Need to address challenge arising from climate change: Delhi Mayor

New Delhi, Oct 11 (UNI) BJP Delhi Pradesh President Harsh Vardhan and Mayor Arti Mehra today said there was an urgent need to meet the challenge arising from global warming ''otherwise the world will move towards an uncertain and dangerous future''.

Local authorities shall have to be strengthened to protect the people from the dangerous consequences of climate change and greenhouse emissions.

Governments all over the world shall have to learn from the commendable efforts made by the local Authorities, Mr Harshvardhan and Ms Arti Mehra said at a press conference at the BJP Delhi Pradesh headquarters.

Briefing mediapersons about her experiences at a conference recently organised by the UNO where she was the only mayor present, Ms Mehra said she presented the case of the local authorities before the world forum and told the heads of states of more than 160 countries present in the conference that the role of the these bodies for addressing the aforesaid challenge is indispensible.

She said some of the selected local authorities of the world have addressed the problems of environment, transport, power, water, garbage management, sewer management, water drainage etc through scientific and far-sighted assessment. National governments should learn from them.

The conference started with a speech by the Delhi mayor. She stated that the world is changing fast. The global climatic pattern is also undergoing changes at a rapid pace. Due to this all the countries of the world are facing new problems.

The increasing population is pushing the demand for more resources. The air has been polluted. The demand for power, water and employment has increased.

However, efforts are on to solve these problems with the co-operation of local authorities and the state government in Delhi. The transport system of the capital is the largest in the world which is run on clean, pollution-free fuel. The Metro rail is being constantly expanded.

''Big buildings and new cities are being supported by non-conventional energy so that the increasing energy demand can be met. The capital of India is being provided with new facilities for hosting the 2010 Commonwealth Games,''Ms Mehra said in her speech.

The mayor advised the world leaders present at the conference to find out the right path by mutual dialogue, debates and mutual exchange of ideas.

UNI