Website launched to integrate environment info centres

New Delhi: In a move which would assist in decision-making and policy formation on environment-related issues, the government Wednesday launched a website and mobile application for integrating its Environment Information System centres.

Environment Information System (ENVIS) is a ministry initiative for integrating country-wide efforts in environment -related information collection, collation, storage, and dissemination.

"A plan for upgrading ENVIS centres should be prepared. It is a medium of reaching out to people by making them partners in progress and sustainable development. It should be made a people-centric movement," Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said while launching the website and mobile app.

The ENVIS portal will run parallel with Digital India Objective and aid the efforts for improving digital literacy in the environment sector.

"The digitisation of valuable data covering the broad spectrum of subjects on environment will serve as an asset for generating a rich repository of information. By bringing all ENVIS centres under one roof, it will also facilitate convergence in data dissemination," Javadekar said.

The ENVIS network presently consists of 69 centres, of which 29 are hosted by environment departments of various state governments while 40 are operated by environment-related government and non-governmental organisations.

Major users of ENVIS include the Centre and state governments, institutes, scientists, researchers and agencies carrying out environment-impact assessment for various projects.

Javadekar also inaugurated a two-day workshop on National Interaction-cum-Evaluation of all ENVIS systems. The workshop will assess the functioning of the 69 centres to provide them with the guidance and training they require.