The Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation (GVMC) has been actively advancing the National Clean Air Programme and the Climate Action Plan, with a particular emphasis on public health. In support of these efforts, GVMC and Artha launched their collaboration through a series of comprehensive training workshops focused on the Cities and Public Health module. These workshops addressed key issues, including air pollution and strategies for improving ambient air quality, directly aligning with GVMC’s core priorities. 

Furthermore, as part of its Clean Air Zones (CAZ) project, Artha has partnered with Transport for London (TfL) to assist GVMC in addressing the escalating transport emissions and advancing towards an energy-efficient urban environment. One of the training workshops featured a presentation by Mr Shashi Verma, Chief Technology Officer at TfL, who shared insights into London’s journey in implementing Ultra Low Emission Zones within the region. Subsequently, the TfL team provided in-depth strategies and technical details to further support GVMC’s initiatives.

Another workshop focussed on data-driven approaches for identifying hotspots. This included the need to present data and make it accessible to build trust and engagement from stakeholders. Over 100 officials from the Pollution Control Board, Traffic Police Department, and the Urban Local Bodies of Vijayawada, Tirupati, Guntur, Chittoor, Ongole, Eluru, and Visakhapatnam attended the workshop over 2 days. Ms Yvonne Brown, ​​Environmental Analysis Manager from TfL’s Strategic Analysis team presented on the work TfL undertakes collecting and analysing data to help understand air quality issues and forecast outcomes of policies to support decision-making.

Workshop held in Visakhapatnam that saw participation from the Municipal Corporation, Pollution Control Board, and other departments

Shashi Verma, Chief Technology Officer, TfL presenting the London case study

A 2-day workshop with officials from other cities in Andhra Pradesh