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

NES (National Environment Survey) 

The goal of Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) is to facilitate economic development with sustainable environment. A crucial input to decision making and to achieving this goal is robust, disaggregated environmental data. These are technical, spatial, and temporal data on the environmental media, such as air, water (surface and ground}, soil, biota (plants and animals) etc., covering parameters like waste, pollution, hazardous substances, fauna and flora, terrain, species conservation. A necessary condition is that environmental data should be easily accessible, easy to use and efficiently managed.

In order to obtain disaggregated environmental data, to ascertain the status of environment at district/state/national levels and to facilitate decision-making at all levels of government, MoEF&CC, for the first time, has embarked on conducting the National Environment Survey (NES) - a Grid-based Resource Information and Decision Support System (GRIDSS) at regular intervals.

ENVIS Hubs/Resource Partners (RPs) have been mandated to carry out the environment survey of the country through a grid-based approach, using grids measuring 9x9 km or a suitable measurement, depending on the requirement for effective survey of various environmental parameters such as air, water, soil quality; emission inventory; solid, hazardous & e-waste; forest & wildlife; flora & fauna; wetlands, lakes, rivers & other water bodies; public health, etc. which would be geo-tagged and available on the website. The NES-GRIDSS would be launched in 2018-19.

To avoid duplication of efforts, the aim is to converge resources and access the data/ Information /maps available with different government (both central and state) agencies. ENVIS Hubs/RPs will continue to collect data from the state departments/bodies and periodically update and maintain the India State-level Basic Environmental Information Database (ISBEID), a web-enabled application. All data/ Information /maps collected through primary survey would also flow into the ISBEID database.

Based on the physiological conditions, a sample of grids would be taken and baseline data would be collected through secondary sources. The gaps in data will be filled in through primary survey. There are 716 districts in the country. All the districts in the country are expected to be surveyed in a period of 3-4 years. The survey will be repeated thereafter. The exercise of conducting the 'Environment' Surveys regularly will be coordinated by the designated ENVIS Hub/RP in each state.

To undertake the nationwide Environment Survey huge skilled work force would be required. Candidates successfully skilled in different courses under the Green Skill Development Programme (GSDP) of the Ministry would be engaged in survey of grids for collection of information on various environmental parameters. College and University students will also be encouraged to carry out survey of the grids. This activity can be taken up by students during their specified internship period or long holidays and can fulfill the mandatory credit internship requirements.

The grid-based environmental survey of districts would facilitate:

1.Creating a robust database/information on various environmental parameters grid-wise       and district wise, 

2.Expanding the ISBEID database from State level to district level for all selected       environmental parameters,

3.    Critical assessment of environmental proposals at district, state and national levels,

4.   Preparation of District, State and National Level Status of Environment Report (SOER),

5.    Valuation of eco-system services at district, state and national levels,

6.    Assessing the carbon sequestration potential of the districts,

7.    Ranking of districts on their environmental performance,

8.    Documenting the best environmental practices of the districts.