COMPREHENSIVE EIA STUDY FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE EXISTING PUDUCHERRY MINOR PORT BY CARRYING OUT CAPITAL DREDGING AND CONSTRUCTION OF A PILE SUPPORTED BRIDGE BETWEEN DRAINAGE CHANNEL AND NAVIGATIONAL CHANNEL UNDER "SAGARMALA" SCHEME IN UPPALAM, PUDUCHERRY PROJECT CODE: 653021819 FOR PORT DEPARTMENT GOVERNMENT OF PUDUCHERRY Thro' INDIAN INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY MADRAS OCTOBER 2019 INDOMER COASTAL HYDRAULICS (P) LTD. (ISO 9001: 2015 CERTIFIED, NABET- QCI, CDC - MoST & NABL ACCREDITED) 63, GANDHI ROAD, ALWAR THIRUNAGAR, CHENNAI 600 087. Tel: + 91 44 2486 2482 to 84; M: + 91 99401 41650; Fax: + 91 44 2486 2484 Web site: www.indomer.com, E-mail:[email protected] INDOMER COASTAL HYDRAULICS (P) LTD. (ISO 9001 : 2015 CERTIFIED, NABET-QCI, NABL & CDC-MoST ACCREDITATED) 63, Gandhi Road, Alwar Thirunagar, Chennai 600 087. Tel: + 91 44 2486 2482 to 84 Fax: + 91 44 2486 2484 Web site: www.indomer.com, E-mail: [email protected] Client Indian Institute of Technology, Madras. Project Title Comprehensive EIA study for the development of the existing Puducherry Minor Port by carrying out capital dredging and construction of a pile supported bridge between drainage channel and navigational channel under "Sagarmala" scheme in Uppalam, Puducherry. Project Code 653021819 Abstract The Port Department of Government of Puducherry has proposed to re-commence operation in the Minor Port at Uppalam in Puducherry. The port is one of the well-known minor ports in India. It had successfully handled different types of cargoes like Fertilizers, Iron Scrap, Carbon black feed oil, Wheat, Molasses, Fluorspar, Cement, Sugar, Palm olein, Timber log etc. during the years from 1993 to 2006. After 2006, the port and its navigational channel could not be properly maintained due to financial constraints. The navigational channel then got silted up heavily. Now the Port Department is planning to re-establish the past status of the Puducherry Port by improving and developing the existing port. The Port Department with funds under Sagarmala from Government of India aims for a complete up-gradation of the existing Minor Port as all-weather Port. The proposed activities are: i) capital dredging in the port basin and in navigational channel, ii) disposal of dredged sediments having sand fractions on the northern side of the shoreline for beach stabilization and clay type sediments at offshore in open sea and iii) construction of a pile supported bridge cum walkway across the drainage channel to prevent solid waste disposal into the port waters. The objective of this report is to prepare an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the proposed project in order to seek for Statutory Clearances. This report presents the details of the EIA and EMP studies including impact assessment, mitigation measures, EMP and post project monitoring. The proposed activities are classified as Category 'A' project as per EIA Notification 2006. This necessitates environment clearance from MoEFCC. Foreword The materials presented in the report carry the copy right of INDOMER and IITM and should not be altered or distorted or copied or presented in different manner by other organizations without the written consent from INDOMER and IITM. Document type Controlled References W.O. No: OED/2018/1216/RSUN/SPLX dt. 04th February 2019 Date Report Type Originator Checked by Approved by Approver's sign 29.10.19 Final M. Muthu Kumar V. Kesava Das Dr. P. Chandramohan 1 Project Code 653021819 Text pages 166 2 File Location F: /2019 Projects/Oct. 19/653. IITM Tables 38 Figures 17 INDOMER Declaration by Experts contributing to the EIA I, here by, certify that I was a part of the EIA team in the following capacity that developed the above EIA. EIA Coordinator: Name : Dr. P. Chandramohan Signature & Date : Period of involvement : February 2019 to October 2019 Contact information : + 91 99401 41650 Functional Area Experts Sl. Functional Involvement Name of the Expert/s Signature No. Areas (Task & period) Hydrology 1 HG Dr. P. Chandramohan (2 months) EIA Mentor 2 Mentor Dr. Sukumar Devotta (2 months) Ecology and Biodiversity 3 EB Dr. R. Alfred Selvakumar (2 months) Geology, Land Use 4 GEO, LU Dr. Terry Machado (2 months) Air Pollution, 5 AP, WP Dr. Apurba Gupta Water Quality (2 months) Soil Conservation 6 SC Dr. B.K. Patel (2 month) Socio economics 7 SE Mrs. Sarmistha Mohanthy (2 months) Ecology and Biodiversity 8 EB Dr. S. Sundaramoorthy (2 months) Air Pollution 9 AP Mr. Santhosh Gupta (2 months) Risk Assessment and Hazards Management, 10 RH, SHW Mr. Anil L Choumal Solid and Hazardous Waste Management (2 month) Noise & Vibration 11 NV Mr. Vivek P Navare (2 month) Land Use 12 LU Dr. N. Rama Krishnan (2 months) Water Pollution 13 WP Mr. J. Jaganmohan (2 months) Comprehensive EIA study for the development of the existing Puducherry Minor Port by carrying out capital dredging and construction of a pile supported bridge between drainage channel and navigational channel under "Sagarmala" scheme in Uppalam, Puducherry. INDOMER Functional Area Associates Sl. Functional Involvement Name of the Expert/s Signature No. Areas (Task & period) Hydrology, 1 HG, SC Mr. R. C. Bragath Soil Conservation (2 months) Air Pollution, Risk Assessment and 2 AP, RH Mr. S. Akhil Babu Hazards Management (2 months) Soil Conservation 3 SC Ms. K. Eswari (2 months) Water Pollution 4 WP Ms. S. Kasthuri (2 months) Comprehensive EIA study for the development of the existing Puducherry Minor Port by carrying out capital dredging and construction of a pile supported bridge between drainage channel and navigational channel under "Sagarmala" scheme in Uppalam, Puducherry. INDOMER Declaration by the Head of the Accredited Consultant Organization/authorized person I, Dr. P. Chandramohan, hereby, confirm that the above mentioned experts were involved in preparation of this EIA report entitled "Comprehensive EIA study for the development of the existing Puducherry Minor Port by carrying out capital dredging and construction of a pile supported bridge between drainage channel and navigational channel under "Sagarmala" scheme in Uppalam, Puducherry". I also confirm that the EC has gone through the report and the consultant organization shall be fully accountable for any misleading information mentioned in this statement. It is certified that NO ethical plagiarism have been carried out and external data/ text has not been used without proper acknowledgement, while preparing this EIA report. Signature : Name : Dr. P. Chandramohan Designation : Managing Director Name of the EIA consultant Organization : Indomer Coastal Hydraulics (P) Ltd. NABET Certificate No. & Issue Date : NABET/EIA/1720/SA 90 & 27.05.19 Sectors: 27 & 33 Comprehensive EIA study for the development of the existing Puducherry Minor Port by carrying out capital dredging and construction of a pile supported bridge between drainage channel and navigational channel under "Sagarmala" scheme in Uppalam, Puducherry. INDOMER CONTENTS Page List of Tables iv List of Figures v 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 1.1 Purpose of the report 1.2 1.2 Identification of Project and Project Proponent 1.3 1.3 Brief description of project 1.4 1.4 Terms of Reference (ToR) 1.4 1.5 CRZ classification 1.9 1.6 Structure of EIA report 1.9 2 PROJECT DESCRIPTION 2.1 2.1 Type of project 2.1 2.2 Need of the project 2.1 2.3 Project Location 2.2 2.4 Project Description 2.3 2.5 Resource Requirements 2.5 2.6 Project Cost and Implementation schedule 2.6 3 DESCRIPTION OF ENVIRONMENT 3.1 3.1 Terrestrial Environment 3.1 3.1.1 Air environment 3.1 3.1.1.1 Selection of monitoring stations 3.1 3.1.1.2 Duration of sampling 3.3 3.1.1.3 Ambient air quality monitoring results 3.3 3.1.2 Water environment 3.6 3.1.2.1 Selection of water sampling stations 3.6 3.1.2.2 Ground water quality monitoring results 3.6 3.1.2.3 Surface water quality monitoring results 3.7 3.1.3 Land environment 3.7 3.1.3.1 Land use/Land cover 3.7 3.1.3.2 Topography 3.8 3.1.3.3 Soil 3.8 3.1.3.4 Selection of soil sampling stations 3.8 3.1.3.5 Soil quality 3.8 3.1.4 Noise environment 3.9 3.1.4.1 Selection of measurement stations 3.9 3.1.4.2 Recorded noise levels 3.10 3.1.4.3 Noise measurement results 3.10 3.1.5 Socio economic environment 3.11 3.1.5.1 Demography and literacy 3.11 3.1.5.2 Educational facilities 3.12 3.1.5.3 Housing pattern 3.12 3.1.5.4 Infrastructure facilities 3.13 3.1.5.5 Occupation pattern 3.13 3.1.5.6 Health and sanitation status 3.13 3.1.5.7 Socio-economic status with reference to quality of life 3.13 3.1.6 Terrestrial ecology and biodiversity 3.14 3.1.6.1 Flora 3.14 3.1.6.2 Fauna 3.16 Comprehensive EIA study for the development of the existing Puducherry Minor Port by carrying out capital dredging and Page i construction of a pile supported bridge between drainage channel and navigational channel under "Sagarmala" scheme in Uppalam, Puducherry. INDOMER 3.2 Marine Environment 3.16 3.2.1 Physical parameters 3.16 3.2.1.1 Waves 3.16 3.2.1.2 Cyclones 3.17 3.2.1.3 Tides 3.19 3.2.1.4 Currents 3.19 3.2.1.5 Bathymetry 3.19 3.2.1.6 Littoral Drift 3.19 3.2.1.7 Tsunami 3.20 3.2.2 Seawater quality 3.20 3.2.2.1 Comparison of Physico – Chemical properties of clear 3.24 water and turbid water 3.2.3 Seabed sediment quality 3.24 3.2.4 Marine ecology and biodiversity 3.25 3.2.4.1 Plankton 3.25 3.2.4.2 Benthos and Molluscs 3.28 3.2.4.3 Microbiology 3.30 3.2.4.4 Coastal vegetation 3.31 3.2.4.5 Seaweeds and Sea grasses 3.32 3.2.4.6 Mangroves 3.32 3.2.4.7 Corals reefs 3.34 3.2.4.8 Marine National Parks and Marine Sanctuaries 3.35 3.2.4.9 Turtles 3.36 3.2.4.10 Endangered species 3.36 3.2.4.11 Fisheries 3.36 4 IMPACT ASSESSMENT AND MITIGATION MEASURES 4.1 4.1 Prediction of impacts 4.1 4.2 Impacts and mitigation 4.1 4.2.1 Terrestrial environment 4.1 4.2.2.