U'khand introduces Gross Environment Product index

Dehradun, Jul 19 (PTI) Uttarakhand on Friday became the first state in the country to introduce the concept of Gross Environment Product index, which will show the impact of developmental activities on the environment.

Speaking at its launch, Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami said the GEP equation has been developed on the air, water, soil and forest quality indices.

With this, Uttarakhand has become the first state in the country to introduce this concept, Dhami said.

Recently, the state secured the top rank in the country for Sustainable Development Goals and introducing the GEP Index was another step in the direction of striking a balance between economy and ecology, he said.

Explaining the concept, which is the brainchild of noted environmentalist from Uttarakhand Anil Joshi, Dhami said measuring the GEP means translating ecological services in monetary terms.

The GEP index will be determined by the condition of four main constituents of the environment which are directly impacted by development activities including air and water quality, number of trees planted in a year and the measure of the area of organic soil, he said.

''If the local environment quality, which includes air, water, soil forest and several other factors, is improving then the GEP index shows an improvement and we can say our system is in accordance with the environment but if there is a decline in that caused by developmental or industrial activities, the GEP index shows a corresponding decline," he said. PTI ALM NB