Odisha begins work on 2nd phase of Climate Change Action Plan

Bhubaneswar: The State Government has initiated the process for the preparation of the second phase of the Climate Change Action Plan of the State with a budget aim of Rs 31,667 crore for the next five years, informed official sources today.

The process was discussed at a high-level meeting chaired by Chief Secretary A P Padhi on Wednesday evening.

Making a programme-wise review of the activities taken up so far, the chief secretary directed officials of the forest and environment departments to make an assessment of the benefits derived from the first phase of the State Climate Change Action Plan (SCCAP) implemented from 2010-11 to 2015-16.

"The departments have been asked to come up with innovative projects for convergence of funds from different sources," Padhi said, adding that the five-year SCCAP would be implemented with an estimated outlay of about Rs 31,667 crore.

The meeting resolved to set up a regular follow up and outcome assessment unit to ensure result oriented utilisation of fund to be spent for the purpose.

A two-pronged approach was planned to deal with the changing climate. These were 'adaptation' and 'mitigation,' additional chief secretary in charge of the Forest and Environment Department S C Mohapatra said.

Based on the experience of the first phase action plan, the meeting identified 102 action points in 12 major sectors.

The sectors are 13 in agriculture, four in coastal and disaster management, 15 in energy, 14 in fisheries and animal resource development, 13 in forestry, five in health, nine in Industrial arena, nine in mining, five in transport, seven in urban development, four in water resource management and four in waste management.

The action points also included livelihood focused people-centric integrated watershed development programmes, capacity building of farmers, documentation of the indigenous eco-friendly practices, scaling up water use efficient micro irrigation projects.

The meeting also resolved to phase out of old vehicles for reducing emission, promotion of electric vehicles, strengthening enforcement and emission check up system, augmentation of integrated sewerage projects in major urban areas, municipal solid waste management in the second phase of the SCCAP.