On Earth Day’s 50th anniversary (April 22, 2020), the ‘Earth Day Network Star Municipal Leadership Awards’ were instituted in India by Earth Day Network India. This environmental NGO’s inspiration is the global EARTHDAY.ORG™, an organisation that grew out of the first Earth Day 52 years ago and today engages with over 50,000 organisations in some 190 countries to take the environmental movement forward.
The Earth Day Network Star Municipal Leadership Award commends municipal bodies whose policies and actions positively impact the environment.
The latest recipient of this Award is the New Town Kolkata Development Authority. Earth Day Network India (EDN) conferred it upon the Authority in recognition of the Authority’s efforts to help reduce carbon emissions by promoting electric bikes and cycles and battery-operated ‘Totos’ (rickshaws) in its constituency.
Mr Debashis Sen, IAS, Chairman of the New Town Kolkata Development Authority, received the Award on behalf of the New Town Kolkata Development Authority from Ms Karuna Singh, Regional Director Asia.
Remarking on the occasion, Mr Debashis Sen said: ‘I am honoured to receive the award on behalf of New Town Kolkata Development Authority. New Town is already a platinum-rated green city, recipient of the top Smart Waste Management Award in India and is recognised as one of the top 5 cycle-friendly cities of India. This Earth Day Network Star Municipal Leadership Award will further inspire all officials and residents of New Town to adopt a sustainable way of city development’.
Ms Karuna Singh shared that ‘the worldwide theme for Earth Day 2022 is Invest In Our Planet. This partnership for Earth calls upon all businesses, governments, and citizens – all inhabitants of Earth – to help accelerate solutions to combat climate change. New Town Kolkata Development Authority’s support to citizens to shift to non-fossil using transport is a true investment in our planet that will greatly contribute to holding back climate change.’
Mr Praabal Kumar Basu, the founder of the NGO TurnItGreen, the organisation that nominated the New Town Kolkata Development Authority for the award, said: ‘the benefits of reducing fossil fuel use in New Town thanks to the initiatives of the New Town Kolkata Development Authority will go a long way to reduce air pollution and ensure that residents of the area and beyond breathe better.’
