Environmental Monitoring Report Annual Report March 2017 BHU: Second Green Power Development Project (118 MW Nikacchu Hydropower Project) Prepared by the Tangsibji Hydro Energy Limited for the Asian Development Bank. This environmental monitoring report is a document of the borrower. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of ADB's Board of Directors, Management, or staff, and may be preliminary in nature. In preparing any country program or strategy, financing any project, or by making any designation of or reference to a particular territory or geographic area in this document, the Asian Development Bank does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area. P a g e | 1 Contents Abbreviation ............................................................................................................................................. 3 Executive Summary .................................................................................................................................. 5 1.0. Introduction .................................................................................................................................. 5 1.1. Brief Project Description ............................................................................................................... 5 1.2. Project Progress Status and Implementation Schedule ....................................................... 6 1.3. Compliance to National Regulations ......................................................................................... 10 1.3.1. Terms and Conditions of Environmental Clearance .............................................10 1.4. Compliance to Environmental Covenants from the ADB Loan Agreement ..................... 12 1.4.1. Schedule 5 Environment ......................................................................................12 1.5. Environmental Safeguards ..................................................................................................... 15 1.5.1. Institutional set up ................................................................................................15 1.5.2. Implementation of the Environmental Management Plan .....................................15 1.5.3. Community Development Programme .................................................................24 1.5.4. Assisting the community in tackling human-wildlife conflicts ................................27 1.5.5. Income of project people ......................................................................................27 1.5.6. Other Corporate Social Responsibilities ...............................................................28 1.5.7. Environment Management Plan ...........................................................................29 1.5.7.1. Panel of Experts ..................................................................................................29 1.5.7.2. Minimizing and Mitigation of impacts from construction works .............................30 1.5.7.3. Conservation Plan for Floral Species ...................................................................34 b. Establishment of a Botanical Garden ........................................................................................ 36 1.5.7.4. Rescue of Wildlife ................................................................................................36 1.5.7.5. Institutionalization of a Biodiversity Management Committee ...............................37 1.5.7.6. Augmentation of baseline information ..................................................................37 1.5.7.7. Anti-Poaching Measures ......................................................................................41 1.5.7.8. Air and Water Quality Monitoring .........................................................................42 1.5.7.9. Catchment Management ......................................................................................43 1.5.7.10. Capacity Building .................................................................................................43 1.5.7.11. Environmental strategies for worker camps and project sites ...............................44 1.5.7.12. Occupational Health and Safety ...........................................................................46 1.5.7.13. Blasting impacts and protection of cultural sites ...................................................48 1.5.7.14. Unanticipated Impacts .........................................................................................50 1.5.8. Monitoring ............................................................................................................51 1.5.9. Conclusion and Recommendations ......................................................................51 P a g e | 2 Figure 1.1 Cadastral surveys for land compensation of main project component ......................... 17 Figure 2.1 Cadastral survey for PAPs of Transmission Line ............................................................. 17 Figure 3.1 consultation with Project Affected People ......................................................................... 18 Figure 4.1 Blacktopped farm road at Tangsibji .................................................................................... 25 Figure 5.1 Base work of additional 2.5 km blacktopping .................................................................... 25 Figure 6.1 Temple at Nyala .................................................................................................................... 26 Figure 7.1 Class room at Tsangkha and Tashiling Lhakhang ........................................................... 27 Figure 8.1 Business developments due to project construction ....................................................... 28 Figure 9.1 School after renovation ........................................................................................................ 29 Figure 10.1 Consultation by Social Development Expert .................................................................. 30 Figure 11.1 Access road constructed with less damage on environment ....................................... 31 Figure 12.1 Retaining walls along access roads ................................................................................. 31 Figure 13.1 Hume pipes, and drains to divert streams along access roads .......................... 31 Figure 14.1 Seed broadcasting at surge shaft and plantation at Power House access road, 2015 .................................................................................................................................................................... 32 Figure 15.1 Seed broadcasted and plants survived, 2016 ................................................................ 33 Figure 16.1 Plantation at Community Forests ..................................................................................... 34 Figure 17.1 Floral species rescued from project sites ........................................................................ 35 Figure 18.1 Orchid species conserved in Orchidarium at Serbithang, Thimphu. ........................... 35 Figure 19.1 Green House funded by THyE for conservation of rescued floral species ................ 36 Figure 20.1 samples of micro-invertebrates and fishes recorded by CNR ..................................... 38 Figure 21.1 Zonation of sampling station ............................................................................................. 38 Figure 22.1 Fish survey conducted at Nikachhuriver ......................................................................... 39 Figure 23.1 Micro-invertebrates sample from Nikachhu .................................................................... 40 Figure 24.1 Flow measure using float method at accessible tributaries and main river ............... 41 Figure 25.1 few butterflies captured in Nikachhu Project area ......................................................... 41 Figure 26.1 Awareness on forestry rules to local residents ............................................................... 42 Figure 27.1 cleaning campaigns ............................................................................................................ 45 Figure 28.1 Waste bins for waste management .................................................................................. 46 Figure 29.1 First Aid training .............................................................................................................. 47 Figure 30.1 Ventilation system and illumination .................................................................................. 48 Figure 31.1 Shows five location where VMD are installed................................................................. 48 Figure 32.1 Awareness of VMD to PAPs .............................................................................................. 49 Figure 33.1 VMD housed at five locations ............................................................................................ 49 Figure 34.1 Crack mapping of structures at five locations ................................................................. 50 Figure 35.1 Damaged house rebuilt ...................................................................................................... 50 Table 1.1 Project schedule and activities ............................................................................................... 6 Table 2.1 Compliance with Environment Clearance issued