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 Bageshwar under UEAP (a) Reconstruction of internal road of Nagar Palika Bageshwar Package No- UEP/PWD/C18 (b) Reconstruction of internal road of Nagar Palika Kapkot Package No- UEP/PWD/C19 (c) Bageshwar-Kapkot-Sama-Tajam Road Package No. UEAP/PWD/C26 (d) Kalanabend-Pantkwerali (Km 0.00-6.81) Package No. UEAP/PWD/C47 (e) Baijnath-Gwaldam (Km 84.00-87.19) Package No. UEAP/PWD/C47 Prepared by: - State Disaster Management Authority, Government of Uttarakhand, for the Asian Development Bank. 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 Redressal 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 Biospher 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 - Suspended 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 WEIGHTS AND MEASURES cm - centimeter Crore – 100 lakhs = 10,000,000 Lakh – 100 thousand = 100,000 Km – Kilometer Kph - Kilometer per hour Lpd – liters per day M – Meter mg/l – milligrams per liter Mm – Millimeter MSL - Mean sea level - 10-6 meter g/m3 – micrograms per cubic meter S/cm - micro Siemens per centimeter NTU - Nephalo turbidity unit Ppm – parts per million iii TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapters Contents Page No. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 I INTRODUCTION 4 A. Project background/rationale 4 B. Uttarakhand Emergency Assistance Project (UEAP) 4 C. Purpose of the environmental assessment 6 D. Extent of IEE 6 E. IEE contents 6 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 16 IV DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT 25 A. Physical environment 25 1. Geography 25 2. Geology 26 3. Physiography 27 B. Pedology 27 C. Climate and meteorology 28 D. Air and noise quality 29 E. Hydrology 30 1. Water drainage 31 2. Water quality 32 F. Mineral resources 32 G. Seismology 33 H. Ecology 33 1. Forestry 33 2. Biodiversity 36 3. Biosphere reserves 39 4. Fishery 40 I. Socio-economic 40 1. Social and cultural development 40 2. Land use pattern 42 J. Health 43 K. Literacy 44 L. Cultural and archaeological resources 44 M. Economic development 45 1. Transportation and communication 45 2. Industrial development 46 3. Agriculture 47 N. Energy and electric power potential 50 O. Aesthetic and tourism 50 iv V ANTICIPATED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION 51 MEASURES 5.1 Negative impacts related project location, preliminary planning and Design 51 A. Impact and mitigation measure during planning and design phase 51 B. Impacts during construction phase 51 a. Impacts on the physical environment and mitigation measures 52 i. alteration of surface water hydrology of waterways crossed by 52 roads, resulting in increased sediment in streams affected by increased soil erosion at construction site. ii. Impacts on water quality 52 iii. Disfiguration of landscape by road embankments, cuts, fills and 52 quarries. iv. Loss of productive soil 53 v. Compaction and contamination of soil 53 b. Impacts on environmental quality 53 i. Increase in local air pollution due to rock crushing, and filling works 53 and chemicals from asphalt processing. ii. Noise and vibration from civil works 54 C. Impacts on the socio-economic 55 i. Encroachment on historical and cultural areas 55 ii. Impacts on occupational health and safety 55 iii. Impacts on community health and safety 55 VI INFORMATION DISCLOSURE, CONSULTATION AND PARTICIPATION 57 A. Public participation during the preparation of the IEE 57 B. Future consultation and disclosure 62 C. Consultation during detailed design 62 D. Consultation during construction 62 E. Public disclosure 62 F. Project disclosure 62 VII ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING PLAN AND 63 GRIEVANCE AND REDRESS MECHANISM A. Environment management plan 63 B. Institutional arrangement 63 I. UEAP, SDMA (PMU) 64 II. UEAP, IA, FPIU 64 III. The Engineer (DSC) 65 IV. Environmental expert of engineer (DSC) 65 V. The Contractor 65 C. Environmental monitoring programme 78 D. Performance indicators 78 E. Environmental budget 81 F. Grievance and Redress Mechanism 97 VIII CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION 98 v LIST OF TABLES Page No. TABLE II-1 : Applicable environmental national and state requirements for UEAP 8 TABLE III-1 : Distribution of road sections to be upgraded under UEAP, by 8 hierarchy and length TABLE III-2 : Distribution of road sections to be restored under UEAP 13 TABLE IV-1 : Availability of important minerals 32 TABLE IV-2 District-wise forest cover, Uttarakhand 34 TABLE IV-3 : Predominant top-canopy (tree) species according to altitude 35 TABLE IV-4 : Wildlife in Uttarakhand 36 TABLE IV-5 : National parks in Uttarakhand 37 TABLE IV-6 : Wildlife sanctuaries in Uttarakhand 37 TABLE IV-7 : List of major flora 37 TABLE IV-8 : List of major fauna 38 TABLE IV-9 Distrcit demographic scenario as per Census 2011 42 TABLE IV-10 : Land utilisation in Uttarakhand 42 TABLE IV-11 Land use pattern in district Bageshwar 43 TABLE IV-12 : Health indicators of Uttarakhand 43 TABLE IV-13 : Health infrastructure of Uttarakhand 44 TABLE IV-14 : Transportation of Uttarakhand state. 45 TABLE IV-15 Industrial scenario in Bagehwar district 47 TABLE IV-16 : Area under principal crops and productivity in Uttarakhand 47 TABLE IV-17 : Ecological sub-regions and altitude-wise major agriculture crops 48 TABLE IV-18 : Mode of irrigation and drainage system in Uttarakhand. 49 TABLE VII-1 : Environmental management and monitoring plan 67 TABLE VII-2 : The Performance Indicators and monitoring plans 90 TABLE VII-3 Environmental monitoring for air, water, noise and soil 92 TABLE VII-4 : Environmental budget 93 TABLE VII-5 : Environmental Budget for Bageshwar-Kapkot-Sama-Tezam Motor 93 Road TABLE VII-6 : Environmental Budget for Bageshwar Nagar Palika Motor Road 94 TABLE VII-7 : Environmental Budget for Kapkot Nagar Palika Motor Road 95 TABLE VII-8 : Environmental Budget for Kalna bend –pant kwerili and Baijnath- 96 Gwaldam Motor Road vi LIST OF APPENDICES APPENDIX A Rapid Environmental Assessment (REA) 99 APPENDIX B Public consultation record 119 APPENDIX C Site photographs 121 APPENDIX D MoEF issued specific guidelines in July 2013 for State of 124 Uttarakhand 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 127 APPENDIX 2 Environmental standards 130 APPENDIX 3 Oil inceptors 136 APPENDIX 4 Typical bituminous disposal pit 137 APPENDIX 5 Work safety in common operation and in construction 138 APPENDIX 6 Enhancement measures 147 APPENDIX 7 Guidelines for management of road section through forest area 149 APPENDIX 8 Arrangement of traffic during construction 151 APPENDIX 9 General guidelines for contractor construction water 156 management plan APPENDIX 10 Environmental friendly construction methodology 157 APPENDIX 11 Borrow area management 161 APPENDIX 12 Soil erosion and sedimentation control 165 APPENDIX 13 Locating quarries, rehabilitating quarries and guidelines of stone 167 crushers APPENDIX 14 Storage, handling, use and emergency responses for hazardous 171 chemical APPENDIX 15 Site and management of construction camp 173 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