India needs constellation of actions to deal with climate change: N K Singh

India needs a constellation of actions to deal with the issue of climate change which cuts across state boundaries, Finance Commission chairman N K Singh said on Wednesday.

Singh said the climate change issue goes far beyond the confines of the Constitution as it has multiple dimensions in terms of agriculture, technology and management of livestocks, economic activity encompassing Centre-State relationship.

In a conversation session with the Chairman and Managing Director of Godrej Industries Nadir B Godrej at CII Global Economic Policy Summit 2021, Singh said the entire issue of climate change really "enabled us to have a fresh look" at the entire gamut of Centre-State relations.

"Pollution and climate necessities do not recognise these artificial boundaries, where Bihar ends and Uttar Pradesh begins. But action on many of these cut across the boundaries of states," he said.

Stressing upon the need to address the issue of climate change in a very holistic manner, he said, "We require a constellation of action. It goes far beyond the confines of what the Constitution has, because the issues of climate change in its multiple dimensions...So I think that the issue which you (Godrej) have raised as a last issue, in my view, must occupy a privacy and priority and we need to go back to the drawing board in multiple ways".

Godrej also asked him on how hopeful he was that the Centre-State relations will improve.

"Well, you know, improvement is a constant dynamics. I do not think that there is any degree of obvious distrust which I see in the system. But the improvements that I see are improvements in terms of initiatives for instance, taken by more frequent periodic consultations and engagement with them," Singh said.

In this context, he talked about the interactions between the prime minister and the chief ministers during the COVID-19 pandemic.

He also made a case for further strengthening of such consultative processes and mechanisms.