DISTRICT SURVEY

REPORT OF

MINOR MINERALS OF

NORTH & MIDDLE

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Content

Sr. No. Subject Page No.

1 Introduction 5-6

2 Overview of Mining Activity in the District 7-8

Details of Production of Minor Minerals 3 8 (Stone Aggregates)

Details of Current Location of Quarry 4 8-9 Blocks 5 Maps of Quarry Area 10-13

Geological & Metrological features of the 6 14 study area

7 General Profile of the District 14-15

8 Land utilization pattern 15

9 Rainfall Month Wise 15

10 Geology and Geotectonics 16-17

11 Geomorphology 17-18

12 Hydrogeology 18-19

13 Surface Water Resources 19 14 Bacteriological Characteristics 19 15 Biological Environment 19-20

16 Terrestrial Biodiversity 20

Methodology of Sampling and Data 17 20 Collection Floral Assessment Methodology

18 Structural and Species Composition of Flora 21-23

19 Faunal Diversity 23

20 Faunal Assessment 23-24

21 Reference 24

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PREFACE

On 15 January 2016, Ministry of Environment, Forest and ClimateChange,

Government of issued a notification and in which Para 7(iii) (a)and

Annexure (x) purpose and structure of District Survey Report has beendiscussed. District Survey report (DSR) will be prepared in every district foreach minor mineral. The District Survey Report will guide systematic andscientific utilization of natural resources, so that present and future generationmay be benefitted at large. The purpose of District Survey Report

(DSR)"identification of areas of aggradations or deposition where mining can be allowed; and identification of areas of erosion and proximity to infrastructural structures and installations where mining should be prohibited and calculation of annual rate of replenishment and allowing time for replenishment after mining in that area". The District Survey report (DSR)will contain mainly data published and endorsed by various departments andwebsites about Geology of the area, mineral wealth details of rivers, detailsof Lease and mining activity in the district along with sand mining andrevenue from minerals.

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1. INTRODUCTION

The Andaman and , located in the south-eastern part of the Indian mainland geographically, float in splendid isolation in the . It lies between Latitude 11.7401°N and Longitude 92.6586°E. This is a chain of around 572 Islands and Islets. Most of these Islands (about 550) are in the Andaman Group, 28 of which are inhabited. The Nicobars comprises of around 22 main islands (10 inhabited). The Andaman and Nicobars are separated by the which is 150 Km wide and are southward extension of Arakan Yoma Range (Myanmar) [ArakanYoma, itself is an extension of Purvanchal Hills].

Port Blair,the capital and gateway to the Islands lies in and falls under . It offers water-based activities like snorkelling, scuba diving, sea-cruises, and glimpses of the history and culture of the region.

The are an Indian archipelago in the Bay of Bengal. Approximately 300 islands are known for their palm-lined, white-sand beaches, mangroves and tropical rainforests. Coral reefs are mostly surrounded in Nicobar Islands. The indigenous people of Andamans were the , who collectively represented at least 10 distinct sub groups and languages; the Jarawas, the jungle (or Rutland Jarawa); the ; and the (the most isolated of all the groups). The indigenous people of the Nicobars (unrelated to the Andamanese) have a similarly isolated and lengthy association with the islands. There are two main groups, the Nicobarese, or Nicobari living throughout many of the islands; and the Shompen, restricted to the interior of Great Nicobar. The Islands are having a tropical climate. The South-west Monsoon sets in Andaman Nicobar Islands towards the end of May and the North-east Monsoon in November. The Barren Island (only active volcano in India) and Narcondam Islands, north of , are volcanic Islands.

These islands are also having remembrance of freedom fighting days and historically significant landmarks viz. , Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose Island, , Hopetown and Mount Harriet. The Andaman & Nicobar Islands have a Geographical area of 8249 sq.km, out of which an area of 7171 sq.km (87%) is notified as forest under Indian Forest Act, 1927 and this rich Eco-system support a variety of Flora and Fauna with in itself. Out of the total area 7171 sq.km notified as forest 70% is totally protected in the form of Tribal Reserve, Biosphere Reserve, National Park and Sanctuaries and further in the form of mangrove conservation working circle and protection working circle even within the area covered by Working Plans.

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The Andaman and Nicobar Islands have been declared as two of the218 endemic bird area of the world. As many as 270 species and sub-speciesof birds have been reported existing in these islands, 106 of them beingendemic. The Andaman Wood Pigeon, Andaman Padauk and Dugong aredeclared as State Bird, State Tree and State Animal respectively. There are about 96 Wildlife Sanctuaries, nine National Parks and one Biosphere Reservein the islands. A mini-zoo exists in Port Blair for exhibiting unique animalspecies of these islands. A Biological Park is also developed at Chidiyatapu foreducating people and creating awareness among them for wildlife. Theseislands are blessed with the bounties of both south-west and north-eastmonsoons. There are many direct flights from , Delhi and Kolkata to Port Blair. Most of the inhabited Islands are interconnected by helicopters. Recently, sea planes have alsobeen proposed in limited number of destinations.

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2. Overview of Mining Activities

Mining site at Madhupur ( Tehsil), Shyamnagar (Diglipur Tehsil), Harinagar ( Tehsil) and Panchawati ( Tehsil) areidentified mining area at North & Middle Andaman District. a. Madhupur Area at Diglipur An area 2.00 ha of Govt land bearing Survey No.49/P recorded in Form AM as hilly land at village Madhupur is identified for conduct of quarrying without the use of explosives. The above proposed quarry consists of total 08 blocks with each block of area 0.25 ha. Marked as –Block A,B,C,D,E,F,G & H. The quarry plan for the above quarries have been already approved by the Competent Authority. b. ShyamnagarArea at Diglipur An area 1.00 ha of Govt land bearing Survey No.102/1/P recorded in Form AN as hilly land at village Shyamnagar is identified for conduct of quarrying without the use of explosives. The above proposed quarry consists of total 04 blocks with each block of area 0.25 ha. Marked as –Block A,B,C&D. The quarry plan for the above quarries have been already approved by the competent authority. c. Harinagar Area at Mayabunder An area 2.00 ha of Govt land bearing Survey No.4/1/P recorded in Form AM as hilly land at village Harinagar is identified for conduct of quarrying without the use of explosives. The above proposed quarry consists of total 08 blocks with each block of area 0.25 ha. Marked as –Block A,B,C,D,E,F,G&H. The quarry plan for the above quarries have been already approved by the Competent Authority. d. PanchawatiArea at Rangat An area 01.50 ha of Govt land bearing Survey No.49/P recorded in Form AM as hilly land at village Panchawati village is identified for conduct of quarrying without the use of explosives. The above proposed quarry consists of total 06 blocks with each block of area 0.25 ha. Marked as –Block A,B,C,D, E &F. The quarry plans for the above quarries have been already approved by the Competent Authority.

Altogether, in North & 26quarry blocks have been identified. The selected area haslimited spatial extent, recognizable through topographic expressions, smallhillocks, mounds, ridges over shorter intervals having narrow depressions etc.The extraction from this area would be of minor minerals only i.e. earth andstone boulders. Physical inspection has revealed that there are sufficientdeposits of these minor minerals at the site. Quarrying in this area is not exactlymining but is more like digging and levelling. This would ultimately result ingetting flat land bounded by hillocks having a gradient of 45 degree angle.

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The selected quarry area was inspected by a group of Govt. officials at different locations. Based on the levels taken, plots of size 0.25 Ha have been carved. All the 26 blocksare having the size of 0.25 Ha.

3. Details of Production of Minor Minerals (Stone Aggregates) in last 3Years (In Cbm)

S. Location 2016-17 2017-18 2018-19 No 1 North & Middle Andaman 100516 71669 177292

4. The Details of Current Location of Quarry Blocks

a. Madhupur Village

This mine area is non-explosive. A total of2.00 hectares is identified at Madhupur village for conduct of quarryingby use ofnon-explosives. An area measuring 2.00Ha has been identifiedout of the land bearing Sy. No.49/P area 2.00 Ha situated at Madhupur village recorded in favour of Govt.Revenue Department. The subject land is free from all encumbrances. The selected area satisfies the restrictions mentioned in Rule4 and is more than 500 meters from any Educational Institution, HealthInstitution or a residential area.

b. Shyamnagar Village

This mine area is non-explosive. A total of01.00 Ha is identified at Shyamnagar village for conduct of quarryingby use of non-explosives on the land bearing Sy. No.102/1/P area 01.00Ha situated at Shyamnagar village recorded in favour of Govt.Revenue Department. The subject land is free from all encumbrances.The selected area satisfies the restrictions mentioned in Rule4 and is more than 500 meters from any Educational Institution, HealthInstitution or a residential area.

c.Harinagar Area at Mayabunder

This mine area is non-explosive. A total of 2.00 Ha is identified at Harinagar village for conduct of quarryingout of the land bearing Sy. No.4/1/P area 2.00 Ha situated at Harinagar village recorded in favour of Govt.Revenue Department. The subject land is free from all encumbrances. The selected area satisfies the restrictions mentioned in Rule4 and is more than 500 meters from any Educational Institution, HealthInstitution or a residential area.

d. Panchawati Area at Rangat This mine area is non-explosive. A total of 01.50 Ha is identified at Panchawati village for conduct of quarryingout of the land bearing Sy. No.49/P area 01.50Ha situated at Panchawati village recorded in favour of Govt.Revenue Department. The subject land is free from all encumbrances. The selected area satisfies the restrictions mentioned in Rule4 and is more than 500 meters from any Educational Institution, HealthInstitution or a residential area.

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Therefore, a total of 04 quarry sites with an area of 06.50 Harecorded in favour of Govt. Revenue Department have been identified at North & Middle Andaman District forconduct of quarrying without the use of explosives. The subject land is free from allencumbrances.Theselected quarrying sites are a more or less compact area. The selected areas havelimited spatial extent, recognizable through topographic expressions, smallhillocks, mounds, ridges over shorter intervals having narrow depressions etc.The extraction from this area would be of minor minerals only i.e. earth andstone boulders. Physical inspection has revealed that there are sufficientdeposits of these minor minerals at the site. Quarrying in this area is not exactlymining but is more like digging and levelling. This would ultimately result ingetting flat land bounded by hillocks having a gradient of 45 degree angle.

The selected quarry sites have been jointly inspected by officials andlevels taken at different locations. Based on the levels taken, plots of size 0.25 04 quarry sites and a total of26 non-explosive blocks have been carved.

5. Map of Quarry Area

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6. Geological &Meteorological Features of the Study Area

The study area falls under North & Middle Andaman district is located almost in the central part of the Union Territory ofA&N islands and it is separated from South Andaman district by Middle Strait. The district ofNorth & Middle Andaman comprises two Subdivisions, three blocks/Tehsils. Mayabunder is the district head quarter and Rangat and Diglipur are two Sub divisional headquarters of the district. Mayabunder is connected with the major cities of Indian mainland like Kolkata,Chennai and Visakhapatnam (Vizag) by sea routes. Besides, the capital of the UT is connected to theother islands by Inter-Island ships, Helicopter services provided by PawanHans. Recently Sea plane serviceshave beenproposed too which shall ply in the Islands ofNorth- Middle and South Andaman district. The islands are discrete and separated bysea. The rainfall is received through South-west and North-east monsoonswhich spans for the period from May to December. Average annual rainfall in theseIslands is about 3000 mm. The islands have tropical humid climatebecause of their location in the equatorial zone surrounded by the AndamanSea. The islands have only two seasons viz. rainy season and summer seasonwinter is virtually absent. The mean relative humidity is 79%.The meanmaximum temperature is 30.2°C and means minimum temperature is 23.8°C.The relative humidity varies from 79% to 89% and wind speed varies from 7km/hr to 10 km/hr. The maximum and minimum temperatures in the islandsfluctuate between 27°C to 33°C and 21°C to 25°C. Daily evaporation rate in theisland is fairly high which cumulatively ranges from 1500-1800 mm per annum.The geographical localization is responsible for high average evaporation rateto the tune of 1500-1800mm per annum.

7. General Profile of the District

Sl No Particulars North & Middle Andaman 1 Longitude 92°E to 94°E Latitude 12°N to 14°N 2 Geographical Area (Sq. Km) 3736.00 Rural 3730.05 Urban 5.95 3 Total Forest Area (Sq. Km) 3320.82 Reserved Forest 3320.82 Protected Forest - 4 Biggest Inhabited Island (Sq. Km) Middle Andaman 1536 5 Smallest Inhabited Island (Sq. Km) Curlew Island -0.03 6 Southern-most Island Baratang 7 Northern-most Island East Island 8 Highest Point (Mtr.) Saddle Peak732 M 9 Inhabited Island Census 2011 14 10 Actual Rainfall during 2016(in mm) Mayabunder-3039.8 Long Island-2627.6 11 Population 2011 Census 105597 Male 54861 Female 50736 12 Population Density (per Sq. Km) 28 14

13 Sex Ratio (Females/1000 Males) 925 14 Child Sex Ratio (0-6 Yrs) 974 15 Tribal Population (2011 Census) 758 Male 415 Female 343 16 Tribal Sex Ratio (2011 Census) 827 17 Working Population (2011 Census) 38579 Male 30612 Female 7967 18 Administrative Units Tehsil 3 Development Block 3 Gram Panchayats 37 Panchayat Samitis 3 Zilla Parishad 1

(source: Basic Statistics (2016-17) Published by Directorate of Economics & Statistics, A&N Administration)

8. Land Utilisation (in Hectare) for South Andaman District

Sl No Particulars North & Middle Andaman 1 Total Geographical Area 330200.00 2 Reporting Area for land utilization 318153.96 3 Forest Area 295568.00 4 Not available for Cultivation 4419.05 5 Other uncultivated land excluding fallow 7580.98 land 6 Current fallow 1818.57 7 Fallow lands other than current fallows 1228.66 8 Net area sown 7538.70 9 Area sown more than once 1468.30 10 Total cropped area 9007.00 (source: Basic Statistics (2016-17) Published by Directorate of Economics & Statistics, A&N Administration)

9. Rainfall Month Wise

Month 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 January 0.4 123.1 71.0 92.6 126.8 February 0.0 0.0 0.0 0.3 32.4 March 0.0 8.0 29.4 4.6 36.2 April 0.0 149.2 7.0 148.7 42.8 May 229.9 364.0 342.7 226.0 576.2 June 501.7 407.5 491.0 556.5 673.8 July 696.6 292.4 421.1 544.2 192.5 August 283.5 557.3 332.7 546.1 584.0 September 409.4 419.0 991.2 520.9 338.0 October 564.9 225.0 302.0 256.5 335.4 November 174.6 205.8 168.2 193.9 303.0 December 16.0 136.6 493.8 202.1 194.4 Total 2877.0 2887.9 3650.1 3292.4 3435.5 15

10. Geology and Geotectonics

The Andaman and Nicobar Island are the summits of northern part ofaprominent submarine mountain range probably co-related with the Indonesianarc lying on the great tectonic suture zone extending from the EasternHimalayas along the Myanmar border to Arakan and finally Sumatra andLesser Sundas, with southern continuation of the longitudinal ranges extendingthrough the Bay of Bengal from Myanmar towards the south and southeast.The Northernmost part of this island is isolated from Cape Nergrais in SouthernMyanmar by the North Channel and the southernmost part is separated from the Acheen Head of western Sumatra by great Channel. Thereare two more Channels, (i) the Ten Degree Channel which separates AndamanIsland from Nicobar Island and (ii) the Sombero Channel which isolates GreatNicobar from and Nancowrie group.

Geologically these islands belong to a geosynclinal basin. The rocks ofthis Island are highly folded due to frequent tectonic movements in the past.The geological formations represent a period of sedimentation from cretaceousto Sub-Recent period. The rocks are of two main types: 1) the Serpentinesequences and 2) the Sedimentary Series.

The Islands in the South Andaman district are composed mainly ofthick Eocene sediments deposited on Pre-Tertiary sandstone, silt stone andshale with intrusions of basic and ultrabasic igneous rocks (Ophiolites). In thegeologically Younger Richie’s archipelago, calcareous sand stones are morecommon. The available geological evidence leads us to assume the possibilityof a geological period when the Andaman and Nicobar Islands formed a rangebetween Burma and Sumatra. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands with Preparisand Cocos formed a continuous hill connecting this with Burma (Myanmar)through Cape Negrais. The Tertiary sediments classified as the Mithakhari andAndaman Flysch Group comprises thinly bedded alternations of sandstones andsiltstones, grit, conglomerate, limestones, shales, etc., are of Upper Cretaceousto Upper Eocene age. The Tertiary Group is overlain successively by theArchipelago Group, Nicobar Group and the Quaternary Holocene Group,intervening with unconformity. The generalized geological succession is givenin Table.10.1

Marine inorganic sedimentary group of rocks comprising shale,sandstone, grit and conglomerate (Flysch and Mithakhari Groups) and organicsedimentaries like Coralline atolls and limestone and extrusive and intrusiveigneous rocks (volcanics and ultramafics) occupy the entire geographical area.Amongst these, the former (inorganic) Sedimentary group is most pervasiveand occupy nearly 70% of the entire area of the islands while the igneousgroup covers nearly 15% while the rest 15% goes to the coralline andlimestone formations. All these rock formations are brought under tectonismbecause of their alignment in a tectonically active zone, evident from theoccurrence of shallow and deep focus earthquakes in the islands. The

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lastearthquake and devastation by tsunami were also the effect of tectonic settingof this archipelago in a converging plate margin. Because of tectonism, theigneous and Sedimentary groups of rocks are highly fractured and fissured.The fracturing in hard rock’s form conduits for movement of ground water in thedeeper horizon. The geology of the islands is highly varied and even changeswithin a small distance.

Table 10.1 : Generalized Geological Succession of Andaman & Nicobar Islands

Age Group Formation Recent to Sub Recent Quaternary Holocene Beach sand, Mangrove Group Clay, Alluvium, Coral Rags and Shell Limestone, loosely consolidated pebbles bed Pleistocene to Late Pliocene Shell limestone, Unconformity Sandstone, Clay stone, etc. Miocene Nicobar Group White clay stone, Melville Limestone Archipelago Group Thinly bedded alternations (Upper) of Sandstones and siltstones, grit, Oligocene to Palaeocene Unconformity conglomerate, Limestone, black Shales with Andaman Flysh, olistiliths. Mithakhari Group Dyke swarms, acidic suite, Late Cretaceous Pillow lava with radiolarian chert and ultramafics Unconformity suite.

Ophiolites Group

11. Geomorphology

The size, shape and height of an islands control the occurrence andmovement of both surface and ground water resources to a considerableextent. Either or both types of water resources are likely to be available inlarger quantities in wider and larger islands when compared to smaller andnarrower islands. The width of a small island has major influence on theoccurrence of ground water in basal aquifers. The islands in North and Middle AndamanDistrict have varied topographical features. In general, barring a few smallIslands, all the others have undulating terrain with main ridges running North-South. There are also spurs running East – West in between the main ridges.Deep inlets and creeks are formed by the submerged valleys. Flat lands arefew. Coral reefs surround most of the Islands. The islands generally feature amountainous terrain with long ranges of hills and narrow valleys. The maximumaltitude of these islands is at Saddle Peak which is 732m above mean sealevel. Geomorphology of North and MiddleAndaman District is controlled by the geology and weathering characteristics ofthe rock types underlain. Geomorphologically the North and Middle Andaman District canbe divided into the following units.

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1. Moderate to steep hill ranges having low to moderate heights. Thistype of geomorphology could be seen in the islands underlain by MarineSedimentary group of rocks and igneous Ophiolite rocks with good ground waterpotential with perennial springs and drainage.

2. Narrow intermountain valleys this type of landform is formed inbetween the hills and could be seen in the afore said islands. In general thevalleys are formed in the structurally weak planes i.e. along the lineaments andmay be termed as structural valleys.

3. Narrow, gently sloping coastal tracts including swamps. These typeof coastal landform could be seen in the islands underlain by MarineSedimentaries contain mostly fine sand, silt and clays. Since the length of thestreams from hill to sea is less, the fluvial action on the rocks and sediments intheir courses becomes less powerful. Consequently, owing to both the reasonslarger clastics (sands, gravels and boulders) are not brought to the coast.Hence, in majority of the cases the beaches in such islands remain swampyand slender with low ground water potential in the low lying areas. However, incases where coral reefs are luxuriant around such islands, wide sandy beachesalso could be seen.

4. Islands basically made of Coralline material (atoll) or having Claymudstone-chalk stone sequence in higher elevations with preponderance ofcoralline deposit in the low lying areas with very gentle slope and relativelywide coast encircling the islands. The uplifted atolls form low lying islands.Since the coral reefs are being denudated constantly in the shallower part ofthe sea because of wave action, huge quantity of coral lime sands areproduced. They give rise to the formation of wider beaches. The Coralline limestone in the lowlyingareas forms good repositories of ground water.

5. Rugged coast devoid of beaches. This type of coastal landform isvisible in the islands or parts of the islands which are underlain by Ophioliticigneous rocks.

12. Hydrogeology

Hydrogeologically, the sedimentary rocks are very poorwater yielder both in shallow and deeper horizons because of preponderanceof clayey materials in them. As mentioned earlier although the sedimentaryrocks possess fractures developed in them but these are highly clogged by theclayey residue. Hence in majority of the cases the exploratory boreholes drilledby CGWB in sedimentary formations did not yield water. The weatheredhorizon of such rock formations where dug wells are constructed also yieldground water in meagre quantity. A dug well having 5m diameter and 6m depthconstructed in valley areas may yield maximum 4000-5000 litres/day. TheIgneous suite of rocks (Ophiolites) sustain good amount of water both inshallow and deeper horizons. Bore wells were being successfully constructedin these formations. A dug well 5m diameter

18 and 6m depth used to yield to thetune of 15,000 to 30,000 litres/day, while a bore well 60m deep and 6” diameteryields 50,000 to 80,000 litres/day. Amongst all these rock formations theCoralline formations and Limestones of Archipelago Group are the mostpotential and yield very high amount of water because of good porosity andpermeability. In such terrains dug wells were constructed. One dug well with thespecification of 5m diameter and 6m depth may even yield to the tune of50,000-1,50,000 litres /day.

13. Surface Water Resources

North and Middle Andaman district is endowed with sufficient rainfall. However,perennial springs and base flow are facilitating the perennial flow in some of thestreams which is in the low key. Inmany islands, surface runoff occurs rapidly after rainfall and recedes to little orno flow within hours. On low islands, surface water resources, if at allpresent, are likely to be in the form of shallow lakes. Because of relatively less areal extent and paucity ofcatchments, the islands of North and Middle Andaman district are devoid of multiple river systems.The general drainagepattern of the islands varies from dendritic to sub- dendritic. However, landssubsidences in the Post-tsunami have facilitated the tidal ingress along thestreams of North and Middle Andaman Island.

Springs: The characteristic geological and geomorphologic conditionsof the island have facilitated the origin of numerous springs in all the threemajor geological formations. The rural water supply in theentire district except Neil Island ismaintained either directly from the springs or spring fed perennialstreams. These springs are, in general, formed in high altitudes because ofgood fracturing in the rocks. For this they also may be termed as fracturesprings. However, the springs are highly yielding and sustainable in igneousrocks.

14. Bacteriological Characteristics

The coliform group of bacteria are significant as a principal indicator ofdegree of pollution of water and thus of the sanitary quality of water. Thecoliform density is now a criterion to assess the suitability of water for domesticand recreational uses. The coliform group belongs to the family ofEnterobacteriaceae and includes all aerobic and facultative anaerobic, gram- negative,nonspore-forming, rod-shaped bacteria that ferment lactose with gasand acid formation within 48 hrs at 35°C. The standard test for the coliform group was carried out by themembrane filter (MF) technique by NEERI. The MF technique involves direct plating fordetection and estimation of total coliform and fecal coliform densities.

15. Biological Environment

Study of biological environment is one of the most importantcomponents for Environmental Impact Assessment, for conservation ofenvironment and biodiversity. The Andaman and Nicobar Islands, one of theseven union territories of India comprising 572 islands of which 38 areinhabited, are a 19 group of islands at the juncture of the Bay ofBengal and . There are 572 islands in the territory of these,about 38 are permanently inhabited. The capital of the union territory, PortBlair, is located 1,255 km (780 mi) from Kolkata, 1,200 km (750 mi)from Visakhapatnam and 1,190 km (740 mi) from Chennai. Present study wascarried out to understand the baseline Ecology and Biodiversity of the studyarea with special reference to floral & faunal characteristics. The baselinestatus for biological environment is established by assessing the distributionpattern, community structure, population dynamics and speciescomposition offlora and fauna of proposed stone aggregate mining in Andaman & NicobarIslands.

16. Terrestrial Biodiversity

The present study was to establish the baseline biotic environment andalso to understand the impact of upcoming activity on Ecology and Biodiversityof 1.5 km area with following objectives:  Assessment and inventorization of baseline of flora and faunawithin the study area  Identification of rare plants of economic importance includingmedicinal plants and wildlife species in study area  Identification of measures for protection and conservation of flora(rare and endangered species, medicinal plants) and fauna(wildlife, migratory avi-fauna, reptiles, mammals and insects) etc.  Delineation of possible impacts and biological stress due toproposed activities on terrestrial biota  To delineate mitigation measures with effective EMP to reducethe pressures and probable negative impacts on Terrestrial biota

17. Methodology of Sampling and Data Collection

Floral Assessment Methodology The baseline status of environmental quality in the vicinity of projectsite serves as a basis for identification and prediction of impacts and wasassessed by visiting the proposed site and the dominant plants species wererecorded. Field studies were undertaken in order to gather authenticinformation on enumeration, quantification and distribution of plant biodiversityin the study region.

Faunal Assessment Methodology

The wildlife in the proposed project area has been listed based on thefield observation during the field visit and information collected from the localpeople and available secondary data from other sources.Field surveys were carried out in the month of May 2019. The visualobservations were made during a walk through in the chosen transect forsighting birds, insects, reptiles and mammals in the study area. The procedure for data collection in faunal studiesin chart form is summarizing below.

Field Studies Taking Photograph 20

Qualification Identification

Documentation Analysis

18.(a) Structure and Species Composition of Flora

The baseline surveys were conducted to assess the composition,diversity, distribution and their status in the nature by taking observations ondiverse plant species. The luxuriant evergreen forests, characteristic of warmhumid and wet tropics, exist in the entire land mass of this division excluding afew patches where area has been cleared for revenue settlements. In thedense forests also occur tangled mass of climbers, lianas, canes, bamboos,etc. vegetation becomes more evergreen in low level area and when weproceed from north to south, with increase in rainfall. The mangrove forestsform the border in low-lying banks of creeks and sheltered belts of coastal linesubject to tidal action. They occur in belts of varying depth of a few metres toseveral metres on saline alluvial soil. The vegetation is comparatively stunted ingrowth on the higher hilltops that are usually exposed to high winds. The treegrows in an intimate mixture of different species, in almost all type of forestsexcluding mangroves. Gurjan (Dipterocarpus spp.) is the only tree, which attimes is found in more or less pure stands. The vegetation of Andaman forests is mostly influenced by climaticand edaphic factors. Andaman Islands are having more or less uniform climatebut there is much variation in soil structure. Since variation in elevation is notmuch, the aspect has little influence over vegetation in such low altitudes.Therefore, the vegetation of these islands is mainly the function of the climaticor edaphic factors. The tropical evergreen forests of Andamans can be dividedinto two main categories. One category where the forest is mostly based on thefunction of the edaphic factors and the other category where the climate is thecontrolling factor. The study area exhibits diverse flora because of their distribution inwidely varying conditions and a number of external factors of the ecosystem towhich they are subjected. The natural vegetation prominently consists of thetrees followed by herbs, Climbers, grasses and shrubs.

The study area around the proposed mining activity route mainlycomprises of terrestrial ecosystem (wasteland and barren land) and aquaticecosystem (Sea, Canals, Creeks, etc.). Andaman is a versatile area wherefavourable climatic and edaphic factors have favoured in experimenting withdifferent type of plantations of Coconut, Areca nut, Bamboo cane, Mangiferaindica, Mangiferaandamanica, Peltophorum, pterocarpum, Leucaenaleucocephala, Alstoniascholaris, Albizzia lebbeck, etc. have been raisedsuccessfully. Natural vegetation prominently consists of Mangiferaandamanica, Syzygiumcumini, Artocarpushirsuta, Psidium guajava, 21

Hyptissp., Lantana camara, Calocassia sp., Ipomea sp., Amaranthus, Cassia siamea,Ficushispida, Ficus religiosa, Terminalia cattapa, Emblica officinalis, Mimusapudica, etc.

Trees

Trees are forming the major structural and functional basis of forest,are vital as carbon sinks, water sheds, provide shades and homes to many lifeforms and above all, act as a primary harvester of energy into the ecosystem(Singh, 2002). They play an important role in building top canopy of a forestland. Natural vegetation of the study area comprises of trees of species viz.Acacia nilotica (Desi babul), Peltophorum pterocarpum (Yellow flame), Ficusrelegiosa (Peepal), Tamarindus indica (Imli), Zizyphus mauritiana (Ber),Delonix regia (Gulmohar), Azadirachta indica (Neem), Luceana leucocephala(Subabool), Alstonia sp.(Saptaparni) etc. Checklist of floral componentsobserved during primary data survey in and around different area of theproposed project site.

Shrubs The shrub species observed around the study area were Calotropisprocera (Rui), Hyptis species (Wild tulsi), Lantana camara (Raimuniya), etc.The study area was dominated by the presence of Lantena Camera.

Herbs The study area comprises some varieties of wild herbaceous species.The herb plant species namely Cassia tora (Chakunda), Alternanthera sessilis(Sessile Joyweed), and Achyranthes aspera (Anghedi). The other herb speciesnamely Euphorbia hirta (Asthma-plant), Evolvulus alsinoides (Convolvulaceae),Evolvulus nummularis, Portulaca oleracea, etc. were recorded in the study area

18. (b) Medicinal Plants

Medicinal plants have been prescribed and used widely for thousandsof years to treat various disorders and ailments in traditional herbal medicinesystems all over the world and have considerable importance in internationaltrade today. There is an increasing demand for the utilization of medicinalplants for providing primary health care to populations, as they are extensivelyavailable and inexpensive. According to the World Health Organization (WHO)about 80 % of the population around the world depends on traditional medicine,mostly herbal remedies, for their primary health care needs.Being rich in vegetation the area around the proposed site harbours avariety of medicinal and aromatic plants. The survey conducted on medicinalplant includes the identification of medicinal plant species, plant part used andmode of healing properties. During primary observations, the medicinal plantsin the study area comprises of, Lantana camara, Tridax procumbens, Ziziphusmauritiana, etc. The common herbal medicinal flora

22 observed in the study areaconsists of Abrus precatorius Datura metal Calotropis procera Sidaacuta,Cassia tora, Aegle marmelos Mangifera andamanica, Tamarindus indica,Ocimum sanctum, etc. During site visit agricultural activities werenot noticed around the study area.

19. Faunal Diversity

A habitat is formed by a particular combination of vegetation and landtypes in an area, and often corresponds broadly to major structural vegetationcommunities. The combined attributes of a habitat may provide a unique set ofresources that can support a characteristic fauna assemblage. The diversity infauna basically depends upon density and diversity of flora. The richer thediversity among the flora better will be the diversity in fauna. The wild animalsof the study area falls into two Categories- Forest dwelling,Grass land dwelling.The Andaman and Nicobar Islands are a hot spot for biodiversity. Thenature has endowed these islands with a unique and varied animal lives bothon land as well as in sea. Fauna of Indo-Chinese and Indo-Malayan regioninfluences faunal distribution in these islands. Geographical isolations of theseislands have caused high degree of endemism. Large mammals are absent inthese islands. Though biological investigation is not complete, 5100 animals(100 fresh water,2100 terrestrial, 2900 marine animals) have been described.Andaman & Nicobar Islands are one of the priority areas concerningconservation of global biodiversity. Most of the species are found in SouthAndaman Forest Division.

20. Faunal Assessment:

(i) Mammals The study area has Tropical evergreen vegetation. Present conditionsof the area do not support higher mammals. As per management and workingplan of North and Middle Andaman, mammals reported from the study site are Mouse,Boar, Squirrel, Bat,Mongoose. These are also reported to be present in thearea as per information gathered from villagers in 1.5 km vicinity of theproposed project.

(ii) Reptiles Garden lizards, Indian chameleon and Geckos were observed in the study area during sampling. In snakes Dhaman, Rat snake, Keelback and Cobra is noted during personal interviewing with local people.

(iii) Insects The study area has diversity of insects which comprises of a numberof Anisoptera (Dragonflies), Lepidoptera (Butterflies), Zygoptera (Damselflies),Araneae (Spider), etc. The coastal habitats are characteristically recognized toharbor rich biodiversity of insects as the insects play an important role in soilturnover and nutrient recycling. During primary survey, butterflies was noticedin the study area during study period. These includes Common grass yellowbutterfly (Eurema hecabe), Swallow tail butterfly (Papilio demoleus),

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Plain tiger(Danaus chrysippus), Common tiger (Danaus genutia genutia), Common Gull(Cepora nerissa), etc.

(iv) Avifauna

Birds are essential group of living organisms in every ecosystem andmaintain tropic level. Birds plays an important role in ecosystem as potentialpollinators scavengers and bio-monitoring in controlling insect pest and also asan excellent ecological indicator. The common species like jungle crow, house sparrow,common myna, red vented bulbul were observed. The list of the bird’s speciesindicates a good diversity around the study area. The species observed duringthe field study around the study area are white bellied sea eagle(Haliaeetusleucogaster) Andaman wood pigeon (Columba palumboides), Littleegret (Egretta garzetta), white-throated kingfisher (Halcyon smyrnensis)Pigeons (Columba domestica), Mynas (Acridotheres tristis), Jungle babbler(Turdoides striata), Laughing dove (Spilopelia senegalensis),Blackdrongo (Dicrurus macrocercus), Green bee-eater (Merops orientalis), Brahminystarling (Sturnia pagodarum), etc. These bird species have composition ofraptors, insectivorous and granivorous birds. Occurrence of bird species ingood numbers is due to suitable climate and availability of food. The commoncrow, and myna were recorded as dominant birds residing in the study area.The area is limited in the diversity.

(v) Ecologically Sensitive Areas and Threatened Species

There are not any notified ecological sensitive areas like WildlifeSanctuaries, Reserve Forest and National park within the study area. TheGovernment of India enacted Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 with the objectiveof effectively protecting the wildlife of this country and to control poaching,smuggling and illegal trade in wildlife and its derivatives. The Act consists of 60Sections and VI Schedules- divided into Eight Chapters. During primary datasurvey, some of the faunal species comes under the schedule category ofWildlife Protection Act (WPA), 1972. The Common Mongoose belongs toSchedule II and of Lower risk/ Least concern species according to IUCN(International Union for Conservation of Nature). Whereas, Egret, Fivestripedpalm squirrel comes under Schedule IV of WPA and are Least concernspecies.The Common Crow butterfly listed under Schedule V and according toIUCN it is of Lower Risk species. The endangerd fauna of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

21. References:  Study Report submitted by CSIR – National Environmental Engineering Research Institute, Nagpur on September 2019.  Basic Statistics (2017-18) Published by Directorate of Economics & Statistics, A&N Administration

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