EXECUTIVE SUMMARY OF DRAFT EIA / EMP
FOR ENVIRONMENTAL PUBLIC HEARING OF THE PROPOSED
SRIRAMPUR OPENCAST - II EXPANSION PROJECT
NEAR SRIRAMPUR, MANCHERIAL MANDAL & DISTRICT, TELANGANA STATE.
- III PROJECT AREA
DEPARTMENT OF ENVIRONMENT
THE SINGARENI COLLIERIES COMPANY LIMITED (A Government Company) (QCI / NABET Accredited EIA Consultant Organization)
KOTHAGUDEM COLLIERIES - 507 101 (T.S.)
APRIL 2018
CONTENTS
1. Introduction …………………………………………………………….. 1
2. Description of Project …………………………………………….…… 1
3. Description of Environment …………………………………………… 3
4. Alternatives …………………………………………………………….. 7
5. Anticipated Environmental Impacts and Mitigation Measures …… 7
6. Environment Management Plan ……………………………………… 13
13 7. Environmental Monitoring Programme ………………………………
8. Additional Studies ……………………………………………………… 14
9. Project Benefits ………………………………………………………… 14
10. Conclusion ……………………………………………………………… 15 Executive Summary of Draft EIA/EMP of proposed Srirampur Opencast - II Expansion Project
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF IMPACTS OF PROPOSED SRIRAMPUR OPENCAST- II EXPANSION PROJECT ON ENVIRONMENT AND ENVIRONMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN
1 INTRODUCTION Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) is the only coal producing company in southern India and is jointly owned by Government of India and Government of Telangana. SCCL is the largest public sector undertaking in the state with manpower of 54,442 as on 31.01.2018. It is the only coal mining company in South India catering the needs of coal based industries. SCCL is currently operating 29 Underground Mines and 19 Opencast Mines and produced 62.01 MT during 2017-18. The coal production target for the year 2018-19 is 68.00 MT.
The main coal consumers of SCCL are power sector companies like NTPC, TSGENCO, APGENCO, KPCL, Maha GENCO and Cement Industry. Due to the increasing demand for coal from various industries, in order to meet the production targets fixed by Government of India and to compensate for the loss of production from the existing mines because of exhaustion of reserves, SCCL is taking up following measures: 1. Reconstruction of existing mines for optimum production by adoption high technology methods. 2. Improving the productivity in the existing mines by improving the utilization of the equipment. 3. Opening of new mines in the adjoining / superjacent areas / seams for higher production 4. Adopting opencast method of mining wherever possible for high rate of production. 5. Conversion of shallow underground mines to opencast mines for extraction of balance coal reserves. 6. Expansion of the existing opencast workings further in to the dip side up to optimize the production. The present proposal is to extract additional coal reserves from the dip side property of existing Srirampur Opencast - II Project (SRP OC-II Project) by increasing depth of workings from the present limit of 120 m to 350 m, under the name of “Srirampur Opencast - II Expansion” Project for rated production capacity of 3.50 MTPA in ML area of 1604.11 Ha.
2 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT The proposed SRP OC - II Expansion Project is designed for extraction of 74.15 MT of total coal reserves during total life of the project by removing 739.71 M.Cu.m of OB at an average stripping ratio of 9.98 Cu.m/T up to the depth of 350 m. This project is planned for a rated production of 3.5 MTPA during a life of 22 years. The total project area is 1604.11 Ha, which includes forestland to an extent of 276.38 Ha. The grade of coal is ‘G- 9'.
2.1. Location of the project The proposed Srirampur OC - II Expansion (SRP OC-II Expansion) project falls in Somagudem-Indaram Coal belt of Godavari Valley Coalfield and located in Mancherial Mandal &District of Telangana state. The location plan of the project is enclosed as Annexure - I. The location details of the proposed Project are furnished hereunder: Name of the Project : Srirampur Opencast-II Expansion Project Nearest Village : Srirampur
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Executive Summary of Draft EIA/EMP of proposed Srirampur Opencast - II Expansion Project
Tehsil : Mancherial District : Mancherial State : Telangana Latitudes : N 18°48’02” to N 18°51’18” Longitudes : E 79°28’46” to E79°31’44” Survey of India Topo sheet No. : 56 N/5, 56N/6 and 56 N/9. Nearest Railway Station : Mancherial (7.5 Km) Nearest Highway : Chennur/Mancherial Highway (1.5 Km) The proposed project falls in “Category – A” as per the EIA Notification issued by MoEF, New Delhi, vide S.O. 1533, dt.14.09.2006 & subsequent amendments and hence Environmental clearance has to be obtained from MoEF&CC, New Delhi.
2.2. Land Requirement of the Project: The total land required for the project is 1604.11Ha, which includes 276.38 ha. of forest land. Out of 276.38 ha of forest land, 113.93 ha of forestland has already been diverted for mining purpose and is presently under SCCL possession. Balance forest land of 162.45 ha. is to be diverted for mining purpose. In addition, 593.17 ha of non-forest land has to be acquired for the project. Activity-wise and ownership-wise land requirement details are furnished hereunder: Land requirement for various activities of the Project Sl. Description Total land requirement No. (SRP OC-II Expansion Project - 2016) in ha Forest Non Forest Total 1 Quarry Area 249.39 398.03 647.42 2 Safe barrier & Drain along the Ext dump 26.99 67.69 94.68 3 External Dump yard 0.00 518.72 518.72 4 Safe barrier & Drain along the Quarry 0.00 183.00 183.00 5 Top Soil & BC Soil storage dump yard 0.00 25.63 25.63 6 Protection Bund along the Godavari River 0.00 15.99 15.99 7 Railway line* 0.00 53.44 53.44 8 Service Buildings and CHP 0.00 13.23 13.23 9 Plantation 0.00 52.00 52.00 Total Land 276.38 1327.73 1604.11
2.3. Description of Opencast Mining Operations Coal extraction in the proposed SRP OC- II Expansion Project will be done by deploying shovels & dumpers combination. Important inputs required for coal extraction are explosives, plant and machinery, diesel, lubricants, electricity, small quantities of cement and steel.
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Executive Summary of Draft EIA/EMP of proposed Srirampur Opencast - II Expansion Project
Opencast mining involves following operations: 1. Removal of topsoil for quarry area and external dump area, storing it separately in earmarked dumpsite and its utilization for spreading on dumps after attaining the final profile in order to take up plantation. 2. Removal of overlying earthen strata (overburden) through drilling & blasting operations and dumping it at the earmarked site. 3. Drilling and blasting of exposed coal strata, transportation of coal by dumpers to surface CHP 4. Coal will be dispatched by providing a pre-weigh bin for truck loading system at pit head and also another pre-weigh bin at south eastern side of quarry for railway wagon loading system where a new railway siding including CHP is proposed. 5. Back filling / internal dumping of overburden within the quarry area after sufficient de- coaled area is available. 6. Take up phase-wise plantation over the external dump area and back filled area of the quarry after stabilization and subsequent spreading of top soil. All the mining operations will be carried out as per the statutory provisions of Mines Act for the safety, health and welfare of the employees working in the mine. The conditions stipulated by Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change (MoEF&CC) and Telangana State Pollution Control Board (TSPCB) while according Environmental Clearance will be implemented in the project.
3 DESCRIPTION OF ENVIRONMENT Environmental baseline data was collected in the study area through EPTRI, Hyderabad, a NABL accredited and CPCB recognized laboratory during Winter Season, 2014 (December 2014 - February 2015) to assess the environmental status in respect of air, water, noise and soil quality in core zone and buffer zone (i.e. 10 Km radius study area) of the project. The environmental baseline data conforms to the requirement of EIA Notification, 2006 vide S.O. 1533, on 14.09.2006, its subsequent amendments and the Terms of Reference (ToR) issued by MoEF&CC.
Physiography The core area is represented by plain, gently sloping topography. Topographic elevation is about 160m amsl and sloping towards south. The buffer area within 10km radius around the project is of gently sloping plains with local undulations. The erosional hills in the northwest and east side of this area are of beveled cuesta type, with intervening depressions. The plains are sandy that are imperfectly drained. The Godavari River flowing from west to southeast in this area divides the buffer zone as north and southern parts. The local relief in the northern part varies from 120 m above mean sea level along the Godavari River and 180 m above mean sea level (amsl) in the northern part, where as it varies from 120 m amsl along the Godavari River and 160 m amsl in the southern part. The average slope of the area is 5.7 m / km. towards Godavari River.
Drainage A few I & II order ephemeral streams are flowing through the block towards south. There are no tanks exists in the proposed extn part of the project. The buffer area is drained by the perennial River Godavari flowing towards southeast across the buffer area. Its ephemeral tributaries viz., Ralla vagu, Tolla vagu, and Tekumatla vagu are flowing towards south to join Godavari River. The drainage is of dendritic to sub-parallel type indicating the plain terrain and structural influence in its development. The drainage density of the area is 2.35 km/sq. km. A number of ephemeral tanks are strewn all over the area. 3 The Singareni Collieries Company Limited
Executive Summary of Draft EIA/EMP of proposed Srirampur Opencast - II Expansion Project
Meteorology (Climate) The area experiences typical tropical climate of a distinct hot summer from March to June with occasional dust storms, a good monsoon between middle of June and September and a pleasant winter from December to February.
The variations in the annual rainfall are conspicuous. During the span of 29 years (1986- 2014), rainfall varies widely from 716.6mm (1987) to 1724.0mm (1990) with a mean of 1112.5mm, the maximum monthly rainfall 774.0mm (July,1988), The monsoon rainfall contributes 85.9% while non-monsoon rainfall contributes 14.1% of rainfall. The rainfall in general is Normal, Excess and Draught conditions also prevailed. The probability of occurrence of normal rainfall is 69%, excess rain fall is 17.2% and Draught is 13.8%.
3.1 Air Environment
Different air pollution parameters like particulate matter of less than 10μm size (PM10), particulate matter of less than 2.5μm (PM2.5), Sulphur Dioxide (SO2) and Nitrogen Oxides have been identified as critical parameters relating to project activities for representing baseline status of ambient air quality within the study area in accordance with the Terms of Reference (ToR) issued by MoEF&CC. To assess the base line ambient air quality, ten ambient air quality monitoring locations were identified in core zone and buffer zone (10 Km. radius study area) of the project.
Air Quality Status in Core Zone:
Ambient air quality data monitored in the core zone shows that PM10 concentration varied 3 3 3 from 77 g/m (Block Area) to 250 g/m (SRP OC-II) with a mean of 220 g/m . PM2.5 concentration varied from 38.9 g/m3 (Block Area) to 84 g/m3 (SRP OC - II) with a mean 3 3 3 of 68.54 g/m . The SO2 and NOx concentration varies from 11.80 g/m to 18.90 g/m and 20.90 g/m3 to 30.70 g/m3 respectively. All the parameters are found to be within prescribed limits as per National Ambient Air Quality Standards and the Coal Mines Standards prescribed by MoEF&CC.
Air Quality status in Buffer Zone: 3 3 The concentration of PM10 varied from 62 g/m (Indaram) to 96 g/m (Sitarampalli) with 3 3 a mean of 87.13 g/m . The PM2.5 concentration varied from 28.3 g/m (Lingapuram) to 3 3 56.70 g/m (Ramaraopet) with a mean of 48.65 g/m . The SO2 and NOx concentration varies from 10.00 g/m3 to 17.50 g/m3 and 15.10 g/m3 to 26.10 g/m3 respectively. All the values are found to be within prescribed limits as per National Ambient Air Quality Standards prescribed by MoEF&CC.
Mineralogical Composition of Particulate Matter The mineralogical composition for the particulate Matter of size less than 10μm was analyzed at all air quality monitoring locations within the 10 Km radius of the study area and the concentration of Chromium, Nickel, Arsenic, Cadmium, Mercury, Lead, etc., were not detected in the samples.
3.2 Water Environment The impact of the proposed project on the water environment is assessed by studying the ground and surface water quality within the study area. A total of 10 water samples i.e., 4 samples from surface water, 1 mine discharge water, 5 samples from groundwater were analyzed for various physico-chemical and bacteriological parameters. The ground water quality results were compared with prescribed standards.
Surface Water: pH values were found to be in the range between 7.7 to 8.0. Nitrates, TSS, Chlorides concentrations were well within the tolerance limits. 4 The Singareni Collieries Company Limited
Executive Summary of Draft EIA/EMP of proposed Srirampur Opencast - II Expansion Project
Total coli forms and fecal coli forms were present in all the surface water samples collected in the study area. E. coli was present in all the surface water samples collected within the study area, except sample collected at (SW-4, Tank near Naspur), E.coli was <1.8 MPN/100mL. The presence of coli forms indicates that the contamination might be due to the runoff water with bacteria in soil or sewage. Fecal coli forms and E. Coli presence might be due to animal droppings or human fecal contamination. In accordance with CPCB water quality criteria, parameters studied were pH, DO, BOD and total coli forms. It may be observed that all the surface water samples have DO values ranging from 5.6 mg/L to 6.6 mg/L and BOD was found to be above the 3 mg/L at three locations (SW-1 Godavari Upstream, SW-3 Tank near Ramaraopet, SW -5 tank near Sitarampalli) and hence fall under the CPCB water quality criteria below Class – E. The surface water sample collected at one location (SW-2 Godavari Downstream), fall under the CPCB water quality criteria, Class-C (Drinking Water Source with conventional treatment and after Disinfection). The surface water sample collected at the location SW- 4 Tank near Naspur, fell under the CPCB water quality criteria Class – B (outdoor bathing (organized)) From the analytical results, it can be observed that the surface water collected from all the locations require suitable treatment to make it suitable for drinking. Ground Water: The ground water quality indicated that the parameters are meeting the requirements of CPCB ground water quality criteria except nitrates at the locations (GW-2, Indaram 132 mg/L) and GW-3 Sitarampalli (72 mg/L) which may be due to anthropogenic sources such as septic tanks, nitrogen rich fertilizers and agricultural processes and the concentration of iron (as Fe), is above the permissible limit at all the locations. The sulphates concentration in all the groundwater samples observed to be well within the permissible limit of 400 mg/L. The fluoride concentration in all the groundwater samples observed to be well within the permissible limit of 1.5 mg/L, except sample collected at GW-1 Ramaraopet (1.63 mg/L). Cyanide, Anionic detergents, Hexavalent Chromium, Boron, and Mineral Oil were below their detectable limits. The concentration of iron (as Fe), is above the permissible limit of 0.3 mg/L at GW- 2 (0.97 mg/L). Therefore, wherever iron and nitrate concentration has exceeded the limits, treatment process like Reverse Osmosis, electro dialysis Distillation, Ion-Exchange procedures and Solar Still shall be deployed to make the water potable.
Mine Discharge Water: The quality of mine discharge water of adjoining SRP OC-II Project was analyzed and the parameters are within the stipulated limits as per the standards prescribed for discharge of industrial effluents.
3.3 Noise Levels A noise level survey was carried in and around the mine site to study the hourly equivalent noise levels. Equivalent noise levels were measured on hourly basis during 24 hours by using a High Precision Sound Level Meter at six locations within the study area of the project. It is observed that the noise levels measured during day time and night time in the core as well as in the buffer zone of the proposed project are within the stipulated standards.
3.4 Land Environment
The project area of various land use land cover classes under respective classes are, Active Mining area 1.63 Sq. Km (23.12%), under Reclamation area 1.14 Sq. Km, Plantation Area of 2.17 Sq. Km(30.75%), Agriculture area 1.39 Sq. Km. (19.76%), Forest
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Executive Summary of Draft EIA/EMP of proposed Srirampur Opencast - II Expansion Project area 0.18 Sq. Km. (2.55%), Water Body 0.26 Sq. Km (3.80%) and settlements 0.27 Sq.Km (3.82%). The various land use land cover classes of buffer zone under respective classes are, Agriculture Land 221.32 sq.km (45.92%), Forest area 91.34 Sq.Km (18.95%), Waste land of 51.59 sq.km (10.70%) and others of 117.66 sq.km (24.41%).
3.5 Soil Quality The physico-chemical properties of soil, which are important for plant growth and agricultural productivity, pH, EC, Organic Carbon, Nutrients and other trace metals are analyzed for four soil samples in the study area. The texture of the soil varies from clay, loam, sandy clay and sandy clay loam. Soil of all the villages of the study area are neutral to slightly alkaline in nature having pH in the range of 7.3 to 8.0. The macro nutrients Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), Potassium (K) were analyzed in the study area. The Nitrogen value ranged from 287 to 433 kgha-1 reflecting that the values are observed to be in better to sufficient category. The minimum value was observed at Naspur and the maximum value was observed at Sitarampalli village. The Phosphorus values ranged from 1.84 to 5.9 kg ha-1 indicating that the values varied from very less category. The maximum value of 5.9 kg ha-1 was found at Sitarampalli village and the minimum value of 1.84 kg ha-1 at Core zone. The Potassium values ranged from 186 to 704 kg ha-1 indicating that values are observed to medium to more than sufficient category. The maximum value was found at Core zone and the minimum value was observed at Ramaraopet.
3.6 Biological Environment The flora study was aimed at enumeration of the available plant resources including endangered species and obtaining a broad representation of the existing floristic variations in the proposed mine lease area and surrounding mine lease areas. The forest areas proposed for diversion for mining purpose basically come under scanty vegetation with dry deciduous forest and scrub jungle type. The forest areas proposed for diversion falls under Indaram and Kundaram Reserve Forest. The forest areas in buffer area of SRP OC - II Expansion Project also come under scanty vegetation with dry deciduous forest and scrub jungle type. There are no National parks, Sanctuaries, Bio Sphere Reserve, Tiger Reserve and Elephant Reserves in the core zone of project. The project is not falling in the Eco- Sensitive zone of Kinnerasani Wildlife Sanctuary. From the Flora-Fauna survey, it can be seen that, the core zone of the proposed project does not have any endemic and endangered species of Flora or Fauna.
3.7 Socio-Economic Environment The project site is surrounded by 32 villages within 10 km radius of study area. The socio- economic aspects, demographic structure, economic and livelihood pattern of the 11 villages was analyzed based on the primary data collection. Primary data is collected by adopting a simple random sampling method. Among all the villages, 200 of households were taken randomly for survey. As the area is well developed and mining is being carried in this area from quite long time, infrastructure, quality of life, other social factors are found to be good.
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Executive Summary of Draft EIA/EMP of proposed Srirampur Opencast - II Expansion Project
4 ALTERNATIVES Coal mines are site specific in nature and location of the proposed area is restricted to the geology and coal deposition of the area. Safety, economic and technical constraints determine the mining method to be employed in a particular project. Considering the gradient of seams, depth of seams and after evaluating different options, Shovel Dumper combination for coal and overburden have been finalized as suitable mining methodology for the proposed SRP OC-II Expansion Project.
5 ANTICPATED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES The section summarizes the pollution potential of the proposed project, possible impacts on the surrounding environment during pre-operational and operational phases and the environment management plan proposed for prevention and control of pollution.
5.1 Impact due to Air Pollution and its Management Air pollution is likely to be caused at various stages of mining operations such as excavation, drilling, blasting, loading and transportation of material. Suspended Particulate Matter (PM10 and PM2.5) is the main pollutant that will emanate during mining operations. SCCL will take following measures to mitigate the fugitive dust emissions from different operations: To avoid the dust generation from the drilling operations, wet-drilling will be adopted. Use of appropriate explosives for blasting and avoiding overcharging of blast holes. The volume of dust rising from dumps by the action of wind will be controlled significantly by planting grasses on slopes and native plants on dumps soon after their formation / attaining final profile. Haul roads will be the major source of dust in the opencast mines. To overcome the problems of dust generation from mine haul roads, the following steps will be taken. - Black topping of permanent roads like routes to coal handling plant, permanent internal roads, railway siding etc., - OB & Coal transport vehicles shall pass through sensor operated water sprinkling network. - Continuous water spray arrangements along haul roads, routes to coal handling plant, permanent internal roads, railway siding etc. - Regular water spraying on haul roads and permanent transport routes at required frequencies. It is proposed to procure one 28 KL water sprinklers in addition to existing two 28 KL water sprinklers for spraying water on coal transport haul roads. - A time gap of minimum 5 minutes will be maintained between dumper to dumper movement during transportation of coal and OB in order to allow settlement of heavier dust particulates. - Mechanical sweeping or grading of the haul roads with help of motor grader is proposed. Existing two motor graders of 145 HP capacity are sufficient. - Avenue plantation along roads. Taking up plantation around the quarry and OB dumps in three rows, which will serve as a barrier to prevent the dispersion of dust and a fund provision of Rs.480.00 Lakhs (including Environment Management) is made. Effective dust suppression measures will be taken up at pit head coal handling plant (CHP). The crusher house will be enclosed to the extent possible and dust suppression arrangement will be provided at suitable locations in the CHP. All conveyors, screens, crusher etc. will be provided with covers to avoid fugitive dust 7 The Singareni Collieries Company Limited
Executive Summary of Draft EIA/EMP of proposed Srirampur Opencast - II Expansion Project
during operation. Mobile mist generating machines will be deployed for dust suppression at CHP at a cost of Rs. 67.68 Crores (for establishment of CHP).
The exhaust emissions from HEMM containing CO, SO2 & NOx will be controlled by strictly adhering to the scheduled maintenance that includes periodical tuning of engines. Coal transportation dumpers will be passed through tyre washing system before coming on to the public roads in order to reduce the deposition of dust on the roads and the air born dust.
5.2 Impact on Water Environment The main source of water pollution is mine discharge and surface run-off containing suspended solids. The mine discharge water will be passed through settling ponds for removal of suspended solids. About 1500 m3/day water is required for various mine requirements like dust suppression (800 m3/day), work shop (600 m3/day), plantation (100 m3/day) and domestic consumption (40 m3/day) at the project. After meeting the mine requirements, the excess water will be let out into nearby irrigation tanks after necessary treatment The following control measures will be adopted for controlling water pollution: Garland drains of proper size and length will be made and maintained along the quarry and external dump to prevent the surface run-off water from entering into quarry, adjoining forest and to dispose properly through natural drains to nearby tanks after channelizing through settling ponds. One diesel backhoe shovel is provided for construction of garland drains, settling ponds, etc. The excess mine water let out will be utilized for irrigation by nearby villagers. Check dams / rock fill dams and toe walls will be constructed wherever necessary to reduce siltation. Water accumulated due to rain as well as seepage will be led to the main sump of the pit and will be subsequently pumped to the surface. The mine water will be utilized for dust suppression, washing, drinking, fire fighting, plantation etc. Workshop effluents will be treated suitably in sedimentation tanks followed by Oil & Grease traps. One Sewage Treatment Plant of 3.00 MLD capacity is already existing in Naspur Colony for treating domestic sewage. There is no proposal for construction of a new colony for this project as the required manpower will be drawn from the existing manpower of the other mines of the area. The sewage generated from mine office and other surface buildings will be treated in septic tanks followed by soak pits. The attitude of phreatic surface is being monitored periodically in this area on long term basis. It varies from 2.00 m to 10.11m below ground level (bgl) during pre- monsoon period (May-2016) and 1.13 m to 10.54 m bgl during post-monsoon period (November-2016). From the pumping test data and Piezometric surface data, it is inferred that the impact of this project on the ground water regime will not be beyond 1740 m distance from the edge of the mine. However, the mine water discharged into the local drainage network / tanks act as constant source of recharge, which improves the ground water in the region.
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Executive Summary of Draft EIA/EMP of proposed Srirampur Opencast - II Expansion Project
In view of the above, it can be inferred that there will not be any significant impact on ground water regime in this area. In the event of any adverse impact due to mining on the surrounding area, SCCL will take necessary measures to address the issue. 5.3 Impact due to Noise Pollution The main sources of noise in the mines will be HEMM, drilling, blasting, dumpers and movement of coal transport trucks. Sound levels near HEMM would be above 90 dB (A). However, the HEMM cabins are sound proof and the employees working in the vicinity of HEMM will be provided with earplugs / muffs.
The following control measures will be implemented for noise reduction which includes: Controlled blasting techniques using milli-second delay detonators & relays will be adopted in this project for minimizing noise and blast vibrations. Secondary blasting is one of the major sources. Avoiding the secondary blasting with proper blast design, spacing and burden. Creation of green belt of dense foliage between mine areas and residential colonies which will act as noise attenuator. Proper maintenance of machinery (including transport vehicles) including fine tuning of engines to reduce noise. Avenue plantation along the coal transportation roads. With the noise abatement measures as indicated above, it is expected that the noise levels will be maintained in compliance to the prescribed limits.
5.4 Impact due to Ground Vibrations Blasting in mining areas may give rise to ground vibrations which may cause damage to nearby structures. Fly rock is another problem that deserves attention. In order to control noise and blast vibrations, suitable control measures are being adopted in the adjoining SRP OC - II. The ground vibrations are being continuously recorded in the existing project by using seismograph instruments (Minimate / NOMIS) and the recorded ppv and noise levels are within stipulated limits. Based on the ground vibration studies made earlier in the existing SRP OC - II Project, similar precautions will be taken while carrying out blasting operations in proposed SRP OC - II Expansion Project for controlling the ground vibrations as per DGMS Guidelines. The following precautions will be taken up at the proposed project site for controlling noise and blast vibrations in adjoining project. Controlled blasting technique will be adopted in this project for reducing blast vibrations substantially. Optimum delay sequence and stem to column ratio will be maintained to minimize the fly rock distance and ground vibration intensity. Basing on the distance of the nearest sensitive areas from the epicentre of the blast, charge weight will be altered to meet the stipulated standards. Avoid concentration of explosive by using deck charging. 5.5 Impact on Land and its Management Any mining activity will alter the land use pattern in the lease area. In order to minimise the adverse effects, land reclamation will be carried out concurrent with mining operations. At the end of the mining operations, quarry area and dumps left will be made acceptable to the society and surrounding environment.
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Executive Summary of Draft EIA/EMP of proposed Srirampur Opencast - II Expansion Project
A detailed programme on Solid Waste Management and Land Reclamation has been given EMP for addressing land degradation. The following measures are proposed to be undertaken in the project. Plantation on the over burden dumps with native, regenerative and self-sustaining species. Plantation along the boundary of the lease area so as to minimise the visual impact. Top soil excavated from the site will be stored separately at earmarked place for spreading subsequently on external dumps and backfilled areas for plantation. Back filling of the mine pits concurrently with the mining operations (land reclamation).
5.6 Solid Waste and its Management The opencast mining operations involve change in landscape and topography. Also a large amount of overburden has to be excavated during coal mining operations, external overburden dumps are formed and void will be created in the de-coaled area of the quarry. Hence, a suitable dumping strategy has been formulated for proper handling of overburden and ensuring better land management.
Dumping Strategy All the options have been studied for optimizing utilization of land for OB dumping. The following precautions will be taken in the proposed project for proper dump management. The following design criteria have been considered for waste dumps Separate spoil dumps for topsoil and hard overburden Maximum height of top soil dump is 10 meters. Hard overburden will be dumped in 30 m high decks up to a maximum height of 90 m and for internal dump it is planned with a maximum height of 90 m above GL. Dump slope for each deck to be at natural repose of 37½0 and overall slope at 26.50. Track dozers will be deployed for shaping the dumps and dozing of overburden. Top soil will be spread over dump slopes and non-active dump area for reclamation
Overburden Dump Management About 739.71 M.Cum of overburden (737.03 M.Cum of hard OB and 2.68 M.Cum of topsoil) will be removed during the balance life of the project, out of this 233.36 M.Cum of OB (31.66%) will be dumped in the external dump yard and balance 503.67 M.Cum (68.34%) of hard OB will be dumped in the internally in the de-coaled quarry area of SRP OC - II. As on 31-03-2016, about 1.86 M.Cum of top soil was stored in the temporary storage yard located on the south side of the quarry. It is planned to store about 0.31 M.Cum of top soil in another temporary storage yard located on the north side of the quarry. The maximum height of the dump yard is 10 m. The depth of the void at the final stage of mining operations will be 350 m in 360.74 ha. The dumping strategy of OB is detailed hereunder.
Project Hard OB accommodation(M.cum) Top soil Total External Internal Total (M.Cum) (M.Cum) Up to 31-03-2016 59.67 14.26 73.93 2.04 75.97 During the balance life 233.36 503.67 737.03 2.68 739.71 (Present proposal) Total 293.03 517.93 810.96 4.72 815.68 10 The Singareni Collieries Company Limited
Executive Summary of Draft EIA/EMP of proposed Srirampur Opencast - II Expansion Project
Land Reclamation: As a result of phase-wise reclamation programme of the project, an area of 1077.33 Ha of land will be reclaimed (236.57 Ha land reclaimed for agricultural use and 840.76 Ha of land is reclaimed with plantation) at mine closure stage. A total void of 360.74 Ha will be left over at the end of mining operations, as detailed hereunder. Total Public/ Sl. Area Agricultura Plantatio Water company No. Type (Ha) l (Ha) n (Ha) Body (Ha) use Excavation/Quarry 1 Area: (a) Backfilled Area 286.68 286.68 (b) Excavated Void 360.74 360.74 647.42 286.68 360.74* Top Soil Dump including BC Soil storage dump 2 yard 25.63 6.26 19.37 3 External Dump 518.72 518.72 Safety Zone 4 /Rationalisation area: (a) Safe barrier & Drain along the Quarry 94.68 5.92 64.66 (i) Roads 9.53 (ii) Garland drains 9.57 (iii) Settling ponds 5 (b) Safe barrier & Drain along the Ext dump : 183.00 159.16 (i) Roads 9.35 (ii) Garland drains 10.49 (iii) Settling ponds 4 277.68 165.08 29.06 83.54 Road & Infrastructure area (Service Buildings 5 and CHP) 13.23 13.23 Embankment (Protection 7 Bund along Godavari) 15.99 15.99 8 Green Belt 52 52 9 Others (Railway line) 53.44 53.44 Grand Total 1604.11 236.57* 840.76* 389.80 136.98 *NOTE: The actual area of plantation is 1077.33 Ha out which 236.57 Ha of land will be reclaimed for agricultural use and balance area to an extent of 840.76 Ha will be left as plantation area.
5.7 Impact on Socio Economic Environment SCCL has been carrying out mining operations in Godavari Valley Coal Fields (GVCF) for last 128 years. There is a positive impact on the quality of life, employment avenues and socio-economic development of the region. The local people get direct, indirect employment opportunities because of coal mining activities and infrastructure facilities being developed in these areas. The project involves rehabilitation and resettlement of people living in the villages falling within 500 m of project area. SCCL will implement the R&R package formulated by District Administration as per the State Government Guidelines. No significant changes have been observed in the traditional way of life and occupation of the local people in coal mining areas. The local people are rather benefited due to the 11 The Singareni Collieries Company Limited
Executive Summary of Draft EIA/EMP of proposed Srirampur Opencast - II Expansion Project provision of more infrastructure facilities provided by the management. There are avenues for indirect employment facilities in the mine as well as other ancillary activities for the local people. SCCL is organizing Corporate Social Responsible (CSR) activities through well structured mechanism through: 1. Singareni Seva Samithi (SSS), 2. Sarrounding Habitat Assistance Programme (SHAPE), 3. Singareni Employees Wives Association (SEWA) 4. Local Communities. 5. Environmental safeguards beyond mandate
Activities of Singareni Sewa Samithi (SSS): Singareni Seva Samithi has conducted skill development / trainings programmes at Srirampur and surrounding villages and the details of the same is as given below. Sl. No. of participants No. of persons self Name of the Programme / Course No. attended employed 1. Electrician course 268 15 2. Motor Vehicle Driving 358 40 3. Volvo driving 20 5 4. Tailoring and Embroidery 846 30 5. Candle Making 2 -- 6. Book binding 3 -- 7. Chack piece making 2 -- 8. Fashion Technology 171 12 9. Beautician course 395 36 10. Cell phone repairing 20 04 11. Photo and Video 50 05 12. Pre-primary Teacher training 30 -- 13. Saree Rolling 115 10 14. Soft toys making 20 -- 15. Spoken English 63 -- 16. Army 748 65 17. CRPF 85 6 18. Army Tech 7 1 19. RPF/RPSF 46 1 20. Civil APSP 103 13 21. Air Force 64 1 22. CISF 57 2 23. SSB 58 -- 24. IT Bor.Police 10 1 25. TS Police / AP Police 656 34 26. 6 Mega Medical Camps 5855 -- Total 10052 281
12 The Singareni Collieries Company Limited
Executive Summary of Draft EIA/EMP of proposed Srirampur Opencast - II Expansion Project
Surrounding Habitat Assistance Programme (SHAPE): Surrounding Habitat Assistance Programme is designed to develop infrastructure facilities to the surrounding people of 8 km from the SCCL townships and / or 10 Km from the mine. About 2% of average net profits of the company made during last three years were allocated for CSR at company level. The details of CSR works taken up by SCCL so far under SHAPE scheme in Srirampur and its surrounding villages are as given below:
During the years 2003-04 to 2014-15 Total (Rs. Name of the Work Balance 2015-16 2016-17 2017-18 SHAPE-I SHAPE-II SHAPE-III SHAPE-IV SHAPE-I, in Lakhs) II&III Road 294.78 107.056 161.0173 134.9711 6.36574 3.86 191.47 100.00 999.5201 Infrastructure Schools and other 29.181 20.41409 27.53942 1.96512 4.91 0.00 1.74 0.00 85.74963 buildings Drinking Water 196.368 94.8344 32.29 36.6638 31.47 0.826 3.48 68.00 463.9322 Supply Street lighting 32.63394 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 32.63394 Ladies training 14.4982 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 0.00 14.4982 complex Other Works 2.04149 0.00 18.50 4.92307 5.714 19.24 40.494 1.50 92.41256
Total 569.5089 222.3207 239.348 178.5231 48.459 23.926 237.184 169.50 1688.77
6 ENVIRONMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN Environment Management Plan (EMP) aims at the preservation of ecological system by considering in-built pollution abatement facilities at the proposed site. Mitigation measures at the source level and an overall environment management plan at the project area are designed so as to improve the supportive capacity of the surrounding environment. The EMP involves identification of pollutants, sources of pollution, utilization of suitable technology for mitigation of pollution, preparation of suitable management plan and provision of necessary resources including financial provision for its effective implementation.
6.1 Fund Provision for Environment Protection and Management In order to implement the environmental protection measures, an amount of Rs. 649.50 lakhs excluding rehabilitation and resettlement is provided towards capital cost. In addition to this, an amount of Rs. 705.25 Lakhs has been provided in the project as indirect capital towards environment related works. A recurring cost of Rs.543.59 Lakhs per annum will also be spent on environmental management, which is in-built in the cost of production.
6.2 Mine Closure Plan Mining being a time bound activity and must be closed after extraction of the minerals deposit. Closing of mining operations involves numerous issues like reclamation and environmental protection, community issues, socio-economic consideration, planning for alternate use of available facilities, cost estimation and asset disposal. The total Mine closure cost estimated based on the typical mine closure cost for the project is Rs 131.45 Crores. However, by considering 5% incremental cost to be deposited additionally every year towards the mine closure, the total estimated closure cost will Rs. 230.06 Crores.
7 ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING PROGRAMME: Environmental monitoring programme has been prepared for the proposed project for assessing the efficacy of implementation of Environment Management Plan and to take corrective measures in case of any degradation in the surrounding environment. An 13 The Singareni Collieries Company Limited
Executive Summary of Draft EIA/EMP of proposed Srirampur Opencast - II Expansion Project environment management committee will be formulated at the project level to monitor the implementation of environmental protection measures in the project. Air quality, water quality, noise levels, ground water levels will be periodically monitored in compliance to the conditions stipulated by TSPCB and MoEF&CC and necessary mitigation measures will be taken as and when necessary.
8 ADDITIONAL STUDIES i) Rehabilitation and Resettlement Study: Four villages namely Tallapalli, Singapur, Guttedarpalli and Dubbapalli, which are falling within the Project Area, have to be evacuated. About 1209 PDF’s and 653 PAF’s belonging to these four villages have to be rehabilitated. Hence, it is proposed to provide Rehabilitation and Resettlement package for these villages with a cost of Rs. 72.13 crores. SCCL has been formulating suitable Rehabilitation Package to the PAFs & PDFs. The same would be finalized after a detailed socio-economic survey conducted by the Administrator appointed by State Govt in consultation with the District Administration. SCCL has no separate policy and is ready to implement the R&R package formulated by the Government. ii) Risk assessment and Disaster Management Plan Mining and allied activities are associated with several potential hazards to both the employees and the public at large. A worker in a mine should be able to work under conditions which are adequately safe and healthy. Risk Assessment is to be performed on a regular basis. The goal for each risk assessment is to identify hazards, determine risk rating and controls and to review the implementation of risk controls from previous risk assessment sessions. SRP OC - II Expansion Project is the continuation of same method of mining / technology (i.e Shovel Dumper combination technology) being adopted in SRP OC - II Project. The Hazards are identified basing on the previous experience with the following criteria. Design parameters of the proposed mine Work process evaluation Accidents or occurrences Consultation with employees. Safety statistics Significant incident, near miss or accident reports Inspection in the mine Accordingly, a detailed risk assessment and disaster management plan has been prepared for the proposed project basing the Technical Circulars issued by Directorate General of Mines Safety for implementing safety management systems in coal mines.
9 PROJECT BENEFITS The proposed SRP OC - II Expansion Project is essential for maintaining coal supplies from the area and fulfill the committed supply to various users. The proposed project will also result in following benefits: Indirect employment opportunities to local people and improvement in communication, education, community development and medical facilities. The project will help in socio-economic development of the area and also the state 14 The Singareni Collieries Company Limited
Executive Summary of Draft EIA/EMP of proposed Srirampur Opencast - II Expansion Project
The project helps in development of infrastructure facilities in and around project area.
10 CONCLUSION The industrial and economic growth of India depends to a large extent on coal, which is the prime source of energy. Our requirement of coal has significantly increased and the major requirement will come from the power sector. The other major requirement of coal comes from other industries like Cement, Sponge iron etc.
As a strategy of SCCL for maintaining / increasing the coal production, the present proposal is made for extraction coal reserves from the dip side property of SRP OC – II by SRP OC – II Expansion Project through opencast mining.
From the detailed analysis of the environmental impacts and the mitigation measures proposed in the EMP, it is anticipated that no significant deterioration in the eco-system is likely to occur due to the proposed opencast mine. On the other hand, the project is likely to have several benefits like improvement in indirect employment generation and economic growth of the area, by way of improvements in the infrastructure facilities and better socio-economic conditions.
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15 The Singareni Collieries Company Limited