EIACP Programme Centre on Hygiene, Sanitation, Sewage Treatment Systems and Technology

Environmental information plays a vital role not only in formulating environmental management policies but also in the decision-making process aiming at environmental protection and improvement of the environment for sustaining good quality of life for the living beings. Hence, management of the environment is a key component and thus plays an important role in effecting a balance between the demands and resources available for keeping the environmental quality at a satisfactory level. Realizing such a need Ministry set up an Environmental Information System (ENVIS) in 1983 as a planned program as a comprehensive network in environmental information collection, collation, storage, retrieval, and dissemination to varying users, which include decision-makers, researchers, academicians, policy planners, and research scientists, etc. ENVIS was conceived as a distributed information network with the subject-specific centers to carry out the mandates and to provide relevant and timely information to all concerned. Further, an association of the various State Governments/UTs was also felt necessary in promoting the ENVIS network to cover a wide range of subjects. The subject area for States/UTs ENVIS Centers was the status of the environment and related issues. Thus, the network was expanded gradually with the involvement of thematic subject areas and State Government/UT departments to make it a more comprehensive environmental information network. ENVIS network at present consists of a chain of 63 network partners out of which 34 are subject-specific and 29 on State/UT-related issues. These network partners are called ENVIS Centers and are located in notable organizations/institutions/State/UT Government Departments/Universities throughout the country. The focal point of ENVIS is located in the Ministry and assists the Environment Information (EI) Division in coordinating the activities of all the ENVIS network partners by making ENVIS a web-enabled comprehensive information system.

Objectives of ENVIS Centers

• To promote, implement and coordinate Green Skill Development Programme (GSDP).

• To implement and coordinate the Grid-Based Decision Support System (GRIDSS) program

• To participate, implement and coordinate Community-driven Environmentally Sustainable Village Programme (CESVP) as and when intimated by ENVIS Focal Point.

• To build a repository and dissemination center for environmental science, Information, and Management (ESIM).

• To enable the application of modern technologies of acquisition, processing, storage, retrieval, and, dissemination of information of environmental nature.

• To support and promote research, development, and, innovation in ESIM.

• To build storage, retrieval, and dissemination capabilities, with the ultimate objective of disseminating information speedily to the users.

• To build a strong statistical base such that ENVIS is recognized as a South Asian Hub for ESIM.

• To promote national cooperation and liaise with agencies concerned for the exchange of environment-related information.

• To promote, support, and assist education and personnel training programmes designed to enhance ESIM capabilities.