Union Minister Harsh Vardhan Friday released the India Cooling Action Plan (ICAP) aimed at reducing emissions and providing thermal comfort to citizens.
The Union environment minister launched here the ICAP along with five other publications, including a report on the ministry's five years of achievements and faunal biodiversity in protected areas.
"The overarching goal of ICAP is to provide sustainable cooling and thermal comfort for all while securing environmental and socio-economic benefits. This will also help in reducing both direct and indirect emissions," Vardhan said.
He said the plan provides an integrated vision towards cooling across sectors encompassing inter alia reduction of cooling demand, refrigerant transition, enhancing energy efficiency and better technology options with a 20 year time horizon.
Besides Vardhan, the event was addressed by ministry officials -- Joint Secretary A K Jain and DG Forests Siddhanta Das.
Jain said, "With rise in adverse impact of climate change, thermal spells or hot spells in the country have started worsening. A number of deaths and other diseases are becoming a norm in our country."
"Our aim is not merely to address the air conditioning issue by bringing better cooling gases, but provide larger thermal comfort to citizens. This initiative was taken on Ozone Day last year and I am happy to report that in such a short span we have been able to complete it," the joint secretary said.
ICAP aims at reducing cooling and refrigerant demand across sectors by 20-25 per cent by 2037-38.
The ministry said ICAP will provide thermal comfort for all, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, double farmers' income as with better cold chain infrastructure, a grower will get better value of produce.
Another set of publication from the Zoological Survey of India was released by Vardhan and the ministry officials.
"The ZSI is tasked with the responsibility of inventorising the zoological wealth of the country. We are releasing two publications -- Faunal diversity of protected areas of Chhattisgarh and Faunal diversity of select districts," Jain said.
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