Geospatial digital public infrastructure can speed up project approvals but may dilute environmental scrutiny. Critically examine with reference to PM GatiShakti.

The PM GatiShakti National Master Plan was launched on 13 October 2021. It is a shared GIS platform that puts 23,493+ data layers from 58 Ministries and all 36 States/UTs onto one map [1]. Two of its six principles are "minimised clearances" and "reduced ecological impact" [1], so the pull between speed and scrutiny is part of its design.

How geospatial DPI speeds up approvals

• Conflicts found early: forests, pipelines and rail lines show up on one map before a route is fixed. This avoids redesign in the middle of construction [1].
• One shared appraisal: the Network Planning Group (NPG) has screened 396 projects worth about ₹18.66 lakh crore on this map before sanction [1].
• Open data: PM GatiShakti Public offers 230 datasets for site suitability, alignment planning and compliance checks [1].
• Trained officials: Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya has trained 2.4 lakh+ officers [1].

Where environmental scrutiny may be diluted

• Desk screening in place of field checks: satellite layers cannot capture wildlife corridors, local hydrology or community forest rights. Field surveys and public hearings under the EIA Notification, 2006 can.
• Who sits at the table: the NPG is made up of the network-planning heads of infrastructure Ministries, and EGoS is a committee of officials [1]. Neither has a dedicated environmental voice. "Minimised clearances" can turn into pressure to fast-track approvals.
• Uneven State capacity: regulatory harmonisation is still a gap, and some State logistics policies were only drafts in 2025 [2]. Pushing for "harmonisation" can flatten stricter local norms.
• Activity measured, not outcomes: no public data shows how much ecological damage was avoided. Only 198 of 396 evaluated projects are under implementation [1].

Way forward

• Use the GIS as an early-warning aid, not a replacement for EIA, public hearings or Forest Rights Act consent.
• Make eco-sensitive zones, forest-rights and wildlife-corridor data mandatory layers.
• For the 256 sanctioned projects, publish forest area diverted and mitigation results [1].
• Add environmental criteria to the ITLA's appraisal of ₹500-crore-plus projects [1].

Geospatial DPI solves the information problem. Whether scrutiny becomes stronger or weaker depends on the institutions using it. If statutory checks stay intact and results are made public, GatiShakti can deliver speed with sustainability. That fits Article 48A, Article 51A(g) and SDGs 9 and 15.