. Shankar Prakash, researcher at CAG, said it is commendable that a separate department for climate change initiatives has been established. The CAG will make a representation to the Greater Chennai Corporation with suggestions on implementing the climate plan.
