New Delhi: The Delhi government has told the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that the draft State Action Plan on Climate Change (SAPCC) on the lines of National Action Plan on Climate Change (NAPCC) has been sent to various departments and was awaiting a final review.

NAPCC is a comprehensive action plan which outlines measures on climate change relating adaptation and mitigation while simultaneously advancing development. “The draft report has been sent to all stakeholder departments for comments. Thereafter, final meeting was held on 23 September 2016 under the chairmanship of the environment secretary. Further comments as received from various departments have been incorporated.

“It is most respectfully submitted that the draft report with incorporated comments/inputs from all concerned departments was put up in the month of December last year for approval. As per the decision taken, the draft SAPCC report has been sent to all stakeholder departments for final review," the Delhi government told the NGT in an affidavit.

It also said that the draft Delhi State Action Plan on Climate Change has been prepared on the lines of NAPCC in further extension to the Climate Change Agenda, as per the framework of ministry of environment and forests. The environment ministry had earlier told NGT that it has repeatedly asked the Delhi Government to expedite and submit SAPCC, but nothing has been done.

The ministry had informed the tribunal that since January 2010, it has asked the Delhi government thrice to submit SAPCC but nothing has been done and sought direction to the AAP government to submit the plan.

The submissions were made in response to a plea filed by scientist Mahendra Pandey seeking direction to draft, finalise and implement the SAPCC on the lines and the spirit of the NAPCC. Pandey, in his plea filed through advocate Gaurav Bansal, contended that the national capital was facing a number of environmental issues due to ill-effects of climate change.

The scientist contended that Delhi generated around 800 million tonnes of garbage daily which was dumped as it is on three main landfill sites of national capital which have completed their life.

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