1 Public Works Department, River Conservancy Division , Water Resources Department Trichy-1

1 RAPID ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT STUDY OF KATTALAI BED REGULATOR IN CAUVERY RIVER OVER AN EXTENT OF 256.06 HA.IN KARUR DISTRICT OF TAMIL NADU. CHAPTER-1 1.0. INTRODUCTION The brief history of the Tamil Nadu Public Works Department can be traced back to the period of the East India Company as far back as to 1820s. This is the third oldest Department, the first two being the Revenue Department and Judiciary. When many parts of India came directly under the British Crown, the Public Works Department had become the Government Department in 1858. The erstwhile school of Survey and the Guindy Engineering College were also under the Public Works Department in the late 1800s. Public Works Department is executing and maintaining all the Government buildings and all Irrigation Projects such as Dams, Canals, Tanks, multi various works such as construction of buildings, roads, bridges, culverts, water harvesting structures, implementation and maintenance of water supply in rural areas. Objectives: This Department was intended primarily for the following purposes: To maintain and upkeep of structural and non-structural components of irrigation facilities; To develop new additional projects, structures, etc., to augment potential sources for irrigation; To maintain, upkeep and develop buildings for the State; To maintain and upkeep of navigation and drainage facilities; Public Works Department, River Conservancy Division , Water Resources Department Trichy‐1 2 To maintain and upkeep and to build conveyance facilities by way of roads for the agricultural produce to be moved to the interior, rail heads, ports, etc.; To identify, investigate, formulate and estimate feasible and viable irrigation projects so that there is always a shelf of projects to implement the policy, promises and the programmes of the Government; To conduct tests and research activities in construction materials and hydraulics and hydrology; To conduct tests and studies on the potentials and properties of ground water. Further, more objectives were added in the recent past. Having harnessed the surface irrigation potential to 95% (12387 M cum), the Department’s main function has turned to be that efficient management, utilization and distribution of scarce water resources. The interlinking of river is the vision of our Tamil Nadu State Government and play a role model for entire Nation. It is widely accepted that the interlinking of river is the need of the hour. To fulfil the vision, our State Government is taking the pioneering effort to link the river Agniyar, Southvellar, Manimutharu, Vaigai, Gundaru with River Cauvery in first phase by constructing the Kattalai Barrage across Cauvery river at Mayanur village, Krishnarayapuram Taluk of Karur district. It would serve the intra-state river linking plan to provide water to parched districts in the south Tamil Nadu. Excess water during floods in the Cauvery could be diverted to the parched areas in the southern districts by linking the Agniyaru, Koraiyaru, Manimutharu, Vaigai and Gundaru. Construction of Barrage at Kattalai is an important inevitable in linking rivers in the southern peninsula which was proposed by National Water Development Agency (NWDA). Public Works Department, River Conservancy Division , Water Resources Department Trichy‐1 3 Based on that, the Government of Tamil Nadu sanctioned an amount of Rupees 165 Cores for the construction of Barrage across the River Cauvery at 250 Meters downstream of existing Kattalai bed regulator in Mayanur village of Krishnarayapuram taluk in Karur district of Tamil Nadu in G.O.Ms.No.116 PW(N2) Dept. dated: 09.05.2008 under Accelerated Irrigation Benefit Programme. Continuous deposition of sand on the upstream and downstream of Kattalai old bed regulator which is situated 250 meters, upstream side of new barrage on the river Cauvery has caused serious problem for the very existence of bed regulator itself . This envisages danger mark for the bed regulator. Public Works Department creates, maintains and protects all irrigation systems including the rivers. Periodical maintenance including desilting of the drains/canals had carried out to maintain the functional efficiency including the carrying capacity of the canal. But in rivers flood protection works are carried out by increasing top level of bund and protecting the sides of bund with revetment. The desilting was never carried out in rivers due to the cost constraints. Therefore, prolonged siltation for decades and more, the level of river bed has increased and reduced the carrying capacity. Whenever floods and consequent damages occurred, it was resorted to increase the bund level to restore the carrying capacity of rivers. It was never thought of removing the sand shoals in the river due to the enormous cost it require and the problem of ways and means to dispose the removed sand. This situation led to an unnatural phenomenon of Cauvery and Kollidam (Coleroon in colonial English) rivers running in embankment. In majority of the stretches the adjacent field levels are lower than the bed of river. Consequence of this change in river regime and reduction in carrying capacity of the river, the shoals in the rivers, divert the flow of water resulting to bund erosion and consequent breaches which lead to loss of property and lives. Public Works Department, River Conservancy Division , Water Resources Department Trichy‐1 4 Solution to the above problem is to remove the sand shoals in the river by expending huge amount. Alternatively, the economical solution to this problem is to quarry the sand to remove the shoals. This option would yield net Revenue to the State exchequer apart from making available the important construction material for infrastructure development at a reasonable price to the common people. As the proposal requires Environmental Clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Government of India, Public Works Department prepares the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report as per TOR issued vide Lr.No. J-11015/64/2014-IA.II(M),GOI, Ministry of Environment and Forests, IA Division, in its 14th meeting of the Reconstituted Committee of the Expert Appraisal Committee for Environmental Appraisal of Mining projects constituted under EIA notification 2006 date d 22.11.2013., to carry out the Rapid Environmental Impact Assessment (REIA) studies spanning one season Viz December 2013 to February 2014 , so as to delineate Environmental Management Plans (EMP) to mitigate any adverse impacts due to mining activity caused by the quarrying operation to remove the sand shoals in upstream and downstream of Kattalai old bed regulator in Karur District. Public Works Department engaged M/s National Institute of Technology , Trichy to collect the existing/baseline air quality, Water quality, Noise level, Soil status for the study area and details of transportation of mined out materials as per the Indian Road Congress for both the ways load and its impact on Environment. Meteorological data recorded in Mayanur all- weather station has been collected and presented in this report . The ground water level data has been obtained from Ground water department and submitted in this report. Details of replenishment studies are carried out based on the data’s recorded in Central Water Commission situated in upstream and downstream of Kattalai old bed regulator in Karur District. For Flora-fauna and impact of mining on plankton studies, Dr.Moses Professor from Bishop Heber College has been engaged and his enumeration and study is also submitted in this Report. For Demographic studies, Primary Census Data 2011 published by Census department is utilized. Public Works Department, River Conservancy Division , Water Resources Department Trichy‐1 5 1.1 Existing status:- Public Works Department has obtained precise area communication from the District Collector, Karur over an extent of 256.06 Ha. in Mayanur village. 1.2 Brief history of the applied area:- The area applied for quarrying the sand shoals is over an extent of 256.06 Ha.in Mayanur village S.F.No. 1 of Karur district, in Tamilnadu. The precise area communication for this area was issued vide letter Rc.No.225/Mines/ 2013 dated 23.04.13 by the state Government. Baseline data was collected during Dec 2013 – Feb 2014 by the Public Works Department for this purpose and based on which the present Rapid EIA & EMP is prepared, for obtaining environmental clearance from MoEF, GOI, New Delhi. Public Works Department, River Conservancy Division , Water Resources Department Trichy‐1 6 CHAPTER-2 2.0 GEOLOGY AND MINING 2.1 LOCATION:- The mining lease area falls in Mayanur village of Krishnarayapuram taluk in Karur district of Tamil Nadu state. The location is in the upstream and downstream of Kattalai bed regulator in Cauvery river at mile 85/0 from Mettur reservoir project. The above area lies in the coordinates of Latitude Longitude NW - 10 ◦57’29.4”N 78◦12’28.5” E NE- 10 ◦57’57.5”N 78◦14’28” E SW- 10 ◦57’04.5”N 78◦12’31.5” E SE- 10 ◦57’42.4”N 78◦14’31.7”E The area applied for mining lease falls in survey of India (restricted) Topo sheet No.58 J/1. The location map is as shown in fig 2.1 2.2 COMMUNICATION:- 2.2.1 ROAD:- Mayanur village in Krishnarayapuram taluk of Karur district is well connected by good roadways maintained by the State Government and Panchayat bodies. The applied area is river bed of Cauvery and well connected with Panchayat road and river bank. In southern side of Mayanur village, the Karur to Trichy National Highways (NH-67) is running between Trichy and Karur. In Northern side the Salem to Trichy State Highways (SH-25) is 12 KM away and it is well connected to the quarry site through village road and river bank. Public Works Department, River Conservancy Division , Water Resources Department Trichy‐1 7 2.2.2 RAILWAYS: A section of broad gauge (Southern railways) line passes through Mayanur village to the south of lease area.

Load more