Where's full report of climate action plan? Civil societies ask GCC

CHENNAI: With only a few days remaining for sending suggestions on the draft climate action plan released by the Greater Chennai Corporation, civil societies are irked that the civic body released only a shortened portion rather than releasing the full draft.

"It is unfair to circulate a PowerPoint Presentation of the report and ask the public to send suggestions. No document has been published,”

S Janakarajan, president of South Asia Consortium for Interdisciplinary Water Resources Studies (SaciWaters), said in a consultation meeting on the climate action plan.

The consultation was conducted, on Friday, at Madras School of Social Work, in which several representatives of civil society organisations took part.

Janakarajan pointed out that risk and vulnerabilities should be understood on the basis of heterogeneous approach. "Chennai should not be treated as one homogenous city. Socio-economic status, geography, demography and others are different when compared to North Chennai and South Chennai. Even slums in North Chennai are different from the slums in South Chennai," he said.

G Sundarrajan of Poovulagin Nanbargal said that the draft report has blamed higher energy consumption on residential and other buildings. "The blame of emission due to energy production should be on the Thermal plants of Tangedco. Generating power from incinerating solid waste management will emit more carbon dioxide than thermal plants," he explained.

Earlier, former bureaucrat MG Devasahayam riled that the objective of the master plans is to ensure sustainable development. "But then they were thrown into the dustbin. Decentralised and distributed development should be attained to avoid climate change,” he said.

The climate action plan draft report pointed out that 100 metres of the coast are at a risk of submersion as a result of 7 cm of sea level rise in the next five years. Due to the sea level rise, North Chennai Thermal Power plants will be affected by the year 2100, which will require replacement. Also, 28 MTC bus stops, 18 Metro stations and other physical infrastructure will be affected.