NEWS

In 2003, Central Pollution Control Board gave Ahmedabad the ignominious tag of being the most polluted city in the country, with dangers label of lead and sulphur found in the air. Six years on, the city has turned around full circle. Ahmedabad, today, leads 15 other cities in the country, including Delhi, in promoting the theme of ‘Green Cities -Plan for the Planet’, initiated by United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP). Another Gujarat city, Jamnagar is ranked seventh. In 2005, Ahmedabad signed the United Nations’ Urban Environmental Accord (UEA) with 16 other cities in the country to implement 29 agendas in seven years to protect precious natural resources. Ahmedabad has so far implemented 20 agendas, way ahead of other cities, according to a study by International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (ICLEI) for UNEP. Among the measures that have been implemented in Ahmedabad are greenhouse gas reduction, establishing an air quality Index (AQI), putting in place systems for meeting 10% of the city’s energy needs through renewable resources, efforts to reduce electricity consumption, waste reduction, creating of environmentally beneficial jobs in slums and BRTS.