Shanghai to help India fight pollution

“It is a fact that environmental pollution is a challenge for cities around the globe and we are all attaching great importance to how we treat the environment. That is why a major consensus has been reached globally to save the environment,” said Fu Jihong, Deputy Director General of the Shanghai Municipal Foreign Affairs Office, while referring to efforts being made worldwide for environmental conservation.

“With such a consensus as an important foundation, there will be increasingly closer collaboration in the world when it comes to conservation of the environment,” he said at an occasion to mark the 15th anniversary of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO) here. 

He added that Shanghai, which is fast becoming the nerve centre of the economic world, is working towards sharing its experiences, best practices as well as the latest technology in the field of environmental conservation with partner cities. 

Beijing in China and New Delhi in India are among the world’s worst polluted cities. Shanghai, China’s most populous city — home to 24 million people — is also witnessing worsening air quality.

Asked whether Shanghai was ready to cooperate with India on green development, Fu said, “The treatment of the environment must also take into consideration the specific needs of the city as well as the development requirements of the city. But I think the latest and advanced technologies and best practices can definitely be shared with India.”