Photo exhibition showcases connection between City Beautiful, French agency

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, April 18

‘A World in Common’, a photo exhibition celebrating 10 years of partnership between India and French Development Agency (AFD), started on Wednesday at Art Gallery, Alliance Française de Chandigarh.

The exhibition highlights the collaboration between the AFD and Indian change-makers on projects that promote sustainability in all its dimensions — social, economic and environmental.

From boosting urban dynamism in Kochi to protecting the rich biodiversity of Assam, through lighting Jodhpur’s streets and harnessing the power of the sun and the wind, the stories presented in the exhibition showcase positive solutions that benefit people as well as their environment.

In 2016, the AFD started extending technical assistance to support Chandigarh’s programme as a Smart City, contributing to its selection under the Indian Government’s Smart Cities mission. A pool of 35 urban experts, across various disciplines, was made available to the city. Various workshops and training programmes were organised in Chandigarh to support the preparation and implementation of the Smart City projects with a special focus on Sector 43.

The AFD is also contributing to updating the 2009 Comprehensive Mobility Plan of Chandigarh. This mobility study is ongoing and aims to identify the best solution to upgrade the city’s public transport system to meet people’s needs without impacting the city’s architectural and urbanism heritage.

Discussions are also currently going on between the Chandigarh MC and the AFD for financing the water and sanitation project. The project aims to ensure 24x7 water supply for residents of the city.

The AFD is France’s inclusive public development bank. It provides financing and technical assistance to projects that genuinely improve everyday life in developing and emerging countries as well as French overseas territories.