Initial Environmental Examination Project Number: 47229-001 December 2014 IND: Uttarakhand Emergency Assistance Project Submitted by Uttarakhand Emergency Assistance Project (Roads & Bridges), Government of Uttarakhand, Dehardun This report has been submitted to ADB by the Program Implementation Unit, Uttarkhand Emergency Assistance Project (R&B), Government of Uttarakhand, 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 July 2014 India: Uttarakhand Emergency Assistance Project Restoration/Reconstruction work of District Chamoli (a) Joshimath Auli Motor Road under Nagar Palika Joshimath (UEAP/PWD/C20) (b) Narsingh Mandir Approach Road under Nagar Palika Joshimath (UEAP/PWD/ C21) (c) Internal Road of Nagar Panchayat Karanprayag (UEAP/PWD/C21) (d) Rudraprayag-Pokhari-Karnprayag (UEAP/PWD/ C32) (e) Tharali-Dewal-Mundoli (UEAP/PWD/ C33) (f) Internal Roads of Nagar Palika Gopeshwer (UEAP/PWD/C34) under UEAP. Prepared by State Disaster Management Authority, Government of Uttarakhand, for the Asian Development Bank. i ABBREVIATIONS ADB - Asian Development Bank ASI - Archaeological Survey of India BOQ - Bill of Quantity CTE - Consent to Establish CTO - Consent to Operate DFO - Divisional Forest Officer DSC - Design and Supervision Consultancy DOT - Department of Tourism CPCB - Central Pollution Control Board EA - Executing Agency EAC - Expert Appraisal Committee EARF - Environment Assessment and Review Framework EC - Environmental Clearance EIA - Environmental Impact Assessment EMMP - Environment Management and Monitoring Plan EMP - Environment Management Plan GoI - Government of India GRM - Grievance Redress Mechanism IA - Implementing Agency IEE - Initial Environmental Examination IST - Indian Standard Time LPG - Liquid Petroleum Gas MDR - Major District Road MoEF - Ministry of Environment and Forests NAAQS - National Ambient Air Quality Standards NDBR - Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve NDNP - Nanda Devi National Park NH - National Highway ODR - Other District Road OM - Operations Manual PIU - Project Implementation Unit PMU - Project Management Unit PWD - Public Works Department REA - Rapid Environmental Assessment RSPM - Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter SDMA - State Disaster Management Authority SH - State Highway SPCB - State Pollution Control Board SPM - Su spended Particulate Matter SPS - Safeguards Policy Statement SRTC - State Road Transport Corporation UCADA - Uttarakhand Civil Aviation Development Authority UEAP - Uttarakhand Emergency Assistance Project UEPPCB - Uttarakhand Environment Protection and Pollution Control Board UJS - Uttarakhand Jal Sansthan VR - Village Road ii WEIGHTS AND MEASURES cm - centimeter Crore – 100 lakhs = 10,000,000 Lakh – 100 thousand = 100,000 Km – Kilometer Kmph - Kilometer per hour Lpd – lit ers per day M – Meter mg/l – milligrams per liter Mm – Millimeter MSL - Mean sea level - Microgram =10-6 meter g/m3 – Micrograms per cubic meter S/cm - Micro Siemens per centimeter NTU - Nephalometric turbidity unit ppm – Parts per million iii TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 I INTRODUCTION 4 A. Project background/rationale 4 B. Uttarakhand Emergency Assistance Project (UEAP) 4 C. Purpose of the environmental assessment 5 D. Extent of IEE 5 E. IEE contents 5 F. Methodology 6 G. Public consultation 7 II POLICY, LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK 8 III DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT 12 A. Project location 12 B. Proposed category of the project 12 C. Key rehabilitation and reconstruction activities 12 D. Project implementation schedule 12 IV DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT 17 A. Physical Environment 17 Ge ography 17 Geology 21 Physiography 23 B. Pedology 23 C. Climate and meteorology 24 D. Air and noise quality 24 E. Hydrology 26 1. Water drainage 26 2. Water quality 26 F. Mineral resources 27 G. Seismology 27 H. Ecology 28 1. Forestry 28 2. Biodiversity 31 3. Biosphere reserves 34 4. Fishery 35 I. Socio-economic 35 1. Social and cultural development 35 2. Land use and land use pattern 35 J. Health 36 K. Literacy 37 L. Cultural and archaeological resources 38 M. Economic development 38 1. Transportation and communication 38 2. Industrial development 39 3. Agriculture, forestry and fishery 40 N. Fisheries 44 O. Energy and electric power potential 44 P. Aesthetic and tourism 44 V ANTICIPATED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES 46 5.1 Negative impacts related project location, preliminary planning and Design 46 A. Impact and mitigation measure during planning and design phase 46 B. Impacts during construction phase 46 a. Impacts on the physical environment and mitigation measures 47 i. Alteration of surface water hydrology of waterways crossed by roads, resulting in increased sediment in streams affected by increased soil erosion at 47 construction site. ii. Impacts on water quality 47 iv iii. Disfiguration of landscape by road embankments, cuts, fills and quarries. 47 iv. Loss of productive soil 48 v. Compaction and contamination of soil 48 b. Impacts on environmental quality 48 i. Increase in local air pollution due to rock crushing, and filling works and 48 chemicals from asphalt processing. ii. Noise and vibration from civil works 49 C. Impacts on the socio-economic 50 i. Encroachment on historical and cultural areas 50 ii. Impacts on occupational health and safety 50 iii. Impacts on community health and safety 50 VI INFORMATION DISCLOSURE, CONSULTATION AND PARTICIPATION 52 A. Public participation during the preparation of the IEE 52 B. Future consultation and disclosure 56 C. Consultation during detailed design 57 D. Consultation during construction 57 E. Project disclosure 57 F. Public disclosure 57 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN & GRIEVANCE AND REDRESS VII 58 MECHANISM A. Environment management plan 58 B. Institutional arrangement 58 i. UEAP, SDMA (PMU) 59 ii. UEAP, IA, FPIU 60 iii. The Engineer (DSC) 60 iv. Environmental expert of engineer (DSC) 60 v. The Contractor 61 C. Environmental monitoring programme 89 D. Performance indicators 89 E. Grievance redress mechanism 90 F. Environmental budget 92 IX CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 94 v LIST OF TABLES TABLE II -1 : Applicable environmental national and state requirements for UEAP 8 TABLE III -1 : Distribution of road sections to be improved by district 12 TABLE IV -1 : Availability of important minerals (million tonnes) 27 TABLE IV -2 : District-wise forest cover, Uttarakhand 29 TABLE IV -3 : Predominant top-canopy (tree) species according to altitude 30 TABLE IV -4 : Wildlife in Uttarakhand 31 TABLE IV -5 : National parks in Uttarakhand 31 TABLE IV -6 : Wildlife sanctuaries in Uttarakhand 32 TABLE IV -7 : List of major flora 32 TABLE IV -8 : List of major fauna 33 TABLE IV -9 : Land utilisation in Uttarakhand 36 TABLE IV-10 : Demographic, Socio-economic and Health profile of Uttarakhand 36 State as compared to India figures TABLE IV-11 : Health infrastructure of Uttarakhand 37 TABLE IV-12 : Transportation of Uttarakhand State 39 TABLE IV-13 : Area under principal crops and productivity in Uttarakhand 42 TABLE IV-14 : Ecological sub-regions and altitude-wise major agriculture crops 43 TABLE IV-15 : Mode of irrigation and drainage system in Uttarakhand 43 TABLE VII-1 : Environmental management and monitoring plan 62 TABLE VII-2 : Performance indicator for EMMP 89 TABLE VII-3 : Environmental monitoring for Air, Water, Noise and Soil 91 TABLE VII-4 : Environmental Budget for Joshimath Auli Motor Road 92 TABLE VII-5 : Environmental Budget for Narsingh Mandir Approach Road 93 TABLE VII-6 : Environmental Budget for Internal Road of Karanprayag 94 TABLE VII-7 : Environmental Budget for Rudraprayag-Pokhari-Karanprayag Road 95 TABLE VII-8 : Environmental Budget for Tharali-Dewal-Mundoli Road 96 TABLE VII-9 : Environmental Budget for Internal Road of Nagarpalika Gopeshwer 97 vi LIST OF APPENDICES APPENDIX A Rapid Environmental Assessment (REA) 99 APPENDIX B Public consultation and stakeholders analysis 135 APPENDIX C Site photographs 145 APPENDIX D MoEF issued specific guidelines in July 2013 for State of Uttarakhand 151 for expediting forest clearances to carry out the emergency work in forest areas (excluding works in national parks and sanctuaries) APPENDIX 1 Disposal site management 154 APPENDIX 2 Environmental standards 157 APPENDIX 3 Oil inceptors 164 APPENDIX 4 Typical bituminous disposal pit 165 APPENDIX 5 Work safety in common operation and in construction 166 APPENDIX 6 Tree plantation strategy 177 APPENDIX 7 Enhancement measures 181 APPENDIX 8 Guidelines for management of road section through forest area 183 APPENDIX 9 Arrangement of traffic during construction 185 APPENDIX 10 General guidelines for contractor construction water management plan 190 APPENDIX 11 Environmental friendly construction methodology 191 APPENDIX 12 Borrow area management 195 APPENDIX 13 Soil erosion and sedimentation control 199 APPENDIX 14 Locating quarries, rehabilitating quarries and guidelines of stone 201 crushers APPENDIX 15 Storage, handling, use and emergency responses for hazardous 204 chemical APPENDIX 16 Site and management of construction camp 207 vii Executive Summary The State Disaster Management Authority (SDMA) has Undertaken Uttarakhand Emergency Assistance Project (UEAP), financed by the ADB. The total estimated cost of the program is about US $205 millions, out of which $96.75 million will be allotted for road and bridge sector. The Uttarakhand Emergency Assistance Project (UEAP) involving 6 existing roads