Chief Secretary Vikas Sheel Chairs State Climate Change Steering Committee Meeting
Published on: April 27, 2026
By: BTNI
Location: Raipur, India
Chief Secretary Vikas Sheel emphasized the need to make rural areas of Chhattisgarh adaptable to climate change and instructed officials to prepare Gram Panchayat-wise action plans. He also directed departments to propose utilisation of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds for climate change-related programmes in the state.
The directives were issued during a meeting of the Steering Committee constituted for preparing and implementing the Chhattisgarh State Climate Change Action Plan, held at Mantralaya Mahanadi Bhawan under the chairmanship of the Chief Secretary.
Review of Climate Change Action Plan
During the meeting, detailed discussions were held regarding the functioning of the Chhattisgarh State Climate Change Centre, implementation of climate-related programmes, formation of the State Climate Change Authority and execution of carbon credit-based initiatives.
Departmental secretaries participated in extensive deliberations on implementing sector-wise climate action strategies. Additional Chief Secretary of Forest and Climate Change Department, Richa Sharma, presented the background of climate change, its major causes and the emerging negative impacts being observed in Chhattisgarh.
The meeting was attended by PCCF Srinivas Rao and APCCF Sunil Mishra along with senior officials.
Chhattisgarh Ranks First in Forest and Tree Cover Growth
Officials from the Chhattisgarh State Climate Change Centre informed that multiple climate mitigation initiatives are underway in the state, with large-scale plantation drives being a key focus.
Under the “Ek Ped Maa Ke Naam” campaign, nearly 7 crore saplings have been planted, while 3.68 crore trees were planted under the Kisan Vriksh Mitra Yojana.
According to ISFR 2025 data, Chhattisgarh recorded the highest increase in forest and tree cover in the country, with an expansion of 683 square kilometres, placing the state at the top nationally.
Promotion of Green Technologies and Sustainable Agriculture
Officials stated that the state government is encouraging citizens to adopt electric vehicles as part of climate mitigation efforts. Solar pumps are being distributed to farmers to promote renewable energy use in agriculture.
Organic farming is also being expanded, with approximately 55,050 hectares brought under organic cultivation during 2025–26.
In addition, hydrological planning has been completed for more than 300 dams, and sedimentation surveys of 24 major and medium reservoirs have been undertaken. Officials also discussed proposals for establishing Climate Change Knowledge Centres across the state.
Multi-Departmental Participation in Climate Planning
Representatives from Agriculture and Farmers Welfare, Forest and Climate Change, Water Resources, Urban Administration, Transport, Commerce and Industry, Mining, Energy, Health and Family Welfare, Revenue and Disaster Management, Women and Child Development, and Panchayat and Rural Development departments presented updates on climate-related initiatives within their sectors.
The meeting was conducted through video conferencing and attended by senior officials including Panchayat and Rural Development Secretary Niharika Barik Singh, Principal Secretary (Law) Sushma Sawant, Principal Secretary (Agriculture) Shahla Nigar, Secretary P. Dayanand, Secretary Basavaraju S., Secretary Rajat Kumar, Secretary Dr. Rohit Yadav, Secretary S. Prakash, Secretary Ankit Anand, Special Secretary Iffat Ara, along with representatives from State Planning Commission, NABARD, Centre for Environment Education, Indian Institute of Science and Indira Gandhi Agricultural University.
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