In a first, around 55 districts across the country have been identified in 2018-19 for conducting an environmental survey covering various parameters like flora, fauna and pollution, the government today said.
Minister of State for Environment Mahesh Sharma, in a written reply in Rajya Sabha, said a National Environment Survey is proposed under the ongoing Environmental Information System (ENVIS) Scheme of the ministry.
He said that the data, information or maps flowing from the survey would contribute significantly towards valuation of eco-system services at district, state and national levels and arriving at their respective green gross domestic product.
"The National Environment Survey is being undertaken for the first time by the Central Government in India. For 2018-19, 55 districts have been identified for conducting the survey," he said.
It would cover various parameters like flora, fauna, pollution, waste inventory mapping among others.
He was asked whether the government would begin a five-year exercise to compute district level data on the country's environmental health.