Kolkata:
The eastern metropolis will become one of the first Indian mega cities to have a roadmap, developed with the aid of the British government that will help the West Bengal government deal with climate change and promote sustainable growth in the city, a visiting British minister said on Tuesday.
The British government is supporting the Kolkata Municipal Corporation with a roadmap for sustainable growth in the city.
According to the Britain's Minister of State for International Development Desmond Swayne, the roadmap will be launched later this year.
"The roadmap makes Kolkata one of the first Indian megacities to have a comprehensive strategy for dealing with the effects of climate change and supporting sustainable urban development.
"For other cities facing similar challenges this a model worth replicating and the UK is pleased to be partnering with Kolkata on this project," Swayne said here.
He said Britain "plans to replicate the model in other cities facing similar challenges in India and beyond".
Under the roadmap, a project to strengthen capacity of the state government to fully access climate finance will begin shortly.
Swayne launched a graphic booklet in Hindi and Bengali on low carbon and climate resilient Kolkata, a 'Green Kolkata' poster and a Councillors' Brochure' on rooftop solar energy.
According to British Deputy High Commissioner Scott Furssedonn-Wood, the British government is initiating a programme with the state environment department for strengthening capacities of the state government to help towards the implementation of State Action Plan on Climate Change.