Karnataka State Highway Improvement Project III – Proposed Terms of References Shanivarasanthe to Madikkeri Section of SH 27 and Somwarpet to Kodagu district border Section of SH 85 Proposed Terms of Reference for EIA Studies 1 Introduction Government of Karnataka, through the Government of India has received in principle approval for a second loan of about US $ 350 million from Asian development bank (ADB) towards Karnataka State Highways Improvement Project III (KSHIP III) for developing state road network adopting innovative financial models under public private participation (PPP). The project road starts at Sringeri at km 92+500 of SH 27 and ends at Madikeri at km 36+700 of SH27 in the state of Karnataka. The total length of the project road is 55.80 km. 2. Screening of the Project as per the EIA Notification, 2006 Since the proposed project is for the expansion of existing State Highway passes in hilly terrain (above 1000 m AMSL) and ecological sensitive areas, it falls under Category “B” as per the EIA Notification 2006 and moreover it satisfies the general conditions for appraisal of Category B as Category A project i.e., project is located inpart within 5 km from the boundary of i) Protected area notified under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972; and (iii) Eco-sensitive areas as notified under sub-section (2) of section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. Hence the project becomes Category A and requires environmental clearance from MoEF&CC. An EIA Report is to be prepared and Public Hearing is to be conducted for the project as per the EIA Notification. 3. Scope of the EIA Study Scope of the detailed EIA study includes the following: Delineating the Project Impact Zone (project’s deemed area of influence) by reviewing the project activities. Establishing the existing environmental setting of the Project Impact Zone (PIZ) based on information obtained from primary data and compilation of secondary data. Identifying and evaluating the potential environmental impacts of the project during pre-construction, construction and operational phases and formulating appropriate mitigation measures. Identifying and evaluating various alignment/ bypass options to minimize impacts on environmental and social profile of the PIZ. Identifying the requirements of various environmental regulations applicable to the project and identifying the environmental clearances required for the project. Preparation of an effective Environmental Management Plan (EMP) including an Environmental Monitoring Plan and proposing an institutional framework for proper implementation and monitoring of mitigation measures. Preparation of cost estimates for the implementation of mitigation measures suggested in the EMP, including the Environmental Monitoring Plan. 4. Methodology The objective of this study is to assess the potential environmental impacts due to the proposed highway improvement and prepare an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Report and Environmental 1 Karnataka State Highway Improvement Project III – Proposed Terms of References Shanivarasanthe to Madikkeri Section of SH 27 and Somwarpet to Kodagu district border Section of SH 85 Management Plan (EMP) incorporating appropriate mitigation, monitoring and management measures. The Methodology for the EIA shall be formulated based on the guidelines as envisaged by the MoEF&CC. The methodology for carrying out the EIA study comprises the following tasks: 1. Review of Proposed Activities 2. Delineation of Study Area for Assessment 3. Field Reconnaissance and Review of Earlier Studies 4. Review of Applicable Regulations and Screening of the Project 5. Assessing Baseline Environmental and Social Conditions 6. Identifying and Evaluating Environmental and Social Impacts 7. Identification and evaluation of Alternatives 8. Preparation of Environment Management Plan (EMP) 9. Preparation of Environmental Monitoring and Evaluation Plan These tasks are discussed in detail in the following sections. Task 1. Review of Proposed Activities The objective of this review is to formulate an approach to conduct the EIA and the data requirements for the same. Key aspects of conducting EIA such as delineation of study area, formulation of survey requirements for baseline environmental conditions etc. are all guided by the proposed project and its salient features. Feasibility report prepared for the project will be analysed in relation to the base line environmental conditions of the project area. A thorough understanding of the proposed project activities will be made by the review of the Feasibility Report and discussions with the concerned officials. Task 2. Delineation of Study Area for Assessment Delineation of the study area for the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is critical in order to predict the impacts of the proposed project. Since the influence area varies for each of the environmental component, a study area covering 15 km with proposed project corridor as the centre will be delineated for carrying out the EIA Study. The study area will be clearly marked in a suitable map to scale such as Survey of India Toposheet / Google Earth image. Task 3. Field Reconnaissance and Review of Earlier Studies The approach to the entire study will be formulated based on a detailed field reconnaissance and thorough understanding of the project area. The reconnaissance survey carried out by a team of environmental experts will identify the environmental and other sensitive features located within influence area of the project. The task will also review the earlier studies and documents relevant to the study. Available secondary data of the study area including, general reference maps, District Planning maps, Survey of India Toposheets, Forest and Wildlife Sanctuary maps, air quality and water quality monitoring data from State Pollution Control Board, District Census Handbook, District Statistical Handbook, State of the Environment Report / District Environmental Profile Reports prepared by State Environment Department etc. will be collected and reviewed. The project road alignment will be overlaid on Google Earth for easily identifying the land use and sensitive features along the project road. 2 Karnataka State Highway Improvement Project III – Proposed Terms of References Shanivarasanthe to Madikkeri Section of SH 27 and Somwarpet to Kodagu district border Section of SH 85 The output of the task will thus be a detailed description of the environmental features of the project influence area, present and proposed land uses, industrial and development initiatives in the area and other environmental sensitive features. Task 4. Review of Applicable Regulations and Screening of the Project A review of all environmental laws / regulations / policies in India and the Project State that may affect / influence the project environment both during preparation and implementation stages would be carried out in this task. The review of rules and regulations that would be reviewed includes, Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 Wildlife Protection Act, 1972 Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 - as amended in 1988 The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 Hazardous Wastes (Management & Handling) Rules, 1989; Manufacture, Storage and Import of Hazardous Chemicals Rules, 1989 Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000 Environmental Impact Assessment Notification, 2006 The following policies / guidelines will also be reviewed under this task. CPCB and State PCB guidelines National Policy on Rehabilitation and Resettlement of People Guidelines for Environmental Impact Assessment of Highway Projects, IRC: 104 - 1988. Recommended Practice for Treatment of Embankment slopes for erosion control, IRC: 36 – 1974. Recommended Practice for Borrow pits for Road Embankment for Road manual operation, IRC: 10 – 1961. Recommended Practice for the construction of Earth Embankments for Road Works, IRC: 36 – 1970. Highway Safety Code, IRC, special publication no. 44. Guidelines on Bulk Bitumen Transportation and Storage Equipment, IRC, special publication 39. Recommended Practice for Tools Equipment and Appliances for Concrete Pavement Construction, IRC: 43 – 1972. Recommended Practice for use and Upkeep of Equipment, Tools and Appliances for Bituminous Pavement Construction, IRC: 72 – 1978. Road Accident Forms A - 1 and IRC: 33 – 1982. The regulatory assessment would give an input to document the regulations applicable and to provide an insight on the information to be furnished with the relevant authorities for approval / clearance. Screening and categorization of the project will be carried out as per the EIA Notification, 2006 and as per the World Bank Guidelines. Preliminary review of the project proposal with respect to the above regulations reveals that the project 3 Karnataka State Highway Improvement Project III – Proposed Terms of References Shanivarasanthe to Madikkeri Section of SH 27 and Somwarpet to Kodagu district border Section of SH 85 requires the following clearances. Preliminary Assessment of Requirements of Applicable Environmental Regulations Regulation Requirement 1. EIA Notification, 2006 This project falls under Category “A” in the Schedule of EIA Notification 2006 and requires environmental clearance from MoEF&CC. Public Hearing is required for the project as per the notification. 2. Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 Recommendation of Standing Committee of NBWL is required, since the project road crosses the tiger