C40 extends a warm welcome to Kolkata, our newest member city. The capital of India’s West Bengal state, Kolkata’s metropolitan area is home to nearly 15 million people.
Kolkata joins Bengaluru, Delhi NCT, Jaipur, and Mumbai as C40’s fifth Indian member city. Together these five Indian cities represent a metro population of 75 milllion.
Kolkata will be represented within C40 by the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority (KMDA), which is chaired by the Urban Development Minister of the State of West Bengal and includes representatives from all municipal corporations, municipalities and other state and parastatal government agencies. Its function is to look at a regional approach to the planning of the Kolkata Metropolitan Area.
Firhad Hakim, West Bengal’s Minister for Urban Development, and Chairman of the Kolkata Metropolitan Development Authority, said:
"I am delighted that we are now part of the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group. Our membership reflects our determination to take action that will produce tangible results. We look forward to working with other cities facing similar challenges and making our city more resilient and livable for our citizens today, and for future generations."
The administration in Kolkata has already undertaken various measures to improve urban life, with focus on building energy efficiency (in both the residential and commercial sectors), urban transport (passenger and freight), and waste management.
Actions in these sectors include:
- Encouraging new buildings to be built and operated according to Green Building Norms (double glazing system in windows, controlled use of water, recycling of grey water, and mandatory use of solar panels, etc.)
- Encouraging the use of public transit systems and transit efficiency through the extension of the Metro rail network in north-south direction and introduction of a Metro rail network in east-west direction, and introduction of Bus Rapid Transit along Eastern Metropolitan Bypass
- Decongesting important road junctions by introducing road flyovers
- Replacing petrol-based auto-rickshaws with LPG- or CNG-based auto-rickshaws
- Introducing Mechanized Compaction System of solid wastes in the Kolkata Metropolitan Area.
Kolkata is implementing road flyovers to decongest major road junctions