Britain, KMC join hands to make Kolkata low-carbon city

Kolkata is all set to receive the first-of-its-kind climate change cell in the city, which will offer citizens a platform to interact with the Kolkata Municipal Corporation (KMC) authorities on issues of climate change and assist in addressing them.

This web-enabled cell is to be launched in February at the headquarters of Kolkata Municipal Corporation on SN Banerjee Road. The cell has been formed as part of the roadmap for transforming the city into a low carbon climate resilient zone.

The civic body will designate a room where the cell will be located with help desk facilities, where concerned citizens can come with their views and reports. 

Along with this the cell will also enable virtual facility; it will have a dedicated web portal and a mobile app. The portal will provide information about concerns related to carbon emission in Kolkata, and the KMC’s initiatives to address them.

UK Employment Minister Priti Patel and KMC Mayor Sovan Chatterjee launched a ‘roadmap’ to make Kolkata a low carbon economy and a climate resilient city.

“Kolkata is leading the way in India, and playing its part in the international effort to tackle climate change,” Priti Patel, UK Cabinet Minister for Employment, said after releasing the ‘roadmap’ at the Kolkata Municipal Corporation.

The British-Indian MP said with the launch of the roadmap, Kolkata has become one of the first cities in India to put in place an integrated strategy to lower emissions, improve resilience to the impacts of climate change and reap the economic benefits that a low-carbon transition can bring.

The roadmap contains recommendations across 20 sectors including disaster management, health, low-carbon procurement, resource conservation and policy to encourage use of solar energy.

“Over the next decade, the roadmap is expected to save carbon emissions; create one million green jobs; and attract investment in multiple sectors such as solar, solid waste management and energy efficient lighting,” Patel said.

Congratulating the Kolkata Mayor, his team and their British partners for this initiative, the UK minister said she will look forward to sharing Kolkata’s success story with other cities across the world.

During UK Prime Minister David Cameron’s visit to Kolkata in 2013, the UK had signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Kolkata Municipal Corporation to provided technical assistance of Euro 1 million to implement this initiative.