TAMAKOSHI 3 HYDROELECTRIC PROJECT EXECUTIVE SUMMARY - VOLUME XI Document for Disclosure Final Report – November 30, 2009 SWECO Norge AS Lysaker, P O Box 400 Oslo, NORWAY Telephone +47 67 12 80 00 www.sweco.no Abbreviations and Acronyms ACBP Awareness and Capacity Building Plan ADB Asian Development Bank CF Community Forest CFUG Community Forest User Group CITES Convention of International Trade in Endangered Species CSR Corporate Social Responsibility DFO District Forest Office DOED Department of Electricity Development EHSP Environment, Health and Safety Plan EIA Environmental Impact Assessment EMP Environmental Management Plan EMU Environmental Management Unit EPA Environmental Protection Agency EPR Environmental Protection Rules GLOF Glacial Lake Outburst Floods GON Government of Nepal GRU Grievance Redressal Unit GW Giga-watt GWh Giga-watt per hour HEP Hydroelectric Project HH/hh Household ICAMDP Immediate Catchment Area Management and Development Plan IFC International Financial Corporation IUCN International Union for the Conservation of Nature LSEP Livelihood Support and Enhancement Program m asl meters above sea level MOE Ministry of Energy MoEn Ministry of Environment MoWR Ministry of Water Resources MT Million Tons MW Mega Watt NEA National Electricity Authority PAF Project Affected Families PAP Project Affected Persons PCDP Public Consultation and Disclosure Plan PS Performance Standards RAP Resettlement Action Plan RRP Resettlement and Rehabilitation Plan SBA Safeguard Buffer Area SchEMS School of Environmental Management and Sustainable Development SEMD Social and Environmental Management Division SNP SN Power SPAF Severely Project Affected Families SPS Safeguard Policy Statement TA3HEP Tamakoshi 3 Hydroelectric Project TOR Terms of Reference VDC Village Development Committee WBG World Bank Group WHO World Health Organization Table of Content Page nos 1 Project Proponent and Organization Responsible for Preparing the EIA Report .......................................................... 1 1.1 Project Proponent .................................................................................................. 1 1.2 Consultant Responsible for Preparing the EIA Document ................................ 1 2 Executive Summary ................................................................... 2 2.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................ 2 2.2 Project Location and Features .............................................................................. 2 2.2.1 Location ........................................................................................................ 2 2.2.2 Main Project Features .................................................................................. 2 2.2.3 Reservoir Operation ..................................................................................... 6 2.2.4 Construction Manpower ................................................................................ 7 2.2.5 Project Structures and Facilities ................................................................... 7 2.2.6 Methods ........................................................................................................ 8 2.2.6.1 Project Impact Area and Affected People .................................... 8 2.3 The Present situation ........................................................................................... 10 2.3.1 Physical Environment ................................................................................. 10 2.3.1.1 Land use ..................................................................................... 10 2.3.1.2 Noise, Sound and Water Quality ................................................ 11 2.3.1.3 Geology, Hydrology and Sediment ............................................. 11 2.3.2 Biological Environment ............................................................................... 16 2.3.2.1 Vegetation and Forestry ............................................................. 16 2.3.2.2 Wildlife and Birds ........................................................................ 17 2.3.2.3 Aquatic Ecology and Fisheries ................................................... 18 2.3.3 Social, Economic and Cultural Environment .............................................. 21 2.3.3.1 Socio-economic and Cultural Aspects ........................................ 21 2.3.3.2 Agriculture .................................................................................. 27 2.3.3.3 Public Health and Sanitation ...................................................... 30 2.3.4 Public Consultation and Disclosure ............................................................ 31 2.4 Project impacts and mitigation ........................................................................... 33 2.4.1 Physical Environment ................................................................................. 33 2.4.1.1 Loss of Agriculture and Forest Land .......................................... 33 2.4.1.2 Landslide Hazards ...................................................................... 34 2.4.2 Biological Environment ............................................................................... 35 2.4.2.1 Vegetation and Forestry ............................................................. 35 2.4.2.2 Wildlife and Birds ........................................................................ 35 2.4.2.3 Aquatic Ecology and Fisheries ................................................... 35 TA3 EIA VOL-XI Executive Summary – FR (091130) 1 2.4.2.4 Cumulative, Additional Downstream and Transboundary Impacts ....................................................................................... 37 2.4.2.5 Global impacts ............................................................................ 37 2.4.3 Social, Economic and Cultural Environment .............................................. 37 2.4.3.1 Socio-Economic and Cultural Aspects ....................................... 37 2.4.3.2 Health and Sanitation ................................................................. 38 2.5 Mitigation and Enhancement Measures ............................................................. 39 2.5.1 Programs and Key Plans in EMP ............................................................... 39 2.5.1.1 Immediate Catchment Area Management and Development Plan (ICAMDP) ........................................................................... 42 2.5.1.2 Environmental, Health and Safety Plan (EHSP) ........................ 43 2.5.1.3 Awareness and Capacity Building Plan (ACBP) ........................ 44 2.5.2 General Measures and Safeguard Documents .......................................... 44 2.5.2.1 Resettlement and Rehabilitation Plan ........................................ 44 2.5.2.2 Public Consultation and Disclosure Plan .................................... 46 2.5.2.3 Aquatic Ecology and Fisheries ................................................... 46 2.5.2.4 Socio-economics and Culture .................................................... 47 2.6 Environmental Management Plan (EMP), Monitoring and Auditing ................ 49 2.6.1 Costs of EMP .............................................................................................. 49 2.7 Conclusion ............................................................................................................ 49 TA3 EIA VOL-XI Executive Summary – FR (091130) 2 1 Project Proponent and Organization Responsible for Preparing the EIA Report 1.1 Project Proponent The name of the project is Tamakoshi-3 Hydroelectric Project (TA3HEP) and the project proponent is SN Power Holding Singapore Pte. Ltd., henceforth referred to as the “proponent”1 or “SNP”. The Department of Electricity Development (DoED), under the then Ministry of Water Resources (now the Ministry of Energy (MOE)), Government of Nepal (GON) awarded a survey license to SNP on March 5, 2007 for conducting the Feasibility and EIA study of Tamakoshi 3 Hydroelectric Project. SNP is submitting this EIA Report in compliance with the Environmental Protection Regulations (1997, amended 1999). The address of the project proponent is: SN Power Holding Singapore Pte. Ltd. Bijaya Niwas, Jhamshikhel PO Box 12740 Lalitpur, Nepal Office: +977-1-5521864 Fax: +977-1-5536411 www.snpower.no 1.2 Consultant Responsible for Preparing the EIA Document The Proponent has employed independent consultants to prepare the report. SWECo Norge AS, Norway, is the responsible agency to prepare the EIA and its associated reports for the Tamakoshi 3 Hydroelectric Project. The contract between Sweco and SN Power was signed on October 22, 2008 to conduct the ‘Feasibility and Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA)2 Study’ of Tamakoshi 3 Hydroelectric Project. Sweco has engaged SchEMS, Nepal, as the local partner to conduct the EIA study. The addresses of the Consultant and its local partner are as follows: Sweco Norge AS School of Environmental Management and Fornebuveien 11 Sustainable Development (SchEMS) PO Box 400, NO-1327 Lysaker Thirbom Marg, Baluwatar Norway PO Box 2453 Kathmandu, Nepal Tel: +47 67 12 80 00 Tel: +977 1 47717075 Fax: +47 67 12 58 40 Email: [email protected] www.sweco.no www.schems.edu.np 1 The term “Proponent” is used as per practice in GoN. It refers to the term “Sponsor” as is often the term used in IFC/WBG documents. 2 The term EIA is used as required by the GON, and is henceforth used in this document to refer to