Marking the World Environment Day, Confederation of Indian Industry (CII) organised the 2nd edition of Delhi Environment Summit in New Delhi. Mr Asim Ahmed Khan, Minister of Environment & Forests, Govt. Of NCT of Delhi inaugurated the Summit. Calling out to the industry based in Delhi, he said that the industry must initiate focussed efforts to conserve the environment and recognise the areas that need attention.

Apprising the audience of the steps taken by the Govt. of NCT of Delhi, he mentioned that to reduce the level of vehicular pollution in the city, Delhi Govt is looking to stop the movement of commercial vehicles and trucks. This will be done as part of the Eastern-Western corridor being built. He also spoke about banning of burning of leaves in Delhi. Penalties and strict measures have been adopted to implement this.  

Mr Asim Khan also said that coordination and cohesive working between all the departments of the Government is a continuing area of focus. He urged all the citizens to actively participate in the plantation drive being organised by the Delhi Govt. The vision of the plantation drive is to plan 14 lakh trees across the city with partnerships and support from Eco clubs in schools across the city. He also invited the industrial sector to contribute to the movement of environment conservation through CSR activities in initiatives like Waste to Energy plants.

Mr Khan also mentioned that Delhi Govt together with State Governments of Haryana and Uttar Pradesh are working together to make National Capital Region (NCR) green and environment friendly. He said that the certain revolutionary steps will be taken by the State Governments together to reduce pollutions levels and make the cities better places to live in. He also said that Delhi Govt is providing rebates and incentives in Sales Tax on battery run and operated vehicles.  

Lending her support to the Delhi Environment Summit, Ms Meenakshi Lekhi, Member of Parliament-New Delhi also addressed the audience. She encouraged citizens of the capital to be evolved and leaders in implementing sustainable development. She mentioned that waste can also be considered a valuable resource if it is disposed and recycled properly with best technology options available.  She said that the private sector must devote their time and resources to develop efficient technology options.  

Mr S S Yadav, CEO, Delhi Jal Board spoke about the concerns faced by Delhi and its residents in water supplying and usage. He applauded the state being among the leaders in using treated and recycled water for various purposes. He also spoke about the recent initiatives and regulatory measures taken by the Delhi Jal Board and Govt. Of NCT of Delhi in reducing extraction of groundwater and promoting use of treated water and implementing rainwater harvesting in Delhi. He further added that special Rainwater Harvesting Cell setup the Delhi Jal Board to assist RWAs with implementation. He invited the private sector to participate in the process.  

Dr Alka Kaul, Chairperson, CII Delhi State Council and Director, Horizon Industrial Products P Ltd said to discontinue to era of environmental degradation, Delhi needs immediate attention.  She said that the entire process of environmental conservation must be re-energised with holistic regulatory measures and continuous engagement with all stakeholders.  Expressing the concern of the citizens on air quality in Delhi, Dr Kaul urged the participants to take charge of the situation and adopt individual measures to improve the situation.

Mr Rahul Munjal, Convenor, CII Delhi Panel on Environment and Sustainability and Managing Director, Hero Future Energies Pvt Ltd said there is a need to have laws to promote use of solar energy through special incentives and schemes. He also spoke about the Delhi Environment Campaign organised by CII as a precursor to the Summit. As part of the campaign, cleanliness and plantation drives were organised across various colonies of Delhi motivating and urging citizens on reducing the use of plastic.  Through the campaign, CII reached out to over 1000 citizens and 750 households. He also mentioned that the industry with CII envisions Delhi to be a solar city by 2020 and also increase the green cover of Delhi to 35% from current 20%.