4 days ago
Thiruvananthapuram Corporation's climate budget outlines projects to reduce the city's carbon footprint
Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan on Saturday (August 9) released the Thiruvananthapuram Corporation's climate budget, which outlines sustainable projects to be taken up to reduce the city's carbon footprint. The corporation became the first local body in the State to have a budget focussed on addressing climate change and related issues.
Mr. Vijayan said that the Corporation's climate budget which raises awareness on ways to overcome the climate-change related challenges can be a model for other local bodies.
'Although climate change-induced disasters are being witnessed the world over, there is still no united response at the international level to fight it. The happenings at the UN's COP 29 Climate Change conference last year are proof of this. No clear guidelines came out of the conference. Such decisions are also not to be expected in the near future. In such a scenario, it is important to not wait for such directives and evolve our own methods at the local level to address climate change and issues that arise due to it. We are working towards turning Kerala into a carbon neutral State by 2050. The Thiruvananthapuram Corporation's initiatives are part of this,' he said.
He said that the initiatives that the Corporation has already taken up are a good first step for Thiruvananthapuram, which is one of the fastest developing cities in Kerala.
Mayor Arya Rajendran, who presided over the event, said that the comprehensive climate budget is a continuation of the various steps the Corporation has taken in recent years.
'The Corporation purchased 115 electric buses for the Kerala State Road Transport Corporation (KSRTC). We also bought electric auto rickshaws for beneficiaries from the below poverty line families. Since streetlights are one of the biggest sources of carbon emissions, over the past few years we shifted gradually to LED streetlights. For collection of waste, we are in the process of providing 100 electric vehicles to cover all the wards. The Corporation has also installed solar panels on the top of government buildings in the city, with a total capacity of 17,000 Kilowatt. In addition to this, we have also decided to provide ₹10,000 subsidy for installing solar panels in households and for purchasing electric two wheelers,' said Ms. Rajendran.
On the occasion, over 7,000 school students from the city got together at the Putharikandam maithanam to make seed balls, mixing mud and seeds, which will be spread in open spaces all over the city as part of a mass greening activity.
