Initial Environmental Examination Project Number: 47229-001 November 2015 IND: Uttarakhand Emergency Assistance Project Subproject : UEAP/PWD/C-79 & UEAP/PWD/C-80, Tehri District, Uttarakhand Submitted by Uttarakhand Emergency Assistance Project (Roads & Bridges), Government of Uttarakhand, Dehardun This report has been submitted to ADB by the Program Implementation Unit, Uttarkhand Emergency Assistance Project (R&B), Government of Uttarakhand, Dehradun and is made publicly available in accordance with ADB’s public communications policy (2011). It does not necessarily reflect the views of ADB. This Initial Environment 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. 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 Initial Environmental Examination October 2015 India: Uttarakhand Emergency Assistance Project Restoration & Reconstruction of: 1. Internal Motor Roads of Muni-Ki-Reti & Tapowan area (UEAP/PWD/C- 79)District Tehri, Uttarakhand 2. Internal Motor Roads of Nagar Palika Tehri (Tehri to Baurari) by BM & SDBC (3 Km. portion of SH-8 & 7.50 Km. portion urban road (UEAP/PWD/C-80) under Nagar Palika Tehri, Uttarakhand Prepared by State Disaster Management Authority, Government of Uttarakhand, for the Asian Development Bank. i ABBREVIATIONS ADB - Asian Development Bank ASI - Archaeological Survey of India BOQ - Bill of Quantity CTE - Consent to Establish CTO - Consent to Operate DFO - Divisional Forest Officer DSC - Design and Supervision Consultancy DOT - Department of Tourism CPCB - Central Pollution Control Board EA - Executing Agency EAC - Expert Appraisal Committee EARF - Environment Assessment and Review Framework EC - Environmental Clearance EIA - Environmental Impact Assessment EMMP - Environment Management and Monitoring Plan EMP - Environment Management Plan GoI - Government of India GRM - Grievance Redressal Mechanism IA - Implementing Agency IEE - Initial Environmental Examination IST - Indian Standard Time LPG - Liquid Petroleum Gas MDR - Major District Road MoEF&CC - Ministry of Environment and Forests & Climate Change NAAQS - National Ambient Air Quality Standards NDBR - Nanda Devi Biospher Reserve NDNP - Nanda Devi National Park NH - National Highway ODR - Other District Road OM - Operations Manual PIU - Project Implementation Unit PMU - Project Management Unit PWD - Public Works Department REA - Rapid Environmental Assessment RSPM - Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter SDMA - State Disaster Management Authority SH - State Highway SPCB - State Pollution Control Board SPM - Suspended Particulate Matter SPS - Safeguards Policy Statement SRTC - State Road Transport Corporation UCADA - Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority UEAP - Uttarakhand Emergency Assistance Project UEPPCB - Uttarakhand Environment Protection and Pollution Control Board UJS - Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan VR - Village Road ii WEIGHTS AND MEASURES cm - centimeter Crore – 100 lakhs = 10,000,000 Lakh – 100 thousand = 100,000 Km – Kilometer Kph - Kilometer per hour Lpd – liters per day M – Meter mg/l – milligrams per liter Mm – Millimeter MSL - Mean sea level µ - 10-6 meter µg/m3 – micrograms per cubic meter µS/cm - micro Siemens per centimeter NTU - Nephalo turbidity unit Ppm – parts per million iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapters Contents Page No. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 I INTRODUCTION 4 A. Project background/rationale 4 B. Uttarakhand Emergency Assistance Project (UEAP) 4 C. Purpose of the environmental assessment 5 D. Extent of IEE 5 E. IEE contents 5 F. Methodology 6 G. Public consultation 7 II POLICY, LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK 8 III DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT 12 A. Project location 12 B. Proposed category of the project 13 C. Key rehabilitation and reconstruction activities 13 D. Project implementation schedule 13 IV DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT 16 A. Physical environment 16 1. Geography 16 2. Geology 16 3. Physiography 17 B. Pedology 17 C. Climate and meteorology 19 D. Air and noise quality 20 E. Hydrology 22 1. Water drainage 22 2. Water quality 23 F. Mineral resources 29 G. Seismology 29 H. Ecology 30 1. Forestry 30 2. Biodiversity 33 3. Biosphere reserves 36 4. Fishery 37 I. Socio-economic 38 1. Social and cultural development 38 2. Land use pattern 38 J. Health 39 K. Literacy 40 L. Cultural and archaeological resources 40 M. Economic development 41 1. Transportation and communication 41 2. Industrial development 41 3. Agriculture, forestry and fishery 43 N. Fisheries 46 O. Energy and electric power potential 46 P. Aesthetic and tourism 47 V ANTICIPATED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION 48 MEASURES 5.1 Negative impacts related project location, preliminary planning and Design 48 A. Impact and mitigation measure during planning and design phase 48 B. Impacts during construction phase 49 a. Impacts on the physical environment and mitigation measures 49 iv i. alteration of surface water hydrology of waterways crossed by 49 roads, resulting in increased sediment in streams affected by increased soil erosion at construction site. ii. Impacts on water quality 49 iii. Disfiguration of landscape by road embankments, cuts, fills and 50 quarries. iv. Loss of productive soil 50 v. Compaction and contamination of soil 50 b. Impacts on environmental quality 50 i. Increase in local air pollution due to rock crushing, and filling works 50 and chemicals from asphalt processing. ii. Noise and vibration from civil works 51 C. Impacts on the socio-economic 52 i. Encroachment on historical and cultural areas 52 ii. Impacts on occupational health and safety 52 iii. Impacts on community health and safety 52 VI INFORMATION DISCLOSURE, CONSULTATION AND PARTICIPATION 54 A. Public participation during the preparation of the IEE 54 B. Future consultation and disclosure 57 C. Consultation during detailed design 57 D. Consultation during construction 57 E. Public disclosure 57 F. Project disclosure 58 VII ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING PLAN AND 59 GRIEVANCE AND REDRESS MECHANISM A. Environment management plan 59 B. Institutional arrangement 59 I. UEAP, SDMA (PMU) 60 II. UEAP, IA, FPIU 60 III. The Engineer (DSC) 61 IV. Environmental expert of engineer (DSC) 61 V. The Contractor 61 C. Environmental monitoring programme 89 D. Performance indicators 89 E. Environmental budget 92 F. Grievance and Redress Mechanism 93 VIII CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 94 v LIST OF TABLES TABLE II-1 : Applicable environmental national and state requirements for UEAP 8 TABLE III-1 : Distribution of road sections to be upgraded under UEAP, by hierarchy 13 and length TABLE IV-1 : Soil Quality along the Natraj-Bhadrakali, Munikireti & Tapovan Road 18 TABLE IV-4 : Soil Quality along the Tehri Internal Road 19 TABLE IV-6 : Ambient Air Quality along the Natraj-Bhadrakali, Munikireti & Tapovan 20 Road TABLE IV-7 : Ambient Air Quality along the Tehri Internal Road 20 TABLE IV-8 : Day and Night Time Leq in the Natraj-Bhadrakali, Munikireti & Tapovan 22 Road TABLE IV-9 : Day and Night Time Leq in the Tehri Internal Road 22 TABLE IV-10 : 1. Water Quality along the Natraj-Bhadrakali, Munikireti & 25 Tapovan Road TABLE IV-11 : 2. Water Quality along the Tehri Internal Road 27 TABLE IV-9 : 3. Availability of important minerals (million tonnes) 29 TABLE IV-13 : District-wise forest cover, Uttarakhand 31 TABLE IV-14 Predominant top-canopy (tree) species according to altitude 32 TABLE IV-15 : Wildlife in Uttarakhand 33 TABLE IV-16 : National parks in Uttarakhand 34 TABLE IV-17 : Wildlife sanctuaries in Uttarakhand 34 TABLE IV-18 : List of major flora 34 TABLE IV-19 : List of major fauna 35 TABLE IV-20 : Land utilisation in Uttarakhand 39 TABLE IV-21 : Health indicators of Uttarakhand 39 TABLE IV-22 : Health infrastructure of Uttarakhand 40 TABLE IV-23 : Transportation of Uttarakhand state. 42 IV-24 : Area under principal crops and productivity in Uttarakhand 44 TABLE IV-25 : Ecological sub-regions and altitude-wise major agriculture crops 45 TABLE IV-26 : Mode of irrigation and drainage system in Uttarakhand 46 TABLE VII-1 : Environmental Management & Monitoring Plan 63 TABLE VII-2 : The Performance Indicators & Monitoring Plan 89 TABLE VII-3 : Environmental Monitoring for Air, Water, Noise & Soil 91 TABLE VII-4 : Envrionmental Budget for Natraj-Bhadrakhali, Munikireti & Tapovan 91 Road TABLE VII-5 : Environmental Budget for Selaqui Bhauwala Dunga Nandaki Chowki 92 Road vi LIST OF APPENDICES APPENDIX A Rapid Environmental Assessment (REA) Checklist 95 APPENDIX B Public consultation record 107 APPENDIX C Site photographs 114 APPENDIX 1 Disposal site management 115 APPENDIX 2 Environmental standards 118 APPENDIX 3 Oil inceptors 124 APPENDIX 4 Typical bituminous disposal pit 125 APPENDIX 5 Work safety in common operation and in construction 126 APPENDIX 6 Tree plantation strategy 135 APPENDIX 7 Enhancement measures 139 APPENDIX 8 Guidelines for management of road section through forest area 141 APPENDIX 9 Arrangement of traffic during construction 143 APPENDIX 10 General guidelines for contractor construction water 148 management plan APPENDIX 11 Environmental friendly construction methodology 149 APPENDIX 12 Borrow area management 153 APPENDIX 13 Soil erosion and sedimentation control 157