10/12/2005 I. Basic Information
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INTEGRATED SAFEGUARDS DATA SHEET CONCEPT STAGE Report No.: AC1781 Date ISDS Prepared/Updated: 10/12/2005 I. BASIC INFORMATION A. Basic Project Data Country: India Project ID: P095114 Project Name: Rampur Hydropower Project Task Team Leader: Judith K. Plummer Estimated Appraisal Date: November 1, Estimated Board Date: March 15, 2007 2006 Managing Unit: SASEI Lending Instrument: Specific Investment Loan Sector: Renewable energy (50%);Power (50%) Theme: Infrastructure services for private sector development (P) IBRD Amount (US$m.): 400.00 IDA Amount (US$m.): 0.00 GEF Amount (US$m.): 0.00 PCF Amount (US$m.): 0.00 Other financing amounts by source: BORROWER 125.00 125.00 B. Project Objectives [from section 2 of PCN] The development objective of the project is for SJVN to develop the Rampur hydropower project to provide 1800 million units of electricity per year in an economically, environmentally and socially sustainable manner. C. Project Description [from section 3 of PCN] Rampur hydro-electric power project (RHPP) site is on the Sutlej River in the State of Himachal Pradesh. It is planned as a 412 MW power plant consisting of a 15 km transfer tunnel bringing water from the outlet (tailrace) of the Nathpa Jhakri Hydroelectric power plant (NJHP) to a surface powerhouse some 15 km from Rampur town. Thus RHPP will in effect be operated as a cascade station to the NJHP run of the river power plant, which was constructed with IBRD financing and has been in operation for about two years (first unit commissioned in October, 2003 and the last or sixth unit commissioned in May, 2004). Since Rampur hydro project will take water from the NJHP tailrace, it will require neither a dam nor any new reservoir capacity or land inundation. No additional desilting chambers will be required as the water will already have been desilted within the NJHP plant. The intake arrangement is part of the NJHP scheme. Rampur will be developed by SJVN, a joint venture between Government of Himachal Pradesh and Government of India. The project will generate more than 1,800 million units (in a 90% dependable year as regards hydrology); and the power will be used in the states of the Northern Region of India. The project will also contribute to the development of the state of Himachal Pradesh which will receive a royalty of 12% of the power generated (approx $10m pa) in return for the use of its environmental assets in addition to its share in the power station dividends (as an equity partner). D. Project location (if known) The Rampur Hydro-electric Project is located on River Sutlej, near the town of Rampur in Shimla and Kullu districts of State of Himachal Pradesh. The project area is enclosed by latitudes 77o35’N and 77o43’; and longitudes 31o23’E and 31o30’E. The project is designed to divert water from the tail race of Nathpa-Jhakri Power Project (located near village Jhakri on the right bank of the Sutlej) through a 15 km head race tunnel to a surface power station (located near village Bael on the right bank of the Sutlej). Various sites of the Project will be approached by project roads connected to National Highway-22 on the left bank of the river. This run-of river project will be located between 2 run-of-river projects: the 1,500 MW Nathpa-Jhakri project, upstream and operating; and the proposed 425 MW Luhri project downstream. River Sutlej rises in Tibetan Plateau (Rakastal-Mansarovar lake; at elevation about 4,570 m above mean sea level), travels about 1,450 km (320 km in China, 758 km in India, and 370 km in Pakistan) before it meets the Chenab and subsequently the Indus. The catchment area of the Sutlej at Rampur is about 50,800 km2 (49,800 km2 at Nathpa Dam), of which about 30% falls in India and the remainder in China. The catchments, particularly in China, receive little rainfall and precipitation is mostly in the form of snow. A small percentage of the project catchments receive precipitation due to the South-West monsoon (June-September). The project area and the project’s influence area are located in the lesser Himalayas and are characterized by rugged topography with high hills (altitude varying from 850 m to 2,000 m). The area experiences subtropical to sub-Himalayan climate; and is sparsely vegetated. The immediate vicinity of the projects supports patches of dense forests, but has a long history of deforestation. The hill slopes are steep, and are generally covered with sparse vegetation, over burden and outwash material. The closest designated natural habitat, the Rupi-Bhaba Wildlife Sanctuary is located about 13 km away from the project. The project area falls under Zone-V (severe earthquake zone) as per the seismic zoning map of India (IS: 1893-2002) (with epicentres of 29 recorded earthquakes of magnitude greater than 5 in the Richter scale, within 200 km of the project). E. Borrower’s Institutional Capacity for Safeguard Policies [from PCN] During implementation of the Bank supported Nathpa-Jhakri Hydropower project, SJVN had developed some social and environmental capacity. SJVN established an Environment and Resettlement Cell and adopted a Corporate Environment and Resettlement policy statement. Several training programs and study tours have been conducted. Various environmental and social studies were commissioned by SJVN, where the consultants were working with SJVN staff closely -- building up additional capability. SJVN has taken up sensitization programs for its staff on social and environmental issues and further strengthening of the institutions capacity on these issues is planned. In January 2004, SJVN also initiated the ISO: 14,000 certification process for its Nathpa-Jhakri Hydropower project. During implementation and subsequent operation of the 1,500 MW Nathpa-Jhakri Hydropower project, SJVN has already implemented a range of good environmental mitigation measures, a resettlement action plan and various community development initiatives. SJVN have also demonstrated some adaptive capacity to manage environmental, resettlement and community development issues in its projects. Remarkable among these were -- a) completion of all environmental management targets set at the start of the project; (b) agreement to implement increased environmental management targets during the construction period; (c) substantial implementation of the increased targets -- such as fisheries development plan, wildlife sanctuary enhancement plan, the catchment area treatment plan, and the incremental environmental management plan. On the social side some of the actions successfully implemented include: (a) uninterrupted operation of mobile health van for more than 4 years in the affected villages; (b) offering employment to about 60 project affected persons in the project; (c) construction of a resettlement colony and market complex for project affected people; (d) support to income generation activities to about 50 families; and, (d) infrastructural developmental works worth of about INR 25 million in the affected villages. Although, it should be noted that owing to a retrospective change in the entitlement regime in the state additional persons have become eligible for compensation since the commissioning of the project and there issues are now being addressed by SJVN. SJVN has a Corporate Environment, Resettlement and Rehabilitation Group (includes Deputy General Manager and Senior Manger (both as an additional charge), an environmental officer and supporting staff) under direct supervision of Director (Personnel). At project level, for Nathpa-Jhakri Project, the Environment, Resettlement and Rehabilitation Cell is headed by a senior manager (also includes an environmental engineer, a resettlement and rehabilitation (R&R) officer, 3 assistant engineers, and 3 supporting staff). The current Environment, Resettlement and Rehabilitation cell dedicated for preparation of the Rampur Hydropower Project is headed by a senior manager (and includes a Deputy Manager and R&R officer). The corporate group and project cells are involved in preparation of the Rampur Hydropower Project from early stages (starting with site investigation). A process has been started to recruit a Senior Officer to head the Environment and R&R unit at Corporate Office and also recruit Executive Trainees having training in Social Sciences and Environment. However, implementation of the major part of the EMP in Nathpa-Jhakri Hydropower Project was undertaken by state level line departments such as forests or fisheries, who had weak capacity to ensure effective implementation. The contractors and the project implementation unit implemented the remaining part of the EMP with low levels of supervision and monitoring. Some augmentation of the capacity to manage environmental issues will be needed for line departments (in state government) and the SJVN to implement the Rampur Hydroelectric Power Project to an acceptable standard. The Bank proposes to provide technical support to SJVN to introduce further improvements that would help translate more effectively their corporate policies for sustainability into systems, procedures and institutional capacity for improved design and implementation of environmental and social programs. The environmental and social assessments of ancillary works such as muck disposal sites and quarries are included in the existing assessments. The transmission line will be implemented by POWERGRID, with whom the Bank have an agreed environmental and social policy. The environmental and social impacts of the transmission line will be monitored by the Bank team. F. Environmental and Social Safeguards Specialists Mr I. U. B. Reddy (SASES) Mr Tapas Paul (SASES) II. SAFEGUARD POLICIES THAT MIGHT APPLY Safeguard Policies Triggered Yes No TBD Environmental Assessment (OP/BP 4.01) X The major environmental issues in the project would include (a) disturbance to the forest cover and biodiversity in the project influence area; (b) impacts on the potential water use downstream, such as at the Rampur town ; (c) induced erosion and landslides in the project area and its vicinity; (d) impacts from the project’s associated facilities; and (e) the construction- related impacts.