The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF & CC) to finalise the climate change action plan within four weeks. The directions came after the Delhi government informed the tribunal about the submission of the State action plan on climate change.
Following the submission, a Bench headed by NGT judicial member Justice Raghuvendra S. Rathore said, “The primary concerned raised is in respect of the State action plan on climate change [SAPCC] …we have been informed by the counsel for NCT of Delhi that the same has been prepared and submitted to MoEF & CC. Therefore, we direct the MoEF & CC to finalise the action plan without a period of four weeks positively.”
The directions came on Tuesday while the NGT was hearing a plea moved by scientist Mahendra Pandey seeking directions to draft, finalise and implement the SAPCC. While stating that the Capital was adversely affected by various environmental issues, the plea had sought directions to the state government to implement the action plan.
Taking note of the contentions in the plea, the NGT had earlier sought responses from the Centre and the Delhi government. Earlier, in 2015, the NGT had directed all States and Union Territories to “expeditiously” prepare action plans on climate change, in accordance with the Centre’s guidelines.