New Delhi, Aug 11 (IANS) A one-stop online shop for all that you want to know about environment issues - from how to install a solar water heater, to waste management and even government papers on environment - was launched Monday. An initiative of the National Knowledge Commission (NKC) and a green group, it will not only teach people how to be environment friendly but also give information to researchers, students and even lay men on environment.

“If this is the age of environment, then information will be the key to change - in our lifestyle, in policy and in practice - and this we have conceived of the India Environment Portal,” NKC chairman Sam Pitroda said.

It will source government documents and make them available for public scrutiny. It also provides links to government institutions and names of researchers working in environmental front, Pitroda told reporters.

To start with, over 300,000 articles and documents are available to researchers - from different sources, all categorised by author and tagged according to subjects and locations.

It will also have special in-depth sections on subjects like climate change, which provide latest news and perspective.

Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) is the partner organisation of the NKC in this project.

“It will actively collate and exchange data, research and information from people working in the field, in campaigns, in scientific institutions, in research and in industry. This best practices directory will help each person in doing more to protect the environment” said CSE director Sunita Narain.

Talking about the partnership, Pitroda said: “This is a unique effort as it will provide a collaboration between government and civil society. It is our effort to put government information in the public domain and to build dynamic and networked knowledge-based society.”

“The aim is to bring information from diverse sources on to one platform,” he said after launching the www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in.

The content of the portal is currently in English, but there are plans to make it available in other languages as well, Narain said.