Initial Environmental Examination Project Number: 47229-001 October 2014 IND: Uttarakhand Emergency Assistance Project Submitted by Project implementation Unit, UEAP, Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam Limited, Dehradun This report has been submitted to ADB by the Project implementation Unit, UEAP, Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam Limited, Dehradun and is made publicly available in accordance with ADB’s public communications policy (2011). It does not necessarily reflect the views of ADB. Initial Environmental Examination June 2014 India: Reconstruction & Rehabilitation of Damaged Tourism Assets in Disaster Affected District Rudraprayag Uttarakhand under Uttarakhand Emergency Assistance Project Prepared by State Disaster Management Authority, Government of India, 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 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 Ministry of Environment & Forests 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 iii 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 iv 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 ダ - 10-6 meter µg/m3 ♠ micrograms per cubic meter ダ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 v TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 I INTRODUCTION 3 A. Project background/rationale 3 B. Uttarakhand Emergency Assistance Project (UEAP) 3 C. Purpose of the environmental assessment 3 D. Extent of IEE 4 E. IEE contents 4 F. Methodology 4 G. Public consultation 4 II POLICY, LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK 5 III DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT 9 A. Project location 9 B. Proposed category of the project 10 C. Background of the Proposed Sub-Project 10 D. Subproject Description 11 E. Project implementation schedule 16 IV DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT 20 A. Physical environment 20 i. Geography 20 ii. Geology 21 iii. Physiography 23 B. Pedology 23 C. Climate and meteorology 24 D. Air and noise quality 25 E. Hydrology 26 1. Water drainage 26 2. Water quality 27 F. Mineral resources 27 G. Seismology 29 H. Ecology 29 1. Forestry 29 2. Biodiversity 33 3. Biosphere reserves 36 4. Fishery 37 I. Socio-economic 1. Social and cultural development 37 2. Land use and 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 42 3. Agriculture, forestry and fishery 43 N. Fisheries 47 O. Energy and electric power potential 47 P. Aesthetic and tourism 48 vi V ANTICIPATED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION 49 MEASURES A. Land Acquisition and Resettlement 49 B. Environmental Impacts 50 1. Location Impacts 50 2. Design Impacts and Pre-Construction Impacts 50 3. Construction Impacts 51 4. Operation and Maintenance Impacts 51 C. Benefits 51 D. Cumulative Impact Assessment 52 VI INFORMATION DISCLOSURE, CONSULTATION AND PARTICIPATION 53 A. Public participation during the preparation of the IEE 53 B. Future consultation and disclosure 58 C. Consultation during detailed design 58 D. Consultation during construction 59 E. Project disclosure 59 VII ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN AND GRIEVANCE REDRESS 61 MECHANISM A. Environment management plan 61 B. Institutional arrangement 61 I. UEAP, SDMA (PMU) 62 II. UEAP, IA, FPIU 62 III. The Engineer (DSC) 62 IV. Environmental expert of engineer (DSC) 62 V. The Contractor 63 C. Environment Management Plan 63 D. Environmental monitoring Plan 65 E. Environmental budget 67 F. Environmental Monitoring and Reporting 71 G Performance indicators 86 F. Grievance Redress Mechanism 87 VIII CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 89 vii LIST OF TABLES TABLE II-1 : Applicable environmental national and state requirements for UEAP 5 TABLE III-1 : Project Location 9 TABLE IV-1 : The generalized Stratigraphic succession of rocks exposed in 22 Rudraprayag district i TABLE IV-2 : Availability of important minerals (million tonnes) 28 TABLE IV-3 : District-wise forest cover, Uttarakhand 31 TABLE IV-4 : Predominant top-canopy (tree) species according to altitude 32 TABLE IV-5 : Wildlife in Uttarakhand 33 TABLE IV-6 : National parks in Uttarakhand 33 TABLE IV-7 : Wildlife sanctuaries in Uttarakhand 34 TABLE IV-8 : List of major flora 34 TABLE IV-9 : List of major fauna 35 TABLE IV-10 : Land utilisation in Uttarakhand 39 TABLE IV-11 : Demographic Socio-economic and health profile of Uttarakhand state 39 as compared to India figure TABLE IV-12 : Health infrastructure of Uttarakhand 40 TABLE IV-13 : Transportation of Uttarakhand state. 42 TABLE IV-14 : Area under principal crops and productivity in Uttarakhand 45 TABLE IV-15 : Ecological sub-regions and altitude-wise major agriculture crops 46 TABLE IV-16 : Mode of irrigation and drainage system in Uttarakhand 47 TABLE V-1 : Location Impacts for Damaged Tourism Assets in District 50 Rudraprayag TABLE VI-1 : List of Stakeholders Consulted 53 TABLE VII-1 : Environmental monitoring plan 66 TABLE VII-2 Environmental Management and Monitoring Costs 69 TABLE VII-3 : Standardized EMMP to guide the contractor in mitigating 72 environmental impacts TABLE VII-4 : Performance Indicators of EMMP 86 viii LIST OF APPENDICES APPENDIX A Rapid Environmental Assessment (REA) 91 APPENDIX B Public consultation records 97 APPENDIX C Site photographs 100 APPENDIX D MoEF issued specific guidelines in July 2013 for State of 102 Uttarakhand for expediting forest clearances to carry out the emergency work in forest areas (excluding works in national parks and sanctuaries) ix 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 of the major portion of the season of the Char Dham Yatra being washed out. According to estimates from the Uttarakhand Hotel and Restaurant Association, the floods washed away over 100 small hotels which were constructed right on the riverbanks. Uttarakhand Tourism Department☂s Assets run by Garhwal Mandal Vikas Nigam (GMVN) at various locations viz TRH Rambara, TRH Syalsaur, TRH Chandrapuri were washed away and TRH Kedarnath, Gaurikund, Guptkashi, Tilwara & Jakholi and public toilets located in various locations suffered heavy damages due to flash flood incessant rain and landslides. The tragedy also brought realization that the mushrooming of hotels along river banks was triggered by tourist boom and contrary shortage of