Greenpeace India has submitted 20 recommendations to political parties pertaining to sustainable cities and nutrition diversity in the runup to the Karnataka Assembly elections.
The NGO called on political parties to make critical environmental issues, such as urban justice, equitable mobility and safe local foods, the basis of current and future legislature discourses.
The 10-point agenda for sustainable mobility are:
1. Declaring all Transit Oriented Development Zones (ToD) as Low Economic Zones (LEZ)
2. Implementing Active Mobility Bill
3. Dedicating 4,000 kilometres of cycle lanes and footpaths for cyclists and pedestrians, with 2,000 km of cycle lanes and footpaths exclusively for Bengaluru
4. Establishing 11 dedicated bus lanes in Bengaluru
5. Providing free, dedicated, safe and lockable bicycle parking facilities
6. To increase current strength of BMTC buses from 6,798 buses to 14,000 buses
7. Providing free or subsidised bus passes to women, other sexual minorities, elderly and physically disabled sections
8. Making a budgetary provision of ₹40,000 crore for establishment of dedicated cycle lanes, footpaths and ₹12,750 crore for procurement of electric bus fleet
9. Design and implement Parking Policy 2.0
10. Come up with a mandate to use intermediate public transport modes like bicycles, e-scooters and shared taxis.
Greenpeace India campaigner Amruta S.N. says, “Building more flyovers, roads and elevated corridors means we are encouraging more private vehicles, completely ignoring that the masses travel in buses and non-motorised transport. The more exclusionary we become, the less sustainable and livable our cities are. We need to focus on getting more buses, bus lanes, cycle infrastructure and disincentivize private transport without delay.”
The environmental campaign organisation presented recommendations to build more resilient food systems in the face of climate crises that is altering India’s weather patterns.
It has also come up with a millet manifesto. In order to encourage growing of the climate-resilient millets, the NGO recommends incentivising farmers for their contribution in nurturing less fertile land and reducing agricultural emissions.
Greenpeace India wants the incentive to millet farmers to be increased from ₹10,000 per hectare to ₹25,000 per hectare.
