GENERAL

• What does ENVIS stands for?

  ENVIS Stands for Environment Information System

• What is ENVIS?

  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 environment for sustaining good quality of life for the living beings. Hence, management of environment is 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 need Ministry set up an Environmental Information System (ENVIS) in 1983 as a plan programme 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 the relevant and timely information to all concerned. Further, 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 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 67 network partners out of which 39 are on subject-specific and 28 on State/UT related issues. These network partners are called ENVIS Centers and are located in the 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.

• What is the total number of ENVIS centres?

  There are total 76 ENVIS Centres all over India, which are assigned with different subjects and topics.

• What is ISBEID?

  The Indian State Level Basic Environment Information Database (ISBEID) is a web enabled software developed by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India under the Environmental Information System (ENVIS) Project. The software is to enable the State ENVIS Centre’s on Status of Environment and Related Issues to feed data directly into the database server using the web-interface in the ENVIS Portal.

Air

• What is NAMP?

  Puducherry Pollution Control Committee is carrying out manual ambient air quality monitoring at following Six locations in the U.T. of Puducherry under the ‘National Air quality Monitoring Programme’ (NAMP) of Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB).

• Air Quality Index Category?

  1. Good: 0 – 50
  2. Moderate: 101 – 200
  3. Very Poor: 301 – 400
  4. Satisfactory: 51- 100
  5. Poor : 201 -300
  6. Severe : > 401

Water

• What is NWMP?

  Water quality monitoring is carried out by Puducherry Pollution Control Committee periodically at various locations with financial assistance from Central Pollution Control Board under National Water Quality Monitoring Programme (NWMP). Monitoring is done on quarterly basis in surface water bodies in Puducherry and Karaikal regions, Annually in Mahe and Yanam regions and during pre and post monsoon in the case of ground water.

• Water Quality Index Category?

  1. Excellent: 0-25
  2. Good: 26-50
  3. Poor: 51-75
  4. Very poor: 76-100
  5. Unsuitable for drinking: >100

Environment Information

• What are the important Environmental Laws in the country?

  The important Environmental Laws in the country are given below:
  1. Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974
  2. Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981
  3. The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Cess Act, 1977
  4. Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and Rules thereunder
  5. Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991
  6. National Green Tribunal Act, 2010

• What are the 17 Categories of the major polluting industries?

  The 17 Categories of the major polluting industries:
  1. Aluminium Smelter
  2. Caustic Soda
  3. Cement
  4. Copper Smelter
  5. Distilleries
  6. Dyes & Dye Intermediates
  7. Fertiliser
  8. Integrated Iron & Steel
  9. Tanneries
  10. Pesticides
  11. Petrochemicals
  12. Drugs & Pharmaceuticals
  13. Pulp & Paper
  14. Oil Refineries
  15. Sugar
  16. Thermal Power Plants
  17. Zinc Smelter