Assessment of Environmental Degradation and Impact of Hydroelectric projects during the June 2013 Disaster in Uttarakhand Part I-Main Report Submitted to The Ministry of Environment and Forests Government of India April 2014 Photo Credits Back Cover Front Cover Google PSI PSI PSI Ashwarya WII Image Maheshwari Preeti Purohit World Pheasant Association PSI World Pheasant WII/UNESCO Association NDNP Project PSI Matu Unknown Cover Design: Shalini Sinha Expert Body constituted on the directions issued by the Hon’ble Supreme Court vide judgment dated 13.08.2013 in the case of Alaknanda Hydro Power Co. Ltd. versus Anuj Joshi & others arising out of Civil Appeal no. 6736 of 2013 (SLP (C) no. 362) of 2012), with appeal no. 6746-6747 of 2013 arising out of SLP (C) no. 5849-5850 of 2012 and TC (C) no. 55-57 of 2013 Preface “O sage Naarad ! Among the places on earth, the land of India is blessed, In India- the land of Himalaya is blessed and the region in Himalayas where Ganga is born is especially blessed because this is the place where she exists in confluence with God.” (Skandapuran-Kedarkhandam, Chapter 149, Shloka 39-40) Majestic, massive, mighty, lofty, rugged, grand, – are some adjectives that come to mind when imagining the Himalayan peaks, iridescent in the morning sun. Only when we come up close we see the mighty peaks as the rumpled detritus of a collision that took place millions of years ago when the Indian plate rammed into the Eurasian landmass. As the Indian plate continued to grind under the Eurasian plate the detritus rose to lofty heights. Some of the detritus metamorphosed into rock with a ruggedly massive appearance. But much of it remained as soil and rubble, cloaked under verdant slopes. Remoteness hid its basic fragility. Its size displayed strength from afar. Uttarakhand is gifted with abundant natural resources – scenic vistas, forests, rivers, wilderness, wildlife among many others. Over nine hundred glaciers feed its major rivers and many of their tributaries. Rain and spring-fed rivers nourish the mid-Himalayan region of the state, where most of the mountain population dwells. Today a modernizing India sees the tremendous resources of Uttarakhand as the basis for a better life. Himalayan hydropower is a key component of the nation’s energy basket. Assisted by the Union government, successive state governments have sought to harness Uttarakhand’s flowing rivers to feed the nation’s demand for hydropower. But it has come with a costly price tag. A massive rain storm in June 2013 stripped some of the mountain slopes of their protective clothing, exposing their inherent fragility. Its fury took an unsuspecting population by surprise. As the battered state began to pick up the pieces, two Hon’ble Justices of the Supreme Court, concerned by the mushroom growth of hydroelectric projects in the state, directed the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests to set up a body of experts to study whether hydropower projects in Uttarakhand had contributed to environmental degradation and the June 2013 tragedy. In preparing this report we have been conscious of the gravity of the task and the limited time available for its completion. We have also been mindful of the need for open, democratic functioning and for faithfully recording discordant notes. We have heard strong voices in favour of hydropower development in Uttarakhand and equally strong ones against it. Sometimes these concerns have slowed us down. Within the limited time at our disposal we the undersigned have tried to fulfill the responsibility laid upon us by the Ministry of Environment and Forests to the best of our abilities. We submit this Report to the Ministry of Environment and Forests with humility and gratefulness for the opportunity to serve the nation and in particular the people of Uttarakhand. Acknowledgements With the grace and guidance of the spirit, it is now a pleasure to have the opportunity to gratefully thank the people, who made this report possible with their invaluable support. First and foremost, we are very much thankful to the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India and the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) for giving us this important task. We thank the Uttarakhand Jal Vidhyut Nigam Limited (UJVNL), THDC for their unstinting help and assistance during the field visits and valuable information provided for analysis. We thank research institutions and departments that helped us with access to relevant information. Thanks to all the project developers and local communities to share their views and presentations which helped us to understand the different dimensions. We gratefully acknowledge the support provided by the MoEF Regional Office in Lucknow in facilitating the work and the newly-established MoEF Regional Office at FRI, Dehra Doon for organizing local hospitality. We also place on record our appreciation of the services provided by the staff of People’s Science Institute (PSI) in the final compilation and production of this Report. Last but not the least, we owe our deep sense of gratitude and thank to each others, together with this journey, we remember the time spent with each other, discussions, interactions, hard exercise and work even during winters, harmonized us in a healthy spirit to work together. Chairman, Co-Chairman, Member Secretary and Members, Expert Body Table of Contents Preface Acknowledgement Table of contain with list of Appendices List of Abbreviations 1-3 Executive Summary 4-14 Background 15-21 Chapter 1 Introduction 22-32 Chapter 2 ToR 2.1a 33-78 Chapter 3 ToR 2.1b 79-107 Chapter 4 ToR 2.2 108-124 Chapter 5 ToR 3.1, 3.2, 3.3 125-163 Chapter 6 ToR 3.1A 164-182 Chapter 7 ToR 3.1B 183-187 Chapter 8 ToR 3.4 188-193 Chapter 9 ToR 3.4A 194-219 Chapter 10 Recommendations 220-226 Appendix 1a Ministry’s Order A1-A5 Appendix 1b-1d Changes in EB members A6-A12 Appendix 2 HEP Tables A13-A32 Appendix 3 Note on Blasting A33-A88 Appendix 4 CEA Analysis A89-A93 Appendix 5 Note on Geotechnical Issues A94-A104 Appendix 6 Dissent note by Ajay Verma A105-A106 Appendix 7a Comment on WII Report – Dr. Brij Gopal A107-A111 Appendix 7b CV of Dr. Brij Gopal A112 Appendix 8a-8i Monitoring and Compliances related documents A113-A160 Appendix 9 Monitoring Report summaries A161-A182 Appendix 10 Observations of geological and cultural impacts A183-A184 Appendix 11a & 11b Maps of NDBR and KWIS A185-A186 List of Abbreviations AHEC Alternate Hydro Energy Centre BBM building block method BOD Biological Oxygen Demand BSI Botanical Survey of India CA Compensatory Afforestation CAG Comptroller and Auditor General of India CAMPA Compensatory Afforestation Management and Planning Authority CAT Catchment Area Treatment CEA Central Electricity Authority CEIA Cumulative Environment Impact Assessment CIMFR Central Institute of Mining & Fuel Research COD Chemical Oxygen Demand CPCB Central Pollution Control Board CSE Centre For Science and Environmental CSR Corporate Social Responsibility cumecs Cubic meter per second CWC Central Water Commission d/s down stream dB Decibels DGMS Directorate General of Mines Safety DMP Disaster Management Plans DO dissolved oxygen DPRs Detailed Project Reports DST Department of Science and Technology EAC Expert Appraisal Committee EB Expert Body EC Environmental Clearance EF Environmental flows EIA Environmental Impact Assessment El Elevation EMP Environmental Management Plan ESZ Eco-Sensitive Zone FC Fecal Coliform FC Forest Clearance FCA Forest Conservation Act FD Forest Department FDC Flow Duration Curve FRL Flood Reservoir Level FSI Forest Survey of India GHG Green House Gas GLOF Glacial Lake Outburst Flood GoI Government of India GoU Government of Uttarakhand 1 GSDP Gross State Domestic Product GSI Geological Survey of India ha Hectare HEP Hydro Electric Project HFL High Flood Level HLEG High Level Expert Group HLWG High Level Working Group HNB HemwatiNandanBahuguna HRT Head Race Tunnel ICFRE Indian Council of Forestry Research and Education IIT Indian Institute of Technology IITR Indian Institute of Toxicology Research IMD Indian Meteorological Department IMG Inter Ministerial Group ISRO Indian Space Research Organisation IUCN International Union for conservation of Nature IWMI International Water Management Institute IWPA Indian Wildlife Protection Act JEC Joint Expert Committee km Kilometers Km² Square Kilometer kwh Kilo Watt Hour L&T Larsen and Turbo LCA Life Cycle Assessment m Meter m/y meter per year m² Square meter MAF Mean Annual Flow MB ManeriBhali MBF Main Boundary Fault MBT Main Boundary Thrust MCT Main Central Thrust MD Muck Dumping mm Millimeter Mm³ Million cubic meter MoEF Ministry of Environment & Forests MoWR Ministry of Water Resources MW Mega Watt NBWL National Board for Wildlife NDMA National Disaster Management Authority NEERI National Environmental Engineering Institute NGRBA National Ganga River Basin Authority NH National Highway NHPC National Hydro Power Corporation NIRM National Institute of Rock Mechanics 2 NP National Park NTPC National Thermal Power Corporation NTU Nephelometric Turbidity Unit OUVs Outstanding universal values PF Protected Forest PH Power House ppm Parts per Million PPV Peak Particle Velocity PRL Physical Research Laboratory PSI People’s Science Institute PSP Pumped Storage Plant PWD Public Works Department RBL River Bed Level RBM River borne material RCC Reinforced concrete cement RET Rare Endangered and Threatened RF Reserved Forest RO Regional Officer RoR Run of River S & I Survey and Investigation SC Scheduled Caste SEA Strategic Environmental Assessment spp. Species ST Scheduled Tribe STP Sewage Treatment Plant SWI Shannon Weiner Diversity Index TBM Tunnel Boring Machine THDC Tehri Hydropower Development Corporation THF Trans Himadri Fault TRT Tail Race Tunnel TWL Top Water Level UEEPCB Uttarakhand Environment Protection & Pollution Control Board UJVNL UttarakhandJalVidyut Nigam Limited UREDA Uttarakhand Renewable Energy Development Agency WCD World Commission on Dams WHS World Heritage Site WII Wildlife Institute of India WQI Water quality index WRDM Water Resources Development and Management Department WS Wildlife Sanctuary WWF Worldwide Fund For Nature ZSI Zoological Survey of India 3 Executive Summary Uttarakhand is India’s newest Himalayan state.