Environmental Assessment Report Summary Environmental Impact Assessment Project Number: 41904 August 2007 India: NTPC Capacity Expansion Financing II (Tapovan–Vishnugad Hydroelectric Project and Loharinag–Pala Hydroelectric Project) Prepared by NTPC Limited for the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The summary environmental impact assessment 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. CURRENCY (as of August 2007) Currency Unit – Indian rupee/s (Rs) Rs1.00 = $0.02273 $1.00 = Rs44.0 ABBREVIATIONS ADB – Asian Development Bank CO2 – carbon dioxide EIA – environmental impact assessment FRL – full reservoir level HEP – hydroelectric project IEE – initial environmental examination MDDL – minimum draw down level MOEF – Ministry of Environment and Forests NH – national highway NOx – nitrogen oxides PTCUL – Power Transmission Corporation of Uttaranchal Limited ROW – right-of-way RP – resettlement plan SEIA – summary environmental impact assessment SO2 – sulfur dioxide VDAC – village development advisory committee WEIGHTS AND MEASURES GWh – gigawatt-hour ha – hectare km – kilometer km2 – square kilometer kV – kilovolt kWh – kilowatt-hour m – meter MCM – million cubic meters mm – millimeter m3 – cubic meter m3/s – cubic meter per second MT – metric ton MW – megawatt MWh – megawatt-hour NOTES (i) In this report, “$” refers to US dollars. (ii) In 2006, the Indian state of Uttaranchal officially changed its name to Uttarakhand. For the sake of consistency, Uttarakhand is used throughout this document. CONTENTS Page MAPS I. INTRODUCTION 1 II. TAPOVAN–VISHNUGAD HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT 2 A. Description of the Project 2 B. Description of the Environment 3 C. Alternatives 6 D. Anticipated Environmental Impacts and Mitigation Measures 7 E. Economic Assessment 12 F. Environmental Management Plan 12 G. Additional Planning 14 H. Public Consultation and Disclosure 15 I. Due Diligence Review of Associated Facilities 15 III. LOHARINAG–PALA HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT 16 A. Description of the Project 16 B. Description of the Environment 17 C. Alternatives 19 D. Anticipated Environmental Impacts and Mitigation Measures 19 E. Economic Assessment 24 F. Environmental Management Plan 24 G. Additional Planning 26 H. Public Consultation and Disclosure 27 I. Due Diligence Review of Associated Facilities 27 IV. CONCLUSIONS 27 APPENDIXES 1. Mean Monthly River Flows 29 2. River Water Quality Analysis 30 3. National Water Quality Standards 32 4. Cost of Main Environmental Impact Mitigation Measures 33 5. List of Public Hearing Attendees 34 75 o 00'E HIMACHAL 90o 00'E o PRADESH 76 00'E PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA PUNJAB UTTARAKHAND PAKISTAN HARYANA ARUNACHAL PRADESH I N D I A NEPAL DELHI SIKKIM BHUTAN UTTAR A S S A M R A J A S T H A N PRADESH NAGALAND BIHAR MEGHALAYA NTPC CAPACITY EXPANSION FINANCING II 25 o 00'N 25 o 00'N BANGLADESH MANIPUR JHARKHAND TRIPURA MADHYA WEST MIZORAM UTTARAKHAND STATE GUJARAT PRADESH BENGAL CHATTISGARH MYANMAR o I N D I A ORISSA o 31 00'N Gulf of 31 00'N Cambay MAHARASHTRA B a y ANDHRA o f PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC PRADESH B e n g a l OF CHINA GOA UTTARKASHI KARNATAKA Loharinag Pala (600 MW) A r a b i a n S e a Pala-Maneri TAMIL Lata Tapovan (108MW) o KERALA NADU o (480MW) 10 00'N 10 00'N Vishnuprayag Maneri Bhali-1 (400MW) SRI LANKA (90MW) Tapovan Vishnugad (520 MW) 75o 00'E o Kuwari Pass 90 00'E DEHRADUN Joshimath Maneri Bhali 2 o (304MW) 78 00'E Tehri (1000MW) Vishnughad-Pipalkoti RUDRAPRAYAG (444MW) TEHRI GARHWAL Purkul 765 KV Koteshwar Koteshwar Pooling Substaion (400MW) Bindal Karn Prayag (252MW) Majra Chamba Srinagar (330MW) Srinagar CHAMOLI Harrawala PITHORAGARH To Saharanpur Rishikesh Bhupalwala HARIDWAR PAURI GARHWAL BAGESHWAR Walapur Pithoragarh Manglaur N ALMORA 0 10 20 30 40 50 Kotdwar Alomra Ramganga (Kalagarh) Kilometers Nazibabad Nehtaur Ramnagar Bhowali N E P A L o 29 o 00'N NAINITAL 29 00'N Existing Proposed/ CHAMPAWAT Under Construction Kashipur National Capital 400kV Line Bajpur Haldwani Hydroelectric Project Proposed for Funding Yamuna Basin Hydroelectric Project Bhagirathi Basin UDHAM SINGH NAGAR 400kV Substation Alaknanda Basin 220kV Substation Sarada Basin 132kV Substation District Boundary 66kV Substation State Union Boundary 0 7 kV = kilovolt, MW = megawatt International Boundary - M 2 1 Facility locations are indicative based on publicly available information and may not be comprehensive. Boundaries are not necessarily authoritative. 7 a 4 c p R o o 76 00'E 78 00'E M 1 o 79 25’E 79 o 37’E I N D I A NTPC CAPACITY EXPANSION FINANCING II VICINITY MAP–TAPOVAN VISHNUGHAD HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT UTTARAKHAND STATE o 30 o 35’N Joshimath 30 35’N POWER HOUSE Open Pine Shelang Parsari Paini Heleng Bargaon Open Pine DASOLI RESERVE FOREST Dhak FAIRLY DENSE MIXED JUNGLE MAINLY PINE Bilagarh BARRAGE SITE Bhangyul o 30 o 29’N Dhauliganga River 30 29’N Tapovan N FAIRLY DENSE MIXED JUNGLE MAINLY PINE River Road Head Race Tunnel 0 7 - M 2 1 a 7 4 p R o o 79 25’E 79 37’E 2 M Map 3 78 o 40’E I N D I A Harsil NTPC CAPACITY EXPANSION FINANCING II Reserve VICINITY MAP–LOHARINAG PALA Forest HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT BARRAGE SITE UTTARAKHAND STATE Loharinag 30 o 58’N 30o 58’N Suki Reserve Forest Dabrani Gangnani Reserve Forest r e Dense Mixed Jungle v i R i h t a r i g a h B Huri Reserve Forest Tihar Reserve Forest Sunagarh Gangnani Kujjan POWER HOUSE Dense Mixed Jungle Salang Pala 30o 50’N 30o 50’N Batwari N River National Highway 108 Head Race Tunnel T o U t t a r k a s h o i 78 40’E 07-2174b RM I. INTRODUCTION 1. Demand for electricity in India outstrips supply. Inadequate generation, transmission, and distribution, and less-than-optimum use of electricity, lead to shortages, particularly at peak times. In 2006–2007, India had a peak power deficit of 13.5% and a power supply deficit of 9.9%; the corresponding deficits in the Northern region were 11.3% and 10.9%, respectively.1 The total national shortfall in 2006 was estimated to be 8.3% of demand.2 According to the 2001 census, about 44% of households in India have no access to electricity. Recognizing that electricity is a key driver of rapid economic growth and poverty reduction, the Government aspires to meet electricity demand in full by 2012.3 Other objectives include providing all households with access to electricity within 5 years, and increasing the per capita availability of electricity to over 1,000 kilowatt-hours (kWh) by 2012. 2. India generates about 83% of its electricity from thermal power plants and about 14% from hydroelectric plants.4 Installing a combination of generation types would enable the country to meet the substantial demand for electricity, but the Government is seeking to increase the share of hydropower generation to 50,000 megawatts (MW) of hydroelectric projects to deliver renewable energy benefits. Uttarakhand, now a net importer of electricity, plans to be a net exporter by 2010. The state has little or no fossil fuel resources, but has abundant hydropower potential, given its river resources and range of elevation. Of its assessed hydropower potential of 18,175 MW, only 6% had been developed by 2004. 3. NTPC Limited is implementing the 520 MW Tapovan–Vishnugad Hydroelectric Project (HEP) and the 600 MW Loharinag–Pala HEP, run-of-river schemes in Uttarakhand with some similar features. The construction of the Loharinag–Pala HEP began in July 2006; the first turbine is scheduled to be commissioned in April 2011 and the final turbine will come online in October 2011. The construction of the Tapovan–Vishnugad HEP began in November 2006; the first turbine is scheduled to be commissioned in September 2012 and the final turbine in March 2013, but efforts are being made to commission the Project by March 2012. These projects will add 1,120 MW of installed capacity to the Indian grid—a substantial contribution to meeting the shortfall in supply. 4. As required by the Government, environmental impact assessments (EIAs), covering the construction and operation of the projects, were prepared. A rapid EIA (March 2004) and a comprehensive EIA (September 2004) were prepared for each project. Detailed project reports were also prepared in March 2004 for the Loharinag–Pala HEP, and in April 2004 for the Tapovan–Vishnugad HEP. A detailed socioeconomic survey of all project-affected families, consisting of a village survey and a household survey, was completed in August 2005 for the Loharinag–Pala HEP, and in December 2005 for the Tapovan–Vishnugad HEP. 5. All necessary national and state government approvals for both projects have been obtained. The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF) granted NTPC final site clearance (Stage II) for the Loharinag–Pala HEP in January 2004, and for the Tapovan– Vishnugad HEP in February 2004. These clearances permitted NTPC to carry out a site survey and investigation and to collect environmental data for the EIA and the Environmental Management Plan. Site clearances also permitted the construction of roads and temporary residences. However, if the area affected by these developments was on forest land, then prior clearance was required under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. 1 Central Electricity Authority. Available: http://www.cea.nic.in 2 Ministry of Power. 2006. Available: http://powermin.nic.in 3 Ministry of Power. 2005. National Electricity Policy. The Gazette of India. Extraordinary Part 1 Section 1–12. February. New Delhi. 4 ADB. 2005. Summary Environmental Impact Assessment: Uttaranchal Power Sector Project in India. Manila. 2 6. Public hearings were held—in July 2004 for the Loharinag–Pala HEP, and in August 2004 for the Tapovan–Vishnugad HEP—and no-objection certificates for the projects were issued by the Uttaranchal Environment Protection and Pollution Control Board in September 2004.