CHENNAI: In a bid to decarbonise the logistics sector by promoting green logistics, the state government has formed a 22-member Chennai City Logistics Coordination Committee headed by special officer of Chennai Unified Metropolitan Transport Authority I Jayakumar as chairperson, a government order has said.
According to sources, the state is preparing a city logistics plan for Chennai and Coimbatore. While Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation is preparing the logistics plan for Coimbatore, CUMTA is preparing the plan for Chennai.
The other important members of the committee include Chennai corporation commissioner, managing director of Tamil Nadu Industrial Development Corporation and managing director of Chennai Metro Rail among others. A CUMTA official said the committee will help develop a logistics plan for Chennai metropolitan area that maps the current freight performance of the city, to define its present and future needs, quick reform areas and long-term plan of action.
The plan will also take into account futuristic technology, including ‘flying taxis’ for supply of cargo across the city. “Though only a workshop has been held, the setting up of the entire infrastructure for the drones will take time,” the official said.
“We also held a stakeholders conference with the Madras Chamber of Commerce. The committee will be working with academic institutions, civil society organisations (community-based organisations, traders associations, resident welfare associations) and non-governmental organisations to host stakeholder consultations for evaluating city-specific enablers and formulating implementable action plans.
According to the GO, meetings of the city logistics coordination panel will be held once in a quarter and at shorter intervals as determined by the chairperson.
The government has released a logistics policy for the next five years, which is aimed at developing the sector in the state to support economic growth. The policy includes an integrated logistics plan for the next decade to align with emerging requirements and industry developments.
One of the key objectives of the policy is to reduce the environmental impact of logistics sector by promoting a shift from road to eco-friendly rail and coastal shipping.