Shaken by unprecedented heat waves and heavy rain, Delhi hopes to implement a new but long-delayed action plan to combat climate change this year.
Official sources said the final draft was ready and awaiting approval from the city government's environment minister before being sent to the Union environment ministry.
Delhi was hit hard by extreme weather this year.
The national capital recorded 40 consecutive days of temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius since May 13, with Mungeshpur and Narela reaching 49.9 degrees in late May. The intense heat contributed to 60 deaths in the city.
On the other hand, the torrential rains on June 28 claimed 11 lives and caused significant material damage.
India introduced the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) in 2008, following which state governments were asked to develop their own State Action Plans on Climate Change (SAPCC) in line with national strategies.
Delhi's previous climate action plan for 2010-2020, finalized in 2019 after a seven-year consultation with stakeholders, is now outdated.
Work on a new plan began in 2021 and the first draft was completed in 2022. It took about two years to finalize consultations and fine-tune the plan, sources said.
The state-level steering committee, chaired by the chief secretary, discussed the final draft in two meetings in May and June.
"The new draft of the SAPCC has been sent to the Environment Minister in Delhi for approval. Once approved, it will be forwarded to the Union Environment Ministry. The environment department, the nodal agency of the plan, is optimistic about the implementation of the plan this year. said a source.
The previous plan focused on six key areas: energy, transportation, green cover, urban development and projected changes in weather patterns.
The new SAPCC incorporates an analysis of extreme weather events over the past decade and focuses on air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy, transportation issues, air conditioning, heat islands and agricultural patterns, among others.
The SAPCC draft projects a staggering loss of Rs 2.75 lakh crore by 2050 due to the impacts of climate change, with changes in precipitation and temperature patterns posing significant threats to vulnerable populations.
The plan identifies "heat waves, higher temperatures and heavy rainfall events over fewer days" as key challenges.
Extreme rainfall events have exposed Delhi's lack of disaster preparedness and highly vulnerable infrastructure year after year.
The city recorded 228.1 mm of rain on June 27 and 28, more than three times the June average of 74.1 mm and the highest for the month since 1936.
Last year, Delhi experienced 153 mm of rain on July 8 and 9, the highest 24-hour rainfall in July since 1982, causing widespread flooding and temporary school closures.
The new SAPCC projects that Delhi's average temperature will rise by 1.5 degrees Celsius in a moderate emissions scenario (RCP 4.5) and 2.1 degrees in a high emissions scenario (RCP 8.5).
A detailed vulnerability assessment of each district identified South Delhi as the most vulnerable district and New Delhi as the least vulnerable.
Official sources said the final draft was ready and awaiting approval from the city government's environment minister before being sent to the Union environment ministry.
Delhi was hit hard by extreme weather this year.
The national capital recorded 40 consecutive days of temperatures above 40 degrees Celsius since May 13, with Mungeshpur and Narela reaching 49.9 degrees in late May. The intense heat contributed to 60 deaths in the city.
On the other hand, the torrential rains on June 28 claimed 11 lives and caused significant material damage.
India introduced the National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) in 2008, following which state governments were asked to develop their own State Action Plans on Climate Change (SAPCC) in line with national strategies.
Delhi's previous climate action plan for 2010-2020, finalized in 2019 after a seven-year consultation with stakeholders, is now outdated.
Work on a new plan began in 2021 and the first draft was completed in 2022. It took about two years to finalize consultations and fine-tune the plan, sources said.
The state-level steering committee, chaired by the chief secretary, discussed the final draft in two meetings in May and June.
"The new draft of the SAPCC has been sent to the Environment Minister in Delhi for approval. Once approved, it will be forwarded to the Union Environment Ministry. The environment department, the nodal agency of the plan, is optimistic about the implementation of the plan this year. said a source.
The previous plan focused on six key areas: energy, transportation, green cover, urban development and projected changes in weather patterns.
The new SAPCC incorporates an analysis of extreme weather events over the past decade and focuses on air pollution, greenhouse gas emissions, renewable energy, transportation issues, air conditioning, heat islands and agricultural patterns, among others.
The SAPCC draft projects a staggering loss of Rs 2.75 lakh crore by 2050 due to the impacts of climate change, with changes in precipitation and temperature patterns posing significant threats to vulnerable populations.
The plan identifies "heat waves, higher temperatures and heavy rainfall events over fewer days" as key challenges.
Extreme rainfall events have exposed Delhi's lack of disaster preparedness and highly vulnerable infrastructure year after year.
The city recorded 228.1 mm of rain on June 27 and 28, more than three times the June average of 74.1 mm and the highest for the month since 1936.
Last year, Delhi experienced 153 mm of rain on July 8 and 9, the highest 24-hour rainfall in July since 1982, causing widespread flooding and temporary school closures.
The new SAPCC projects that Delhi's average temperature will rise by 1.5 degrees Celsius in a moderate emissions scenario (RCP 4.5) and 2.1 degrees in a high emissions scenario (RCP 8.5).
A detailed vulnerability assessment of each district identified South Delhi as the most vulnerable district and New Delhi as the least vulnerable.
