Initial Environment Examination Project Number: 47229-001 July 2016 IND: Uttarakhand Emergency Assistance Project (UEAP) Package: Construction of FRP huts in disaster affected district of Kumaon (District Pithorgarh) Uttarakhand Submitted by Project implementation Unit –UEAP, Tourism (Kumaon), Nainital This initial environment examination report has been submitted to ADB by Project implementation Unit – UEAP, Tourism (Kumaon), Nainital 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. ADB Project Number: 3055-IND June 2016 IND: Uttarakhand Emergency Assistance Project Submitted by Project implementation Unit, UEAP, Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam limited, Nainital 1 This report has been submitted to ADB by the Project implementation Unit, UEAP, Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam, Nainital and is made publicly available in accordance with ADB’s public communications policy (2011). It does not necessarily reflect the views of ADB. Asian Development Bank 2 Initial Environmental Examination June 2016 INDIA: CONSTRUCTION OF FRP HUTS IN DISASTER AFFECTED DISTRICT OF KUMAON (DISTRICT PITHORGARH) UTTARAKHAND Prepared by State Disaster Management Authority, Government of India, for the Asian Development Bank. 3 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. 4 Abbreviations ADB Asian Development Bank BOD Biochemical Oxygen Demand CO Carbon Monoxide CFE Consent for Establishment CH4 Methane CFO Consent for Operation DO Dissolved Oxygen dB Decibel IEE Initial Environmental Examination EA Executing Agency EIA Environmental Impact Assessment EC Environmental Clearance GoI Government of India GoU Government of Uttrakhand Ha Hectare H2S Hydrogen sulphide HDPE High Density Poly Ehylene HFL High Flood level Km Kilometer Leq Sound level Mg Milligram MFF Multitranche Financing Facility MoEF & CC Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change MLD Million Litter Per day Mn Million M Meter Mm Millimeter mg/l Milligram per Liter m3 Cubic meter NAAQM National Ambient Air Quality Monitoring NOx oxides of Nitrogen NA Not Applicable OUR Oxygen Uptake Rate O & M Operation and Maintenance PMU Project Management Unit PVC Poly Vinyl Chloride PWD Public Works Department PIU Project Implementation Unit RCC Reinforced Cement Concrete RoW Right of Way RSPM Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter RP Resettlement Plan SEIAA State Environment Impact Assessment Authority SPCB State Pollution Control Board UEPPCB Uttaranchal Environmental Protection and Pollution Control Board 5 SS Suspended Solids SBR Sequential Batch Reactor UEAP Uttarakhand Emergency Assistance Project UJS Uttarakhand Jal Sanasthan SPM Suspended Particulate Matter SO2 Sulphur dioxide ST Scheduled Tribes SC Scheduled Castes SOP Standard Operational Procedures UDD Urban Development Department UJS Uttaranchal Jal Sansthan U.P Uttar Pradesh UPCL Uttaranchal Power Corporation Limited 6 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 milligrams per mg/l - liter Mm - Millimeter MSL - Mean sea level = 10-6 meter µg/m3 - micrograms per cubic meter =S/cm - micro Siemens per centimeter NTU - Nephalo turbidity unit Ppm - parts per million NOTE{S} In this report, "$" refers to US dollars. INR_and _ refer to Indian rupees 7 TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 12 I INTRODUCTION 14 A. Project background/rationale 14 B. Uttarakhand Emergency Assistance Project (UEAP) 14 C. Purpose of the environmental assessment 14 D. Extent of IEE 15 E. IEE contents 15 F. Methodology 15 G. Public consultation 16 II POLICY, LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK 17 III DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT 21 A. Project location 21 B. Proposed category of the project 22 C. Background of the Proposed Sub-Project 22 D. Subproject Description 23 E. Project implementation schedule 24 IV DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT 25 A. Physical environment 25 i. Geography 25 ii. Geology 27 iii. Physiography 27 B. Pedology 28 C. Climate and meteorology 28 D. Air and noise quality 29 E. Hydrology 31 i. Water drainage 32 ii. Water quality 32 F. Mineral resources 33 G. Seismology 35 H. Ecology 35 1. Forestry 35 2. Biodiversity 40 3. Biosphere reserves 44 4. Fishery 46 I. Socio-economic 46 1. Social and cultural development 46 2. Land use and land use pattern 47 E. Health 49 F. Cultural and archaeological resources 49 G. Economic development 50 1. Transportation and communication 50 2. Industrial development 51 3. Agriculture, forestry and fishery 52 H.Fisheries 57 I. Energy and electric power potential 57 J. Aesthetic and tourism 57 8 V ANTICIPATED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION 58 MEASURES A. Land Acquisition and Resettlement 58 B. Environmental Impacts 59 1. Location Impacts 59 2. Design Impacts and Pre-Construction Impacts 60 3. Construction Impacts 60 4. Operation and Maintenance Impacts 61 C. Benefits 61 D. Cumulative Impact Assessment 61 VI INFORMATION DISCLOSURE, CONSULTATION AND PARTICIPATION 63 A. Public participation during the preparation of the IEE 64 B. Future consultation and disclosure 67 C. Consultation during detailed design 67 D. Consultation during Construction 67 E. Project disclosure 67 VII ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN AND GRIEVANCE REDRESS 68 MECHANISM Environment management plan 68 Institutional arrangement 68 I. UEAP, SDMA (PMU) 69 II. UEAP, IA, FPIU 70 III. The Engineer (PIU) 70 IV. Environmental Safeguard Expert (PIU) 70 V. Contractor 71 Environment Management Plan 72 Environmental monitoring Plan 75 Environmental budget 77 Environmental Monitoring and Reporting 81 Performance indicators 97 Grievance Redress Mechanism 99 VIII CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 101 9 LIST OF TABLES TABLE II-1 : Applicable environmental national and state requirements for UEAP 17 TABLE III-1 : Project Location 21 TABLE IV-2 : Availability of important minerals (million tonnes) 33 TABLE IV-3 : District-wise forest cover, Uttarakhand 36 TABLE IV-4 : Predominant top-canopy (tree) species according to altitude 38 TABLE IV-5 : Wildlife in Uttarakhand 40 TABLE IV-6 : National parks in Uttarakhand 41 TABLE IV-7 : Wildlife sanctuaries in Uttarakhand 41 TABLE IV-8 : List of major flora 42 TABLE IV-9 : List of major fauna 43 TABLE IV-10 : Land utilization in Uttarakhand 47 TABLE IV-11 : Demographic Socio-economic and health profile of Uttarakhand state 48 as compared to India figure TABLE IV-12 : Health infrastructure of Uttarakhand 48 TABLE IV-13 : Transportation of Uttarakhand state. 51 TABLE IV-14 : Area under principal crops and productivity in Uttarakhand 54 TABLE IV-15 : Ecological sub-regions and altitude-wise major agriculture crops 56 TABLE IV-16 : Mode of irrigation and drainage system in Uttarakhand 56 TABLE V-1 : Location Impacts for Damaged Tourism Assets in District 59 Pithoragarh TABLE VI-1 : List of Stakeholders Consulted 63 TABLE VII-1 : Environmental monitoring plan 75 TABLE VII-2 Environmental Management and Monitoring Costs 79 TABLE VII-3 : Standardized EMMP to guide the contractor in mitigating environmental impacts 82 TABLE VII-4 : Performance Indicators of EMMP 97 10 LIST OF APPENDICES Appendix I REA Checklist 108 Appendix II Public Consultation Record 113 Appendix III Public Consultation Photographs 117 Appendix IV Site Photographs 118 Appendix V RDC 119 11 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. Uttarakhand lies in the northern part of India amidst the magnificent Himalayas and dense forests. The State is bordering Himachal Pradesh in the north-west and Uttar Pradesh in the South and shares international borders with Nepal and China. The State is comprised of 13 districts divided into two regions and also called administrative divisions; the Kumaon and Garhwal. 2. Recent disaster of unprecedented floods in June, 2013 in the state of Uttarakhand, devastated many towns and villages on the banks of rivers Bhagirathi, Pindar, Mandakini, Alaknanda and Sarju. Infrastructure facilities like roads, power supply, communication, buildings, and water supply had been affected severely. Though the state government had taken up many steps to temporarily restore the facilities, it is envisaged to take up permanent measures to restore and rehabilitate the facilities. 3. Tourism was worst hit in the state with destruction of tourism infrastructure on one hand and loss of livelihoods on the other. The tragedy besides claiming thousands lives badly hit the industry stakeholders especially, those involved in Religious and Adventure Tourism on account