Access Controlled Nagpur – Mumbai Expressway – Package V Draft Terms of Reference for Environmental and Social Impact Assessment 1.0. Background This section deals with Draft Terms of Reference (TOR) as per Ministry of Environment & Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) for environmental and social impact assessment of the proposed project i.e. ‘Construction and allied activities of Access Controlled Nagpur – Mumbai Expressway from Igatpuri to Bhiwandi in Nashik and Thane District respectively- Package V’. The project is a Greenfield Highway project (7f category as per MoEF Notification 2006) The EIA studies and reporting requirements to be undertaken under this TOR must conform to the guidelines and regulations issued by the MoEF&CC and Indian Roads Congress (IRC). These guidelines include, inter alia, the EIA amendments for roads and highway projects. TOR for EIA studies in respect of proposed project may include, but not limited to the following. TOR for Highway (7f Category): 2.0. Categorization of Projects and Activities As per MoEF&CC EIA Notification dated Sept. 14, 2006, project will be done as per following criteria, i. All projects and activities, according to the MoEF, are broadly categorized into Category A and Category B, based on the spatial extent of potential impacts and the potential impacts on human health and natural and manmade resources. ii. All projects or activities included as Category A in the Schedule, including expansion and modernization of existing projects or activities and change in product mix, shall require prior environmental clearance (EC) from the MoEF&CC, on the recommendations of an Expert Appraisal Committee. iii. All projects or activities included in Category B in the Schedule will require prior environmental clearance from the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) in the state. iv. All category A and category B highway projects shall undertake public consultation. 3.0. Project Details Following project details shall be furnished in EIA. 3.1. Introduction • This section shall mention the project name; brief description of the project; purpose, nature, size of the project and its importance to the region and the country; profile of the project proponent; and the exact geographical location of the project. • The land description, i.e. village, tehsil, district, state and extent of the land will be mentioned clearly. • Any litigation(s) pending against the proposed project and/or any directions or orders passed by any court of law/statutory authority against the project will be detailed out. • National standards and codes of practice of Indian Roads Congress (IRC) and Ministry of Surface Road Transport & Highways pertaining to environmental issues, which are relevant to the proposed project, shall be furnished. 3.2. Project Description 3.2.1. This section shall cover following information: • Broader details of the project, location and alignment • Relevance of the project in light of the existing development plans of the region/state • Project coverage, master plan, phasing and scope • Description of alternatives considered to avoid rehabilitation and resettlement issues, eco-sensitive areas • Procedures and criteria adopted for selection of the alignment of right of way and alternative alignments considered • Overall suitability of the identified alignment and the proposed activity in light of the existing environmental laws and deviations, if any • Description of road alignment, broad geology, topography, connectivity, demographic aspects, socio-cultural and economic aspects, villages, settlements • Details of land acquisition, rehabilitation of communities/villages and their present status • Technologies used for design, construction, equipment and operation • Resources, manpower, time frame, etc. required for project implementation • Estimated cost of the project, environmental cost, funding agencies, and whether the project is being implemented by the Government or on the basis of BOT 3.2.2. Essential Maps which will provided with Project Description: Highway alignment plan with the help of latest available cloud-free satellite imagery of project alignment on a 1:25,000 scale, and surrounding area covering 10km on either side of the proposed right of way showing the details of (i) protected areas notified under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, (ii) notified eco-sensitive areas, Alignment plan, with details such as nature of terrain (plain, rolling, hilly), details of villages, teshils, districts and states, latitude and longitude for important locations falling on the alignment A map derived from the recent satellite imagery covering aerial distance of 10km from the proposed alignment, delineating environmental sensitive areas as specified in Form I of EIA notification dated Sept. 14, 2006. Land-use map of the study area on a 1: 25,000 scale based on recent satellite imagery of the study area, delineating the crop lands (both single and double crop), agricultural plantations, fallow lands, waste lands, water bodies, built-up areas, forest area and other surface features such as railway tracks, ports, airports, roads and major industries Area drainage map covering 500 meters on either side of proposed right of way Any proposed diversion of drain/canal/river either during the construction phase or operational phase Detailed ground surveyed map on a 1:2000 scale showing the existing features falling within the right of way, such as trees, archaeological and religious structures, monuments, etc. 3.2.3. Activities for Site Preparation: Following details will be submitted in the EIA; Details of fill materials and initial and final levels after filling above MSL. The details of the area to be stripped if any, locations, volume and quantity of earth to be removed, and type of soil and proposal for the utilization of removed top soil with location of dump site. The details of area to be cut, depth of cut, locations, soil type, volume and quantity of earth and other materials to be removed with location of dump site. The details of the tunnel and locations of tunnelling with geological structural fraction. The details of micro drainage, flood passages and information on flood periodicity in the area. The details for the activity that requires land to be reclaimed and the area of land to be reclaimed. Details about fauna, habitat and period of the year in which activity will take place along with migratory path of animals Details about forest land, poaching, reduction in wetland areas. Details of the drainage pattern and details of changes. Details of houses and human habitation on the either side of the road, the necessity for provision of service ducts. 4.0. Environmental and Social Impact Assessment The EIA will be comprised of three stages: Environmental Screening, Project Environmental and Social Assessment and creating an Environmental Management Plan (EMP). 4.1. Stage I. Environmental Screening (ES) The general approach to be adopted for ES includes the following: Preliminary reconnaissance surveys to identify environmentally sensitive issues relating to road alignment and influence area and baseline conditions, including regionally and nationally recognized environmental resources and features, environment and common property resources such as forests, large water bodies and major physical cultural properties Assessment of the potential impacts of the project on the baseline conditions Recommended migratory measures to offset the identified adverse impacts Stakeholder assessment and consultations along the alignment Identification of the Valued Environmental Components (VECs) considering the baseline information (collected from both secondary and primary sources), the preliminary understanding of the activities proposed in the project and from stakeholder consultations Preliminary analysis of impacts identified in the project site, surroundings and influence area and formulation of management measures/options Preparation of scoping for project EA which will be a direct outcome of the above- mentioned ES, and shall define the boundaries of the project EA Documentation of the above-mentioned ES in the form of Environmental Screening Report 4.2. Stage II. Project EIA The detailed EIA and the EIA Report are prepared in this stage. The Scope of work for the project EIA is as follows: 4.2.1. Detailed description of the pproject (information collected from engineering and design section of the project and from the Technical Feasibility Report, along with required maps/designs/documents) 4.2.2. Discussion of the policy, legal and administrative framework within which the project is set, major stakeholder departments of the State and Central Government with their specific roles, applicable Laws and Acts, clearance requirements at various levels and their current status 4.2.3. Analysis of Alternatives (Technology & Sites) In case the scoping exercise indicates need for alternatives, this chapter shall include: Description of various alternatives such as locations, layouts or technologies studied Summary of adverse impacts of each alternative Selection of alternative 4.2.4. Description of the Environment Collection of primary baseline data in the project area as well as in the area within 5km of the proposed project boundary. Secondary data shall be collected for area within 10km aerial distance from the project boundary, as specifically mentioned in column 9 (iii) of Form I of EIA Notification 2006. The following components of the environment