Initial Environmental Examination Project Number: 47229-001 September 2015 IND: Uttarakhand Emergency Assistance Project Subproject : UEAP/PWD/C-75, Pitthoragarh 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 September 2015 Reconstruction of Internal Roads of Nagar Panchayat, Munsyari (UEAP/PWD/C-75) in Pithoragarh District of Uttarakhand Prepared by:- State Disaster Management Authority, Government of Uttarakhand, for the Asian Development Bank. i This initial environmental examination is a document of the State Disaster Management Authority, Government of Uttarakhand. 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. ii ABBREVIATIONS ADB - Asian Development Bank BOD - Biological Oxygen Demand BoQ - Bill of Quantities CO - Carbon monoxide CPCB - Central Pollution Control Board DSC - Design and Supervision Consultant EA - Executing Agency EAC - Expert Appraisal Committee EARF - Environment Assessment and Review Framework EIA - Environmental Impact Assessment EMP - Environment Management Plan ES - Environmental Specialist FPIU - Field PIU, Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam FRP Fiber Reinforced Plastic GC - General Conditions GMVN - Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigma GoI - Government ofIndia GoUK - Government ofUttarakhand IDIPT - Infrastructure Development Investment Program for Tourism IEE - Initial environmental examination INR - Indian Rupee KMVN - Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam MLD - Million Liters per day MoEF&CC - Ministry of Environment, Forests& Climate Change MFF - Multi- Tranche Financing Facility NGO - Non-Governmental Organization NOx - Nitrogen oxide PD - Project Director PIU - Project Implementation Unit PM - Particulate Matter PMU - Project Management Unit PUC - Pollution under Control Certificate RP - Resettlement Plan RPM - Reparable Particulate Matter SC - Scheduled Castes SEAC - State Expert Appraisal Committee SEIAA - State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority SO2 - Sulphur- di- oxide SPM - Suspended Particulate Matter SPS - safeguard Policy Statement ST - Scheduled Tribe UEPPCB - Uttarakhand Environmental Protection and Pollution Control Board UJS - Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan VS - Village Road iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Page No. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1-4 I INTRODUCTION 5-8 A. Project background/rationale 5 B. Uttarakhand Emergency Assistance Project (UEAP) 5 C. Purpose of the environmental assessment 6 D. Extent of IEE 6 E. IEE contents 7 F. Methodology 7 G. Public Consultation 8 II POLICY, LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK 9-12 III DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT 13-16 A. Project location 13 B. Details of Subproject 13 C. Proposed category of the project 15 C. Key Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Activities 16 E. Project implementation schedule 16 IV DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT 17-43 A. Physical environment 17 i. Geography 17 ii. Geology 18 iii. Physiography 19 B. Pedology 19 C. Climate and meteorology 20 D. Ambient Air Quality and Noise Level 21 E. Hydrology 22 1. Water drainage 22 2. Water quality 23 F. Mineral resources 24 G. Seismology 25 H. Ecology 26 1. Forestry 26 2. Biodiversity 29 3. Protected Areas 35 4. Fishery 36 I. Socio-economic 37-39 1. Social and cultural development 37 2. Land use and land use pattern 38 J. Health 39 K. Literacy 39 L. Cultural and archaeological resources 39 M. Economic development 40-44 1. Transportation and communication 39 2. Industrial development 41 3. Agriculture, forestry and fishery 42 N. Fisheries 43 O. Energy and electric power potential 43 P. Aesthetic and tourism 44 iv V ANTICIPATED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES 45-49 4.1 Impact during planning and design phase 45 4.2 Impact during Construction phase 46 a. Impact on the physical environment and mitigation measures 46 b. Impact on Environment Quality 47 c. Impact on the Socio-Economic 49 VI INFORMATION DISCLOSURE, CONSULTATION AND PARTICIPATION 50-52 A. Public participation during the preparation of the IEE 50 B. Future consultation and disclosure 52 C. Consultation during detailed design 52 D. Consultation during construction 52 E. Public disclosure 52 VII ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN AND GRIEVANCE REDRESS 53-91 MECHANISM A. Environment management and monitoring plan 53 B. Institutional arrangement 53 I. UEAP, SDMA (PMU) 54 II. UEAP, IA, FPIU 55 III. The Engineer (DSC) 55 IV. Environmental expert of engineer (DSC) 55 V. The Contractor 56 C Environmental monitoring Plan 56 D Performance indicators 56 E Environmental budget 89 F Grievance Redress Mechanism 90 VIII CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 91 v LIST OF TABLES Table II-1 : Applicable environmental national and state requirements for 9 UEAP Table III-1 Details of roads under the subproejct 14 Table IV-1 : Average annual surface flow of the rivers of district Pithoragarh 23 Table IV-2 : District-wise forest cover, Uttarakhand 27 Table IV-3 : Predominant top-canopy (tree) species according to altitude 28 Table IV-4 : List of Floral diversity of the project area 29 Table IV-5 : List of Faunal diversity of the project area 33 Table IV-6 : Protected areas in Uttarakhand 36 Table IV-7 : Biosphere Reserve in Uttarakhand 36 Table IV-8 : Health Facilities and Infrastructure in district Pithoragarh 39 Table IV-9 : Category wise description of road in district Pithoragarh 40 Table IV-10 : Total agriculture production in district Pithoragarh 42 Table IV-11 : Details of Electric generation and distribution in district 43 Pithoragarh Table IV-12 : Number of tourists and tourists facility available in district 44 Pithoragarh Table VII-1 : Environmental Monitoring Plan 58 Table VII-2 Performance Indicator of EMMP 87 Table VII-3 : Environmental monitoring for Air, Water, Noise and Soil 88 Table VII-4 : Environment Management and Monitoring costs 89 vi LIST OF APPENDICES Rapid Environmental Assessment (REA) checklist & Environment APPENDIX – I : 92 Categorization APPENDIX – II : Publc Consultation Record 97 APPENDIX – III : Site photographs 98 APPENDIX – VI : Disposal site Management 102 APPENDIX – V : Environmental Standards 105 APPENDIX – VI : Oil Interceptors 109 APPENDIX – VII : Typical Bitumen Disposal Pit 110 APPENDIX – VIII : Workers Safety in common Operation and during Constructions 111 APPENDIX – IX : Tree Plantation Strategy 120 APPENDIX – X : Enhancement Measures 124 APPENDIX – XI : Guidelines for the Management of Road Section through Forest Areas 126 APPENDIX – XII : Arrangement for Traffic during Construction 128 General Guidelines for Contractor’s Construction Water Management APPENDIX – XIII : 133 Plan APPENDIX – : Environment Friendly Construction Methodology 134 XIV APPENDIX – XV : Borrow Areas Management 138 APPENDIX – : Soil Erosion and Sedimentation Control 142 XVI APPENDIX – Locating Quarries, Rehabilitating Quarries and Guidelines for Stone : 144 XVII Crushers APPENDIX – Storage, Handling. Use and Emergency Responses for Hazardous : 147 XVIII Chemical APPENDIX – : Selection and Management of Construction Camp 150 XIX LIST OF FIGURES FIGURE I.1 Process flow for carrying out IEE 8 FIGURE III.1 Physical Map of Pithoragarh 13 FIGURE III.1 Location map of roads 14 FIGURE III.3 Typical Cross Section of Roads 16 FIGURE IV.1 Districts of Uttarakhand 17 FIGURE IV.2 Percentage wise category of forest in Uttarakhand 26 FIGURE IV.3 Uttarakhand forest cover map 26 FIGURE IV.4 Forest types group in Uttarakhand 27 vii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 The State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) has Undertaken Uttarakhand Emergency Assistance Project (UEAP), financed by the ADB. The total estimated cost of the program is about US $205 millions, out of which $96.75 million will be allotted for road and bridge sector. 2 The Uttarakhand Emergency Assistance Project (UEAP) involving Reconstruction of Internal Road in Nagar Panchayat, Munsyari in District Pithoragarh of Kumaon region in Uttarakhand State” sections with a total length of 9 Km out of which 6.25 km of Urban Road needs to be restored. The key road upgrading components includes restoration of disaster affected roads in hilly terrain to a single lane standard (3.75 m carriageway and 5.95m formation width), conducting patch repairs strengthening of culverts, repairs/ reconstruction of R/W & B/R and providing all necessary road furniture and roadside safety hardware. Consistent with the Environmental Assessment and Review