ICLEI-South Asia is supporting GIZ-IGEP in providing technical assistance to NMC, other relevant departments within the city and the state of Maharashtra for the preparation of the SUHAP. Maharashtra Environmental Engineering Training and Research Academy (MEETRA) will support the process and additional Urban Local Bodies in preparing and implementing SUHAPs, thereby strengthening their institutional capacity to address climate change issues.

In the preliminary phase of the plan, a status report will be prepared for all relevant sectors and will include an energy baseline and a green gas houses inventory. After an analysis of this data and an assessment of the impacts of climate change on the various sectors within the corporation, a SUHAP specifically tackling global warming and climate change related issues will then be developed, in line with the Government of India’s “National Mission on Sustainable Habitat (NMSH)”.

NMC Commissioner Sanjay Khandare said “Nashik will be the first city in the country to have a Sustainable Urban Habitat Action Plan (SUHAP) based on NMSH. This will benefit the city in reducing pollution and energy consumption.” Mr. Dieter Mutz, Director of GIZ – IGEP, Prof. Usha P Raghupathi from the National Institute of Urban Affairs, Mr. Sameer Unhale, Officer on Special Duty of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA), Mr. Ramesh Dhongade, Chairperson of the Standing Committee of NMC and Mr. C.R.Gajbhiye, Superintendent Engineer of MEETRA addressed the stakeholders present at the meeting as well.

ICLEI South Asia encourages other Indian cities to comply with the Government’s “National Mission on Sustainable Habitat” and consider developing their own SUHAP. For more information on the project, click here or write to iclei-southasia@iclei.org