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 September 2014 India: Uttarakhand Emergency Assistance Project Restoration work of Pauri district, Uttarakhand 1. Buwakhal-Pauri-Devprayag-Gaja-Jajal (Package no:UEAP/PWD/c35) 2. Kanda-Sumari-Bugani Road (Package no: UEAP/ PWD/c40) 3. Pathradakhal Gaitichera (Package no: UEAP/PWD/c42) Prepared by State Disaster Management Authority, Government of Uttarakhand, for the Asian Development Bank. ABBREVIATIONS ADB - Asian Development Bank ASI - Archeological 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 GMVN Gharwal Mandal Vikas Nigam GoI - Government of India GRM - Grievance Redressal Mechanism IA - Implementing Agency IEE - Initial Environmental Examination IST - Indian Standard Time KMVN Kumaon Mandal Vikas Nigam LPG - Liquid Petroleum Gas MDR - Major District Road MoEFCC - Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change 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 2 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 µ - 10-6 meter µg/m3 – micrograms per cubic meter µS/cm - micro Siemens per centimeter NTU - Nephalo turbidity unit Ppm – parts per million 3 Table of Contents I. INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................... 11 A. PROJECT BACKGROUND/RATIONALE ................................................................................. 11 B. UTTARAKHAND EMERGENCY ASSISTANCE PROJECT (UEAP) ............................................. 11 C. PURPOSE OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT ............................................................. 12 D. EXTENT OF IEE ............................................................................................................... 12 E. IEE CONTENT ................................................................................................................. 12 F. METHODOLOGY FOR ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT ......................................................... 12 G. PUBLIC CONSULTATION ................................................................................................... 13 II. POLICY, LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK .............................................. 14 III. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT .................................................................................. 17 A. PROJECT LOCATION ........................................................................................................ 17 B. PROPOSED CATEGORY OF THE PROJECT .......................................................................... 18 C. KEY REHABILITATION AND RECONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES ................................................... 18 D. PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION SCHEDULE ............................................................................. 18 IV. DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT ..................................................................... 21 A. PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT ................................................................................................. 21 (i) Geography ................................................................................................................. 21 (ii) Geology ...................................................................................................................... 23 (iii) Physiography .......................................................................................................... 23 B. PEDOLOGY ...................................................................................................................... 24 C. CLIMATE AND METEOROLOGY .......................................................................................... 24 (i) Rainfall ....................................................................................................................... 25 (ii) Temperature .............................................................................................................. 25 (iii) Humidity ................................................................................................................. 25 D. AIR AND NOISE QUALITY .................................................................................................. 25 (i) Air Quality .................................................................................................................. 25 (ii) Noise Quality .............................................................................................................. 26 E. HYDROLOGY ................................................................................................................... 26 (i) Water Drainage .......................................................................................................... 27 (ii) Water Quality ............................................................................................................. 27 F. MINERAL RESOURCES ..................................................................................................... 28 G. SEISMOLOGY ................................................................................................................... 28 H. ECOLOGY........................................................................................................................ 29 (i) Forestry ...................................................................................................................... 29 (ii) Biodiversity ................................................................................................................. 32 (iii) Biosphere Reserves ............................................................................................... 35 (iv) Fishery .................................................................................................................... 36 I. SOCIO-ECONOMIC ........................................................................................................... 36 (i) Social and Cultural Development ............................................................................... 36 (ii) Land Use and Land Use Pattern ................................................................................ 37 J. HEALTH .......................................................................................................................... 38 K. LITERACY ........................................................................................................................ 39 L. CULTURAL AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL RESOURCES ................................................................ 39 M. ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ........................................................................................... 39 (i) Transportation and Communication ............................................................................ 39 (ii) Industrial Development ............................................................................................... 41 (iii) Agriculture, Forestry and Fishery ............................................................................ 41 N. FISHERIES ....................................................................................................................... 45 O. ENERGY AND ELECTRIC POWER POTENTIAL ...................................................................... 46 4 P. AESTHETIC AND TOURISM ................................................................................................ 46 V. ANTICIPATED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES .............. 47 A. IMPACT AND MITIGATION MEASURE DURING PLANNING AND DESIGN PHASE .......................... 47 B. IMPACTS DURING CONSTRUCTION PHASE.......................................................................... 48 VI. INFORMATION DISCLOSURE, CONSULTATION, AND PARTICIPATION