Planning body member suggests Rs 550 crore overhaul for EMPRI

Bengaluru: As environment policies gain attention against the backdrop of climate change, a member of Karnataka Policy and Planning Commission sub-committee has proposed a Rs 550-crore makeover for the Environmental Management and Policy Research Institute (EMPRI).

The fund will be spent over the next 15 years on strengthening various wings of the institute to develop it into an institution capable of guiding the transformation of Karnataka’s environmental governance and sustainability infrastructure, as per the proposal by Mohandas Hegde, member of the sub-committee on Environment and Climate Change.

A major part of the budgetary support (Rs 300 crore) is marked for the Forest, Ecology and Environment department. From creation of Karnataka Green Policy Innovation Commission to staffing the department with new technical cadres of climate scientists, environment impact assessment specialists and data analysts,  the institutional upgrade also includes the setting up of the EMPRI oversight board under the additional chief secretary.

The proposal also recommends official adoption of the green development index (GDI) and deployment of field officers for implementation. Other measures include funding and co-developing AI-based real-time systems for environment intelligence, blockchain EIA portal and signing memoranda of understanding with institutions for linking technology to climate policy and governance mechanisms.

The document pushes for green development at village level through embedding of GDI indicators in the zilla panchayat where development projects are planned and implemented. This includes mobilisation of gram panchayats for environmental alerts and digital grievance redressal mechanisms.

Further, an integrated air and water quality monitoring is proposed to be part of the urban development programmes like smart city projects. ESG (Environment, Social and Governance) framework compliance is also suggested for corporations in five cities: Bengaluru, Mysuru, Hubballi, Mangaluru and Kalaburagi.

In view of the multi-department coordination required for the implementation, the proposal bats for an interdepartmental steering committee under the chief secretary besides other measures.

“EMPRI has the potential to help Karnataka during a crisis and we should make use of it,” Hegde told DH. In a note, the Forest, Ecology and Environment minister has asked the additional chief cecretary of his department to look into the proposal.