Initial Environmental Examination Document Stage: Final Report Project Number: 53192-001 October 2020 India: Bengaluru Smart Energy Efficient Power Distribution Project Prepared by Bengaluru Electricity Supply Company Limited (BESCOM), Government of Karnataka for the Asian Development Bank. CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS (as of 1 October 2020) Currency Unit – Indian rupee (₹) ₹1.00 = $0.0136 $1.00 = ₹73.80 ABBREVIATIONS ADB – Asian Development Bank BMAZ – Bangalore Metropolitan Area Zone BESCOM – Bengaluru Electricity Supply Company Limited CEA – Central Electricity Authority CPCB – Central Pollution Control Board, Government of India DPR – detailed project report EA – executing agency EIA – environmental impact assessment EMoP – environmental monitoring plan EMP – environmental management plan EPC – engineering, procurement, and construction ESC – environment and social cell GHG – greenhouse gases GRM – grievance redress mechanism IA – implementing agency ICC – Internal Complaints Committee IEE – initial environmental examination MOEFCC – Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change, Government of India PMU – project management unit RoW – right of way SF6 – sulfur hexafluoride WEIGHTS AND MEASURES km – kilometer (1,000 meters) kV – kilovolt (1,000 volts) kW – kilowatt (1,000 watts) NOTES In this report, "$" refers to US dollars unless otherwise stated. This Initial Environmental 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. Your attention is directed to the “terms of use” section of this website. 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 Table of Contents Executive Summary i I. INTRODUCTION 1 A. Background and Need for the Project 1 B. Scope of Initial Environmental Examination and Methodology Adopted 3 C. Report Structure 5 II. POLICY, LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK 6 A. National and State Environment, Health and Safety Framework 6 B. International Agreements Applicable to the Project 11 C. BESCOM Environment and Social Policies 12 D. Asian Development Bank’s Safeguards Policies 13 III. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT 17 A. Project Components and Locations 17 B. Project Components and Construction Works 26 C. Existing and Associated Facilities 31 D. Route Selection and Installation Method Alternatives 32 E. Climate Risk Adaptation Measures 33 IV. DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT 34 A. Physical Setting 34 B. Ecological Setting 41 C. Cultural/Heritage Setting 45 D. Socioeconomic Setting 52 E. Characteristics of Project Affected Population 54 V. ANTICIPATED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES 64 A. Potential Impacts and Mitigation Measures during Pre-construction Phase 65 B. Potential Impacts and Mitigation Measures during Construction Phase 67 C. Potential Impacts and Mitigation Measures during Operation & Maintenance Phase 77 D. Climate Change Impact on Project Assets 79 E. Summary Environmental Impact Matrix 79 VI. CONSULTATIONS, PARTICIPATION, AND INFORMATION DISCLOSURE 82 A. Information Disclosure 82 B. Consultations 82 C. Consultation Findings 83 D. Ongoing Participation 85 VII. GRIEVANCE REDRESS MECHANISM 87 VIII. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN 90 A. Environmental Management Plan 90 B. Impacts, Mitigation and Monitoring 90 C. Institutional Arrangements 99 IX. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATIONS 106 ANNEXES Annex 1: Map of Sovereign and Non-Sovereign Components, Map of BESCOM Subdivisions for Undergrounding and Field Photographs 108 Annex 2: Environmental Management Plan – Mitigation Plan 114 Annex 3: National Standards for Air and Noise 146 Annex 4: Details of Public Consultations 148 Annex 5: IBAT 161 Annex 6: Guidelines on COVID-19 Preparedness Measures 168 Annex 7: Environmental Monitoring Report Template 171 Annex 8: Environmental Safeguards Checklist and Consultation Proforma 173 Annex 9: BESCOM undergrounding cable work and installing RMU 176 Annex 10: Environment Audit of Non-Soverign and BESCOM Contract Packages 178 LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Technical parameters of the Ring Main Unit 31 Table 2: Bangalore Annual Rainfall (in mm) 35 Table 3: Total Estimated Emissions by Sector for Bangalore (tons/year) 36 Table 4: Sample Baseline Information Ambient Noise Quality at Project Location 37 Table 5: Sample Baseline Information Air Quality at Project Location 37 Table 6: Sample Baseline Information Soil Quality at Project Location 38 Table 7: Distance from Parks, Gardens, and Lakes to the Project Sites 44 Table 8: Distance from National Archaeological Sites to the Project Sites 46 Table 9: Heritage Zones 47 Table 10: Population Details for Districts, Bengaluru and Karnataka State 52 Table 11: BESCOM Accident Data 53 Table 12: Sample Selected 54 Table 13: Family Size 55 Table 14: Ownership Status of House 55 Table 15: HH Having Electricity Connection 55 Table 16:Type of Cooking Fuel Used 56 Table 17: Access to Communication Device 56 Table 18: HH Having Electric Appliances 56 Table 19:Type of Electric Connection 56 Table 20: Use of Electricity Connection 57 Table 21: HH Receiving Power Bills 57 Table 22:Frequency of Power Billing 57 Table 23:HH Paying Power Bills Regularly 57 Table 24:Location HH Pays Power Bills 58 Table 25: HH Facing Power Interruption/Cuts 58 Table 26: Frequency of Power Interruption/Cuts 58 Table 27: HH Getting Information About Power Cuts During Maintenance 59 Table 28: Source Through Which HH Received Information About Power Cuts During Maintenance 59 Table 29: HH Having Alternate Arrangements During Power Cuts 59 Table 30: HH Investment In Power Backup 59 Table 31: HH Using Power Saving Devices/Lighting 60 Table 32: Types of Power Saving Devices Used in House 60 Table 33: HH Satisfaction Regarding Use of Power Saving Lighting/Appliance 60 Table 34: HH Source of Knowledge About Use of Power Saving Devices 61 Table 35: Awareness About Power Saving By BESCOM 61 Table 36: HH Lodging a Complaint Regarding Power Supply 61 Table 37: Where HH Lodge Complaint 61 Table 38: Nature of Compliant 62 Table 39: Average Time Taken to Solve Complaint 62 Table 40: HH Average Monthly Expenditure 62 Table 41: HH Average Monthly Income 63 Table 42: Significance Factors 64 Table 43: Significance Determination 65 Table 44: Summary of Impact Assessment for Pre-Construction 67 Table 45: Risk of Transformers Containing Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) 69 Table 46: Sound Power Levels of Equipment Used 70 Table 47: Authorized Locations in Bengaluru for C&D Waste Disposal 71 Table 48: Summary of Impact Assessment during Construction 76 Table 49: ICNIRP Limit Values Concerning Electric and Magnetic Fields (50 Hz) for the Public and at Working Places 78 Table 50: Summary of Impact Assessment during Operation 78 Table 51: Environmental Impact Matrix 80 Table 52: HH Awareness About Proposed Underground Cabling Project 83 Table 53: HH Source of Information Regarding Underground Cabling Project 83 Table 54: Best Channel to Disseminate Project Information 84 Table 55: HH Perception about Benefits from Underground Cabling 84 Table 56: HH Opinion about Impacts during Implementation 85 Table 57: Constitution of Grievance Redress Committee 87 Table 58: Environmental Monitoring Plan (EMoP) 94 Table 59: Summary of Capacity Development and Training Activities 102 Table 60: Overall Project Implementation Schedule 104 Table 61: Estimated Environmental Costs for EMP Implementation 105 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Karnataka Map i Figure 2: Bengaluru Map i Figure 3: Overhead Distribution System 2 Figure 4: Project Coverage in Electricity Supply Chain 3 Figure 5: Project Concept 17 Figure 6: Overall Project Site Location Map 20 Figure 7: Location 1 – Part of Jaya Nagara Division – BMAZ South 21 Figure 8: Location 2 – Part of Shivaji Nagara Division – BMAZ North 22 Figure 9: Location 3 – Indira Nagara Division – BMAZ North. 23 Figure 10: Location 4 – Part of Kora Mangala Division – BMAZ South 24 Figure 11: Location 5 – Part of HSR Layout Division – BMAZ South 25 Figure 12: Location 6 – Part of White Field Division – BMAZ North 26 Figure 13: Medium Voltage Underground Distribution Cable 27 Figure 14: Low Voltage Distribution Cable 27 Figure 15: Optic Fiber Communication Cable 28 Figure 16: Image of Trenchless Technology for Installation of Cable 28 Figure 17: Picture of Drill Rig, Winch and Pit 30 Figure 18: Ring Main Unit 31 Figure 19: Pole Mounted Transformer Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 20: Bengaluru Annual Temperature (Degrees Celsius) 34 Figure 21: PM10 concentration for Bengaluru (µg/m³) 35 Figure 22: PM 2.5 concentration for Bengaluru (µg/m³) 35 Figure 23: SO2 concentration for Bengaluru (µg/m³) 36 Figure 24: NO2 concentration for Bengaluru (µg/m³) 36 Figure 25: Sample Baseline Testing Points 37 Figure 26: Geology and Mineral Map 39 Figure 27: India Earthquake Zone Map 39 Figure 28: Arkavathi-Vrishabhavathi River Basin 40 Figure 29: Location of Bangergatta National Park 42 Figure 30: Location of Puttenahalli Lake (Conservation Reserve) 42 Figure 31: BESCOM Safety Pamphlet 53 Figure 32: Significance Factors 64 Figure 33: Process of Grievance Redressal Mechanism 89 Figure 34: Supervision and Monitoring Arrangement of BESCOM during Construction 92 Executive Summary 1. Background. Bengaluru, the capital city of Figure 1: Karnataka Map Karnataka