TN to have action plan on climate change

CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu will soon devise an action plan on climate change on the lines of the national action plan to protect the State from the adverse effects of climate change.

The action plan is in the planning stage. The Centre for Climate Change and Adaptation Research of Anna University along with the Department of Environment will be involved in the drafting and implementing of the action plan say authorities.

“A series of meetings have already been held and we are waiting for the nod from the State steering committee on climate change to begin work,” said Ramachandran, Director of Centre for climate change and adaptation research at Anna University.

“The national action plan on climate change (NAPCC) makes it mandatory for every state to come out with an individual state-level action plan”, Ramachandran said.

“NAPCC has eight missions, all of which will be replicated in our action plan except the one on Himalayas, as it is irrelevant for Tamil Nadu. That will be replaced by a mission to conserve Eastern and Western Ghats within the State’s borders. We will also have a separate mission to conserve the state’s coastal areas which are highly vulnerable”, he said.

“An inception workshop will be held by the end of this month”, said Srinivasamurthy, Director of Environment. “Various department will be consulted”, Ramachandran said.

“The implementation of the entire action plan will be supported financially and technically by German development organisation, GTZ, and by the Centre”, said Srinivasamurthy. “It will not take more than six months to prepare the action plan but we are at present awaiting the government’s nod to begin the process which we hope will come soon”, he said.