Geographic information system to speed up green approvals for industrial purposes

NEW DELHI: The Centre's ongoing efforts to streamline green clearance process for industrial, infrastructure, mining and power projects will soon get another boost with the environment ministry planning to launch a Geographic Information System (GIS)-based decision support mechanism this month which will help decision makers in taking informed decision quickly and in a transparent manner.

The GIS-based decision support system (DSS) will contain high resolution satellite imagery and ground details of forest cover, types of green patch, eco-sensitive zones of protected areas, biological richness, landscape and net present value (NPV) of the region and state-wise forest cover that needs to be diverted for non forest works.

Developed by the Dehradun-based Forest Survey of India (FSI), the system will also have details on notified tiger corridors, other important migratory corridors, habitat of rare and endangered flora and fauna amongst others.

“The first version of this system will be launched in a day or two. It will be fully operational by the end of this month,“ said an environment ministry official. The availa bility of all data on a single platform will help authorities get information quickly . It will also form a platform for day-to-day monitoring of patrolling and surveillance for forest cover and wildlife. “The data will help in calculating NPV (the amount paid for diversion of forest land for nonforest works) by any person in few seconds,“ the official said, adding that non-availability of such data on time used to delay many clearances.

The DSS will be the third high-tech platform to smoothen green clearance processes. The other two are Online environment clearance (EC) system and the online forest clearance (FC) .

The earlier practice of first giving EC before moving on to the forest clearance proposals used to delay the projects under the UPA government. Many key projects, including of Army and Navy , had got stuck due to the cumbersome process leading to administrative paralysis.