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43464-027: Himachal Pradesh Clean Energy

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43464-027: Himachal Pradesh Clean Energy Initial Environmental Examination May 2021 Addendum India: Himachal Pradesh Clean Energy Transmission Investment Program - Tranche 3 Prepared by Himachal Pradesh Power Transmission Corporation Limited (HPPTCL) for the Asian .Development Bank. This is an addendum to the initial environmental examination report originally posted in October 2020 available on https://www.adb.org/projects/documents/ind-43464-027-iee-1 This addendum to the initial environmental examination is a document of the borrower. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of ADB's Board of Directors, Management, or staff, and may be preliminary in nature. Your attention is directed to the “terms of use” section on ADB’s website. In preparing any country program or strategy, financing any project, or by making any designation of or reference to a particular territory or geographic area in this document, the Asian Development Bank does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area. ` Recd. 27.5.21 SFG Log 4638 Addendum to Initial Environmental Examination Report Project Number: 43464-027 Loan 3733-IND May 2021 India: Himachal Pradesh Clean Energy Transmission Investment Program - Tranche 3 Prepared by Himachal Pradesh Power Transmission Corporation Limited (HPPTCL), Government of Himachal Pradesh for the Asian Development Bank. This addendum to initial environmental examination report is a document of the borrower. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of ADB's Board of Directors, Management, or staff, and may be preliminary in nature. Your attention is directed to the “terms of use” section of this website. In preparing any country program or strategy, financing any project, or by making any designation of or reference to a particular territory or geographic area in this document, the Asian Development Bank does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area. Contents Page EXECUTIVE SUMMARY i 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1 1.1 Background 1 1.2 The Tranche 3 Project 1 1.3 Scope of Work and Methodology Adopted 3 2.0 POLICY, LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK 5 2.1 Indian - National, Local, Other Applicable Environmental Laws, Regulations, and Standards as applicable to the project. 5 2.2 Asian Development Bank’s safeguard Policies 6 3.0 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT 8 3.1 Project overview 8 3.2 Need for the Project 8 3.3 Location of the sub-projects 8 3.4 Proposed Sub-projects interventions 12 4.0 DESCRIPTION OF ENVIRONMENT 18 4.1 Sub-projects overview 18 4.1.1 Physical Resources 18 4.3 Ecological Resources 24 4.3 Economic Development 26 4.4 Social and Cultural Resources 31 5.0 ANTICIPATED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES 33 5.1 Environmental Impacts 33 6.0 ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVES 38 6.1 HPPTCL’s Approach for Site Selection 38 7.0 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN 39 7.1 Environment Management Plan 39 7.2 Monitoring 42 7.3 Institutional arrangements 43 8.0 PUBLIC CONSULTATION, INFORMATION DISCLOSURE, AND GRIEVANCE MECHANISM 44 8.1 Public Consultations 44 8.2 Information Disclosure and Future Consultations 44 9.0 CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 45 ANNEXURES 46 Annexure 1: Rapid Environmental Assessment (REA) Checklist 46 Annexure 2: Copy of the designs/plans for four sub-projects 51 Annexure 3: Environmental Management Plan 56 Annexure 4: Measurement of Environmental Parameters & Periodicity 62 Annexure 5: National Standards for Water, Air, and Noise quality as per CPCB 63 Annexure 6 Results of Environment Monitoring for Air, Water, Noise and Soil Sampling at different sub-project sites 65 Annexure 7: Photographs of Consultations carried through Social Media at different project sites 84 ABBREVIATIONS ADB – Asian Development Bank ACSR – Aluminum Conductor Steel Reinforced AMSL – Average Mean Sea Level CEA – Central Electricity Authority CPCB – Central Pollution Control Board, Government of India DPR – Detailed Project Report EARF – Environmental Assessment and Review Framework EIA – Environmental Impact Assessment EMoP – Environmental Monitoring Plan EMP – Environmental Management Plan EHV – Extra-High Voltage EPC – Engineering, Procurement, and Construction ESC – Environment and Social Cell GHG – Green House Gases GoHP – Government of Himachal Pradesh GoI – Government of India GRM – Grievance Redressal Mechanism HPCEDIP – Himachal Pradesh Clean Energy Development Investment Program HPCETIP – Himachal Pradesh Clean Energy Transmission Investment Program HPSPCB – Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board HPPCL – Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited HPPTCL – Himachal Pradesh Power Transmission Corporation Limited HPSEB – Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board IEE – Initial Environmental Examination LILO – Line – in- Line- out MFF – Multi-tranche Financing Facility MOEF&CC – Ministry of Environment, Forests& Climate Change, Government of India PCB – Poly Chlorinated Biphenyl PGCIL – Power Grid Corporation of India Limited PMU – Project Management Unit RoW – Right of Way WEIGHTS AND MEASURES ha (hectare) – 10,000 sq m km (kilometer) – 1,000 m kV – kilovolt (1,000 volts) kW – kilowatt (1,000 watts) kWh – kilowatt-hour MVA – Megavolt-Amperes MW – Megawatt EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. Himachal Pradesh is a mountainous state in northern India with a population of slightly over 6 million, has abundant water resources in the five major rivers flowing through the state from the western Himalayas. The hydropower generation potential of Himachal Pradesh is about 23,000 MW, which is about one-fourth of the total hydropower potential of India. In its Hydropower Policy (2007) 1 , the Government of Himachal Pradesh (GoHP) targets its comparative advantage in hydropower with the goal to become the "hydropower state" of the country. 2. The Himachal Pradesh Clean Energy Transmission Investment Program (HPCETIP) is a $350 million multi-tranche financing facility (MFF) from the Asian Development Bank (ADB), which will contribute to economic development in Himachal Pradesh through expanded power supplies from clean energy sources and support a sustainable electricity sector in the state. With ADB support, the proposed program will sustain the energy sector reform agenda and is expected to help attract other long-term financiers to the state. 3. The proposed Tranche 3 project, located in Kullu, Kinnaur, Kangra, Chamba, Shimla, Mandi, Solan and Sirmaur districts of Himachal Pradesh, involving the construction of approximately 135 km of transmission lines of various voltages 220/132/66/ and four substations of 583 MVA transformation capacity and one switching substations, consists of the Power Transmission lines, EHV Pooling Substations and Capacity building & Training. 4. This addendum to ADB-cleared Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) report, October 2020 has been prepared due to additional scope of four subprojects under loan 3733-IND (Tranche-3). Details of the additional scope of four subprojects under loan 3733-IND (Tranche- III) are provided below: (i) Construction of Residential quarters Type-1 & Type-2 at 400/220/66kV Wangtoo substation and Type 3 & Type-4 at Bhabha Nagar (in HPSEBL’s residential colony), including site development, sewerage system, water supply arrangement and electric installation with Quality Assurance at Kinnaur district of Himachal Pradesh; (ii) Construction of Residential quarters Type-1, Type-2, type-3 & Type-4 at Chambi substation, including site development, sewerage system, water supply arrangement and electric installation with Quality Assurance at Kangra district of Himachal Pradesh; (iii) Construction of Residential quarters Type-1, Type-2, type-3 & Type-4 at Charor substation (in Phosal), including site development, sewerage system, water supply arrangement and electric installation with Quality Assurance at Kullu district of Himachal Pradesh; and (iv) Construction of Residential quarters Type-1, Type-2, type-3 & Type-4 at Lahal substation, including site development, sewerage system, water supply arrangement and electric installation with Quality Assurance at Chamba district of Himachal Pradesh. 5. The projects, listed in the schedule of Government of India’s (GoI) Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006 and its subsequent amendments are required to obtain Environment Clearance from Ministry of Environment and Forests & Climate Change (MoEF&CC)/SEIAA. The project in concern is about construction of auxiliary buildings for residential quarters at four different sites and is proposed to be built in an area of 3973m2. As 1 Government of Himachal Pradesh. 2007. Hydro Power Policy (2007). Shimla. per schedule 8(a) of the EIA, Notification, 2006 on Building and Construction; the Project in areas less than 20,000m2 do not require environmental clearance. Since, the total built-up area (3973m2) for all four auxiliary buildings proposed sub-projects is less than 20,000m2, hence it does not trigger for the Environmental clearance from GoI or State. 6. Description of the scope of the work for the sub-projects is summarised in table 1 below. Table 1: Description of the Project Type of quarters No of buildings No of sets No of Total plot area Required built storey (super areas) up area Lot 1 at Wangtoo & Bhabanagar (in HPSEBL’s residential colony) in Kinnaur district Type 1 1 4 2 Type 2 1 4 2 3,805m2 2029m2 Type 3 1 4 2 Type 4 1 1 1 Lot 2 at Chambi in Kangra district Type-2 1 4 2 Type 3 1 4 2 2,250m2 733m2 Type 4 1 1 1 Lot 3 at Phosal in Kullu district Type 2 1 4 2 Type 3 1 4 2 1,200m2 550m2 Type 4 1 1 1 Lot 4 at Lahal in Chamba district Type 1 2 4 2 Type 2 2 2 1 925m2 661m2 Type 3 2 2 1 Type 4 1 1 1 Total 8,180m2 3,973m2 7. Collection of baseline parameters of water, air, soil, and noise have been done at the substations, premises of which these subprojects have been located, except at Phosal substation site. These have been used for the establishment of baseline data and the same has been provided in this addendum to IEE report at Annexure 6. The quality of air, noise, water & soil is generally found good in the sub-project sites.
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