High-level task force for climate resilient future required: BJP MLA to govt

Lucknow, Oct 29 (PTI) BJP MLA Rajeshwar Singh has urged the Union and the Uttar Pradesh governments to constitute a high-level task force that can prepare an integrated climate resilience roadmap for the country as part of the 'Viksit Bharat 2047' agenda.

The legislator from the Sarojini Nagar assembly seat of Lucknow has written a letter to Union environment minister Bhupender Yadav and his UP counterpart Arun Kumar Saxena in the wake of the Global Tipping Points Report 2025 published by the University of Exeter, WWF and others early this month.

The report claims that the earth has now crossed its first major climate tipping point, marked by the irreversible decline of warm-water coral reef systems, risking the livelihoods of millions of people across the globe.

"I urge that a joint high-level task force be constituted at both the central and state levels to analyse the findings of the Global Tipping Points Report 2025 in the Indian context and prepare a risk map for India and Uttar Pradesh," the MLA, a former officer of the Enforcement Directorate (ED) and a Supreme Court lawyer, wrote.

Singh, in his five-page communication to the two ministers, has sought and suggested the establishment of a national and state-level "Tipping Point Risk Assessment Cell" to monitor global indicators and integrate these findings into policy decisions.

He has also advocated for the creation of a climate-resilient industrial certification framework, ensuring that all major projects are designed to withstand future temperature and rainfall variations. Besides this, he also talked about engaging youth in green innovation, nature conservation, and local climate monitoring.

The MLA also recommended developing an integrated climate resilience roadmap by 2026 to ensure that the vision of "Viksit Bharat 2047" (Developed India by 2047) progresses on a climate-secure foundation.

Singh stated that 75 per cent of India's districts have been identified as climate hotspots, with the eastern and central regions of Uttar Pradesh among the most vulnerable, increasing challenges from heatwaves, erratic rainfall, groundwater depletion and urban flooding. PTI NES AMJ AMJ