“REHABILITATION AND UPGRADATION TO INTERMEDIATE LANE OF PAONTA SAHIB RAJBAN SHILLAI MEENUS HATKOTI ROAD PORTION BETWEEN KM 97+000 TO 106+120 (GUMMA TO FEDIZ)( DESIGN RD 94+900 TO 103+550) OF NH 707 IN THE STATE OF HIMACHAL PRADESH” ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT (EIA) Submitted To: Executive Engineer, NH Division, HPPWD Nahan. Submitted By: Consulting Engineering Associates S.C.O. 51, 2nd Floor, Swastik Vihar Mansa Devi Road, Sector-5, Panchkula Tel: 0172-2555529, Cell: 099145-75200 E-mail: ho@theghai.com Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh 1 Contents 1. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................... 9 1.1 BACKGROUND ........................................................................................................................ 9 1.1.1 General ............................................................................................................................... 9 1.1.2 Importance of Project ......................................................................................................... 9 1.2 THE STUDY METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................. 12 1.2.1 Environmental Assessment ............................................................................................... 12 1.3 STRUCTURE OF THE OF REPORT ........................................................................................... 13 2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT ............................................................................................. 14 2.1 GENERAL DESCRIPTION ........................................................................................................ 14 2.2 ENGINEERING DESIGNS AND IMPROVEMENT PROPOSALS.................................................. 14 2.2.1 Design Standards [Including Geometric Design and Regulation of Access] ....................... 14 2.2.2 CROSS SECTIONAL ELEMENTS ........................................................................................... 15 2.3 RIGID PAVEMENT IN WATER LOGGED AREA ........................................................................ 35 2.3.1 Dumping Area ................................................................................................................... 36 2.4 ROAD SAFETY AND APPURTENANCES .................................................................................. 36 2.4.1 Road Side Crash Barrier-................................................................................................ 36 2.4.2 Project Facilities ................................................................................................................ 36 2.4.3 Bus Shelter ........................................................................................................................ 36 2.4.4 Passing Places ................................................................................................................... 37 2.4.5 Wayside Amenities............................................................................................................ 37 2.4.6 Medical Aid Centre ............................................................................................................ 38 2.4.7 Loading/Unloading Platform ............................................................................................. 38 2.4.8 Solar Lighting..................................................................................................................... 38 3. POLICY, LEGAL AND INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK ............................................................... 40 3.1 ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY FRAMEWORK .............................................................................. 40 3.1.1 National Environmental Policy Framework .................................................................. 40 3.2 LEGAL FRAMEWORK ............................................................................................................. 40 3.3 ENVIRONMENTAL CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS .................................................................. 42 3.3.1 GOI Requirements ........................................................................................................ 42 3.3.2 State Level Clearance Requirements ............................................................................ 43 Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP 2 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh 3.3.3 World Bank Requirements ........................................................................................... 43 4. BASELINE ENVIRONMENTAL STATUS .................................................................................... 89 4.1 GENERAL ............................................................................................................................... 89 4.1.1 Geological analysis of the Area .................................................................................... 90 4.1.2 Seismology .................................................................................................................... 91 4.1.3 Soil Characteristics........................................................................................................ 92 4.1.4 Landslides ..................................................................................................................... 92 4.1.5 Climate .......................................................................................................................... 92 4.1.6 Rainfall .......................................................................................................................... 93 4.1.7 Variation in Temperature ............................................................................................. 93 4.1.8 Humidity Condition ...................................................................................................... 93 4.1.9 Wind Characteristics ..................................................................................................... 93 4.2 PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT ..................................................................................................... 93 4.2.1 Air Environment............................................................................................................ 93 4.2.2 Noise Environment ....................................................................................................... 96 4.2.3 Water Environment ...................................................................................................... 97 4.2.4 Land Environment ...................................................................................................... 100 4.3 ECOLOGICAL RESOURCES ................................................................................................... 101 4.3.1 Flora ............................................................................................................................ 101 4.3.2 Protected Areas and Fauna ........................................................................................ 101 4.3.3 Biodiversity and Endangered Fauna ........................................................................... 102 4.4 SOCIO-CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT...................................................................................... 105 4.4.1 Demographic Features ............................................................................................... 105 4.4.2 Socio-economic Profile of Project Affected People.................................................... 105 4.4.3 Agriculture .................................................................................................................. 106 5. PUBLIC CONSULTATION ...................................................................................................... 107 5.1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................. 107 5.2 METHODOLOGY ADOPTED FOR PUBLIC CONSULTATIONS ................................................ 107 5.2.1 Levels of Public Consultations and Profile of Stakeholders........................................ 107 5.3 CONSULTATION PROGRAMME ........................................................................................... 107 5.4 DETAILED ISSUES RAISED .................................................................................................... 108 Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP 3 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh 5.5 REDRESS OF ISSUES ............................................................................................................ 108 5.6 PHOTOGRAPHS ................................................................................................................... 110 6. ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVES .............................................................................................. 112 6.1 GENERAL ............................................................................................................................. 112 6.2 WITH AND WITHOUT PROJECT ALTERNATIVES .................................................................. 112 6.3 EIA WITHOUT EMP ............................................................................................................. 115 6.4 EIA WITH EMP..................................................................................................................... 115 6.5 CONCLUSION ...................................................................................................................... 115 7. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS................................................................................................ 117 7.1 GENERAL ............................................................................................................................. 117 7.2 IMPACTS ON PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT ............................................................................. 118 7.2.1 Impact on Soil ............................................................................................................. 118 7.2.2 Impact on Water Resources ....................................................................................... 119 7.2.3 Impact on Air Environment ........................................................................................ 120 7.2.4 Noise Environment ..................................................................................................... 121 7.3 NATURAL ENVIRONMENT IMPACT ON ROAD SIDE TREE ................................................... 122 7.4 IMPACT ON SOCIO-CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT .................................................................. 123 7.4.1 Economic Impacts ....................................................................................................... 123 7.4.2 Impact on Religious and Historic Sites ....................................................................... 123 7.5 IMPACT ON SAFETY AND PUBLIC HEALTH .......................................................................... 123 7.5.1 Impact on Safety ......................................................................................................... 123 7.5.2 Impact on Public Health ............................................................................................. 124 8. AVOIDANCE, MITIGATION AND ENHANCEMENT MEASURES ............................................... 125 8.1 OVERVIEW .......................................................................................................................... 125 8.2 PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT ................................................................................................... 127 8.2.1 Environmental Management at Quarries ................................................................... 127 8.2.2 Soil .............................................................................................................................. 127 8.2.3 Water Environment .................................................................................................... 132 8.2.4 Air Environment.......................................................................................................... 133 8.2.5 Noise Environment ..................................................................................................... 134 8.2.6 Construction Camp ..................................................................................................... 135 Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP 4 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh 8.3 NATURAL ENVIRONMENT................................................................................................... 136 8.3.1 Landscaping Strategy for Project Corridor ................................................................. 136 8.4 SOCIO-CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT...................................................................................... 136 8.5 ENHANCEMENT MEASURES ............................................................................................... 136 8.6 SAFETY MEASURES ............................................................................................................. 136 8.6.1 Health/Safety Measures for Labors ............................................................................ 136 8.6.2 Traffic Safety Plans ..................................................................................................... 137 8.7 HANDLING OF PETROLEUM PRODUCTS ............................................................................... 89 8.8 HANDLING OF PETROLEUM PRODUCTS ............................................................................... 89 8.9 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN .............................................................................. 89 8.9.1 Monitoring Plans .......................................................................................................... 90 8.9.2 Reporting System ......................................................................................................... 90 8.9.3 Environmental Budget .................................................................................................. 90 Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP 5 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh TABLES Table 2-1 Type of cross-section ............................................................................................................ 16 Table 2-2 The Typical cross section ...................................................................................................... 16 Table 2-3 Details of Intersection .......................................................................................................... 23 Table 2-4 Intersection description ....................................................................................................... 23 Table 2-5 Summary of Improvement Proposal .................................................................................... 23 Table 2-6 Summary of Proposed RCC Drain ......................................................................................... 26 Table 2-7 Detail of Proposed V Shaped PCC Drain ............................................................................... 27 Table 2-8 Summary of Proposed Pavement Crust composition .......................................................... 28 Table 2-9 Detail of culverts proposed for new construction ................................................................ 28 Table 2-10 Details of Breast Wall (3 m Height) .................................................................................... 30 Table 2-11 Details of Breast Wall (5 m Height) ................................................................................... 31 Table 2-12 Schedule of Retaining Wall (4, 6 and 8m Heights) ............................................................. 32 Table 2-13 Interlocking Paver blocks .................................................................................................... 35 Table 2-14 Rigid Pavement ................................................................................................................... 35 Table 2-15 Details of Dumping Area ..................................................................................................... 36 Table 2-16 Details of Metal Beam Crash Barriers................................................................................. 36 Table 2-17 Details of Proposed Bus Shelter ......................................................................................... 37 Table 2-18 Detail of Passing Places ...................................................................................................... 37 Table 2-19 Details of Wayside Amenities ............................................................................................. 37 Table 2-20 Details of Medical Aid Centre ............................................................................................. 38 Table 2-21 Details of Loading/Unloading Platform .............................................................................. 38 Table 2-22 Details of Solar Lighting Location ....................................................................................... 38 Table 2-23 Design Parameters of the Project....................................................................................... 39 Table 3-1 Summary of Key Legislations Relevant to the Project .......................................................... 41 Table 3-2 Clearances Required for the Project .................................................................................... 44 Table 4-1 SLIDING ZONES (As per Design Chainage) ............................................................................ 92 Table 4-2 National Ambient Air Quality Standards .............................................................................. 94 Table 4-3 Details of Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Locations ............................................................ 95 Table 4-4 Onsite 24-Hourly Ambient Air Quality along the Project* ................................................... 95 Table 4-5 Recorded Noise Levels at Various Locations* ...................................................................... 96 Table 4-6 National Ambient Noise Levels Standards (as per CPCB) ..................................................... 96 Table 4-7 Surface and Groundwater Sources in the Project Area ........................................................ 97 Table 4-8 Details of the Sampling Locations of the Surface and Ground Water .................................. 98 Table 4-9 Characteristics of Surface Water* ........................................................................................ 98 Table 4-10 Characteristics of Ground Water* ...................................................................................... 99 Table 4-11 Location Details of Soil Samples ....................................................................................... 100 Table 4-12 Soil Characteristics of along the Project * ........................................................................ 101 Table 4-13 List of Species of Reptiles Recorded in the Study Area ...................................... 102 Table 4-14 Species of Birds Found in the Study Area ......................................................................... 103 Table 4-15 List of important Mammal species recorded in the study area ....................................... 103 Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP 6 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh Table 4-16 Resident Fish Species Recorded in Study Area .................................................................. 104 Table 4-17 Socio Economic Profile ..................................................................................................... 106 Table 5-1 Summary of Local level Consultations at Gumma to Fediz Section of NH-707 .................. 108 Table 5-2 Address of General Issues and Concerns under the Project .............................................. 109 Table 6-1 ‘With’ and ‘Without’ Project Scenario ................................................................................ 113 Table 7-1 Environmental Impact Summary ........................................................................................ 117 Table 7-2 Details of the Quantities of Debris and Spoil ..................................................................... 119 Table 7-3 Affected Hand Pumps and Wells ........................................................................................ 119 Table 7-4 Requirement of Water for Proposed Construction Works ................................................. 120 Table 7-5 Summary of Air Pollution during different stages .............................................................. 120 Table 7-6 Summary of Noise Impacts at different stages .................................................................. 121 Table 7-7 Details of Diverted Protected Forest Area and Trees to be cut within ROW ..................... 122 Table 8-1 Key Environmental Impacts and Management in the Project ........................................... 125 Table 8-2 Details of Proposed Hedge Brush Layer ............................................................................. 127 Table 8-3 Details of Proposed Bamboo Plantation ............................................................................ 128 Table 8-4 Details of Proposed Hydroseeding ..................................................................................... 129 Table 8-5 Details of Proposed Rock Anchoring .................................................................................. 130 Table 8-6 List of Personal Protective Equipment ............................................................................... 137 Table 8-7 Locations of Traffic/Road Safety Measures at Junctions ................................................... 137 Table 8-8 Environmental Monitoring Plan ........................................................................................... 89 Table 8-9 Environmental Monitoring Locations ................................................................................... 89 Table 8-10 Environmental Budget ........................................................................................................ 89 Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP 7 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh FIGURES Figure 1-1 Connectivity of Different Important States and Roads ....................................................... 11 Figure 2-1 TCS for Proposed intermediate lane new construction ...................................................... 17 Figure 2-2 TCS for Proposed intermediate lane new construction ...................................................... 17 Figure 2-3 TCS for Proposed intermediate lane new construction ...................................................... 18 Figure 2-4 TCS for Proposed intermediate lane new construction ...................................................... 18 Figure 2-5 TCS for Proposed intermediate lane new construction ...................................................... 19 Figure 2-6 TCS for Proposed intermediate lane new construction ...................................................... 19 Figure 2-7 TCS for Proposed intermediate lane new construction ...................................................... 20 Figure 2-8 TCS for Proposed intermediate lane new construction ...................................................... 20 Figure 2-9 TCS for Proposed intermediate lane new construction ...................................................... 21 Figure 2-10 TCS for Proposed intermediate lane new construction .................................................... 21 Figure 2-11 TCS for Proposed intermediate lane new construction .................................................... 22 Figure 2-12 TCS for Proposed intermediate lane new construction .................................................... 22 Figure 4-1 Hilly Terrain Topography Features of the Project Road ...................................................... 89 Figure 4-2 Plain Terrain Topography Features of the Project Road ..................................................... 89 Figure 4-3 Geological Map of India ...................................................................................................... 90 Figure 4-4 Seismic Zones of India ......................................................................................................... 91 Figure 8-1 Hedge Brush Layer ............................................................................................................ 127 Figure 8-2 Bamboo Net Plantation ..................................................................................................... 128 Figure 8-3 Hydroseeding .................................................................................................................... 129 Figure 8-4 Rock Anchoring.................................................................................................................. 130 Figure 8-5 Oil Interceptor ................................................................................................................... 133 Figure 8-6 Traffic Control Zone ........................................................................................................... 138 Figure 8-7 Basic Layout for Signs at a Road Works Site, Including Work Space and a Safety Zone. .... 89 Figure 8-8 Basic Layout with Works Vehicle ......................................................................................... 90 ANNEXURES Annexure-I: Attendance sheets of consultations Annexure-II: Girth wise details of Trees Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP 8 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh 1. INTRODUCTION 1.1 BACKGROUND 1.1.1 General The Ministry of Road Transport & Highways, Govt. Of India has taken up massive development work of existing National Highways in the country. Up gradation, improvement, widening and strengthening of main and important arteries of National Highway network is taken up under National Highway Development Programme (NHDP). Also substantial length of single lane or intermediate lane National Highways (non-NHDP roads) has already been taken up for improvement in one scheme or the other. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways with an aim to improve interconnectivity has under taken development of many single or intermediate lane National Highways to 2 lane/2 lane with hard shoulders configuration under National Highways Interconnectivity Project (NHIIP) aided by the World Bank. The total number of Project Roads under this scheme is 33. One of these roads is Paonta- Gumma–Fediz section of NH-707 Km 96+180 to Km. 104+890 in Himachal Pradesh. The Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MORT&H), has already got prepared DPR of Paonta-Sahib-Gumma Section (Km 0.000 to Km 96.180), for Rehabilitation and Upgrading to 2 Lane/2 Lane with paved shoulder configuration and strengthening. Further a length of about 9 Kms from Gumma to Fediz (Km.96+180 to Km.104+890) has also been proposed to be upgraded under GNHP (Green National Highway Project). M/s Consulting Engineers Associates, Panchkula have been assigned the consultancy job for preparation of DPR of this section (Gumma to Fediz) on 08th March 2019 by the Executive Engineer NH-Division, Nahan. The survey work at site has been completed with a planning to complete the independent activities and submit the DPR in a month’s time. The main objective of the consultancy service is to establish the technical, environmental, social, economic and financial viability of the project and prepare detailed project reports for rehabilitation and upgrading of the existing single lane road to intermediate lane configuration. 1.1.2 Importance of Project This project road is a part of the main road which continues from RD 96+180 near village Gumma on New NH 707 and ends at Fediz Km 104+890 on existing NH-707 which further leads to state capital Shimla via NH-705 (Rohru-Hatkoti-Theog).The complete length of this NH-707 has either been improved/upgraded or proposed to be improved/upgraded by MORT&H except this section i.e. from Gumma to Fediz. For the optimum utilization of the Highway (NH-707), this missing section (Km 96+180 to Km 104+890 of NH-707) needs to be upgraded to National Highway Standards. This complete NH project road is a vital life line for the people living in interiors of Shimla District. Many villages having substantial population will be directly benefitted from this project road besides many other small habitats living in close vicinity of this road since it is the only highway connecting the area for commutation of people. People of this area grow cash crops like Ginger, Potato, Cauliflower, Peas, Capsicum, Tomato, Walnuts etc. Rajmah, Kulth, Maize & Urd lentils of this area are known for their taste. All these produces are transported through this Highway for marketing at New Delhi, Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP 9 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh Chandigarh and Panchkula. Presently approx.500 trucks per day ply on this highway to transport apple crop from Rohru, Jubbal and Chopal to New Delhi via Yamuna Nagar. On upgradation of this Highway it is expected that the number of trucks will increase as the part of the traffic presently using Solan-Parwanoo route will use this Highway being the shortest route to New Delhi via Yamuna Nagar. Lime stone mines are situated in this area between (Sataun) Km 18/0 to (Bohrad) Km 48/0. This Highway is used to transport the lime stone to various industrial units all over India. On up gradation there will be a lot of saving in running and maintenance of these vehicles, ultimately leading to saving of fuel, transportation cost, time and environment. The project road will further improve the connectivity for tourists visiting various famous destinations like much famous Chanshal Valley Himalayan Raid de, pilgrimage places like Churdhar, Maa Hateshwari Temple, famous Mahasu Temple at Hanol and leading to much famous Chardham yatra. This highway is important and strategic from defence point of view as it connects the other routes leading to Indo-China Border. Defence Research and Development Organization has their unit/base at RD 12/0 near Rajban on this highway. This highway will become a boon for the migratory Gaddi Communities who migrate to lower heights during winter. About 71 industrial units are operational along this highway and 17 more industries are expected to become operational along this highway in near future. Planning of setting up a major cement plant at Gumma is in pipeline. This highway will facilitate the transportation of goods to and fro from these industries. This highway will ease the movement of traffic to Yamunotri, Gangotri etc. With up gradation of this highway the most backward Chopal area of district Shimla will also get benefitted by way of improvement of their social and economic life. From the above it can be concluded that this project is of utmost importance as it will have direct impact on life of a common man and boost the industries of this area, ultimately leading to multi-dimensional growth of the area and raising the socioeconomic standards of people along this highway. The map showing connectivity to different important states and roads is shown below: Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP 10 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh Figure 1-1 Connectivity of Different Important States and Roads Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP 11 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh 1.2 THE STUDY METHODOLOGY The process of Environmental Impact Assessment is a detailed process, which requires considering of all aspects of environment which may be impacted due to the proposed project. EIA process mainly consists of following broad steps: i. Reconnaissance & Study of Background information on project ii. Screening Report Preparation iii. Survey Part-1 (Baseline Survey or Baseline Data Collection). iv. Survey Part-2 (socio-economic survey) v. Analysis of practical Impacts. vi. Meeting with concerned Stakeholders vii. Mitigation Measures Adoption viii. Environment Management Plan 1.2.1 Environmental Assessment The latitude and longitude of project road are as follows: a) Start Point: Gumma (30°48'1.21"N, 77°43'41.23"E) b) End Point: Fediz (30°50'59.34"N, 77°44'40.37"E) The existing highway alignment passes through North Eastern part of Himachal Pradesh. The Existing project road predominantly passes through 8.650 km mountainous terrain. The project influence area is predominantly a mountain with deep valleys lying between ranges of varying elevations, longest length from west to east 77 km & maximum width from north to south are 80 km. This part has undulated topography of varying thicknesses of overburden consisting of reddish lateritic soil mixed with boulders of up to 1 m in diameter. The slope is well covered by trees. The uphill slope has good catchment, and the rainwater generally drains out through the natural streams on both flanks of the slide. The existing highway alignment passes through North Eastern part of Himachal Pradesh. The Existing project road predominantly passes through 8.650 km mountainous terrain. The project influence area is predominantly a mountain with deep valleys lying between ranges of varying elevations, longest length from west to east 77 km & maximum width from north to south are 80 km. This part has undulated topography of varying thicknesses of overburden consisting of reddish lateritic soil mixed with boulders of up to 1m in diameter. The slope is well covered by trees. The uphill slope has good catchment, and the rainwater generally drains out through the natural streams on both flanks of the slide. Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP 12 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh 1.3 STRUCTURE OF THE OF REPORT The report has been divided into 8 chapters including this Introduction as follows: 1. Chapter 2: Project Description. In this section Project road details are described from an environmental perspective with salient features such as ROW, roadway improvements proposed, cross sections, cross drainage structures etc. 2. Chapter 3: Policy, Legal and Institutional Framework within which the project is set. The major stakeholder departments of the State and Central Governments with their specific roles along with applicable Acts and Laws are described. At the end of this chapter clearance requirements are presented. 3. Chapter 4: Baseline Environmental situation includes the meteorological baseline, components of the biophysical and natural environments. 4. Chapter 5: Public Consultation was carried out during the project preparation stage. 5. Chapter 6: Analysis of Alternatives considered during the project design. The minimization of environmental impacts by considering design alternatives. 6. Chapter 7: Potential Environmental Impacts on each of the environmental components due to the proposed project. 7. Chapter 8: Mitigation, Avoidance and Enhancement Measures for the adverse impacts identified in earlier section. This section forms the basis for Environmental Management Plan. Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP 13 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh 2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT 2.1 GENERAL DESCRIPTION Total length of the NH-707 is 161 km., out of which 117 km is in the state of Himachal Pradesh and remaining 42.13 km is in the state of Uttarakhand. This NH takes off from junction with NH-07 at Badripur Chowk near Paonta Sahib and terminate at Hatkoti in Himachal Pradesh. The first section from Km.0.00 to Km.104+890 (Paonta to Fediz) traverses in Himachal Pradesh and it enters Uttarakhand at Fediz. After traversing for a length of about 42.13 Kms in Uttarakhand it re-enters Himachal Pradesh at v.Snail. Further about 12.75 Km length of this NH from Snail to Hatkoti is in Himachal Pradesh. This highway connects built-up areas like Rajban, Sataun, Kafota, Shillai, Meenus, Gumma, Antrauli & Fediz in Himachal Pradesh, Tuini in Uttrakhand and Hatkoti in Himachal Pradesh. The detailed project report for widening and upgradation of section Km.0.00 to Km.96.180 (Design Ch. 94+900) stands already submitted to the MORT&H/World Bank. The section from Km.0.00 to Km.94+900 is proposed to be got executed in four packages. To upgrade the missing link from Gumma (Design Ch. Km.94+900) to Fediz (Design Km. 103+550), the DPR is being prepared now. The existing bridge on river Tons at Fediz falling in the present project is being constructed under NH (O). The existing section of this NH in Uttarakhand has been repaired and strengthened. Further the section from Snail to Hatkoti in Himachal Pradesh state has also been strengthened by MORT&H. This (Design Ch. km 94+900 to 103+550) is the only stretch left out which is neither widened nor strengthened. DPR of this remaining stretch i.e. from Gumma to Fediz km 94+900 to km 103+550 (Design Chainage) is now proposed to be prepared. This report deals with the section from Gumma to. Fediz (Existing Chainage Km.96+180 to Km.104+890 and Design Chainage km 94+900 to 103+550 Km.).This section of NH- 707, ends at RD 103+550 which falls after Fediz bridge which is under construction on Tons river/HP-UK Border. Total length of the project road as per existing Chainage is 8+710 Km and passes entirely through Himachal Pradesh. 2.2 ENGINEERING DESIGNS AND IMPROVEMENT PROPOSALS 2.2.1 Design Standards [Including Geometric Design and Regulation of Access] a) Introduction The design standards for the project highway has been adopted after reviewing the relevant latest Indian Roads Congress Codes (IRC) such as IRC:SP:48-1998 Hill Road Manual , IRC :37:2018 , IRC:78 - 2014 and international standards such as AASHTO etc. The various design elements and factors, which govern the functioning of any highway, can be broadly grouped under the following:  Geometric Design Standards; Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP 14 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh  Terrain classification & Design Speed  Cross sectional Element  Horizontal Alignment  Vertical Alignment  Standards for Interchange elements  Subsurface drainage  Design parameters for Bridges and Cross drainage Structures The basic design philosophy is based on the consideration of providing suitable alignment, cross- sectional layout, geometrics, safety and access control to cater to the fast and uninterrupted movement of through traffic. It is also based on the consideration that the widening proposals will be adjusted in the existing ROW to the extent feasible, involving minimum land acquisition for curves ,intersections, improvement of geometrics ,realignment and bypasses ,uprooting of trees, dismantling of structures/ buildings and maximum utilization of existing road / structures. b) Terrain Classification & Design Speed The design speed is the guiding criteria for correlating features such as sight distance, curvature and super elevation upon which the safe operation of the vehicle depends. The terrain in the project stretch is virtually all mountainous with the general cross slope of the country remaining more than 25 % and less than 60%. The ruling design speed considered in this project is 50 Km/Hr as per hill road manual. c) Right Of Way (Row): The available Right of Way (ROW) along the existing alignment of the project highway varies from 24.0 m to 25.0 m. 2.2.2 CROSS SECTIONAL ELEMENTS The details of cross sectional elements adopted for the project road are as per Hill road Manual: IRC:SP:48 2.2.2.1 Carriageway: - The carriageway width in open and built up areas as well shall be 5.5 m. Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP 15 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh 2.2.2.2 Shoulders:- As the project road is proposed as intermediate lane configuration so the earthen shoulder on BHS have been provided 1.5 m. 2.2.2.3 Cross fall  The cross fall on straight sections of road carriageway, paved shoulders and paved portion of median shall be 2- 2.5 percent for thin bituminous surface and 2.0 percent for high bituminous surface.  The cross fall shall be unidirectional for either side carriageway sloping towards the shoulder in straight reaches and towards the lower edge on horizontal curves. The camber on the existing road shall be modified to unidirectional cross fall.  The cross fall for earthen shoulders on straight portions shall be at least 0.5 percent steeper than the slope of the pavement and paved shoulder subject to a minimum of 3.0 percent. On super elevated sections, the earthen portion of the shoulder shall have the same cross fall as the pavement. 2.2.2.4 Typical Cross-Sections Broadly typical cross-sections of Project Highway for various locations are given as below: Typical cross sections (TCS) for various configurations proposed in built up area and open country area in rolling/hilly terrain are shown on pages from 16 to 19. Improvement proposal along with type of cross- section are given below: Table 2-1 Type of cross-section Existing Proposed Type of Design S. Configuration Chainage Chainage Cross - Length Terrain No. n of road Section (km) from to from to Inter-lane TCS-3 a to 1 carriageway TCS 3 f 96+180 104+890 94+900 103+550 8.650 Steep Table 2-2 The Typical cross section Design Main Type of Chainage carriage Design S. Configuration of Earthen Cross - way width Length Remarks No. road shoulders Section from to (m) (km) Inter-lane TCS-A 8.650 TO TCS 3 1.5 m on BHS -- 1 carriageway 94+900 103+550 5.5 F Complete Plan and Profile along with TCS have been provided in separate volume of Drawings. Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP 16 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh Figure 2-1 TCS for Proposed intermediate lane new construction Figure 2-2 TCS for Proposed intermediate lane new construction Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP 17 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh Figure 2-3 TCS for Proposed intermediate lane new construction Figure 2-4 TCS for Proposed intermediate lane new construction Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP 18 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh Figure 2-5 TCS for Proposed intermediate lane new construction Figure 2-6 TCS for Proposed intermediate lane new construction Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP 19 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh Figure 2-7 TCS for Proposed intermediate lane new construction Figure 2-8 TCS for Proposed intermediate lane new construction Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP 20 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh Figure 2-9 TCS for Proposed intermediate lane new construction Figure 2-10 TCS for Proposed intermediate lane new construction Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP 21 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh Figure 2-11 TCS for Proposed intermediate lane new construction Figure 2-12 TCS for Proposed intermediate lane new construction Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP 22 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh 2.2.2.5 Intersections The existing 01 Nos. of major junction and 5 No. minor junctions are proposed to be developed and the details of the same is shown in the table below: Table 2-3 Details of Intersection S. Type of Chainage Side Remarks No. Junction 1 103+250 T LHS - Table 2-4 Intersection description S. Type of Chainage Side Remarks No. Junction 1 94+900 y LHS Road to vill. Bohar 2 95+250 y RHS Road to residences 3 97+960 y LHS Village road 4 98+350 y LHS Road to vill. Pawana 5 102+750 y LHS Road to village 2.2.2.6 Improvement Proposals These improvements will include widening, realignment, design and strengthening of pavement with the improvements of geometrics; widening and reconstruction of culverts; providing drainage; junction improvements; providing road marking; signs and other safety devices etc. to enable all road users to use the facility without degrading the environment. The summary of improvement proposal is shown in the table below: Table 2-5 Summary of Improvement Proposal S. No. Particulars Details 8.650 Km (Design Chainage from km 94+900 to km 1 Length (km) 103+550) Flexible Pavement length=7.4 km and Rigid pavement length=1.25 km Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP 23 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh Carriageway–5.5 m+ Earthen Shoulders–1.5m BHS 2 Carriageway Width (m) 3 Right of Way (m) 24.0-25.0 m 4 Junctions: A Major Junction 1 at RD 103+250 5 Nos. At RD 94+900, B Minor Junction RD 95+250, RD 97+960 ,98+350 & RD 102+750 5 Cross Drainage Structure: 1 No. But not in the scope of this project .Taken A Major Bridge separately under NH(O) project B Minor Bridge Nil 2x2 m box culverts in place of existing hume pipe culverts =29 no. Reconstruction of slab culverts with: Box culvert size 3x3 m=2 no. C Culverts Box culvert size 4x4 m=1 no Box culvert size 6x6 m=2 no New Construction Box Culverts of size 2x2=4 no. Total no of culverts=38 no. 6. RCC COVERED DRAIN FROM TO LENGTH ( m) RCC Covered Drain 97+950 98+340 LHS 390 RCC Covered Drain 99+220 99+450 230 LHS RCC Covered Drain 103+050 103+190 140X2=280 BHS Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP 24 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh RCC Covered Drain at 103+260 - 1 5 Junction LHS 0 TOTAL LENGTH 1050 Paver Blocks on shoulders: Paver Blocks on 99+300 99+450 150x2=300 shoulders up to drain 3 7. m wide BHS Paver Blocks on both side 103050 103190 140x2=280 of shoulders Total length 580 m or 0.58 km 8. Slope Protection Work: Boulder apron in wire Crates A 0.200 km B Breast Wall 3.390 km C Retaining Wall 2.000 km D Toe Wall NIL 9. Road Safety and Appurtenances: Metal Beam Crash A km 94+850 to km 103+550 on Valley side Barriers B Road Sign 3819 no. 10 Project Facilities: At 98+300 (RHS existing), 99+420(RHS), A Bus lay bye/bus stops 101+700 (RHS), 102+125 (RHS) and 103+115 (RHS) Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP 25 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh 3 no. at RD 95+360 (RHS), B Passing Place RD 98+680 (RHS) and RD 102+240 (RHS) C Wayside Amenities 1 no. at RD 98+030 ON LHS D Medical Aid Centre 1 no. at RD 98+030 ON LHS E Traffic Aid Centre 1 no. at RD 98+030 ON LHS Field lab., site office and 1 no. at RD 98+030 ON LHS F labour camp Hutments In Built up area at H Solar Lighting RD 98+050-98+400, RD 99+300-99+450 I Electric Lighting At Junction RD 103+260 2.2.2.7 Roadside Drainage Design of drains in plain/rolling terrain has been carried out for self-cleansing velocity, for the runoff it will carry, considering the available fall. For trapezoidal drain on hill side, standard section as given in Hill Road Manual (IRC SP 48) is opted. It has been ensured that there are minimum three nos. of cross drainage structures are present in each km to carry the run-off of the roadside drainage. The details of roadside drainage is shown in the table below, Table 2-6 Summary of Proposed RCC Drain Type of Cross Length S. No. Design Chainage Terrain Remarks - Section (km) 1 Rectangular 97+950 98+340 0.390 steep LHS 2 Rectangular 99+220 99+450 0.230 steep LHS 3 Rectangular 103+050 103+190 0.140 steep BHS Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP 26 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh Table 2-7 Detail of Proposed V Shaped PCC Drain Net Type of S. No. Length Cross - Section Design Chainage Terrain Remarks (km) V Shaped Without Breast 94+8 1 Wall 103+550 8.565 steep LHS 50 V Shaped With Breast 94+8 2 Wall 103+550 3.390 steep LHS 50 2.2.2.8 Pavement Design The existing pavement thorough out the project length is flexible. Green highway design has been adopted in place of conventional design. (i) Design life for flexible pavement - 20 years (ii) Effective CBR value for subgrade soil - 12% (iii) Design traffic - 20 msa (iv) Bituminous concrete BC - 30 mm (v) Dense bituminous macadam DBM - 50 mm (v) Granular Base course - Wet Mix Macadam 150 mm (vi) CTSB - Granular mix material 200 mm The details of proposed pavement crust is shown in the table below, Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP 27 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh Table 2-8 Summary of Proposed Pavement Crust composition Existing Design Crust layers proposed for Chainage (km) Existing Chainage (km) new construction S. Length No. crust From To CTSB WMM DBM BC From To (km) layers (mm) (mm) (mm) (mm) To be scraped 1 96+180 104+8 8.710 94+900 103+550 200 150 50 30 90 and removed 2.2.2.9 Improvement Proposal for Cross Drainage Structures Culverts Culverts less than 10 m wide in hills and 12 m wide in plain/rolling terrain shall be widened. All 33 nos. of existing culverts (29 nos. of pipe culvert and 04 nos. of slab culvert) and 1 no. causeway shall be reconstructed being in poor condition, having inadequate waterway and damaged condition. All the existing pipe culverts (29 no.) and slab culverts (4 no.) shall be replaced with new construction box culverts. Additional 4 nos. of new box culverts are proposed at the locations where cross drainage is found inadequate. One no. culvert of box size 6x6 m in place of causeway shall also be constructed for proper drainage at the existing location. Thus finally there will be in all 38 nos. of culverts in the project road. The details of improvement proposal of culverts are shown in the table below. Table 2-9 Detail of culverts proposed for new construction Design No. of span Outer to outer Type of Sr. no. Chainage & Size of width of culvert Remarks culvert (km) culvert in m in m 1. 94+920 Box 1x2x2 11. New 0 2. 95+218 Box 1x2x2 11.0 Reconstruction 3. 95+318 Box 1x2x2 11.0 Reconstruction 4. 95+415 Box 1x2x2 11.0 Reconstruction 5. 95+603 Box 1x2x2 11.0 Reconstruction 6. 95+820 Box 1x2x2 11.0 Reconstruction 7. 96+008 Box 1x2x2 11.0 Reconstruction 8. 96+152 Box 1x2x2 11.0 Reconstruction Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP 28 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh 9. 96+300 Box 1x2x2 11.0 Reconstruction 10. 96+620 Box 1x2x2 11.0 New 11. 96+940 Box 1x2x2 11.0 Reconstruction 12. 97+188 Box 1x2x2 11.0 Reconstruction 13. 97+494 Box 1x2x2 11.0 Reconstruction 14. 97+702 Box 1x2x2 11.0 Reconstruction 15. 97+955 Box 1x3x3 11.0 Reconstruction 16. 98+150 Box 1x3x3 11.0 Reconstruction 17. 98+470 Box 1x2x2 11.0 New 18. 98+959 Box 1x2x2 11.0 Reconstruction 19. 99+220 Box 1x2x2 11.0 New 20. 99+618 Box 1x2x2 11.0 Reconstruction 21. 99+912 Box 1x2x2 11.0 Reconstruction 22. 100+117 Box 1x2x2 11.0 Reconstruction 23. 100+247 Box 1x2x2 11.0 Reconstruction 24. 100+378 Box 1x2x2 11.0 Reconstruction 25. 100+615 Box 1x2x2 11.0 Reconstruction 26. 100+808 Box 1x2x2 11.0 Reconstruction 27. 100+968 Box 1x2x2 11.0 Reconstruction 28. 101+176 Box 1x2x2 11.0 Reconstruction 29. 101+494 Box 1x2x2 11.0 Reconstruction 30. 101+745 Box 1x4x4 11.0 Reconstruction 31. 101+838 Box 1x2x2 11.0 Reconstruction 32. 102+088 Box 1x2x2 11.0 Reconstruction 33. 102+288 Box 1x6x6 11.0 Reconstruction 34. 102+483 Box 1x2x2 11.0 Reconstruction 35. 102+780 Box 1x2x2 11.0 Reconstruction Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP 29 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh 36. 103+014 Box 1x2x2 11.0 Reconstruction 37. 103+386 Box 1x2x2 11.0 Reconstruction 38. 103+500 Box 1x6x6 11.0 Reconstruction 2.2.2.10 Stability of Slopes Stability of slopes is important for hill road. Disturbance can occur due to erosion caused by rainfall and run-off and consequent slides. Therefore slope stability and erosion control becomes very vital for control and prevention of landslides/slips. 2.2.2.11 Landslide Zone Weak spots which are chronic by way of hill slides are identified. The most active sliding zone is in km 95 – km 99 & km 101-km 103. Thorough study of these spots reveals that the causes of landslides may be mechanical weathering, chemical alteration, influence of seasonal fluctuation of temperature, rains, which generally result in the deterioration of the strength characteristics of slope forming materials. 2.2.2.12 Breast Wall Other areas where hill slopes are made of soft and highly weathered rocks, earthen boulders etc. and the cut slopes fail by slumping, sliding and toe failures due to erosion. Such spots are identified and toe protection of slopes is proposed by constructing the breast walls. The height of breast wall is proposed as 1.5m as suggested in ‘Hill Road Manual’. The front batter is kept 1:3 and top width 60 cm. The breast walls are provided in Stone Random Rubble masonry in 1:6 cement mortars. Road side drains are also constructed with breast wall. Table 2-10 Details of Breast Wall (3 m Height) Proposed Chainage Side S. No. Length (in m) From To 1. 94+840 94+890 50 LHS 2. 95+100 95+215 115 LHS 3. 95+400 95+430 30 LHS 95+520 95+570 50 LHS 4. 96+250 96+280 30 LHS 5. Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP 30 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh 6. 96+630 96+660 30 LHS 7. 98+090 98+140 50 LHS 98+800 98+850 50 LHS 8. 100+000 100+230 230 LHS 9. 10. 100+230 100+500 270 LHS 11. 100+800 101+000 200 LHS 101+840 102+270 430 LHS 12. 102+600 102+760 160 LHS 13. 102+785 102+850 65 LHS 14. 103+130 103+180 50 LHS 15. Total 1810 Table 2-11 Details of Breast Wall (5 m Height) Proposed Chainage Side S. No. Length (in m) From To 1. 95+000 95+050 50 LHS 2. 95+720 95+750 30 LHS 3. 95+900 95+930 30 LHS 4. 96+050 96+100 50 LHS 5. 96+450 96+570 120 LHS 6. 97+750 97+800 50 LHS 7. 97+850 97+950 100 LHS 8. 98+160 98+340 180 LHS 9. 98+350 98+450 100 LHS Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP 31 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh 10. 98+520 98+550 30 LHS 11. 98+850 98+990 140 LHS 12. 99+550 99+680 130 LHS 13. 99+920 100+000 80 LHS 14. 100+500 100+800 300 LHS 15. 101+000 101+270 270 LHS 16. 101+370 101+470 100 LHS 17. 101+690 101+735 45 LHS 18. 102+490 102+600 110 LHS 19. 103+050 103+130 80 LHS 1995 LHS Total 2.2.2.13 Retaining Wall Retaining wall is provided on the earthen shoulder edge of valley side of the project road where the existing slope does not allow construction of embankment and the road is to be retained by means of a solid protection work. The details of the retaining wall is shown in the table below: Table 2-12 Schedule of Retaining Wall (4, 6 and 8m Heights) Design Chainage Length S. No. Side From To (m) 1. 94+900 94+930 30 RHS (valley side) 2. 95+020 95+085 65 RHS(valley side) 3. 95+100 95+140 40 RHS(valley side) 4. 95+205 95+255 50 RHS(valley side) 5. 95+260 95+275 15 RHS (valley side) 6. 95+300 95+340 40 RHS(valley side) Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP 32 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh 7. 95+400 95+430 30 RHS(valley side) 8. 95+590 95+620 30 RHS(valley side) 9. 95+805 95+835 30 RHS (valley side) 10. 95+930 95+920 20 RHS(valley side) 11. 96+000 96+020 20 RHS(valley side) 12. 96+130 96+170 40 RHS(valley side) 13. 96+290 96+310 20 RHS (valley side) 14. 96+370 96+400 30 RHS(valley side) 15. 96+510 96+530 20 RHS(valley side) 16. 96+610 96+630 20 RHS(valley side) 17. 96+710 96+740 30 RHS (valley side) 18. 96+770 96+795 25 RHS(valley side) 19. 96+920 96+960 40 RHS(valley side) 20. 96+980 97+005 25 RHS(valley side) 21. 97+040 97+060 20 RHS (valley side) 22. 97+180 97+200 20 RHS(valley side) 23. 97+470 97+`500 30 RHS(valley side) 24. ` 97+690 97+710 20 RHS(valley side) 25. 97+830 97+850 20 RHS(valley side) 26. 97+930 97+980 50 RHS (valley side) 27. 98+130 98+160 30 RHS(valley side) 28. 98+315 98+335 20 RHS(valley side) 29. 98+460 96+480 20 RHS(valley side) 30. 98+630 98+650 20 RHS (valley side) 31. 98+700 98+720 20 RHS(valley side) Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP 33 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh 32. 98+860 98+900 40 RHS(valley side) 33. 98+945 99+000 55 RHS(valley side) 34. 99+080 99+100 20 RHS(valley side) 35. 99+210 99+230 20 RHS (valley side) 36. 99+470 99+500 30 RHS(valley side) 37. 99+530 99+550 20 RHS(valley side) 38. 99+590 99+630 40 RHS(valley side) 39. 99+900 99+920 20 RHS (valley side) 40. 100+100 100+150 50 RHS(valley side) 41. 100+235 100+255 20 RHS(valley side) 42. 100+300 100+340 40 RHS(valley side) 43. 100+370 100+390 20 RHS(valley side) 44. 100+605 100+625 20 RHS (valley side) 45. 100+800 100+820 20 RHS(valley side) 46. 100+960 100+980 20 RHS(valley side) 47. 101+170 101+200 30 RHS(valley side) 48. 101+485 101+510 25 RHS (valley side) 49. 101+550 101+580 30 RHS(valley side) 50. 101+720 101+770 50 RHS(valley side) 51. 101+735 101+750 15 LHS(valley side) 52. 102+000 102+020 20 RHS(valley side) 53. 102+080 102+100 20 RHS (valley side) 54. 102+250 102+310 60 RHS(valley side) 55. 102+280 102+295 15 LHS(valley side) 56. 102+470 102+490 20 RHS(valley side) Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP 34 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh 57. 102+760 102+790 30 RHS (valley side) 58. 103+005 103+020 15 RHS(valley side) 59. 103+050 103+125 75 RHS(valley side) 60. 103+135 10+175 40 RHS(valley side) 61. 103+270 103+400 130 RHS(valley side) 62. 103+430 103+530 100 RHS(valley side) Total length 2000 m 2.2.2.14 CC Interlocking Paver blocks: CC Interlocking Paver blocks have been provided along the project highway in gap between RCC drain and main carriageway for vegetable market as below: Table 2-13 Interlocking Paver blocks Design Chainage Length S. No. Side From To (m) 1 99+300 99+450 150 BHS 2 103+050 103+190 140 BHS 2.3 RIGID PAVEMENT IN WATER LOGGED AREA There is water logged area from Chainage 100+200 to 102+300 along the project road. The road is not stable and durable in this area and gets badly damaged in short spell. To overcome this problem rigid pavement has been proposed with detail as below: Table 2-14 Rigid Pavement Design Chainage Length in km Sr. No. PQC (mm) DLC(mm) GSB(mm) (km) 99+920 to 1. 1.250 280 150 150 101+170 Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP 35 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh 2.3.1 Dumping Area Additional land has been proposed to be acquired for dumping of remaining cut materials in the form of rock, soil and debris after maximizing its utilization in new construction of pavement, structures and slope protection work. After proper compaction and slope protection such locations can be used as medical/traffic aid center, wayside amenities and parking space. The details of such area along with its intake capacity is shown in the table below: Table 2-15 Details of Dumping Area S. Design Chainage No. Length in m Side From To 1 96+220 96+350 130 Valley Side 2 99+050 99+250 200 Valley Side 2.4 ROAD SAFETY AND APPURTENANCES Various provisions like w beam crash barriers, road studs, Road Signs and Road Markings is proposed along the project road to improve the safety for the commuters. The details of such provisions is shown in the section below: 2.4.1 Road Side Crash Barrier- Metal W beam crash barrier is proposed in valley side throughout the complete project stretch (except the structures where RCC crash Barrier shall be provided) along the steep terrain and high embankment sections. The details of the same is shown in the table below: Table 2-16 Details of Metal Beam Crash Barriers Design Chainage Side of S. No. Crash Net Length (m) From To Barrier 1 94+850 103+550 RHS 8185 2.4.2 Project Facilities The project facilities proposed along the project stretch are shown in the below section. 2.4.3 Bus Shelter The location of Bus Shelter is shown in the table below, Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP 36 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh Table 2-17 Details of Proposed Bus Shelter S. No. Design Chainage Side RHS improvement of 1 98+300 existing Bus lay bye 2 99+420 RHS 3 101+700 RHS 4 102+125 RHS 5 103+115 RHS 2.4.4 Passing Places Passing Places have been proposed for convenience of HCV drivers so that they can park their trucks in some open space for some time for taking short rest or repairs, if need be. Detail of Passing Places is given as below. Table 2-18 Detail of Passing Places S. No. Design Chainage Side 1 95+360 RHS 2 98+680 RHS 3 102+240 RHS 2.4.5 Wayside Amenities In compliance to the order of Hon’ble High Court of Himachal Pradesh CWPIL 06/2017 provision of wayside amenities along the project road has been made. The locations of the wayside amenities are shown in the table below: Table 2-19 Details of Wayside Amenities S. No. Design Side Name of the Village Chainage Near Vegetable 1 99+250 market, Vill. Antrauli LHS Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP 37 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh 2.4.6 Medical Aid Centre One no. medical aid center equipped with Ambulance and emergency are proposed at the following location: Table 2-20 Details of Medical Aid Centre S. No. Design Side Name of the Village Chainage Near Vegetable market, 1 99+300 Vill. Antrauli LHS 2.4.7 Loading/Unloading Platform A platform is proposed to be developed as Loading/Unloading Platform and shown in the table below: Table 2-21 Details of Loading/Unloading Platform S. No. Design Chainage Name of the Village Side Near Vegetable market, 1. 99+425 Vill. Antrauli LHS 2.4.8 Solar Lighting Provision for solar lighting will be made in all the built-up areas along the project stretch. The details of the same are shown in the table below: Table 2-22 Details of Solar Lighting Location S. Name of Design Chainage Lengths No. village/ town (Km) From To 1 Antrauli 98+050 98+400 0.350 Vegetable Market 2 99+300 99+450 0.150 (Subzi Mandi) The design parameters of the project are given below: Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP 38 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh Table 2-23 Design Parameters of the Project Sr. no. Description Details 1 Design Speed 30-40 kmph 2 Intermediate lane carriageway 5.5 m 3 Camber i) Carriageway 2.5% ii) Earthen shoulders 3.0% 5 Maximum Super Elevation 7.0% 6 Minimum stopping sight distance 45 m 7 Minimum Intermediate sight distance 90 m 8 Minimum radius of horizontal curve 20 m 9 Minimum radius of horizontal curve without Nil transition 10. Ruling vertical gradient 5.0 % 11 Minimum length of Vertical curve 50 m 12 Maximum grade change not requiring vertical 1.2 % Curve 13 Vertical Clearance in mountainous areas 5.0 m Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP 39 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh 3. POLICY, LEGAL AND INSTITUTIONAL FRAMEWORK 3.1 ENVIRONMENTAL POLICY FRAMEWORK The chapter presents a review of the existing institutions and legislations relevant to the project at the International, National and State levels. The various statutory clearances from various state and central government authorities and the institutional framework are discussed below. 3.1.1 National Environmental Policy Framework Development of environmental protection and enhancement measures in India has been determined to a considerable extent by the central legislation. The Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF), set up in 1980, is the controlling institution in this regards. The MoEF has two wings as Environment and Forests. The Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) is another technical wing of the MoEF entrusted with the responsibilities for detection and abatement of pollution. The various national environmental policies prevalent in India are listed below:  The National Forest Policy, 1988  National Water Policy, 2012  National Environment Policy, 2006  National Conservation Strategy  Wildlife Conservation Strategy, 2002 and Policy Statement on Environment and Development  National Policy on Resettlement and Rehabilitation for Project Affected Families, 2007 3.2 LEGAL FRAMEWORK The Government of India has laid out various policy guidelines, acts and regulations pertaining to sustenance of environment. The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 provides umbrella legislation for the protection of environment. As per this Act, the responsibility to administer the legislation has been jointly entrusted to the Central Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF) and the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) / State Pollution Control Board (SPCB). The legislations/acts followed for present study has been summarized in Table below: Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP 40 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh Table 3-1 Summary of Key Legislations Relevant to the Project Applicable Act or Notification Year Objective Responsible Agency Yes/No To protect and to improve the quality of The Environment (Protection) the environment and to Act. The Environment 1986 prevent, control and Yes MoEF, CPCB, HPSPCB (Protection) Rules abate Environmental pollution. The Forest (Conservation) Act To check deforestation The Forest (Conservation) by restricting conversion MoEF, State Deptt. Of 1980 Yes Rules as amended in 2003 of forested areas into Forests and 2004 non-forested areas. To protect wildlife Chief Conservator, The Wildlife (Protection) Act as through creation of Chief Wildlife 1972 No amended in 2002 National Parks and Warden, Wildlife Sanctuaries. Wing, DOEF. To prevent, control and 1972 reduce air pollution The Air (Prevention and amended including noise Yes HPSPCB & CPCB Control of Pollution) Act in pollution as per the 1981 prescribed standards. To control water HPSPCB & CPCB pollution and The Water (Prevention & 1974 restoration of water Control of Pollution) Act quality as per the Yes prescribed standards. The Water (Prevention & To levy and collect Cess Control of Pollution) Cess Act 1977 from industries based on water consumption. To issue environmental clearance to No MOEF, SEIAA The EIA Notification and its 2006 development projects subsequent amendments based on EIA report. Ancient Monuments and Conservation of Archaeological 1958 Archaeological Sites and Cultural and historical Survey of India and amended No Remains Act. remains found in India State Department of in 2010 Archaeology Notification of use of Fly Ash 2009 Utilization of Fly ash No HPSPCB, MoEF The Factory Act 1948 To Maintain hygiene Yes HPSPCB and health for workers Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP 41 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh during the construction period. The Building and Other 1996 For welfare of Yes State Labour Construction Workers Employees/labour/ Commissioner (Regulatation of Employment workers and conditions of services Hazardous Wastes 1989 For protection against Yes HPSPCB (Management and Handling) improper handling and Rules disposal of hazardous waste Chemical Accidents 1996 Protection against Yes HPSPCB (Emergency Planning, chemical accident while preparedness and handling any chemical response)Rules Other State Level Legislations and Acts  Consent to Establish (CTE) and Consent to operate (CTO) will be required for setting up hot-mix plants, batching plants, etc., under the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act of 1981 and the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act of 1974 from the Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board (HPSPCB).  All Construction vehicles and off-road equipment are to be registered with Regional Transport Office as required under Central Motor Vehicles Act and possess appropriate PUC certificate. 3.3 ENVIRONMENTAL CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS 3.3.1 GOI Requirements With reference to the EIA notification dated 14th Sept 2006 (Published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part-II, and Section 3, Sub-section (ii)), Item No. 7(f) of Schedule (Highway Projects), Environmental Clearance are not required from the MoEF, Govt. of India as; (a) This project is widening of existing State Highway; it does not fall under any category for the environment clearance as per the EIA notification 2006 (and its subsequent amendments till date) (b) It does not pass through ecologically sensitive areas, and (c) It is not a highway include expressway. Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP 42 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh 3.3.2 State Level Clearance Requirements Besides, the GOI environmental clearance requirements, the project also requires clearance from some of the state level agencies as discussed below. Forest Clearances: Permission has to be taken from the Forest Department for cutting of the trees at junctions under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 as the road side plantation in the state of Himachal Pradesh has been designated as Protected Forests. Forest clearance has also to be taken for cutting of private tree in the proposed bypasses. State Pollution Control Board: The Project also requires obtaining ‘No Objection Certificate’ (NOC) from HPSPCB in pursuant of the Water (Prevention and 'Control of Pollution) Act of 1974, The Cess Act of 1977 and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act of 1981. Consent for the Establishment and Operation has to be taken during the Construction stage of the Project for the operation of all Construction Plants. State/Central Ground Water Board: Clearance from the State/Central Ground Water Boards/Authorities is required for extraction of ground water. State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA): Clearance is required from SEIAA for mining of normal earth from borrow areas, if required. 3.3.3 World Bank Requirements The World Bank environmental impact assessment (EIA) requirements are based on a three- category classification system (Category A, B and C) as defined by the World Bank OP 4.01. A project designated as Category A, requires a full environmental impact assessment (EIA), Category B projects require a lesser level of environmental investigation. Category C projects require no environmental analysis beyond that determination. This project has been classified as Category ‘B’ project due to the cumulative impacts from the project on the environmental and social components. The various clearances required for highway project and their applicability viz this project is given in Table below: Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP 43 Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh Table 3-2 Clearances Required for the Project Typical S. Regulatory Applicability to Corresponding Regulations Approving Authority Time Responsibility for compliance No. Clearances the Project Required Execution Supervision Pre-Construction Stage 01 Environmental EIA Notification, 2006 and State Environmental Not applicable - - - Clearance amended till date Impact Assessment Authority or CEIAA in MoEF, GoI 02 Consent to Water (Prevention and Himachal Pradesh Subject to 3 Months Contractor HP PWD/CMU Establish Control of Pollution) Act State Pollution Control establishing 1974; Board (HPSPCB) Labour camps, Air (Prevention and Control Hot mix plants, of Pollution) Act 1981 DG sets units, cement batching plant or any water/air pollution generating units. 03 Wild Life Wild Life Act 1972 Hon’ble Supreme - - - Not applicable Clearance Court 05 Permission for Forest (Conservation) Act, Regional Office MoEF Applicable. 6 months CMU/PWD HP PWD felling & 1980 and its amendments; Chandigarh trimming of trees Construction Stage 06 Permission for - Mining Applicable if 1 Month Contractor HP PWD locating and Department/SEIAA, Earth is operating Borrow Local Administration – required pits Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh Typical S. Regulatory Applicability to Corresponding Regulations Approving Authority Time Responsibility for compliance No. Clearances the Project Required Execution Supervision Municipal Government/ Panchayat 07 Permission for Environment Protection Act Central Ground Water Applicable, if 1 month Contractor HP PWD/CMU Withdrawal of 1986 Board withdrawal is Ground Water proposed 08 Permission for Irrigation Authorities Applicable if 1 month Contractor HP PWD/CMU withdrawal of for use of water from withdrawal is Surface Water Irrigation Canal. proposed from River Board / River/Irrigation Authorities for Canals withdrawal of water from Rivers 09 Authorization to The Hazardous Wastes Himachal Pradesh Applicable, if 2 months Contractor HP PWD generate, store, (Management, Handling State Pollution Control hazardous transport and and Trans-boundary Board (HPSPCB) waste is dispose of Movement) Rules, 2008 and generated in Hazardous Waste amendments till date the project (disposal of bituminous wastes – verify with PPCB) 10 Consent to Water (Prevention and Himachal Pradesh Subject to 3 Months Contractor HP PWD/CMU Operate Control of Pollution) Act State Pollution Control establishing, 1974; Board (HPSPCB) Hot mix plants Air (Prevention and or any water/air pollution Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh Typical S. Regulatory Applicability to Corresponding Regulations Approving Authority Time Responsibility for compliance No. Clearances the Project Required Execution Supervision Control of Pollution) Act generating 1981 units, Labour camps 11 Traffic Police Local Traffic Police Traffic Police Applicable if 1 Month Contractor CMU/ HP PWD Clearance for Regulations and Bye-laws Department diversion is diversion of required in routine traffic urban/semi urban areas 12 NOC from The Ancient Monument Department of Subject to 2 Months Contractor CMU/ HP PWD Archaeological and Archaeological sites Archaeology chance finds, if Survey of India and Remains Act 1958. Govt. of Himachal any Pradesh 13 Permission for Himachal Pradesh Mines River Board Applicable, if 6 Months Contractor CMU/ HP PWD Sand Mining from and Minerals Authorities/ river sand is river bed Concession Rules 1969 Department of Mining mined Govt. of Himachal Pradesh 14 Permission for Himachal Pradesh Mines Department of Mining Applicable only 6 Months Contractor HP PWD /CMU Opening of new and Minerals Govt. if Contractor 3 Months Quarry sites Concession Rules 1969 of Himachal Pradesh opens a new Himachal Pradesh quarry site State Pollution Control Board Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh 4. BASELINE ENVIRONMENTAL STATUS 4.1 GENERAL Physiographical, most of the areas form a part of hilly tract with undulating terrain. The elevation varies from 2500m to 3500m above mean sea level. The Shiwalik hills standing to a height of about I 100m in the south of limestone deposits are separated from the bare lofty ridges of the lesser Himalayas in the north by the deep valley of river Giri, The project influence area is marked by deep valleys, river terraces, steep escapements and innumerable streams. The latitude and longitude of project road are as follows: (a) Start Point: Gumma (30°48'1.21"N, 77°43'41.23"E) (b) End Point: Fediz (30°50'59.34"N, 77°44'40.37"E) Figure 4-1 Hilly Terrain Topography Features of the Project Road Figure 4-2 Plain Terrain Topography Features of the Project Road Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh The project road passes through North Eastern part of Himachal Pradesh. The project road section is of 8.650 km mountainous terrain. There is lot of undulations in the topography of the area. The uphill slope has good catchment, and the rainwater generally drains out through the natural streams on both flanks of the slide. Different types of topographic pictures are given in Fig 4-1 & Fig 4-2. 4.1.1 Geological analysis of the Area The project area primarily consists of alluvial deposits. The other geological formations in the project area comprise of sandstone. Primarily clay forms the top zone of project area. There is presence of variable sizes and types of rocks in the area. The geological features map of project area is given in Fig 4-3. Figure 4-3 Geological Map of India Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh 4.1.2 Seismology The area is moderately earthquake prone. Earthquakes have been experienced in many parts of the state. The epicenters of various earthquakes experienced in the past lies outside the state boundaries as well. As per the Bureau of the Indian Standards (BIS) map IS: 1983-1984, the district of Sirmour and Shimla lies in Zone V. Zone V is the highest earthquake zone. Map showing seismic zone of India is given below in Figure 4-4. Figure 4-4 Seismic Zones of India Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh 4.1.3 Soil Characteristics Major soil types that are scattered throughout the state are alluvial soils and Brown Podzoic soils and similiar variety is found in the Project area as well. The problem of soil erosion is one of the major environmental problems affecting the Himalayan region, with millions of tons of soil being either washed or blown away in due course of time. This in turn affects soil fertility adversely. 4.1.4 Landslides There is major issue of soil stability in the hilly terrain of the project area. This is accompanied by landslips, mud flows and flash floods affecting the entire area. The problem rises during rainy season and adversely affects the road structure. The environmental survey team has observed some weak areas as geologically unstable along the project road. Landslide Zone: Weak spots which are chronic by way of hill slides are identified. The most active sliding zones are tabulated in the Table No. 1 below. Some other small spots are also observed. Thorough study of these spots reveals that the causes of landslides may be mechanical weathering, chemical alteration, influence of seasonal fluctuation of temperature, rains, which generally result in the deterioration of the strength characteristics of slope forming materials. Table 4-1 SLIDING ZONES (As per Design Chainage) S. No. FROM (Km) UPTO (Km) 1 95.530 95.580 2 95.400 95.430 3 96.520 96.570 4 98.800 98.850 5 101.170 101.270 6 101.370 101.470 7 101.690 101.730 8 102.630 102.690 4.1.5 Climate The Project corridor (NH-707) is located in Humid Sub-Temperate region and the climate is distinguished by three distinct seasons. a. Summer Season (April to June) b. Rainy Season (July to Aug.) c. Winter Season (Nov. to Feb) Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh 4.1.6 Rainfall Annual average rainfall of the area lies between 1400mm to 1600mm, 75 % of which is received during monsoon season. The distribution throughout the year depends upon various other factors. During summers the area gets average of 130mm rainfall, during winters the area gets average of 60mm rainfall and during monsoon the area gets average of 1251mm rainfall. During a heavy rainstorm may wash away as much as 90 tons of soil per acre. Most of the splashed soil particles don't leave the field; they clog surface pores, which in turn reduce water infiltration, increases water runoff, and increases soil erosion. 4.1.7 Variation in Temperature The temperature in the project area varies, according to season and elevation. There is change from moderately hot to freezing cold temperature depending upon the time of the year or season. The period from 15th December to 15th February is the coldest period. Temperature increases gradually till June. The winter prevails from November to February, spring in March, summer from April to June and monsoon in July-August. The minimum temperature in winters is as low as 0°C and rises to 42°C in summers. 4.1.8 Humidity Condition There is variation of relative humidity in the project area from 19.91 to 98%. However, mostly the relative humidity remains high throughout year. It is recorded lowest around the month of May and highest around the month of August. 4.1.9 Wind Characteristics Intensity of wind is moderately blows throughout the season and keeps within the range of 1-19 km/hr. Some increase in the month of September is observed in recent years. During monsoon it varies from 0.6 to 1.12 m/sec. The direction of wind is mostly towards south. After monsoon is over the direction of wind is from East to West. 4.2 PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT 4.2.1 Air Environment The ambient air quality status of the project area forms the basis for prediction of the impacts due to the proposed project. Degradation of ambient air quality is the most commonly identified adverse impact on the natural and bio-physical environment during the construction and operation of the road projects. The National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) and ambient air quality monitoring results of previous studies carried out in the adjoining area are presented in tables below: Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh Table 4-2 National Ambient Air Quality Standards Concentration in Ambient Air Ecologically Time Industrial, Pollutant sensitive Weighted Residential, Methods of area(notified Average Rural and measurement by central other areas government) (1) (2) (3) (4) (5) Sulphur dioxide Annual* 50 20 -Improved West & (SO2), μg/m3 24 hours** 80 Gaeke-Ultraviolet 80 fluorescence Annual* 40 30 -Modified Jacob & Nitrogen Dioxide 24 hours** Hochheiser (Na- (NO2), μg/m3 80 80 Arsenite) chemiluminescenc Particulate Matter Annual* 60 60 - Gravimetric (Size less than 10m) 24 hours** 100 100 - TOEM or PM10μg/m3 - Beta attenuation Particulate Annual* 40 40 Matter (Size less - Gravimetric than 24 hours** 60 60 - TOEM 2.5m) or - Beta attenuation PM2.5μg/m3 Carbon Monoxide 8 hours** 02 02 -Non Dispersive (CO) mg/ m3 1 hour** Infra Red (NDIR) 04 04 spectroscopy Avg. SPM Annual* 360 & 140 70 - Gravimetric (µg/m3) 24 hours** - TOEM 500 & 200 100 - Beta attenuation (Source: National Ambient Air Quality Standards, CPCB) *Annual average: Annual Arithmetic Mean of minimum 104 measurements in a year taken twice a week 24-hourly at uniform interval **24 hourly or 08 hourly or 01 hourly monitored values, as applicable, shall be complied with 98% of the time in a year. 2% of the time, they may exceed the limits but not on two consecutive days of monitoring. Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh 4.2.1.1 Methodology High volume ambient air samplers were used for the collection of samples in ambient air for 3 locations (One location at upwind direction and two locations at downwind direction) near the proposed alignment. The selection of the receptors was based on the following considerations:  Covering the proposed ROW;  Covering land use characteristics and socio-economic conditions observed along the route. Samples were collected on 24 hourly basis for PM10, PM 2.5, NOx, CO, Pb and SO2. Samples for CO were collected for one-hour duration. The sampling and analysis has been done according to the relevant IS code and practices and guideline of PPCB. 4.2.1.2 Ambient Air Quality in Study Area Out of total three (3) locations, at each location samples were collected for parameters PM10, SO2 and NOx and PM2.5 were collected for 24 hrs. Basis. The details of Locations are given in the Table 4-3. Table 4-3 Details of Ambient Air Quality Monitoring Locations Station Location Chainage Land Offset from Code Name Use pavement edge AAQ-01 Gumma 95/00 Residential/ 45 m Commercial AAQ-02 Antroli Village 98/300 Residential/ 05 m Commercial AAQ-07 Fediz 104/00 Residential/ 6m Commercial The Details of minimum, maximum and mean values of the ambient air quality parameters monitored along the project bypass are presented in Table 4-4. Table 4-4 Onsite 24-Hourly Ambient Air Quality along the Project* NOx CO Station Code Land Use PM10 PM2.5 SO2 (µg/m3) (ppm) AAQ - 1 Commercial 63.5 27.0 7.5 19.4 0.46 AAQ - 2 Commercial 53.0 21.1 6.85 16.0 0.34 AAQ - 7 Commercial 40.0 17.8 BDL (<6.5) 7.4 0.25 Maximum 63.5 27.0 7.5 19.4 0.46 Minimum 40.0 17.3 6.85 7.4 0.25 Mean 51.75 22.15 7.18 13.4 0.71 *Samples were collected in June 2015. Note: Conversion Factor for Carbon Monoxide 1ppm CO = 1157 µg/m3 Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh 4.2.2 Noise Environment Noise attributed to roads depends on factors such as traffic intensity, the type and condition of the vehicles plying on the road, acceleration/deceleration/gear changes by the vehicles depending on the level of congestion and smoothness of road surface (IRC: 104-1988). 4.2.2.1 Sampling Criteria Hourly noise levels were recorded at 03 locations identified along proposed Gumma to Fediz Section of NH- 707. Details of the locations are presented in table below. The hourly noise values were used to calculate daytime and night time equivalent noise levels. In order to arrive at daytime noise levels the logarithmic average of hourly values was taken from 6:00 AM to 10:00 PM. The night time noise levels were derived by taking logarithmic average of hourly values from 10:00 PM to 06:00 AM. The hours of day and night were considered as specified durations for ‘day’ and ‘night’ in Noise Rules Published by the MoEF. Details of the recorded noise levels are given below: Table 4-5 Recorded Noise Levels at Various Locations* Location Distance from Noise Levels dB (A) Leq. Description of Location Code Proposed ROW (m) Day time Night Gumma to Fediz Section of NH-707 NQ-1 Gumma 10m 63.8 43.3 NQ-2 Antroli Village 5m 54.2 40.2 NQ-3 Fediz at 104/00 7m 51.6 38.2 *Noise Quality (NQ) recorded in September, 2019. Table 4-6 National Ambient Noise Levels Standards (as per CPCB) Limits in Decibels (dBA) Category Area Code Day Time Night Time A Industrial 75 70 B Commercial 65 55 C Residential 55 45 D Silence 50 40 Note: (1) Day Time: 6 AM to 10 PM, Night Time: 10 PM to 6 AM (2) Silence zone is an area up to 100 m around premises as hospitals, educational institutions and courts. Source: Central pollution Control Board, New Delhi. Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh 4.2.3 Water Environment There are 1 Number of river flowing along the Gumma to Fediz Section of NH-707, which comprises the surface water resources of the Project area. The water resources of the Project Area is summarized in table below: Table 4-7 Surface and Groundwater Sources in the Project Area Water sources Nearby Name of Water sources in direct influence area of road. S. project Project No. Canals River Wells Tube Hand Ponds/ corridor wells pumps Tanks Gumma to Fediz - - - 1 - 01 - Section of NH-707 4.2.3.1 Surface Water Rivers Details of the Rivers in the project study area are as follows: Yamuna River:-Yamuna is the most important and measure river of project region. It flows along the border of Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. Project start at Paonta Sahib is situated near the bank of Yamuna. Giri River: - The River Giri is an important tributary of the Yamuna River. It drains a part of South-Eastern Sirmour. The Giri rises from Kupar peak just above Jubbal town and flows down in the South- Eastern direction and divides the Sirmour district and crosses project highway in km 18 near Sataun. Minus River: - The Minus River is a tributary of the Tonns River, which in turn drains into the river Yamuna. The Minus River crosses project highway in km 88 in Minus. Tonns River: - This River is an important tributary of the Yamuna River and joins it at Kalsi in the North- Western part of Dehradun valley. It flows along about 25 kin length of the project highway which lies between km 90 and end point of the road i.e. Guinina. 4.2.3.2 Groundwater The ground water resource occurs mainly in unconsolidated sediments of intermountain valleys and in sub mountain tract. The project districts, particularly their valley areas depend upon ground water. The exploitation is done through open wells and infiltration galleries. However to establish baseline quality of ground water four sampling locations were selected along the project highway. Samples were analyzed as per APHA and IS-3025 procedures. Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh 4.2.3.3 Water Quality Water quality is a concern for the numerous surface water sources and the groundwater sources. Two surface and one ground water samples have been collected from sources present along the proposed alignment to ascertain the baseline conditions of water quality. Location details of the surface water and ground water samples collected are presented in table below: Table 4-8 Details of the Sampling Locations of the Surface and Ground Water Sample Description of source Name of the Type of Sample Code Settlement Hand Pump near GWHP-01 Gumma Ground Water Gumma River at start of the SWHP-01 Gumma Surface Water project SWHP-02 River near Fediz Bridge Fediz Surface Water The water quality of the surface water and ground water samples are presented in Table 4-9 and Table 4- 10 respectively. These samples were analyzed for all essential characteristics and for most of the desirable characteristics specified in IS 10500: 2012, and are analyzed in accordance with the standard methods specified by IS codes. Table 4-9 Characteristics of Surface Water* S. No. Parameters Unit SWHP-01 SWHP-02 1 o PH Value at 25 C - 7.82 8.12 2 Turbidity NTU 1 3 3 Conductivity 455 410 4 Total Dissolved Solids Mg/l 278 265 5 Total Suspended Solids Mg/l <5 <5 6 Total Hardness (as CaCO3) Mg/l 156 198 7 Chlorides (as Cl) Mg/l 52 43 8 Total Alkalinity Mg/l 126 138 9 Sulphate (as SO4) Mg/l 19 15 10 Nitrate (NO3) Mg/l 4.8 5.6 11 Fluoride (as F) Mg/l 0.1 0.1 12 Iron (as Fe) Mg/l <0.05 0.07 13 Zinc (as Zn) Mg/l <0.05 <0.05 14 Calcium (as Ca) Mg/l 34 52 15 Magnesium (as Mg) Mg/l 17.3 16.6 16 Cadmium as cd <0.01 <0.01 17 Copper (As Cu) Mg/l <0.05 <0.05 18 Nickel (as Ni) Mg/l <0.01 <0.01 19 Lead (as Pb) Mg/l <0.1 <0.1 Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh 20 Mercury (as Hg) Mg/l <0.001 <0.001 21 Total Arsenic (as As) Mg/l <0.025 <0.025 22 Phenolic Compound (as C6H5OH) Mg/l <0.001 <0.001 23 Phosphorous as (P) Mg/l <0.03 <0.03 24 Manganese (As Mn) Mg/l <0.01 <0.01 25 Cyanide as CN Mg/l <0.05 <0.05 26 Total Chromium (as Cr) Mg/l <0.05 <0.05 27 Anionic Detergent (MBAS) Mg/l <0.01 <0.01 28 Aluminum (as Al) Mg/l <0.03 <0.03 29 Oil & Grease Mg/l <2 <2 30 Chemical Oxygen Demand Mg/l 6 10 Biological Oxygen Demand (27oC 3 Mg/l 31 <1 1.4 Days) 32 Dissolved Oxygen Mg/l 8.3 7.8 33 Total Coliform MPN/100ml 18 24 *Samples were collected in September, 2019. Table 4-10 Characteristics of Ground Water* Max. Requirement as per(IS- 10500-2012) Amend 1 Permissible (in S. No. Parameters GWHP-01 Acceptable Absence of Max. alternate source) Max. 1 Color 5 5 15 2 Taste Agreeable Agreeable Agreeable 3 Odour Agreeable Agreeable Agreeable 4 Turbidity (NTU) <1 1 5 5 Ph Value 7.54 6.5 to 8.5 No Relaxation 6 Total Hardness as CaCO3, (mg/l) 162 200 600 7 Iron as Fe (mg/l) 0.09 0.1 No Relaxation 8 Chloride as Cl (mg/l) 52 250 1000 9 Total dissolved Solids (mg/l) 281 500 2000 10 Calcium as Ca (mg/l) 35 75 200 11 Copper as Cu (mg/l) <0.02 0.05 1.5 12 Manganese as Mn (mg/l) <0.05 0.1 0.3 13 Sulphate as SO4 (mg/l) 18 200 400 14 Nitrate as NO3 (mg/l) 4.6 45 No Relaxation 15 Fluoride as F (mg/l) 0.2 1.0 1.5 16 Phenolic compounds as C6H5OH (mg/l) <0.001 0.001 0.002 17 Selenium as Se (mg/l) <0.01 0.01 No Relaxation 18 Zinc as Zn (mg/l) 0.07 5 15 19 Anionic detergents as MBAS <0.01 0.2 1.0 20 Total Alkanity (mg/l) 128 200 600 21 Aluminium as Al (mg/l) <0.02 0.03 0.2 Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh 22 Boron <0.1 0.5 1.0 23 Cadmium as Cd (mg/l) <0.003 0.003 No Relaxation 24 Cyanide as CN (mg/l) <0.005 0.05 No Relaxation 25 Lead as Pb. (mg/l) 0.01 No Relaxation <0.01 26 Total Chromium (mg/l) <0.05 0.05 No Relaxation 27 Magnesium as Mg (mg/l) 18.1 30 100 Mineral Oil 0.5 No Relaxation <0.5 28 29 Mercury as Hg (mg/l) <0.001 0.001 No Relaxation 30 Arsenic as As (mg/l) <0.01 0.01 No Relaxation 31 Coliforms (MPN/100 ml) Not Detected Shall not be detected 32 E. Coli/100 ml Absent Absent *Samples were collected in September, 2019. The characteristics of the ground water and surface water samples were found to be well within the standard limits specified for the water quality characteristic for the desirable limits as specified in BIS10500: 2012 except a few deviations for the surface water and ground water. 4.2.4 Land Environment Land and soil constitute the basic components of the physical environment. The alignment of a road may cause changes in land, land use, soil and denudation processes in different intensities. 4.2.4.1 Geology and Soils Geology and Soil Types of the Area: Major soil types that are scattered throughout the state are described here. Alluvial soils and Brown Podzoic soils variety is found in Sirmour and Shimla district (Project influence area). 4.2.4.2 Soil Analysis For the assessment of the base line soil quality, soil samples were collected at 2 locations from near the proposed alignment of the project road. Details of the soil sampling locations are presented in Table 4-11. Soil samples were collected for 15 cm and 100 cm depth for each location. Table 4-11 Location Details of Soil Samples Sample Location of Sample Depth Land Use Code Gumma to Fediz Section of NH-707 SQHP-01 Gumma 15 cm Agricultural Field SQHP-02 Fediz 100cm Agricultural Field The characteristics of the soil along the proposed project road are presented in Table 4-12. Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh Table 4-12 Soil Characteristics of along the Project * S. No. Parameter Unit SQHP-01 SQHP-02 1 pH (1:2.5) - 7.11 7.68 2 Electrical Conductivity of umhos/cm 510 498 Saturation Extract (1:2) 3 Soil Moisture Content % 56.48 49.85 4 Soil Texture - Sandy Sandy clay clay 5 Organic Matter % 1.48 0.98 6 Lead (pb) mg/kg 0.11 BDL 7 Permeability mm/hr 53.24 52.61 *Samples were collected in September, 2019. Note: BDL - Below Detection Limit Meq - milli Equivalent 4.3 ECOLOGICAL RESOURCES Ecological resources are among the most important resources impacted by the proposed bypass. In this section baseline details of the flora and fauna are presented. 4.3.1 Flora The natural vegetation follows a climatic altitudinal zonation. In the altitude range of 300 900m, as in Rajban, the vegetation is tropical and subtropical in character. 'Sal' is the main species of the broad leaved hill forest. Some patches on the hill slopes are clad in dense forests which are `reserved'. The important species of plants found in the project study area are:- Shorea robusta :(Sal), Quercus intone : (Oak),Alnus glutinoa:(Alder), Albizzia Lebbek :(Seris), Dalbergia sissoo:(Shisham), Adinacard folia:(Holdu), Bachanania lot folio : (Bhilova), Condia mysea : (Lasors), Eugenia jambolana : (Jamun), Ruododenron arboretum, Terminate tomentos : (Asin). Among the shrubs there area Vitex, Munj, Ber, Dodenea, Bamboo etc and among grasses Vetiver, Sanchrus, Munj are common. Road side vegetation is likely to be impacted due to proposed road widening project. The major trees to be affected/ cut are Pine, Khadig, Deodar, Gular, Saal and Kachnar. The tree removal will take place from Corridor of Impact of project road. 4.3.2 Protected Areas and Fauna The existing network of protected areas (PA's) in Himachal Pradesh has 32 Wildlife sanctuaries (5664 sq.km) and two National parks (1440sgkm) covering a total geographical area of 7,104 sq.km. However, No wild life sanctuary/National Park is located within 10 km aerial distance from the alignment of project road or none of the same has their Eco-sensitive zone in the project study area. Survey was carried out in 10km of the proposed road project. The ground studies along the alignment, together with Forest Department and stakeholder consultation have revealed that there are some wild mammalian species such as Sloth bear, Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh Sambhar deer and Leopard found near the study area occasionally, while livestock of local people i.e. goat, sheep, cow etc. and common animals as field mouse, Squirrel, flare, dog, cat, bats, monkeys etc. are significantly using the area. There are many river channels present in the buffer zone of study area which are the major attraction sites for avifauna. Birds like Himalayan Bulbul, Red Vented bulbuls, Purple Sunbird, Rufous Tree Pie, White Capped Water Redstart, Whistling Thrush, Red Jungle Fowl, Parakeet, and Common Myna are found common in occurrence. Due to diversified forest lying along and across the riverbed, the area is equally important for butterfly diversity. Butterflies form important part of the food chain components for the birds, reptiles, spiders and other predatory insects making them inevitable part of present ecosystem. The information of important animal groups such as Birds, Reptiles, Fishes and Mammals were collected by trekking inhabiting area, along the river banks, adjoining forest on the slopes, nallahs, hill top and agricultural fields present in the project influence area. 4.3.3 Biodiversity and Endangered Fauna 4.3.3.1 Reptiles Out of the species of reptiles recorded (Table 3.13), two species of lizard i.e. Monitor Lizard and Common Garden Lizard are reported common in occurrence. Among reptiles, three species of snake such as Russells Viper and Rat Snake recorded in study area also, which are listed in Schedule II, Part II of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972. None of the reptile species is present in the IUCN Red List of Threatened Animals (2007). Table 4-13 List of Species of Reptiles Recorded in the Study Area Conservation S. No. Zoological Name Common Name Status as per IUCN 1 Daboia russelii Russell's Viper LC 2 Bungarus caeruleus Indian Krait LC 3 Varanus spp. Monitor Lizard VU 4 Calotes versicolor Indian Garden Lizard LC 5 Pi Pas mucosa Rat Snake LC Source: CEA sunoeto, LC=Least Concern, VU= Vulnerable 4.3.3.2 Birds Many species of birds are found in the study area (Table 3.14). Most of the species of birds are protected as their respective families have been listed under Schedule IV of Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 and none under IUCN red listed endangered, threatened and vulnerable species of birds are recorded in the study area. Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh Table 4-14 Species of Birds Found in the Study Area S. No. Zoological Name Common name 1 Psittacula hinzalarana Slaty-headed Parakeet 2 Columba Livia Blue Rock Pigeon 3 Streptopelia chinensis Spotted Dove 4 Streptopelia senegalensis Laughing Dove 5 Dicrurus macrocercus Black Drongo 6 Acridotheres tristis Common Myna 7 Hr psipetes leucocephalus Black Bulbul 8 Pyconotus leucogenys Himalayan Bulbul 9 Pvcononotus cafer Red-vented Bulbul 10 Passer domesticus I louse Sparrow Source: CEA, survey 4.3.3.3 Mammals Area is not rich in wild mammals, but many domesticated mammal species are reported from buffer zone during the field survey. Common grazing animals like buffalo, cow, goat etc. can be noticed in open grass fields. Small mammals like Indian palm squirrel (Funambulus palmarum) and field mouse (Apodemus svlvaticus) are noticed in vicinity of village. Inquiry from village people regarding wild animals reveals that Rhesus macaque (Macaca mulatta), Indian hare (Lepus nigricollis), fruits bat (Pteropus conspicillatus), etc. are often seen in the area. As per discussed wirh Rajban Forest Range officials it was found that Sloth bear (Melursus ursinus), Sambhar (Rusa unicolor) and Leopard (Panthera Pardus) are seen occasionally in the upper reaches of the project study area. Table 4-15 List of important Mammal species recorded in the study area Conservation S. No Zoological Name Common Name Status 1 Macaca mtdatto Rhesus Macaque LC 2 Semnopithecus entellus Common Langur NT 3 Lepus nigricollis Indian Hare LC 4 Funambulus pennanti Five-striped Palm Squirrel LC 5 Pteropus giganteus Indian Flying Fox Bat LC 6 Apodemus svlvaticus Field Mouse LC 7 Melursus ursinus Sloth bear VU 8 Rusa unicolor Sambhar VU 9 Panthera pardus Leopard VU Source: CEA survey, LC=Least Concern. VU= Vulnerable, AT=near threatened Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh 4.3.3.4 Fishes During survey some fish species were identified from the Giri, Tons and Yamuna rivers. Most common and predominant fish present in the catch was endemic golden mahseer (Tor spp) followed by other fishes including Schizothorax spp., Barilius spp., Channa spp., Glyptothorax spp, Bagarius spp, Puntius spp. None of the fish species recorded from the study area are listed in various schedules of the Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 or listed in the IUCN Red List as Threatened Animals (2006). The common fishes of the study area are as follows (Table 4-16): Table 4-16 Resident Fish Species Recorded in Study Area Fish Species Local Common Life Stage Dwelling Feeding Breeding Name Name encountered habits habits period Family: Cyprinidae Column Column Ormnivorous: and green matters, Tor puNlora Mahseer Golden Fingerlings Monsoon mid water insects and (Hamilton chiniaru mahseer and Adults months dweller their larvae, scavenger phyto benthos, Zoo benthos. Herbivorous: green matters, Sclrrolborax August Himalayan Fingerlings Midwater algae attached richardsoii Sal to trout and Adults dweller on stones, (Gray) October phytobenthos etc. Herbiomnivorous: Labeo deco Midwater macrophytes, Fingerlings March (Hamilton) Gid Sairu dweller Insects, and Adults to June scrapper Phytobenthos, Zoobenthos Column of Barilius spp. side February i. B. waters/ Omnivorous: i.Patha Juveniles, to June bendelesis Hillstream ditches on small insects, ii.----- fingerlings *Found ii. B. barila carp the bank phytoplankton, iii. Lohari and Adults in Sep- iii.B. vagra of zooplankton Nov. small tributaries Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh Puntius spp. Column Shallow i. P. ticto ticto ii. feeder, Minnows Adults pools and - ii. P. sarana Khangni Planktonic riffles feeder Family: Siluroidie Bottom Scavengers: Bagarius Hillstrear dweller Feed upon bagarius Goonch Adult - catfish beneath animal flash, stones Insects Family: Sisroidie Bottom Scavangers: Glyptothorax dweller Feed upon catfish Hillstream Adults - spp. beneath animal flash, stones Insects Family: Channidae Shallow Carnivores, Channa Snake pools and small insects Dauli Adults - orientalis head muddy and zoo water benthos *None of the Fish is in IUCN Red List Source: CEA, surrey 4.4 SOCIO-CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT 4.4.1 Demographic Features Gumma to Fediz Section of NH-707: Project road falls in two districts of Himachal Pradesh state. Demographic and socioeconomic details of Himachal state and both districts namely Shimla and Sirmaur are given below: 4.4.2 Socio-economic Profile of Project Affected People The majority of the potentially affected / benefited persons living in the project Influence zone frequently travel down the existing roads or proposed alignment of the project. Their purpose of visit brings them generally to the prominent market places by the roadside or transport boarding points alongside the road. Other beneficiaries also pass through the important junctions of the feeder roads connecting the project roads / proposed alignment. There are administrative offices, places of worship, community structures, in the major settlements within the project impact zone. Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh Table 4-17 Socio Economic Profile State/District Himachal Shimla Sirmaur Population 2001 2011 2001 2011 2001 2011 Persons 60,77,900 68,56,509 7,22,502 8,13,384 4,58,593 4,72,926 Male 3087940 34,73,892 38,0,996 4,24,486 2,41,299 2,46,599 Female 2989960 33,82,617 3,41,506 3,88,898 2,17,294 2,26,327 Population Density 109 123 141 159 162 188 per Sq. km Literacy Rate % Male 86.02 90.83 87.72 90.73 63.2 79.73 Female 68.08 76.6 70.68 77.8 38.45 60.93 Sex ratio 970 988 898 916 897 901 Human Development 0.518 0.409 0.433 Index Source: District Statistical office. Nahan, Dist. 4.4.3 Agriculture The agricultural sector of the Himachal Pradesh Economy contributes over 45% to the net state domestic product and nearly the entire population of the state depends directly upon agriculture. Gumma to Fediz road section of Himachal located in the Plains & Rolling and Hilly both terrains. There is paddy, maize, sugar cane etc., cultivated intermittently. Since there is no water scarcity along this alignment, the area is used for cultivation. Around 17% of project area population are doing agriculture related works. Himachal Pradesh is known as the Apple State of India. However, apples are grown in upper parts of the project highway as Rohru, Jubbal and Chaupal and transported through the project road. Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh 5. PUBLIC CONSULTATION 5.1 INTRODUCTION The Gumma to Fediz Section of NH-707 project will bring overall benefits to the people in the area as well as to those living close to the corridor. However, a few are likely to experience negative impacts, which can be overcome through proper mitigation measures. Throughout the process of consultation, the focus was on understanding community impacts and to obtain their feedback to effectively establish appropriate road design and implementation. 5.2 METHODOLOGY ADOPTED FOR PUBLIC CONSULTATIONS 5.2.1 Levels of Public Consultations and Profile of Stakeholders Public consultation was conducted at project preparation stage. Public consultations have been held at the levels as follows: Local level: Public consultations in the project area were held at local level. The following steps have been adopted for carrying out public consultations in this project:  Disseminating information and requesting villagers to attend the public consultation meetings through village Sarpanch and field staff.  Sharing the opinions and identify the local environmental issues.  Involving the PAPs to avoid/mitigate the impacts. Institutional level:  Institutional level consultations were held with Himachal Pradesh Forest Department and Himachal Pradesh State Pollution Control Board. 5.3 CONSULTATION PROGRAMME Focus Group Discussions (FGDs) were held at two (2) locations along the Gumma to Fediz Section of NH-707 project road. During the FGD, interaction/discussion was held with the general public and the village Sarpanch. The public consultations in the project area were mainly conducted at the local level i.e. at village level The details of the stakeholder consultations including the date, location, participants, the issues discussed and the outcome / mitigation measures (design) is summarized in table below: Detailed Attendance sheets of these consultations are presented in Annexure –I. Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh Table 5-1 Summary of Local level Consultations at Gumma to Fediz Section of NH-707 Project No. of Location Chainage Typical Issues Remarks Corridor participants Antroli  Drainage problem 98+300 18 Village  Road Safety Gumma  Bus Stop Issues to Fediz Near Starting  Dust suppression measures considered Section of Point should be adopted 95/000 16 in design NH-707 Gumma  Provision of speed breaker Village  Relocation of Structures  Junction Improvement 5.4 DETAILED ISSUES RAISED Some of the general issues raised during the different consultation sessions can be summed up as follows. Loss of Income Restoration Options This issue was raised by most villagers as loss of fertile land will deteriorate their income sources. Instead of lump sum money they were more interested in limited regular income. Road Safety Safety issues were paramount in all the consultation sessions i.e. curve improvement, Traffic calming measures etc. Woman participants raised the issue of their children’s safety. Drainage Water logging and divide of agricultural land in two parts are one of the important concerns of public. Higher Level of Pollutants due to Increase in Traffic People were concerned about pollution levels in the area after construction of the project road. Some of the participants were also concerned about noise pollution after construction. Vegetative noise barrier are proposed to minimize the noise pollution at several locations as specified in above table. 5.5 REDRESS OF ISSUES The project has tried to address all the issues raised during consultations under the constraints of suitability from engineering point of view. A table of general issues that arose during public consultations and their redress has been presented in Table 5-2. Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh Table 5-2 Address of General Issues and Concerns under the Project Issue/Concern Redress Under the Project People will be compensated a s per R&R framework (The Loss of Income Restoration Option detail is provided in RAP document prepared by HPSPCB). Traffic calming measures (at all intersections), crossing points have been proposed for the safety of local people. Road Safety Hazard markers, RRPM, road marking etc. have also been provided. Crash barrier has also been proposed throughout the alignment Land Acquisition and Mode of Compensation will be made as per RAP Compensation Flood Problem Total 38 nos. culverts have been provided at various locations Drainage Drainage has been provided throughout the alignment Compensatory forestation would be done at the ratio of two Loss of Trees trees for each tree to be cut. Local species of trees have been selected for plantation. Further study has been suggested to study the impact of bypass on community’s health. Roadside plantation has been Impact on Health proposed to screen emissions from the traffic reaching the settlement areas. All the utilities and basic infrastructures to be impacted will Utilities and Basic Infrastructure be relocated under the project cost. The locals will be given preference for employment during Employment During Construction construction provided they meet job requirements. Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh 5.6 PHOTOGRAPHS LOCATION: VILLAGE-ANTROLI (98+300) Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh LOCATION: NEAR STARTING POINT GUMMA VILLAGE (96/200) Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh 6. ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVES 6.1 GENERAL The mandate of the current project is to widen the existing road to 2 lanes with provision of paved shoulder in the build-up sections and hence there is no alternative site is involved. However, the chapter discusses on the “With” and “Without" project scenarios. The methodology that has been adopted for the evaluation of the alternate alignment route for construction of Project Road and the selection is based on engineering, economic, environmental and social considerations have been highlighted. The minimization of environmental impacts by considering design alternatives determines the extent of mainstreaming of the environmental component. This chapter looks at the decisions made during the project when alternatives were available and describes the rationale behind each decision. The EIA study with EMP and without EMP has also been discussed in the context of Gumma to Fediz project. 6.2 WITH AND WITHOUT PROJECT ALTERNATIVES Keeping in view the site conditions and the scope of development of the area, the `with' and `without' project scenarios have been compared as given in Table 6-1. By looking at the table it can be concluded that "With" project scenario positive/beneficial impacts will improve the environment and enhance social and economic development of the region compared to the "Without" project scenario, which will further deteriorate the present environmental setup and quality of life. Hence the "With" project scenario with minor reversible impacts is an acceptable option than the "Without" project scenario. The implementation of the project therefore will be definitely advantageous to achieve the all - round development of the economy and progress of the region. Impacts on vegetation are expected during construction phase. Little increase in the pollution levels of the air is possible. Dust and particulate matter during construction will affect the air quality on a short-term basis. However, an important benefit which is not represented in this assessment will be major reduction in the Particulate Matter (PM 10 and PM2.5) levels from vehicles using a surfaced road (with project scenario) in the build condition, compared to a continued use of dusty unsurfaced/tracks (without project scenarios). The minor impacts due to air; noise, vegetative cover and soil erosion will be remunerated by adopting appropriate mitigated measures such as roadside plantation, arboriculture and landscaping, compensatory afforestation, and providing underpasses and bio-engineering measures with retaining structures. Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh Table 6-1 ‘With’ and ‘Without’ Project Sce nario Component Without' Project Scenario With' Project Scenario Without' Project Scenario The connectivity between the other National and State It will improve inter-connectivity Highways is not good. between other National Highways Existing connectivity with (NH-707, NH-124 and various PMGSY roads). Delhi, Haryana and Connectivity with Haryana, Delhi and Uttarakhand need to be Uttarakhand will improve. Travel time will be Connectivity apples Pavement conditions are reduced due to improved pavement and in poor condition resulting in conditions and road geometry and hence development high travel time, bad vehicle Pollution levels will be reduced as well. conditions, and more Trade of local produce like dairy products, pollution. Poor pavement agriculture products, and small scale conditions restricting people's industrial product will also be increased. access to local market, Medical facilities, education centers, work zones etc. With project scenario involves felling of 186 trees due to proposed widening. As per the Forest Conservation Act (1980), There will not be any impact Compensatory Afforestation will be Flora on existing terrestrial done through Forest Department in ecology. 1:3 ratio. Avenue Plantation will be done as 558 roadside trees will be planted. 03 structures (Encroachments) including and none of the common property resources will be Social and There will not be any impact on affected due to proposed widening. Cultural existing social and cultural Necessary R&R plan has been Environment environment. developed to reduce the socio economic impact due to the proposed project. 2 lane with paved shoulder has 2 lane/ intermediate / earthen Carriageway been proposed to improve the road shoulder condition Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh Will be improved by reconstruction Water logging issues are of culverts/ bridges with adequate observed along the road side hydraulic (details are provided in Drainage/ specially settlement area due Chapter-2 Project Description) New Water logging to absence/non-functional cross drainage structures and drains drains. are also provided to address the flooding and water logging issues. Without project scenario does not involve any capital The environmental cost as per Financial cost, but there will be environment assessment will be Implications recurring maintenance cost about 24,94,16,431/- crore. to maintain the smooth flow of traffic. Therefore, "With" project scenario, with its minor adverse impacts is more acceptable than the "Without" project scenario which would mean an aggravation of the existing problems. The potential benefits of the proposed road improvements are substantial and far-reaching both in terms of the geographical spread and time. Hence, it is clear that the implementation of the project will be a definite advantage to State of Himachal Pradesh in order to achieve all-round development of its economy and progress of its people. The project will have multiple benefits. The project will release the potential of the area and fast connectivity between Himachal Pradesh Uttarakhand and Haryana. Being improved limestone linkage from Sataun, there is further scope of installation of 17 Nos. new factories at Gumma, which is under active consideration of Government of Himachal Pradesh. Further, there is vast scope for many pharmaceutical industries and limestone industries after up- gradation of NH707. This project will also reduce the travel time substantially. In addition this project road will provide further other benefits like:  Fast and safe connectivity resulting in saving in fuel, travel time and Total Transportation cost to the society;  Employment opportunities to local people during road construction;  Development of local industries, agriculture and handicrafts;  Development of tourism and pilgrimage;  Transporting, processing and marketing of agricultural products; Reduction in accidents; Reduction in pollution;  Opening of opportunities for new occupations;  Better approach to medical & educational services and quick transportation of perishable goods like fruits, vegetables and dairy products; and  Improved quality of life for people and so on However, there would be an increase in the vehicular pollution-air and noise, in the vicinity of the Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh highway. This road construction will result in loss of private properties and loss of living. If the project is not implemented, there is likelihood that the roads presently carrying the traffic between Paonta Sahib and Gumma will deteriorate further and rampant traffic disruptions will hinder the free flow of the traffic. Increased air pollution, due to slow moving traffic and congestion, will follow suit. Noise levels in built up portions will rise due to deterioration of the pavement as well as increased honking. SAFETY ASPECTS While assessing the impacts, safety of the road users and the roadside communities has been found to be a major concern. A number of measures have been proposed to reduce the risk of traffic accidents. In some places, these safety measures are co-terminus with the project’s impact minimization measures. Horizontal profile correction and intersection improvement has been suggested for betterment of the project corridor. Other safety measures taken are:  Improvement of existing curves,  Improvement of existing Curve at bridge approaches.  Provision of adequate traffic signage,  Widening of bridge with footpath in built-up location,  Embankment protection in approaches to bridge  Foot path and pedestrian guard rails in built up zone,  Improvement of existing highway junction  Retro-reflective painting on roadside plantations. 6.3 EIA WITHOUT EMP The Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) without Environment Management Plan (EMP) will not be complete. The Coverage for project will be limited to establishment of baseline scenario and extent of impact due to project implementation. Without EMP the project implementation will be difficult, as inconvenience to local public will increase. This will result in resistance of local public to the project. Environmental Management Plan suggests the environmental treasures to monitor, mitigate and manage the adverse impacts of the project on the components of valued ecosystem. If a project is implemented without EMP it will be environmentally disastrous. 6.4 EIA WITH EMP The EIA with EMP will be more fruitful as it will have detailed mitigation measures, budget and monitoring plan for the project - for pre-construction, construction and operation phases. The EMP will help to mitigate adverse impacts of project, a plan for monitoring to check the efficacy of mitigation measures is also laid out in the design of EMP. The implementation of EMP will also reduce inconvenience to local public during construction and the project will become environmentally sustainable and human friendly. 6.5 CONCLUSION The analysis indicates little choice of alignment alternatives for the Gumma to Fediz Project. Socioeconomic and Environmental considerations have been given due weightage in the finalization of Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh the alignment. The minor adverse impacts are manageable to an acceptable level by implementing Environmental Management Plan and the unavoidable loses will be compensated as per the applicable R&R guiding principles. Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh 7. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS 7.1 GENERAL Due to the activities of the proposed improvement there will be some potential impacts on the surrounding environment of varying magnitude. Impacts have been assessed based on the information collected from field surveys, baseline data collection studies and additional secondary data collected as part of the study. The impacts on the natural, biological and social environment can be direct or indirect. Areas of pollution generated include the Corridor of Impact and Operational Facilities of the Contractor. Environmental Impacts due to the project are summarized in Table 7-1. Table 7-1 Environmental Impact Summary Gumma to Fediz Section of Sr. No. Parameter NH-707 I. Negative Impacts 1 Hand Hand Pumps/Tube wells 1Relocation 2 (Nos.) 2 Pond Area (sq. m) 0 3 Relocation of Religious properties 0 4 Transfer of Agricultural land (ha.) 0 5 Borrow Earth (Cum) Nil 6 Quarry Material (Cum) 130879 7 Water (cum) 107675 8 No. of trees to be felled 186 II. Positive Impacts 1 Enhancement sites A Cultural/Religious Properties 0 B Surface water body River tons C Educational Institute 0 D Safe Access to educational institution 0 E Enhancement of Bus bays/Bus shelter 1 F Vegetative Screen Barrier 0 G Tree Saving (Nos.) - 1 Proposed Plantation – Bamboo plantation 5700 sqm 2 Road safety Measures - “W" : Metal Beam Crash Barrier on valley side A Major junction improvement (nos.) 1 B Proposal for Rotary Junctions (nos.) 0 C Bus Shelter (nos.) 5 D City Lights/ solar light in buildup area 26 ELECTRIC LIGHTS single arm 10 Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh 7.2 IMPACTS ON PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT 7.2.1 Impact on Soil Loss of Productive Soil Top soil will not be used in the road construction work. Soil Erosion Construction Stage Slopes of the project road are relatively stable as the embankment of the road is not high compared to the adjacent lands. Operation Stage There will not be any soil erosion during the operation stage as slope of embankments will be protected with appropriate slope protection measures. Compaction of soil Compaction of soil may occur, particularly on haul roads during site clearance due to movement of heavy machinery and vehicles and during setting up of construction camps and stockyards. During construction, there is a possibility of compaction beyond the COI, due to the movement of vehicles and heavy machinery. Contamination of Soil during the Construction Stage In this project contamination of the soil may take place, from the following activities at the construction zones, construction labour camps, construction plant sites and other auxiliary facilities required for the construction. Details of the activities from which the contamination can occur are presented below;  Scarified bitumen wastes.  Maintenance of the machinery and operation of the diesel generator sets on site.  Oil Spill from the operation of the mechanical works hops, diesel pumps and diesel storage, during transportation and transfer, parking places, and diesel generator sets.  Operation of the emulsion sprayer and laying of hot mix.  Operation of the residential facilities for the labour and officers.  Storage and stock yards of bitumen and emulsion.  Excess production of hot mix and rejected materials. Table 7-2 gives the details of debris generated and reused. From the table it can be observed that all excavated material can be used for embankment fill. The remaining quantity of earth will be procured from approved borrow areas. Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh Table 7-2 Details of the Quantities of Debris and Spoil Qty. likely to be Qty. Required for Excavated Material generated Embankment Debris Unused/ disposal (Cum) Fill (Cum) qty. (Cum) Scarified Bituminous 4745.183 Concrete 4861.179 74439.64 298178.722 Spoils/earth/other debris 363012 Total 372618.362 74439.64 298178.722 7.2.2 Impact on Water Resources Due to the proposed project there will be some impacts on the water resources. The impacts are due to relocation of hand pumps, use of water for the construction and construction facility operations and accident spills during operation stage. Details of the water resources affected due to the project are presented in Table 7-3. Table 7-3 Affected Hand Pumps and Wells Hand Pumps (Nos.) Bore Wells (Nos.) 2 - Increased surface run-off Due to the construction of new pavement and construction of the paved shoulder, the surface runoff may marginally increase as the increased paved surface area reduces the infiltration of water into the ground. There will not be a significant impact on the ground water levels. Impacts on Water Quality The sources of water pollution from the construction activities are as follows:  Water flow from scarified bitumen materials.  Oil spills from the Maintenance of the machinery and operation of the diesel generator sets on site.  Oil Spill from the operation of the mechanical workshops, diesel pumps and diesel storage, transportation and transfer, parking places, and diesel generators.  Operation of the emulsion sprayer and laying of hot mix.  Operation of the residential facilities for the labour and officers and offices.  Storage and stock yards of bitumen and emulsion.  Degradation of water quality is also possible due to accidental discharges into watercourses from drainage of workers camps and from spillages from vehicle parking and/or fuel and lubricant storage areas. Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh Water requirements for construction With the following assumptions the approximate water quantity required for the Project has been calculated. 1. 8-10% of weight of soil for the embankment construction. 2. 7-8% of weight of soil for sub grade construction 3. 5-6% of weight of GSB materials for GSB and WMM 4. 150 liters/ cum for concrete Domestic requirement of 100 liters per worker/day has been assumed. For this project about 50 resident workers have been considered. Details of the water requirement assessed for the project is presented in Table 7-4. Table 7-4 Requirement of Water for Proposed Construction Works Sr. No. Purpose Qty. (Cum) 1 Permanent works (Total quantity in cum) 15 2 Dust Suppression at work zone in (cum/day) 30 3 Curing (cum/day) 15 4 Laboratory (cum/day) 10 5 Haul Roads (cum/day) 20.5 6 Crusher (cum/day) 22 7 Plant Cleaning and workshop washing in (cum/day) 15 8 Domestic Purpose in (cum/day) 20 Total Requirement(cum/day) 147.5 Daily water requirement for the permanent works has been calculated based on the total working days (i.e. 730 days) . 7.2.3 Impact on Air Environment In addition to the direct impacts during the preconstruction, construction and operation phases, the ribbon development adds to the pollution load along the road and will increase the closeness of the receptors. The Air pollution sources and types has been described in Table 7-5. Table 7-5 Summary of Air Pollution during different stages Stage Likely Impacts Reasons/Activities for Impacts Remarks 1. Pre-  Dust Generation  Site clearance/Grubbing  The impacts Construction  Cutting of Trees/Shrubs are Stage  Transportation of Man and temporary Material and location  Construction of Stock Yard specific. and office buildings  The width of  Installation of Construction impact is plants limited.  Activities performed in Dry Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh Weather 2. Construction  Increases the level  Clearing and grubbing,  The impact Stage of PM10 and material dumping, drying of area is PM2.5. material etc. particularly  Increases the  Movement of vehicles in near working Gases Pollutant Construction camp, zones, plant level (i.e. CO, SOx  Transportation of sites. and NOx) quarries/aggregate and soil  Carbon based from borrow area. emission from  Operation of HMP, WMM HMP and Batching Plant.  Impact on  Emission of fine dust/ agricultural land rejected material from bag having crops, filters of HMP. vegetation etc.  Material Storage and handling (loading and uploading).  Construction machinery and vehicle uses. 3. Operation  Dust generation  Increases the Vehicle  The impact is Stage  Emission from moment in rural area. permanent vehicular tyres. Presently the area is  Increase the gases agricultural land and does pollutant from not have commercial vehicle diesel vehicles (i.e. moments. trucks, buses, cars,  Abrasive action of tyres on utilities etc.) bypass road. 7.2.4 Noise Environment The impacts of noise due to the project will be of temporary significance locally in the construction phase and slight increase may occur during the operation stages. However as the present noise levels are already high the impact will be relatively low. The impact is tabulated in Table 7-6. Table 7-6 Summary of Noise Impacts at different stages Reasons/Activities for Stage Likely Impacts Remarks Impacts 1. Pre-  Noise level/exposure will  Use of heavy Machinery and  The impacts are Construction increases for the local Equipment for Site temporary and Stage communities as the Clearance/Grubbing. location specific. proposed road will passes  Transportation of Man and  The width of impact is through agricultural and Material limited and not residential rural area.  Construction of plant sites. significant. Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh 2. Construction  The impacts of noise  The use of machinery  The impact area is Stage exposure will be on the involved in the particularly near work community residing near construction operation i.e. sites, plant sites and to the work zones. dozer, roller, grader, will also vary for  The activities of plants (i.e. paver, tractors, different receptors. HMP, WMM etc.) and DG brooms/rotary brushing,  The impact will be sets shall produce tippers, generators, quite significant but significaly high noise level. excavators etc. will be localized to the  Operation of HMP, WMM, plant sites. Batching Plant and DG sets. 3. Operation  Possibly Higher Ambient  Uninterrupted movement  The impact is Stage Noise level on Day and of heavy and light vehicle permanent Night time in agricultural on high speed. and rural residential area near to proposed bypass. The impact on village noise pollution may be significant caused by traffic. Therefore, measures are required to reduce noise from traffic passing through project area. 7.3 NATURAL ENVIRONMENT IMPACT ON ROAD SIDE TREE The major impact in this project on flora involves the removal of trees to permit construction and to provide clear zone for safety of the road users. Pre-Construction Stage There will be a significant, direct impact on cutting of the roadside trees during the pre-construction stage. A total of about 186 trees are required to be cut for the proposed project. The major trees to be affected/ cut are Pine, Khadig, Deodar, Gular, Saal, Kachnar etc. The detail is given in Table 7-7. Girth wise details of Tress are given in Annexure-II. Table 7-7 Details of Diverted Protected Forest Area and Trees to be cut within ROW Forest Area (within ROW) to Number of trees to be cut along the Be Diverted (ha.) road up to proposed toe line Name of the Corridor LHS RHS Total Gumma to Fediz 14.412 Ha 86 100 186 Section of NH-707 Cutting of trees for fuel by workers, especially near their camps is of major concern. Therefore adequate training of the workers and availability of their fuel requirements are to be ensured by the Contractor. Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh Operation Stage Trees and shrubs will be planted along the project corridor; aesthetic view of the corridor will be improved. Under the proposed project the road aesthetics will be improved by the way of tree plantation, landscaping of embankment slopes, improving the road cross sections providing more bus bays, foot paths, medians and drains. The aesthetics may be reduced during the pre-construction and construction stage and will be improved during the operation phase. Construction Stage During construction, the initial visual impacts will be associated with the removal of encroachments from Corridor of Impact and structures from the acquired land, removal of cultural properties, clearing of mature trees and vegetation for the construction activities. These activities create significant differences in the local aesthetics of which some are negative and some are positive. Some activities pose positive impacts such as creation of clearer views along roads or from roadside houses and other buildings that were previously blocked by encroachments. Changes in the aesthetics during the construction stage are generally temporary negative impacts. 7.4 IMPACT ON SOCIO-CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT 7.4.1 Economic Impacts The direct economic benefits from the strengthening of the state road transport infrastructure include:  Reduction of Vehicle Operating Cost.  Lower transport costs by reducing road roughness and improved alignment.  Improving financial sustainability for road development and maintenance.  Increased vehicle speeds.  Reduced passenger time costs. The relatively short-lived economic impacts of the construction stage are likely to be experienced in local communities for the duration of construction as workers make everyday purchases from local market. This is likely to give a short-lived stimulus to these vendors that will disappear as soon as the construction is complete. 7.4.2 Impact on Religious and Historic Sites Along the proposed Road no cultural, heritage and religious structures of National and State importance are present. 7.5 IMPACT ON SAFETY AND PUBLIC HEALTH 7.5.1 Impact on Safety Construction stage During the road construction operations there will be some discomfort, even after providing proper safety measures, to the pedestrians, community residing near the construction zone. The levels of discomfort can be reduced with proper planning of construction works and providing required construction zone safety measures. Special attention must be given while working in urbanized work zones. Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh Operation stage After construction of Project road there will be some negative impacts. The negative impacts are due to increase of traffic volumes and speeds, which would have a direct bearing on the risk exposure to accidents. There will be potential for increased collisions between vehicular traffic travelling at higher speeds between traffic travelling through link roads (i.e. Gumma to Fediz) as well as pedestrians using the roads. 7.5.2 Impact on Public Health Pre-Construction and Construction Stage The following health hazards will result due to the project activities:  Due to the influx of the workers for the construction works there will be some discomfort to the local environmental system if the proper sanitation facilities are not constructed and operated. These include setting up of labour camps near the road alignment, at construction plant sites. There will also be some increased demands on the local infrastructure such as electricity, water supply and medical facilities.  Due to migration of the workers from other places there is possibility of transmission of the communicable diseases. During the construction stage work, crews and their dependents may bring with them a multitude of communicable diseases including sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) like AIDS. This is likely, as the project requires more male-workers, who have migrated from other parts of the state or country.  During Corridor construction and its allied activities dust will be generated, which will create discomfort to the local people.  Noise g e n e r a t e d during the construction activities may cause temporary local nuisance to nearby communities. Operation stage After the completion of the project there will be both positive and negative impacts on the public health. The positive impacts include increased speed of accessibility to local and regional health centers and other community support facilities. Health impacts due to vehicular pollution: Health impacts associated with road projects in operation stage are long-term impacts. General health impacts will be respiratory infections and lung infections. Respirable Particulate Matter (RPM) i.e., particulates of size less than 10µm are a major cause of the infections and allergies. They enter human body through inhalation. These particulates are more in the emissions of heavy diesel vehicles. Hence, higher volumes of heavy vehicles increase the pollution load and consequent health impacts. Hydrocarbons from exhaust emissions are carcinogenic at high concentrations. Though impacts due to higher emissions exist, such severe impacts shall be at concentrations higher than those generated by the project. However, there will be the potential for adverse impacts on public health related to increases in noise, especially as traffic volumes increase. Impacts associated with noise are also long term and restricted to the direct area of influence. Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh 8. AVOIDANCE, MITIGATION AND ENHANCEMENT MEASURES 8.1 OVERVIEW The best way of impact mitigation is prevention but this would stop all development. As far as possible avoidance and reduction of adverse impacts approaches were adopted during the design stage with consideration of the views of environmental and social experts. This is reflected in the designs of the cross sections, construction methods, construction materials and alignment. The main impacts identified have been addressed during design wherever possible and will be further mitigated by the construction procedures and specific measures provided in the contract drawings and specifications. These are summarized in Table 8-1. Table 8-1 Key Environmental Impacts and Management in the Project Addressed in Issue Addressed in design Operation Implementation Flooding/ Total 38 nos. culverts have Keep channels clear Maintain culvert Drainage been provided at various prior to monsoon channels locations and Drainage has period. been provided throughout the alignment Tree removal Tree cutting largely Control tree cutting Monitor plantation unavoidable. Minimize by operations for Programme and alignment selection for minimize the check survival rates proposed ROW. possibility of damage to nearest plants/ shrubs during construction stage Implement afforestation Programme in 1:3 ratio. Erosion Identification of erodible soils. Close control of timing Monitor and Treatment of embankment of embankment maintenance. slopes and stream inlet and treatment after outlet. earthwork operations. Borrow Minimized borrow Select suitable sites No action required Areas requirements with reuse of with land owners and the excavated material /earth cultivators in embankment formation. Rehabilitate with topsoil Road Provided median for all Provide safe traffic Monitor Accidents Safety section to avoid head on management methods collision. as specified in Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh Provided traffic calming documents. measures near junctions and village area. Provided pedestrian crossings. Crash barriers has been proposed throughout the alignment. Provide high standard of road signs, RRPM, hazard marker and markings as per IRC codes Air Wider road with paved Siting of work National Motor Pollution shoulders will reduce use of areas/camp site etc. Vehicle emission unpaved shoulders. away from sensitive controls. receptors. Modern well maintained construction equipment with PUC certificates. Dust suppression measures on plant i.e. maximum paved area, sprinkling of water etc., diversions and haul roads. Noise Impossible for project to Sitting o f work areas No action required Pollution lower existing high noise away from sensitive levels. Selected flexible receptors. pavement. Vegetation barrier Use of well- for noise reduction at source maintained construction equipment and machinery. Acoustic enclosures for DG sets. Aggregate Use only controlled renewable Conform to No action required / Sand resources regulations Debris Minimized the debris Use scarified material No action Required disposal generation. and spoils in embankment fill as filling is required for the project. Land Provide shortest alignment for Reinstate site No action Required corridor where social working areas on disruption outweighs loss of completion of works agricultural land. Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh 8.2 PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT 8.2.1 Environmental Management at Quarries The Contractor will ensure that the quarries have all appropriate licenses. 8.2.2 Soil Soil Erosion Control Measures For control of the soil erosion from the embankments the slopes have been restricted to 1 vertical: 2 horizontal for entire sections; Surface erosion is prevented and controlled by adopting following methods: A. Hedge Brush Layer- This shall be provided in the landslide zone or places having soft rock/ soil to protect the hill slope from crumbling/weathering. This shall be provided over the embankment on valley side throughout the project road (except the stretches in built-up area, Bridges and Culverts) to prevent the compacted material from sliding into the valley. Figure 8-1 Hedge Brush Layer Hedge brush layer method is proposed from 97+750 to 99+200 total length is 640 RM. The detail is given below: Table 8-2 Details of Proposed Hedge Brush Layer Chainage Length of Side From To Treatment (in RM) 97+750 97+950 LHS 200 98+160 98+350 LHS 190 98+450 98+500 LHS 50 99+200 99+400 LHS 200 Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh B. Bamboo Net Plantation This shall be provided in the proposed dumping sites to check sliding of dumped material. Bamboo for the said technique may be procured from the low lying parts of the state. A National Bamboo Mission (NBM) under Centrally Sponsored Scheme-Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) is being implemented in Himachal Pradesh since 2006-07. Figure 8-2 Bamboo Net Plantation Bamboo Plantation method is proposed from 97+550 to 103+550 total length is 1900 RM. The detail is given below: Table 8-3 Details of Proposed Bamboo Plantation Chainage Length of Side From To Treatment (in RM) 97+550 97+950 LHS 400 97+900 98+000 LHS 100 99+200 99+400 LHS 200 99+650 99+800 LHS 150 101+700 102+150 LHS 450 102+950 103+550 LHS 600 C. Hydroseeding Hydroseeding is a method of seeding that consists of applying a mixture of water, seed, wood fiber, and soil stabilizer (if used) with hydroseeding equipment. Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh INSTALLATION/CONSTRUCTION PROCEDURES Hydroseeding will be done immediately after completion of a phase of grading. Hydroseeding can be accomplished using a multiple-step or one-step process. The multiple-step process ensures maximum direct contact of the seeds to soil. When the one-step process is used to apply the mixture of seed, fiber, etc., the seed rate shall be increased to compensate for all seeds not having direct contact with the soil. Follow-up applications shall be made as needed to cover weak spots. Avoid overspray on existing vegetation, waterways, sidewalks, and roadways. Straw or other mulch should be applied to reduce the erosive capacity of storm water and keep soil and seed in place. Figure 8-3 Hydroseeding Hydroseeding method is proposed from 95+520 to 102+690 total length is 1740 RM. The detail is given below: Table 8-4 Details of Proposed Hydroseeding Chainage Side Length of Treatment (in RM) From To 95+520 95+570 LHS 50 95+900 95+930 LHS 30 96+520 96+570 LHS 50 98+800 98+850 LHS 50 101+170 101+270 LHS 100 101+370 101+470 LHS 100 101+690 101+740 LHS 50 102+630 102+690 LHS 60 96+050 96+100 LHS 50 95+50 95+700 LHS 150 96+600 96+700 LHS 100 98+500 98+650 LHS 150 99+200 99+400 LHS 200 99+500 99+700 LHS 200 101+050 101+250 LHS 200 101+400 101+600 LHS 200 Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh D. Rock Anchoring In mountainous areas where there are numerous rock-fall hazards that may result in a significant cost to the operator of the transportation system, a stabilization program is often justified. Rock anchors or rock bolts, as they are commonly known as, are important structural tools used in stabilizing rocky slopes. Rock and soil anchoring technique is a technique that we people uses the rock bolt (cable) to reinforce the rock or soil mass. Rock anchors or rock bolts is a long anchor bolt, for stabilizing rock excavations, which may be used in tunnels or rock cuts. It transfers load from unstable exteriors to the confined interior of the rock mass. Figure 8-4 Rock Anchoring Rock Anchoring method is proposed from 95+520 to 102+690 total length is 3020 RM. The detail is given below: Table 8-5 Details of Proposed Rock Anchoring Chainage Length of Side From To Treatment (in RM) 94850 97030 LHS 2180 99370 99920 LHS 550 103260 103550 LHS 290 Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh Soil Contamination For the prevention of the soil contamination the following control measures shall be implemented effectively: Construction Stage  Impervious concrete base and a sump will be constructed at all the fuel, waste oil and bitumen, emission and chemical storage yards. A berm will also be constructed along the periphery of the concrete platforms. An oil interceptor will be constructed for providing for treating the oil wastes collected in the sumps.  All non-toxic wastes generated from the construction sites shall be used appropriately in the Project construction.  Some of the wastes can be reused for the development of the access roads to the construction plant sites, labour camps, internal roads, access roads to the soil borrow areas, granular sub base quarries and quarries and for any other auxiliary sites.  Landfills of contaminated soils with the bitumen, oil and chemicals shall be avoided as far as possible, these materials shall be buried in the construction of slopes or shoulders.  Proper collection, storage and disposal mechanism shall be in place for the solid and liquid wastes generated from site facilities during the construction stage.  All petroleum products and chemicals meant for construction shall be stored in accordance with guidelines provided in Materials Safety Data Sheet (MSDS).  Procedures and Plans shall be in place for cleaning up of any accidental spills.  Checks for ensuring erosion control structures are in place before earthworks are started.  Concrete platforms will be constructed for the parking bays.  Washing bay with oil interceptor will be constructed for the effective collection of oil spills generated during washing.  Platforms of the workshop shall be paved for the effective collection of oil spills.  Oil trays shall be used for the collection of oil spills during emergency repairs of the machinery on site. Operation Stage During the operation stage, the probability of contamination of soil is only from spillage and road runoff. Provision has been made in the design for the collection and discharge of the runoff from the bypass road into nearest water bodies through well-designed lateral drains. Loss of Productive Top Soil Efforts have been made for the minimization of the use of the soil from good agricultural soil areas. As far as possible the soil excavated from the roadside will be used for the construction of embankments and sub grade construction. The borrow areas; construction camp locations; traffic detours during the construction and other construction sites shall be selected to minimize loss of the agricultural land. To conserve the productive topsoil in affected areas, The following mitigation measures will be adopted: Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh  The topsoil from all areas to be restored as agricultural areas shall be stripped to 150 mm and stored in stockpiles.  The stockpile shall be designed such that the slope does not exceed 1:2 (vertical to horizontal), and the height of the pile will be restricted to 2m.  Stockpiles will not be surcharged or otherwise loaded and multiple handling will be kept to a minimum and stock pile shall be covered with gunny bags or tarpaulin.  It shall be ensured that the topsoil will not be trafficked either before stripping or when in stockpiles.  To prevent any compaction of soil in the adjoining productive lands, the movement of construction vehicles, machinery and equipment will be restricted to CoI as far as possible.  The stored topsoil will be utilized for; covering all disturbed areas including for the redevelopment of borrow areas after filling and dressing of the slopes of road embankment. Borrow Areas Management: The usage of soil borrow areas is at the discretion of the Contractor who may identify set of borrow areas based on the haulage and suitability of materials. Location of source of supply of material for embankment or sub-grade and the procedure for excavation or transport of material shall be in compliance with the environmental requirements of the MoRTH specifications and as specified in IRC: 10-1961. The Contractor has to comply with the regulatory compliance for excavation of earth from borrow area and also to the World Bank is guidelines for use and redevelopment of borrow areas .These will be provided in EMP. 8.2.3 Water Environment Relocation of Ground Water Supply Sources  Total 2 nos. of ground water source i.e. Hand pumps will be relocated before the construction of work, with the consent of private owner and local gram Panchyat.  The relocation site will be identified with the consent of the local community for whom the water source is intended. Minimize the use of natural water resources The water required for construction will be extracted in such a manner that there will be very little disruption to the local community. The total quantity required for the Project is about 30.5 cum/day. Mitigation for water quality degradation: Oil Interceptor: Oil and grease from polluting run-off is another major concern. During construction, discharge of Oil and Grease is most likely from workshops, oil and waste oil storage areas, diesel oil pumps, vehicle parking areas from the construction camps. The source is well defined and restricted. Gravity separation technique will be used for the separation of oil and water. Enough detention time is provided to allow oil to float to the surface. For each construction camp one oil interceptor will be constructed. Wastewater contaminated with oils and waste oils and grease will be treated in the oil interceptor to remove all oil and grease spills before discharging appropriately. As far as possible the ground will be leveled in such manner that the wastewater will flow in one direction. The wastewater channels will be constructed with a slope of 1: 150 to ensure that Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh wastewater flows into the interceptor before discharge. Oil and grease of the oil interceptors will be cleaned once in a fortnight from outside by skimming of oil film over the surface. Figure 8-4 provides the details of the arrangement for the oil interceptor for the removal of oil and grease. Figure 8-5 Oil Interceptor The location of all fuel storage and vehicle cleaning areas will be at least 300 m from the nearest drain/ water body. In addition, the maintenance and repairs of vehicles will be carried out in such a way that contamination of water bodies and drainage channels can be avoided. The slopes of embankments leading to water bodies will be modified and re channeled to prevent entry of contaminants into the water body. 8.2.4 Air Environment From the impact analysis it was observed that the expected levels of pollutants emitted from different sources over and above the contribution from back ground sources reflected that major air pollutants of concern are dust and gaseous pollutants. Details of the mitigation measures proposed are detailed below. The specific mitigation measures for working zone include:  Vehicles delivering fine materials like soil and fine aggregates shall be covered to reduce spills on existing roads.  Water will be sprayed on earthworks, temporary haulage and detours on a regular basis.  All vehicles, equipment and machinery used for construction will be regularly maintained to ensure that the emission levels conform to the SPCB/CPCB norms.  Air pollution monitoring plan has been delineated for construction phase separately for checking the effectiveness of the mitigation measures adopted during the construction phase of the Contract. Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh Mitigation Measures for Plant Sites:  HMP plant should be well mounted with Exhaust control and dispersion system.  Batch type hot mix plants fitted with the bag filter / cyclone and scrubber will be installed for the reduction of the air pollution  Plant sites shall be located at a significant distance from nearest human settlement in the predominant down wind direction.  Regular sprinkling of water should be done on plant site.  The maximum area within the camp site should be paved to reduce the possibility of dust generation at camp site. 8.2.5 Noise Environment An integrated strategy is proposed for the prevention and control at different stages for the reduction of noise propagation from sources to receptors. The first step is to control emission of noise at the source itself, followed by noise control within the sound transmission path and lastly is the option of protection at the receiving end like construction of the masonry walls. Details of noise prevention and control measures for the proposed Project are described in the following sub sections. Construction Stage The impacts due to noise and vibration will be significant during construction stage where the settlements are located near the road alignment. For the reduction of the noise levels during the construction stage the following mitigation measures will be implemented.  Noise standards will be strictly enforced for all site vehicles, plants, equipment, and construction machinery.  Machinery and vehicles will be maintained regularly, with particular attention to silencers and mufflers, to keep construction noise levels to minimum. Workers in the vicinity of high noise levels must wear earplugs/ earmuffs and be engaged in diversified activities to prevent prolonged exposure to noise levels of more than 90dB(A) per 8-hour shift.  Construction camps shall be located at about 1000 m from settlement areas. No hot mix, batching and aggregate crushing plants shall be located within 1000 m on the down wind direction of sensitive land uses such as schools, hospitals etc. In unavoidable circumstances, the time of the operation of the plant shall be limited. All the diesel generator sets to be used for the Project shall be fitted with the noise control systems such as acoustic enclosures.  Noise levels were monitored at various locations along the road covering different land use pattern. Based on the field monitoring and other reconnaissance surveys noise barriers are proposed as follows: Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh 8.2.6 Construction Camp 8.2.6.1 Layout of Construction Camp The construction camps for labour accommodation, offices and construction plant sites shall be identified based on the RPCB guidelines and World Bank Guideline for Setting out of Construction Camp. Detailed guidelines are given in EMP. 8.2.6.2 Facilities at Workers Camps During the construction stage of the Project the construction Contractor will construct and maintain necessary (temporary) living accommodation and ancillary facilities for labour. It will be ensured that all the temporary accommodation will be provided with uncontaminated water for drinking, cooking and washing. Adequate washing and bathing places shall be provided, and kept in clean and drained condition. Construction camps will be sited away from vulnerable people and adequate health care will be provided for the work force. Sanitation Facilities: Construction camps shall be provided with sanitary latrines and urinals. Closed drainage systems and the proper treatment systems according to the local conditions should be constructed for the proper flow and effective treatment. The sewage system built for the camp will be operated properly to avoid health hazard, ground water and soil pollution. Compost pits will be constructed for the disposal of the garbage and other biodegradable wastes generated from the camps. Proper collection, transportation and disposal of the wastes will be ensured. Shelter at Workplace: At such workplaces where the duration of the works will prevail for more than one month some form of shelters will be provided for meals, resting, change of clothes and for keeping the tools of the work and personal protective equipment. The height of shelter shall not be less than 3m from floor level to lowest part of the roof. Sheds shall be kept clean and the space provided shall be on the basis of at least 1m2 per head. Canteen Facilities: A cooked food canteen on a moderate scale shall be provided for the benefit of workers wherever it is considered necessary. All the wastes generated from the canteen will be treated/ disposed of as detailed in the other sections of waste disposal. Health Care Facilities: Health problems of the workers should be taken care of by providing basic health care facilities through a health center set up at the construction camps. The health center will have at least a doctor (part time), nurses, duty staff, medicines and minimum medical facilities to tackle first-aid requirements for minor accidental cases. Some arrangements will be made with the nearest hospital to refer patients of major illnesses or critical cases. The design layout of construction camp will be provided in the EMP for ensuring the implementation of effective pollution control measures at the construction base camps and construction plant sites, redevelopment/ closure plans for the closure of these sites will be made part of the Environmental Management Plan of the construction Contract. Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh 8.3 NATURAL ENVIRONMENT The environment along the project road shall be enhanced, principally through plantation of various types of shade and ornamental trees along with shrubs and grasses. Tree plantations have manifold benefits. During the construction stage, all precautions will be taken to ensure that the trees outside the CoI or those not marked will not be removed. To compensate for the tree cutting, two times of the diverted protected forest area will be afforested in accordance with the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. 8.3.1 Landscaping Strategy for Project Corridor Landscape strategy has been developed to enhance the visual quality and safety concern at intersection of proposed corridor. The following improvements are incorporated in Design: a. Plantation Scheme Shrubs will be planted at road as part of the compensatory afforestation. Shrubs will be planted at median as antiglares for the road users and increase the aesthetic value of the road. With due importance to aesthetic value and comfort along a new road, 25 % of the species selected should be flowering species and the rest will be shade providing and fruit bearing species. 8.4 SOCIO-CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT Relocation of the CPR affected by the Project is detailed in the Resettlement Action Plan. Relocation process will be monitored to ensure that all the structures totally affected will be relocated as desired by the local community requirements. 8.5 ENHANCEMENT MEASURES For the proposed corridor alignment no enhancement is involved except the necessary inherently enhancements i.e. landscaping, traffic calming etc. 8.6 SAFETY MEASURES 8.6.1 Health/Safety Measures for Labors First Aid Boxes will be placed at all work places and in the Construction Camp. Some of the workers should have received F i r s t Aid training to respond to the emergencies at the working zones and at auxiliary sites. Arrangements with nearby health centers and local doctors should be made for treating injuries. During the construction phase, workers should be provided personal protective equipment’s based on the nature of the work. Details of the personal protective equipment which are to be given to the workers are presented in Table 8-6. Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh Table 8-6 List of Personal Protective Equipment S. No. Part of the Body Personal Protective Equipment 1 Eye Safety Glasses, Goggles 2 Face Face Shields 3 Nose Nose Masks 4 Head Helmets 5 Feet Safety Shoes 6 Hands and arms Gloves 7 Bodies Vests 8 Hearing Earplugs, Earmuffs 8.6.2 Traffic Safety Plans Design Stage Safety of pedestrians as well as vehicles on the road will be of highest importance and adequate measures have been incorporated in the design of the Project. For the safety and convenience of the local people, traffic calming measures, traffic control systems and unpaved shoulders for pedestrians in the village areas has been incorporated. The details of traffic calming measures adopted along the project corridors are presented in Table 8-7. Table 8-7 Locations of Traffic/Road Safety Measures at Junctions Section Chainage Type of Measures J 01 94+900 Traffic Calming & Junction Improvement Traffic Calming , Junction Improvement & J 02 95+250 Pedestrian Crossing J 03 97+960 Traffic Calming & Junction Improvement J 04 98+350 Traffic Calming & Pedestrian Crossing J 05 102+750 Traffic Calming & Pedestrian Crossing Construction Stage Safety during the construction will be considered as an integral part and high priority element of the road Project. All precautions required will be taken to ensure closure of the road is for minimum period and traffic delay is as limited as possible. It will also be ensured that inconvenience to the road users, community residing near the work site and the work crew and machinery will be minimized. All safety precautions will be ensured during temporary and permanent works for the road construction. The safety practices, therefore, are oriented towards reducing the conditions that lead to such hazards and consequent stress on the driver, so as to control and regulate his behavior as warranted by the site conditions through the construction zone. Components of the Construction Zone Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh  Construction Zone is the area of the road which is affected by the works and which affects traffic flow resulting in a conflict between the road users and the construction activities.  Work Zone is the area where workmen are working i.e. excavation, overlaying improvements etc.  Working Space is the space around the work area that allows the workmen to move around to do the job and will include space required for storing excavated material, plant and equipment and clear space required for swinging of equipment and excavation arms.  Safety Zone is provided to protect the workmen from the moving traffic. This includes providing lateral and longitudinal buffer zones. Figure 8-6 Traffic Control Zone Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh  Traffic Control Zone includes those areas in advance of the actual work site that are required for advance working as well as safety zones, the transition zones and the working zones itself.  For providing all required safety precautions specific traffic management plans will be prepared and implemented during construction in accordance with the IRC: SP: 55:2014 (Guidelines on Safety in Road Construction Zones). Some guiding drawings for the general safety measures are provided below: Though each construction zone will pose unique problems there is a basic layout that should be followed for all schemes but that will need to be amended to suit local conditions. These will be influenced by:  Environment: Rural, Urban;  Type of Carriageway such as single-lane, two-lanes, 4-lanes, multi-lanes, divided carriageway;  Traffic Volume and Speed, with and without work in progress on road;  Type of Traffic such as mixed or segregated;  Available Sight Distance in construction zone; and  Mobility of Work Zone, that is, for minor pot hole repairs, lane marking etc. the workers and equipment may move along the road. Figures 8-7 and 8-8 below shows the basic layout that would permit two-way working of traffic past the working zone. Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh Figure 8-7 Basic Layout for Signs at a Road Works Site, Including Work Space and a Safety Zone. Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh Figure 8-8 Basic Layout with Works Vehicle Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh 8.7 HANDLING OF PETROLEUM PRODUCTS Petroleum products such as petrol, diesel, light diesel oil, bitumen and emulsion will be handled, stored and used in accordance with the relevant rules, acts and guidelines to avoid any damage to the environment and reduce the probability of the occurrence accidents. Wastes generated from the use of the petroleum products will also disposed of safely as detailed in the relevant rules, regulations and guidelines. The rules and regulations applicable for the handling of these products are listed below;  Environmental Protection Act, 1986  Petroleum Act, 1934  Petroleum Rules, 2002 Petroleum products such as petrol, diesel, light diesel oil, bitumen and emulsion will be handled, stored and used in accordance with the relevant rules, acts and guidelines to avoid any damage to the environment and reduce the probability of the occurrence accidents. Wastes generated from the use of the petroleum products will also disposed of safely as detailed in the relevant rules, regulations and guidelines. The rules and regulations applicable for the handling of these products are listed below;  Environmental Protection Act, 1986  Petroleum Act, 1934  Petroleum Rules, 2002 8.8 HANDLING OF PETROLEUM PRODUCTS Petroleum products such as petrol, diesel, light diesel oil, bitumen and emulsion will be handled, stored and used in accordance with the relevant rules, acts and guidelines to avoid any damage to the environment and reduce the probability of the occurrence accidents. Wastes generated from the use of the petroleum products will also disposed of safely as detailed in the relevant rules, regulations and guidelines. The rules and regulations applicable for the handling of these products are listed below;  Environmental Protection Act, 1986  Petroleum Act, 1934  Petroleum Rules, 2002 8.9 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN Environmental Management Plan (EMP) has been prepared for corridor project and will be part of the contract document between the Contractor and HP PWD. It is expected that implementation of all the environmental measures proposed in the EMP are adopted. The implementation actions, responsibilities and timeframes have been specified for each component and adverse impact anticipated. The following sections details the monitoring plan, a comprehensive monitoring system and budgetary estimate. Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh 8.9.1 Monitoring Plans To ensure the effective implementation of the EMP, it is essential that an effective monitoring program be designed and carried out. Various physical, biological and social components identified as of particular significance in affecting the environment at critical locations in various stages of the Project have been suggested as Performance Indicators (PIs). These are listed below and shall be the focus for monitoring.  Air quality (PM10, PM2.5, NOx, SO2,Pb and CO);  Water quality (Physical, chemical and Biological parameters)  Noise levels around sensitive locations/residential area  Plantation success / survival rate. The monitoring plans during construction and operation stages have been described in detail in the EMP documents and summary of monitoring plan and locations are presented in Table 8-8 & Table 8-9. For each of the environmental components, the monitoring plan specifies the parameters to be monitored; location of monitoring sites; frequency and duration of monitoring. The monitoring plan also specifies the applicable standards, implementation and supervising responsibilities. Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh Table 8-8 Environmental Monitoring Plan Monitoring/ Attribute Project Stage Parameter Special Guidance Standards Frequency Duration Location Implementation Supervision Air Construction CO, NOx, SPM, High volume Air Quarterly 24 hours Ref. Table HP PWD RPM, and SO2 sampler to be (prevention Sampling No. 8.6 Contractor located 50 m from and the plant in the Control of downwind Pollution) direction. Use Rules, CPCB, method specified 1994 by CPCB for analysis Water Construction All essential Grab sample Indian Quarterly Grab Ref. Table Contractor HP PWD characteristics collected from Standards for Sampling No. 8.6 and some of source and analyse Inland Surface desirable as per Standard Waters characteristics Methods for (IS: 2296, as decided by Examination of 1982) and the PRBDB Water and for Drinking Wastewater Water (IS : 10500 - 1991) Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh Construction Noise levels on dB Equivalent noise MoEF Noise Quarterly Leq. in Ref. Table Contractor HP PWD Noise (A) levels using Rules, dB(A) of No. 8.6 scale an integrated noise 2000 day level meter kept at a time distance of 15 from and edge of pavement night Equivalent noise time levels using an integrated noise level meter kept at a distance of 15 from edge of pavement Soil Construction Monitoring of Pb, Sample of soil Threshold for Once in Grab Ref. Table SAR and collected to each Six Sampling No. 8.6 Contractor HP PWD Oil & Grease acidified and contaminant Months analysed using set by IRIS absorption database of spectrophotometer USEPA until national standards are promulgated Borrow area Construction As per Guidelines Visual Observation - Once in a - Borrow Contractor CMU/ HP Month area PWD location Tree Operation As per Quarterly - Areas - CMU/ HP plantation stage Rehabilitation where PWD Plan plantation is being done Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh Table 8-9 Environmental Monitoring Locations Environmental S. N. Location Remarks Component 1. Upstream of proposed Gumma Fediz Rural Residential/ Commercial Section of NH-707 2. Middle of proposed Gumma Fediz Residential/Commercial Section of NH-707 near village Antroli Air Quality 3. Near End of Gumma Fediz Section of Rural Residential/Commercial NH-707 4 HMP Camp Site Residential/Commercial Water quality 1. HMP Camp Site Surface water / Ground water 2. Hand Pump at village Gumma Ground water 3 Hand Pump at Village Antroli Ground water 4 Giri River near disposal site -1 Surface water 5 Giri River near disposal site -2 Surface water 6 Giri River at Nearest point to HMP Surface water Camp Site Noise 1. Upstream of proposed Gumma Fediz Residential/Commercial Monitoring Section of NH-707 2. Middle of proposed Gumma Fediz Rural Residential Section of NH-707 near village Antroli 3. Near End of Gumma Fediz Section of Rural Residential NH-707 4. HMP Camp Site Residential/Commercial Soil quality 1. Random Location at Completed Agricultural section of Gumma to Fediz section of NH-707 2 Near Construction Site Agricultural 3. HMP Plant site Agricultural Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh 8.9.2 Reporting System The Monitoring and Evaluation of the management measures envisaged are critical activities in implementation of the Project. The rationale for a reporting system is based on accountability to ensure that the measures proposed as part of the Environmental Management Plan get implemented in the Project. Detail is provided in EMP. 8.9.3 Environmental Budget An indicative estimate of the cost component involved in mitigation of impacts, enhancements (through landscaping or specific enhancement measures), road safety, monitoring and evaluation of various components in pre-construction, construction and operation period has been estimated. A summary of the environmental budget is presented in Table 8-10. Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh Table 8-10 Environmental Budget S.N. Component Description Unit Rate (Rs.) Quantity Amount (Rs.) 1. Forest Clearances Cutting of trees, diversion of forest land and compensatory afforestation - 14.412 1400000/- Ha.) Total (A) 14,000,00/- 2. Mitigation Measures 2.1 Air Pollution Dust Management measures, Covers for vehicles transportation of Lump sum - 400000 construction material etc. 2.2 Oil Inceptor Provision at workshop in construction camp site 200000 1 Nos. 200000 2.3 Top Soil Preservation Stripping of Top Soil, Staking and reuse 200 15000 3000000 2.4 Soil Erosion Control A. Hedge Brush Layer AS per BOQ AS per BOQ 195935000 Measures B. Hydroseeding C. Bamboo Plantation D. Rock Anchoring Total (B) 19,95,35,000/- 3. Enhancement Measures 3.1 Landscaping Landscaping at all intersections, median with fine grass and shrubs Lump sum - 500000 including maintenance for one year Total (C) 5,000,00/- 4. Road Safety Measures Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Rehabilitation and Up-gradation to Intermediate lane of Paonta Sahib Rajban Shillai Meenus Hatkoti road portion between Km 97+000 to 106+120 (Gumma to Fediz)( Design RD 94+900 to 103+550) of NH 707 in the state of Himachal Pradesh 4.1 Junction Improvement Traffic Calming measures, Pedestrians crossing facilities AS per BOQ AS per BOQ 2612481 4.2 Road Safety Furniture Road Safety signs/boards, hazard markers, RRPM, delineators, Solar AS per BOQ AS per BOQ 6848647 Blinker, High must Light, safety cones etc. 4.3 Road Safety Item Crash Barrier AS per BOQ AS per BOQ 26339330 Total (D) 35,80,0458/- 5. Environmental Monitoring Cost 5.1 Air Sampling, monitoring & analysis of ambient air quality and gaseous 10000 24 Nos. 240000 pollutant. 5.2 Water Sampling, monitoring & analysis of surface & drinking quality. 10000 36 Nos. 360000 5.3 Noise Sampling, monitoring & analysis of ambient noise quality. 5000 24 Nos. 120000 5.4 Soil Sampling, monitoring & analysis of Soil quality. 7000 12 Nos. 84000 Total (E) 8,04,000/- 6 Miscellaneous Cost 6.1 Logistics and Administrative Uses of vehicle for environmental cell , data processing, administrative Lump sum - 2400000 support, stationary, remuneration of Environment Expert etc. Total (F) 24,000,00/- Total Environmental Budget (A+B+C+D+E+F) 23,61,39,458/- Contingency @ 5 % on Total Environmental Budget 1,18,76,973/- GRAND TOTAL 24,94,16,431/- Consulting Engineering Associates PWD-NH-Division, Nahan HP ŶŶĞdžƵƌĞƐ "OOFYVSF* "UUFOEBODF4IFFUTPG $POTVMUBUJPOTBU"OUSPMJBOE (VNNB7JMMBHF Scanned by CamScanner Scanned by CamScanner "OOFYVSF** (JSUI8JTFEFUBJMTPG5SFTT