KOCHI: The conference on climate change and environment that concluded at Cochin University of Science and Technology on Tuesday suggested concerted efforts by the various stakeholders to check the increasing impact of climate change across the globe.
In his presentation on the role played by self-government institutions in addressing climate change, P. K. Ravindran, former director of Integrated Rural Technology Centre (IRTC) at Palakkad, said that panchayats had enthusiastically taken up afforestation and tree planting programmes while exploring the advantages of the National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme. He said that panchayats have planted nearly 65 lakh seedlings, with a survival rate of 70 per cent.
Prof. Ravindran said that local self-government institutions are providing subsidy to household biogas plants for treating solid waste and have set up a good number of community based biogas plants. Production, sale and use of plastic carry bags of up to 30 microns thickness is banned and legal measures are being taken up to extend this ban to a thickness of up to 50 microns, he said.
Prof. Ravindran said that provisions for roof top rainwater harvesting, solar water heating and enhance solid waste managing facility have been made mandatory for all high rise buildings.
The local self government department is in the process of setting up green technology centres in village panchayats in connection with the Department of Science Technology and Environment, he said.
Referring to the measures to compact carbon dioxide emission from renewable energy sources, K. Sreedharan of IRTC said that more than 75 per cent of the houses in rural areas and 22 per cent in the urban areas depend on firewood for energy.
In his inaugural address, Gangan Prathap, Director of the National Institute of Science Communication and Information Resources, said that the impact of climate change has affected the oceans and the atmosphere.
Source: The Hindu, 27-10-2010
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