Annexure - 2 Annexure - 3 Annexure - 4 Present Status of Fish Fauna in Satluj River in the Reach of Karcham Wangtoo HEP – Extracts from Relevant Approved Documents Following documents were referred to explore the possibility of presence of fish fauna in Satluj river in the project area: i. EIA Study of Karcham Wangtoo HEP carried out by NEERI, Nagpur, appraised by EAC and EC granted by MoEF&CC in 2005 ii. EIA Study of Shontong Karcham HEP carried out by WAPCOS, appraised by EAC and EC granted by MoEF&CC. Shongtong Karcham is an immediate upstream project. iii. Satluj basin study carried out by ICFRE, discussed in EAC during its meetings held on February 2016, January 2019, December 2019 and December 2020. Relevant extracts are discussed below. EIA Study Report of Karcham Wangtoo (2005) EIA study of Karcham Wangtoo HEP under the baseline chapter on fish fauna has recorded that, “In view of construction of the dam after confluence point of the river Baspa with the Sutlej at Karcham, a reservoir covering both the rivers at upstream of the dam will be formed. The suspended solids in the Sutlej river water are substantially high as compared to the Baspa river water. While the brown and rainbow trouts are normally grown in the Baspa, fishes are rarely present in the river Sutlej and fishing is not practised in this river. There are no fishermen along this river upto Rampur in downstream……………….. it is believed by the State Fisheries Department that a fair quantity of rainbow trout, brown trout, mahaseer and Schizothorax sp. are available in this river. Trouts are mostly available near the confluence of Baspa. An attempt was made to collect free-floating aquatic macro-invertebrates through plankton net in the upstream and downstream areas of the proposed dam site. However, no macrofauna were arrested in the net. In view of rocky bottom of the river bed and high flow of the river water, sediment samples could not be collected. In general, invertebrates population is not expected much in such kind of habitat. However, there is a possibility of the presence of certain invertebrates and small fishes taking shelter in the crevices at the bottom. As per advice of the Director-cum- Warden of Fisheries, H.P., adequate provision has been made under Environment Management and Monitoring” for trout seed farming”. EIA Study Report of Shongtong Karcham (2011) EIA study report of Shortong HEP, immediate upstream project has recorded at section 5.3.2.1 that, The Shongtong-Karchham hydroelectric project is located between the stretch of Powari and Ralli villages. This stretch (1,800 - 2,000 m above m.s.l.) was surveyed for the presence of fish and fisheries. This high altitude stretch (1,800 – 2,000 m above m.s.l.) does not support the development of fisheries. Only one Botia specie has been observed in the isolated pools beside the main Satluj River near Speilo, which is about 25Kms upstream of the Project barrage. The other two species (Salmo trutta fario; Salmo gairdneri gairdneri) are exotic which have been introduced in the Satluj River by the Department of Fisheries, GoHP, which can survive in this very cold water. Draft Satluj Basin Study Report Satluj Basin Study at Section 5.2, Ichthyofauna (Fish Fauna) has recorded that, “After the intensive sampling at different locations, a few fish species were recorded. The fish population is highly fragmented in the Sutlej main course. Most of the fishes were recorded in the tributaries or near the confluence points such as Behna Khad, Nogli Khad, Manglad Khad, and Ghanvi Khad. The predominant species comprised of Schizothorax spp. However, at certain locations Garra spp. were also recorded. At higher altitudes, the main species recorded is loaches Triyplophysa spp which are distributed from Kaza to Losar in Spiti river. The juveniles of Schizothorax and Barilius spp. were recorded in the shallow zones of most of the tributaries. Gravid male specimens of snow trout were frequently found at Tattapani and Ghanvi Khad which indicates the breeding ground of the snow trout and Barilius. The main fish species recorded so far are given in the Table 5.6. Presence of fish larvae in almost all tributaries indicated the conducive habitat for the spawning, feeding and larval development. Occurrence of gravid/mature snow trout in the certain tributaries indicated the favourable environmental condition for the growth and survival of the indigenous coldwater fish species. Breeding season might be between August to mid- September Table 5.7. In Table 5.7, against Karcham Dam, in column giving status of presence or absence of fish fauna as “Absent”. EAC during its meeting of January 2019 has further noted the following, “Occurrence of Golden Mahseer in lower stretch of Sutlej river has been reported by Department of Zoology, Punjab University, Chandigarh / Department of Fisheries, Punjab Govt. The presence/absence of Golden Mahseer in lower stretch of Sutlej river (i.e. Koldam reservoir and its upstream) should be rechecked and documented appropriately in the study report. The presence/absence of two endemic fish species reported from Spiti valley may also be taken into account appropriately in the study report.” Response was discussed in EAC meeting of December 2019, which mentioned the following: i. Mahseer was not recorded during present investigation from the study area of Satluj river ii. During the present investigation two species namely, Schizothorax richardsonii and Triplophysa stoliczkayi were recorded from the study area of Spiti Valley. The response was provided with references and was accepted by EAC. Conclusion: Based on the above discussion and references, it is concluded that fish population reported in river Satluj, in upper reaches is very scanty mainly due to the fact that the flow regime in river Satluj is very turbulent with high silt load and this makes the upper reaches, difficult habitats for fish. Fish fauna which is spotted in upper reaches is confined to tributaries. Annexure - 5A Annexure - 5B Annexure - 5C Annexure - 6 Annexure - 7 Table 4.52 Birds recorded during walkthrough census study Sl. Common Name Scientific Name Sangla Tapri Nichar Sarahan Sholtu Choling Karcham Wangtoo No. Dominance Census Dominance Census Dominance Census Dominance Census Dominance Census Dominance Census Dominance Census Dominance Census Index Index Index Index Index Index Index Index Index Index Index Index Index Index Index Index 1 Spotbilled duck Anas poecilorhyncha - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 52.63 40.00 2 Blue rock pigeon Columba livia - - - - - - - - - - 6.25 2.00 - - 39.47 30.00 3 Rufous turtle dove Streptopelia orientalis - - - - - - - - 3.13 4.00 - - - - - - 4 Slatyheaded parakeet Psittacula himalayana - - - - - - 20.42 20.00 - - - - - - - - 5 Bluethroated barbet Megalaima asiatica - - - - - - 2.04 2.00 - - - - - - - - 6 House martin Delichon urbica 59.70 80.00 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 7 Yellowbilled blue magpie Cissa flavirostris - - - - - - 10.20 10.00 - - - - - - - - 8 Yellowbilled chough Pyrrhocorax graculus - - - - 20.00 2.00 - - - - - - - - - - 9 House crow Corvus splendens 1.49 2.00 - - - - - - 9.38 12.00 12.50 2.00 - - - - 10 Jungle crow Corvus macrorhynchos 8.96 12.00 66.66 20.00 40.00 4.00 - - 18.75 24.00 - - 7.69 2.00 5.27 4.00 11 Whitecheeked bulbul Pycnonotus leucogenys - - - - - - 2.04 2.00 - - - - 15.38 4.00 - - 12 Redheaded babbler Stachyris ruficeps 5.97 8.00 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 13 Brown hill warbler Prinia criniger 1.49 2.00 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 14 Pallas's leaf warbler Phylloscopus proregulus - - - - - - - - 9.38 12.00 - - 30.79 8.00 - - 15 Goldcrest Regulus regulus - - - - - - 61.22 60.00 - - - - - - - - 16 Blue chat Erithacus brunneus - - - - - - - - 1.56 2.00 - - - - - - 17 Brown rock chat Cercomela fusca - - - - - - 2.04 2.00 - - 62.50 20.00 - - - - 18 Whitecapped redstart or River chat Chaimarrornis leucocephalus - - - - - - - - 1.56 2.00 - - - - - - 19 Blackbird Turdus merula 1.49 2.00 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 20 Mistle thrush Turdus viscivorus - - - - - - - - - - - - 15.38 4.00 - - 21 Brown dipper Cinclus pallasii - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 22 Redheaded tit Aegithalos concinnus - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 23 Brown rock pipit Anthus similis 1.49 2.00 - - - - 2.04 2.00 - - - - - - - - 24 White wagtail Motacilla alba 2.99 4.00 6.67 2.00 - - - - - - - - 7.69 2.00 2.63 2.00 25 Yellowvented flowerpecker Dicaeum chrysorrheum - - - - - - - - 1.56 2.00 - - - - - - 26 House sparrow Passer domesticus 2.99 4.00 26.67 8.00 20.00 2.00 - - 54.68 70.00 18.75 6.00 - - - - 27 Allied grosbeak Coccothraustes affinis 11.94 16.00 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 28 Spottedwinged grosbeak Coccothraustes melanozanthos - - - - 20.00 2.00 - - - - - - - - - - 29 Himalayan greenfinch Carduelis spinoides - - - - - - - - - - - - 15.38 4.00 - - 30 Orange bullfinch Pyrrhula aurantiaca 1.49 2.00 - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 31 Crested bunting Melophus lathami - - - - - - - - - - - - 7.69 2.00 - - 4-118 Table 4.53 Dominance and Diversity of Common Birds in the Study Area Species Total Sl. Most Dominant Dominance Species Site Diversity Density No. Species (A) Index of (A) Richness Index (per km2) 1 Sangla House martin 59.70 2.38 11 134 2 Tapri Jungle crow 66.66 0.74 3 30 3 Nichar Jungle crow 40.00 1.86 4 10 4 Sarahan Goldcrest 61.22 1.54 7 98 5 Sholtu House sparrow 54.68 1.68 8 128 6 Choling Brown rock chat 62.50 1.08 4 32 7 Karcham Pallas's leaf warbler 30.79 2.34 7 26 8 Wangtoo Spotbilled duck 52.63 0.82 4 76 4-119 Table 4.54 List of Wildlife Animals Found in the Study Area Sl. Common