Bengal should adopt TN’s Climate Resilience model: Environmentalists

KOLKATA: As the severe impact of climate change had hit West Bengal in a major way during the last few years, a number of environmentalists have urged Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee to take key learnings and implement Tamil Nadu's Climate Resilience model.

They have noted that in order to address this climate change issue, the Tamil Nadu government has set up a special-purpose vehicle, named Tamil Nadu Green Climate Company (TNGCC), and thus become a pioneer among the Indian states on this count.

According to them, the TNGCC is supposed to formulate plans to reduce overall greenhouse gas emissions in the state besides developing strategies to reduce emissions through green energy and renewable energy and increasing forest cover in the state among others.

According to city-based prominent lawyer and environment activist, Subhash Dutt, West Bengal has been blessed at the same time by the Sundarbans in south Bengal and the Himalayan foothills in north Bengal.

"However, both these are witnessing the impacts of climate change. For a huge state like ours whose people and their livelihood are extremely vulnerable to risks posed by climate change, exploring and setting up a unique mission to build climate resilience or take key learnings from a state like Tamil Nadu is ideal. It is extremely important that the mission is under the leadership of the chief minister as it will ensure accountability and implementation on the ground," he added.

According to Anjal Prakash, research director and adjunct associate professor of Indian School of Business, recently it was witnessed how the mangrove forests of Sundarbans, the first line of defence against climate changes in West Bengal, was affected because of frequent cyclones.

"There is an urgent need for protecting the people against the recent rise in extreme weather events, particularly cyclones. At the same time, Himalayans in north Bengal are equally vulnerable. In such a situation the political leadership in West Bengal should work towards a programme, especially a cell that could actually help integrate climate change and climate science into new understanding and new knowledge by using information from key reports," he added.

According to Nabo Dutta, a city-based environmentalist, for the West Bengal government it is worth learning from the initiative taken by the Tamil Nadu government on this count. "Setting up such a mission or dedicated body to work on climate issues will yield results only when their suggestions and recommendations are implemented on the ground," he added.