Bengal building circular economy, pushing green energy transition

Kolkata: West Bengal is emerging as a model for green development through a combination of circular economy initiatives, renewable energy expansion and water conservation programmes, Principal Chief Advisor to Chief Minister & Finance Department Amit Mitra said on Thursday.

Speaking at the Bengal Chamber of Commerce and Industry summit on sustainability, Mitra said the state government has been pursuing a range of initiatives aimed at sustainable development while addressing climate change challenges and livelihood generation.

Citing the global climate crisis that has caused damages worth USD 2.8 trillion over the past two decades, he said West Bengal has attempted to build a "circular economy" model combining ecological protection with economic activity.

One of the initiatives includes the excavation of around 800 kilometres of creeks designed to trap rainwater and create a "sweet water" ecosystem that supports shrimp cultivation.

"We planted mangroves along these 800 kilometres of creeks... the leaves fall into the sweet water, and that becomes feed for the shrimps," Mitra said.

Circular economy initiatives have helped women self-help groups engaged in shrimp farming, he said.

According to Mitra, the initiative has also supported exports, noting that "the export of shrimps from West Bengal is USD 500 million."

The state has also made progress in green transport and renewable energy, he said, adding that West Bengal currently has 2,62,620 registered green vehicles supported by 805 charging stations.

Nearly 75,000 two-wheelers and around 1,63,000 solar three-wheelers are operating in the state's EV space, while solar power projects with a combined capacity of 3,763 MW are nearing completion, including a project supported by Germany's KfW bank, he said.

"I do see green (number) plates, but I didn't know how many are registered," Mitra remarked, adding that the state is "systematically working in different elements of this value chain" under the leadership of Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

He also highlighted land and water conservation initiatives such as 'Matir Srishti' and 'Jal Dharo Jal Bharo'.

Under the Matir Srishti programme, around 42,000 acres of arid land have been converted into productive horticulture zones benefiting tribal communities and women, he said.

The state has also dug about five lakh small ponds to preserve the water table.

"Many of them help in the sweet water. So you don't have to go into the water table to reduce the water table," Mitra said.

Mitra further said forest cover in the state has increased by 2,688 sq km, while around 15 crore mangroves have been planted along the coastline.

Referring to the broader national context, he cited the Climate Risk Index 2025, which found that India experienced extreme weather events on 322 out of 366 days in a year.

He also flagged economic inequality as a concern, noting that the top 1 per cent of India's population now accounts for 22.6 per cent of the national income.

Highlighting the role of small businesses, Mitra said West Bengal has around 90 lakh MSMEs, the second highest in the country, and emphasised the need to integrate them into the sustainability transition.

"The challenge is not only the medium and large companies. The challenge is how do we get the entire value chain part by part, stage by stage," he said.

He urged the Bengal Chamber of Commerce to lead a "value chain sustainability movement", drawing lessons from industrial ecosystems in Germany and Japan.

"There's a long way to go, but the path is clear as to how we should go," Mitra said.

This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.