Lok Sabha Question No. 4133 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-08-18
Subject: Centralised Digital Platform to ensure Transparency
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Dr. Pradeep Kumar Panigrahy

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 4133

TO BE ANSWERED ON 18.08.2025

## Centralised Digital Platform to ensure Transparency

## 4133.   DR. PRADEEP KUMAR PANIGRAHY:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) the  details  of  investments  being  made  in  supercomputing  and  AI-driven  climate modelling  to  improve  forecasting  of  extreme  weather  events  (cyclones,  floods, droughts);
- (b) whether these models being shared with State Disaster Management Authorities for proactive planning; and
- (c) whether there is a plan to create a centralized digital platform (blockchain-based or otherwise)  to  track  corporate  environmental  compliance,  forest  carbon  offsets  and Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) reporting to ensure transparency?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

(a) and (b) The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) provides weather forecasting and climate services using several numerical weather prediction (NWP) models. The supercomputers are used to run weather and climate models routinely at various temporal and spatial scales. These include coupled ocean-atmosphere-biosphere-cryosphere models and associated data assimilation processes, all of which are highly compute-intensive tasks. The total sanctioned cost for the procurement of the High Performance Computing (HPC) system at Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM), Pune, and the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF), Noida is Rs. 900 crores. It is used for monsoon prediction, air quality assessment,  and  forecast  of  extreme  weather  events  (cyclones,  fog,  etc.). The  enhanced computational capability helps to efficiently use new advanced technologies such as Artificial Intelligence  (AI)  and  Machine  Learning  (ML)  to  enhance  the  accuracy  of  NWP  products thereby  significantly  improving  the  forecast  products  rendered  to  various  stakeholders, including for disaster preparedness. Artificial intelligence is being used to improve weather, climate,  and  ocean  forecasting  skills  across  the  country.  Weather  forecasts  and  disaster warnings generated from these models are being shared with the State Disaster Management Authorities.

- (c) In  pursuance  of  the  spirit  of  'Digital  India'  and  capturing  the  essence  of  Minimum Government and Maximum Governance, the government had launched single window portal 'PARIVESH (Pro Active and Responsive Facilitation by Interactive and Virtuous Environmental Single-window Hub)' on 10.08.2018 at Central level and on 16.08.2019 at State

level for handling clearances (Environment clearance, Forest clearance, Wildlife and Coastal Regulation Zone clearance) for all developmental projects while ensuring due diligence and adherence to environmental standards safeguards while examining project proposals.

In  addition,  the  Carbon  Credit  Trading  Scheme  (CCTS),  2023  has  been  introduced under the Energy Conservation (Amendment) Act, 2022, which provides for offset mechanism allowing voluntary participation to earn carbon credits by reducing emissions from 10 sectors including forestry. Development of a portal for registration of projects as well as platform for trading of carbon credits is envisaged under CCTS.

Furthermore, in 2021, Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI) mandated the top  1000  listed  companies  (by  market  capitalization)  to  make  Environmental,  Social  and Governance (ESG) disclosures as per the Business Responsibility and Sustainability Reporting (BRSR) from FY 2021-22 on a voluntary basis and mandatorily from FY 2022-23.

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