The government of Uttarakhand, which was ravaged by floods and torrential rains last month, has introduced the concept of Gross Environment Product (GEP), an annual green audit of its natural resources.
The move has been welcomed by environmentalists, who have blamed the unbridled development in the state for the large-scale damage caused by the floods.
"What the state government has undertaken under the GEP is now to find out the state of the quality/quantity of our forest; rainwater harvesting; the steps taken to curtail soil erosion and what they are going to do to improve the quality of life in the hills," Himalayan Environmental Studies and Conservation Organization's Dr. Anil Joshi explains.
However, the state may be faced with some difficult question under the new system. For example, if the state was to score low on Gross Environment Product, would it mean that it would cancel projects that harm the ecology of Uttarakhand, even if it means compromising on the revenue?
Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna, who two months ago had led a delegation to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh opposing a notification banning projects in an eco-sensitive zone, is battling charged that the move is cosmetic one. "Cosmetic is not bad, at least your face shines ...sustainable growth has to happen where there is no conflict with the environment," he said.
The state has seen several protests against a number of infrastructure projects that are in the pipeline, but the government has been slow to respond. The people are now suspicious that the GEP is simply another tool to divert attention from the issues at hand.
With several power, mining, and construction projects in the pipeline, all activities seen as causes of environmental degradation, the government will have to soon come up with a plan to find a balance between GDP and GEP.