File No. 8-05/2020-FC

Sub: Proposal seeking prior approval of the Central Government under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 for non-forestry use of 98.05 ha of forest land in favour of Tilaiya Canal Division, Water Resource Department, Government of for construction of Ganga Water Lift Scheme in Gaya and Bodhgaya District of Bihar - reg.

1. The State vide their letter no. Vanbhoomi-29/2020 393 (E)/VPJP dated 3rd April, 2020 submitted the above-mentioned proposal seeking prior approval of the Central Government under Section-2 of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.

2. Details indicated in the proposal submitted by the Government of Bihar are as below:-

FACT SHEET

Name of the proposal Proposal seeking prior approval of the Central Government under the Forest (Conservation) 1. Act, 1980 for non-forestry use of 98.05 ha of forest land in favour of Tilaiya Canal Division, Water Resources Department, Government of Bihar for construction of Ganga Water Lift Scheme in Gaya and Bodhgaya District of Bihar.-reg. 2. Location:- (i) State Bihar. (ii) District Gaya. (iii) Category Drinking Irrigation. 3. Details of the user agency

(i) Name of the user agency Water Resources Department, Government of Bihar. (ii) Nature of the user agency State Government.

(iii) Total period for which the forest land is proposed NIL to be diverted (in year). 4. Particulars of Forests:- (i) Name of forest Division Gaya Forest Division (ii) Forest area involved 98.05 ha. (iii) Legal Status / Sy. No. Division Forest Land Legal Status (ha.) Gaya 98.05 Protected Forest (iv) Maps Given. 5. (i) Vegetation Eco-Class-3 (ii) Density 0.2 (iii) Number of trees to be felled. 447 trees 6. Species-wise local/(Scientific names) and girth- NIL wise enumeration of trees at FRL. 7. Working plan prescription for the forest land Yes. proposed for diversion; 7. Brief note on vulnerability of the forest area to Generally the project area is vulnerable to erosion. medium to high soil erosion due to intrinsic geological features of the substrate during rainy season. 8. Approximate distance of the proposed site for diversion from boundary of forest 0.

9. Whether forms part of National Park, Wildlife Sanctuary, Biosphere Reserve, Tiger Reserve, Elephant Corridor etc. (if so, the details of the area the comments of the Chief Wildlife Warden to be No. annexed)

10. Details of wildlife present in and around the forest Yes. land proposed for diversion.

11. Whether the forest land proposed for diversion is located within eco-sensitive zone(ESZ) of the Protected Area notified under Wildlife(Protection) Act,1972 (Note: In case, ESZ of a Protected Area is

not notified,then,10kms distance from boundary of the Protected Area should be treated as ESZ. No.

12. Whether any national park, wildlife sanctuary, biosphere reserve, tiger reserve, elephant corridor, wildlife migration corridor etc., is located within 1 Km. from boundary of the forest land proposed for No. diversion.

13. Whether area is significant from wildlife point of - view

14. Whether any rare / endangered unique species of flora and fauna found in the area. If so, details thereof. No.

15. Whether any protected archaeological / heritage site / Defence establishment or any other important monument is located in the area. No.

16. Whether the requirement of forest land as proposed by the User Agency in col. 2 of Part-I is unavoidable and barest minimum for the project. If no, recommended area item-wise with details of Yes. alternatives examined. 17. Whether any work in violation of the Act has been carried out (Yes/No). If yes, details of the same including period of work done, action taken on erring officials. Whether work in violation is still in progress.

(i) Details of violation (s): No. (ii) Period of work done (Year):

(iii) Area of forest land involved in violation (in ha.)

(iv) Whether work in violation is still in progress (Yes / No)

18. Compensatory Afforestation The Compensatory afforestation has been proposed over non-forest land i.e. 128.18 ha of non-forest land comprised of 110.62 acres (44.79 ha) in Ethari village of Guraru Division and

176.01 acres (71.22 ha) in Imnabad village of Division in and 5.05 ha and 7.08 ha in Ramdasi and Baudikala villages, respectively of Division of District as per detail given below:

Distric Division/ Village Area Ownersh t Block ip Gaya Guraru Ethari 44.79 Private Imamganj Imnabad 60.18 Revenue forest land 11.08 Governm ent land Ramdasi 5.05 Irrigation Deptt Baudikala 7.08 Irrigation Deptt 128.18 Examination of the CA proposal revealed that compensatory afforestation scheme for the area of 128.19 ha with 10 years of maintenance involving financial provisions of Rs.21,769,958/- has been submitted along with the proposal. Analysis of DSS report revealed agricultural fields in the

Imamganj. Maps Given.

18. Total financial Out lay for CA (in lakhs) Rs.21,769,958/-

19. Reclamation Plan Not Applicable. 20. CAT Plan -

21. Rehabilitation of Oustees No.

22. Employment Potential Permanent / Temporary. 50 permanent 28440 Temporary

23. Whether clearance under the Environment Not given. (protection) Act, 1986 is required? 24. Status of Wildlife Clearance Not given.

26. Cost Benefit analysis. 4.95:1.

27. Total Cost of the Project (Rupees in lakhs) Rs.1104.83/-lakhs

28. Site Inspection Report of the Divisional Forest Site Inspection Report as carried by Divisional Officer and CF in compliance to the conditions Forest Officer and CF, Gaya. stipulated in the col. 7 (xi, xii) 8 and 9 previous approval. 29. Recommendations: -

(i) DFO Recommended

(ii) CCF Recommended

(iii) PCCF / Nodal Officer Recommended

(iv) State Government Recommended

30. Compliance of Scheduled Tribe and Other The Compliance of Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Rights) Act, 2006. Forest Rights) Act, 2006 has not been submitted. As per the provisions of the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Rules, 2016, the same may be insisted before Stage-II approval. 31. District Profile, Gaya

(i) Total Geographical area (in Ha.) 0.4976 ha.

(ii) Total forest area (in Ha.) 816.66 ha.

(iii) Total area diverted since 1980 325.52 ha. (i) Total area proposed for afforested since 1980 (a) forest land including penal Compensatory Afforestation (b) non-forest land. 1007 ha. 25cases (v) Total area afforested since 1980 01.10.2019 (a)forest land (b) non-forest land 1007 ha. 0 32. Details of mining lease:-

(i) Date of grant of mining lease -

(ii) Total area of the mining lease (granted originally) -

(iii) Date of execution of mining lease -

(iv) Mine Plan -

(v) Progressive Mine Closure Plan -

(vi) Date of earlier approval obtained under the Forest - (Conservation) Act, 1980.

3. The Government of Bihar vide its letter dated 03.04.2020 submitted following additional information pertaining to the proposal: (i) Project has been conceived to supply drinking water and to recharge the ground water. It has been indicated in the proposal that declining rainfall and inadequate recharge of ground water and over utilization of ground water due to increased population has lead to continuously decline in ground water level in Boghgaya, Gaya & Rajgir towns of South Bihar. It is also noteworthy that ground water depletion is often thought to impact people who use ground water. In fact depletion can also affect rivers, species, ecosystems and surface water users. Many rivers receive some or even most of their flow from groundwater, particularly during the driest months. In addition, forests are home to diverse and widespread number of ground water-dependent species and ecosystems, some of which are endangered. (ii) It is reported by the State Government that Central Ground Water Board estimated that the ground water level in Gaya has shrunken to 0.52m in previous one year whereas that of Rajgir to 5.06m in the last ten years. To tackle the problem of water scarcity, State Government resolved that during four months of the monsoon period, water from ganga river should be stored in reservoirs and utilized for drinking water. This water otherwise gets drained into the Bay of Bengal. Storing water in reservoirs over a long period would also help in recharging the ground water aquifers. (iii) It is also indicated that Wildlife sanctuary at Rajgir will be provided water from the proposed reservoir for various animals in the area and also water bodies inside the sanctuary area. Similarly, the ground water level condition in the Tetar panchayat forest area and Manpur Abgilla will improve leading to benefit to flora and fauna of the area. Ganga water lift scheme is envisaged to meet the demand of domestic water of these towns, by lifting Ganga water through pumps and conveyance through pipelines. In the months of July to October, water will be drawn from the Ganga River and it will be stored at nearby places of Gaya and Rajgir towns. The stored Ganga water will be treated in water treatment plant to provide drinking water to these cities throughout the year. Under this scheme, a reservoir is to be constructed near the Tetar Panchayat of Mohara block and water treatment plant with a small reservoir in the hills of Abgila near Gaya town. With this, the city of Gaya and will continue to get continuous drinking water throughout the year, as well as the ground water level of Gaya town and flora and fauna in the adjoining area will also improve. (iv) Legal status of the forest land proposed for non-forestry use us Protected Forest. Area has been notified as Protected Forest for management purposes by Environment and Forest Department, Government of Bihar as per notifications given below: S. No. Range Location Legal Status Notification No. Area (ha) 1 Atri Tetar Protected Forests C/PF 10148/52-25R 35.71 dated 2.01.1953 2 Atri Bikaipur -do- C/F 170/54-3412R 52.43 dated 9.08.1954 Sub-total 88.14 3 Gaya Pehani Pahad 3.38 4 Gaya Pehani Protected Forest C/F/170/54-3409 R 6.53 dated 9.08.1954 Sub-total 9.91 Grand Total 98.05

(v) Proposed project envisages non-forestry use of forest land at two locations at Atri and Gaya in Gaya district involving forest area of 88.14 ha and 9.91 ha respectively. Project envisages construction of Water Lift Scheme from River Ganga to supply drinking water to Gaya District. Proposed scheme envisages two components viz. construction of reservoir at Atri involving forest area of 88.14 ha and construction of a Water Treatment Plant over an area of 9.91 ha at Gaya. Purpose wise breakup of the forest area proposed for non- forestry use is given as under: S. No. Particulars Area (Ha) Tetar Reservoir 1. Area under submergence 71.27 2. Area required for dam site 16.87 Sub - Total 88.14 Water Treatment Plant at Abliga 1. Area of small reservoir 4.96 2. Area required for water treatment plant 4.95 Sub-Total 9.91 Grand Total 98.05

(vi) With regards to justification for locating the project in forest area, the State Government has mentioned that Ganga Water Lift Scheme is a bid to provide drinking water to the water scarce cities of Rajgir, Gaya, and Bodh Gaya which are prominent tourist places with high footfall and high density of resident population and experience acute shortage of drinking water during the period of April to July. Following justification has been provided for locating the project components in the forest area: Tetar Reservoir Area – As per engineering considerations, location of earthen dams for reservoirs should be in gorges or mountainous area. The proposed region is surrounded by mountains on three sides, which is best suited for reservoir construction. With the construction of this reservoir, the ground water level of this region will improve, which will also benefit the rest of the forest. Abgila Small Reservoir cum Water Treatment Plant Area - After stone excavation (a Government Quarry) in this area, there is a pit of about 25 meters, which is perfect for constructing small reservoirs. Also, being close to the city, water treatment plant is also proposed to be constructed in the area

(vii) DCF reported presence of high density clumps of Dendrocalamus strictus on the hill slopes in northern aspect and less diversity on other slopes. Scattered occurrence of species like Sal, Ken, Parmi, Palmyra in foothills and valley has been reported by the DCF concerned. Similarly, species like Casia fistula, Acacia spp., Shisham, and Chakundi etc. have been reported in the area of 9.91 ha. (viii) Density of vegetation has been reported to be 0.2 (as per ISFS). A total of 447 project affected trees, inclusive of all girth classes have been reported in the area. Enumeration list, girth/diameter class wise distribution, etc. has been submitted. (ix) Area proposed for non-forestry use does not form the part of any National Park, Wildlife Sanctuary, Bioshpere Reserve, Tiger Reserve, Elephant Corridor, etc. Rajgir Wildlife Sanctuary is located at a distance of about 21 km from the area proposed for non-forestry use. Major wildlife found in the area reported to be blue bull, Jackal, Hara, Common Langur, etc. The DCF concerned in his inspection report has categorically mentioned that proposed project will not have any impact on the wildlife of the area. (x) Compensatory afforestation has been proposed over non-forest land i.e. 128.18 ha of non-forest land comprised of 110.62 acres (44.79 ha) in Ethari village of Guraru Division and 176.01 acres (71.22 ha) in Imnabad village of Imamganj Division in Gaya District and 5.05 ha and 7.08 ha in Ramdasi and Baudikala villages, respectively of Rajauli Division of as per detail given below:

District Division/ Village Area Ownership Block Gaya Guraru Ethari 44.79 Private Imamganj Imnabad 60.18 Revenue forest land 11.08 Government land Ramdasi 5.05 Irrigation Deptt Baudikala 7.08 Irrigation Deptt 128.18 (xi) Examination of the CA proposal revealed that compensatory afforestation scheme for the area of 128.19 ha with 10 years of maintenance involving financial provisions of Rs. 21,769,958/- has been submitted along with the proposal. Analysis of DSS report revealed agricultural fields in the Imamganj. (xii) Cost benefit analysis has been submitted. Total benefits in monetary terms have been reported to be Rs. 5468.442 lakhs while total cost of the project has been estimated to be Rs. 1104.83. Benefit cost ratio has been estimated to be 4.95:1. (xiii) Compliance of Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 has not been submitted. As per the provisions of the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Rules, 2016, the same may be insisted before Stage-II approval. (xiv) Another proposal of the same user agency involving non-forestry use of 36.04251 ha of forest land for construction of a reservoir was granted Stage-I approval by the Regional Office, on 04.04.2020 and extant proposal is part of the same project. Comprehensive detail of the project specifying total project components/area and forest area involved thereof, depicted appropriately on a suitable map. (xv) The DCF concerned in his inspection report has categorically mentioned that area is vulnerable to soil erosion owing to intrinsic geological features. As the project intends to meet the demand of drinking water in the area by construction series of reservoir, soil erosion may lead to early siltation of the reservoir thereby reducing the life of reservoir. To address the issue of siltation of reservoir vis-à-vis CAT Plan requirement, it has been mentioned that though the mountains do not seem to be so fragile, catchment area treatment is imminently needed for which WRD has included ameliorative measures in the DPR to compensate for any increase in vulnerability of soil erosion due to soil works involved in the creation of inspection path along the ridges of the mountains in Tetar WRD would carry out plantation of native species, appropriate to the site quality of the slopes of the mountain, along with boulder pitching and grass sodding along the slopes to prevent any erosive activity by natural forces in future. It also mentioned that there is provision for dead storage in the reservoir which will be utilized for storage of silt (if any). The deposited silt will be flushed out regularly through scouring sluices provided for the project in the nearby drains. As such there is no chance of reduction in live capacity of reservoir. (xvi) Another proposal of the same user agency involving non-forestry use of 36.04251 ha of forest land for construction of a reservoir was granted Stage-I approval by the Regional Office, Ranchi on 4.04.2020 and extant proposal appears to be the part of the same project. However, the State Government in the comprehensive detail of the project specified the total project components/area mentioned that current proposal is new project. Detail of comprehensive components of the projects are given as under: a. construction of approach channel at Maranchi, block - Mokama for withdrawal of water from Ganga river during the flood period (July to October) at the rate of 19.40 cumec, b. Intake well and Pump house at Maranchi for 19.40 cumecs discharge, c. Supplying and laying of Mild steel pipe for a discharge of 5.45 cumec up to Giriyak detention tank, d. Construction of three nos storage reservoirs with Delivery cistern, Pump houses and intake  in between Ghorakatora Lake and Panchane river in Nalanda district, capacity- 9.81 MCM  near hillocks in Tetar panchayat of Mohra block in Gaya district, Capacity- 18.53 MCM and  Abgilla hills of Manpur, Gaya district, Capacity- 1.29 MCM, e. Construction of Detention tank and Pump house at Giriyak, f. Supplying and laying of suitable Dia Mild steel pipes from detention tank to storage reservoirs at Ghorakatora lake and the above mentioned three reservoirs, g. Construction of Water Treatment Plant at Abgilla hills, Manpur, Gaya and Rajgir, Supplying and installation of suitable Dia Mild steel pipes to Water Treatment Plant at Abgilla hills, Manpur,Gaya and Rajgir, h. Construction of office building cum staff quarters cum dormitory at Giriyak & Maranchi, i. Installation of Supervisory control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system, j. Construction of electric sub stations at required places, k. Installation of pumps of required capacity in Pump houses and other electro-mechanical works on turn-key basis with 3 months Trial Run after Commissioning and Comprehensive Operation and Maintenance of 60 months after successful completion of Trial Run Period as per the provisions laid down in relevant codes, approved Design & Drawing, Standard Specification and direction of Engineer in Charge. Components mentioned in para xvi(d) above involve forest area. Stage -1 approval has been obtained for the reservoir of 9.81 MCM situated in Nalanda revenue district. (xvii) Authorities in the State Government have recommended the proposal for approval under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 allowing non-forestry use of forest land for construction of reservoir. No violation of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 have been reported. (xviii) DSS report is available at page 59-64/c. As per DSS report the area does not fall in High Conservation Value Zone as per Decision Rule 1 and Rule 2.

In view of the above, it is proposed that the proposal may be submitted to the FAC for its further examination in its forthcoming FAC meeting scheduled for 23rd April, 2020.

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