UT braces for climate change challenges

The UT Administration will ramp up its renewable energy capacity by expanding existing solar power plants and installing new ones under its revised action plan to meet challenges of climate change. The city has 69 MWp of rooftop solar plant capacity and plans to equip all government and private buildings with solar panels by December 2026.

The Administration has integrated key measures in its final State Action Plan for Climate Change submitted to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in compliance with the Central Government’s directions to mitigate climate change impacts across states and union territories. It will present the plan for approval at a meeting to be held soon.

Earlier this year, the ministry had directed the Administration and several other states to refine their action plans by incorporating additional environmental initiatives. The UT has now integrated key programmes such as the ‘Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam’ campaign, an annual afforestation drive and Mission LiFE (Lifestyle for Environment), a nationwide initiative promoting environmentally conscious lifestyles through community participation, in the plan.

The revised action plan outlines department-wise tasks such as increasing the green cover, transitioning to clean energy and promoting sustainable transport.

The Administration will replace 358 CTU diesel buses with electric ones by 2026, to cut down on vehicular emissions. With Chandigarh achieving a 14.8% EV penetration rate between April and October 2024, the highest in India, the administration is pushing for battery-operated vehicles and an intelligent traffic management system. Given that the city has the highest vehicle density in the country, with nearly 12 lakh registered vehicles, the UT has proposes aggressive steps to control air pollution. These include stringent emission controls and green buffers along roads, promotion of hybrid and electric vehicles, and infrastructure upgrades to ease traffic congestion.

To enhance green cover, a large-scale plantation campaign will be launched during the coming monsoon season.

With these initiatives, the Administration aims to establish itself as a model city for green urban development while addressing climate change challenges through policy-driven sustainability efforts, said officials.