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Draft EIA Report PDP North PSP
Draft EIA Report PDP North PSP
Draft Report
September, 2023
Prepared for:
New & Renewable Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh
(NREDCAP)
Prepared by:
R S Envirolink Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
QCI Certificate No. NABET/EIA/2225/RA 0274
403, BESTECH CHAMBERS,
B-BLOCK, SUSHANT LOK-I, GURGAON
Ph: +91-124-4295383: www.rstechnologies.co.in
Certificate of Accreditation
402, Radisson Suites Commercial Plaza, B Block, Sushant Lok 1, Gurugram – 122009
The organization is accredited as Category-A under the QCI-NABET Scheme for Accreditation of EIA
Consultant Organization, Version 3: for preparing EIA-EMP reports in the following Sectors –
Note: Names of approved EIA Coordinators and Functional Area Experts are mentioned in RAAC
minutes dated Jan 10, 2023 and posted on QCI-NABET website.
The Accreditation shall remain in force subject to continued compliance to the terms and conditions mentioned in
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accreditation needs to be renewed before the expiry date by R. S. Envirolinks Technologies Pvt. Ltd, Gurugram
following due process of assessment.
For the updated List of Accredited EIA Consultant Organizations with approved Sectors please refer to the QCI-NABET website.
NREDCAP EIA Report Paidipalem North PSP
Declaration by Experts contributing to the Draft EIA Report of the Paidipalem North Pumped
Storage Project (1000 MW).
I, hereby, certify that I was a part of the EIA team in the following capacity that developed the
above EIA.
EIA Coordinator: Vimal Garg
Name: Vimal Garg
Signature
Date-22/09/2023
& Date
Ravinder P S
7 AQ • Impact Assessment of Air Environment
Bhatia
• Baseline Data Review and Analysis –
Ravinder P S
8 NV Sound levels, Impact Assessment and
Bhatia Mitigation Plan
• Impact Assessment
Vimal Garg
• Data Review and Analysis
Trilochan Singh
12 GEO • Geological & Geotechnical Investigations
Kaith
Team Member
I, Vimal Garg, hereby, confirm that the above-mentioned experts prepared the Draft EIA Report of
Paidipalem North Pumped Storage Project (1000 MW). I also confirm that the consultant
organization shall be fully accountable for any mis-leading information in this statement.
Signature:
Name: Vimal Garg
Designation: Director
NABET Certificate No. & Issue Date: NABET/EIA/2225/RA 0274, 28 February 2023
Functional
S.No. Complete name of the Functional Areas
Areas
1 AP Air Pollution Prevention, Monitoring & Control
2 WP Water Pollution Prevention, Control & Prediction of Impacts
3 SHW Solid Waste and Hazardous Waste Management
4 SE Socio-Economics
5 EB Ecology and Biodiversity
6 SC Soil Conservation
7 AQ Meteorology, Air Quality Modeling & Prediction
8 NV Noise/ Vibration
9 HG Hydrology, Ground Water & Water Conservation
10 LU Land Use
11 RH Risk Assessment & Hazard Management
LIST OF FIGURES
Page No.
Figure 1.1: Location Map of Paidipalem North Pumped Storage Project 1.3
Figure 2.1: Location Map of Paidipalem North Pumped Storage Project 2.2
Figure 2.2: Layout map of Paidipalem North Pumped Storage Project 2.6
Figure 2.3: Layout map of Paidipalem North Project along with intake pipe for initial filling 2.7
Figure 2.4: Plan showing various infrastructural works 2.13
Figure 3.1: Map Showing Study Area 3.3
Figure 3.2: FCC generated from Satellite imagery of the study area 3.5
Figure 3.3: Map showing the location of Soil (S1-S10) and Vegetation (V1-V7) and Fauna
(Tr1-Tr7) sampling sites 3.8
Figure 3.4: Map of the study area showing the location of Ambient Air, Noise and Traffic
monitoring sites 3.9
Figure 3.5: Map showing location of Surface water and Groundwater sampling sites 3.12
Figure 3.6: Digital Elevation Map of the Study Area 3.16
Figure 3.7: Relief Map of the Study Area 3.16
Figure 3.8: Slope map of the Study Area 3.17
Figure 3.9: Seismic Zone Map of India 3.20
Figure 3.10: Land Use/ Landcover map of the study area 3.22
Figure 3.11: Average Mean Monthly Maximum and Minimum Temperature 3.23
Figure 3.12: Mean Monthly Average Rainfall and Number of Rainy Days in the study area
for the Years 2013-2022 3.23
Figure 3.13: Annual Rainfall for the last decade in the study area (reference Years 2013-
2022) 3.24
Figure 3.14: Mean Monthly Average Max Wind Speed in the study area 3.24
Figure 3.15: Wind Rose diagram 3.25
Figure 3.16: Soil map of the Study Area 3.26
Figure 3.17: Map Showing Aerial Distance of Proposed Project from boundary of Rajiv
Gandhi National Park 3.70
Figure 3.18: Study Area Villages 3.74
Figure 5.1: Paidipalem North – Upper Reservoir 5.3
Figure 5.2: Location Map of Upper Reservoir 5.3
Figure 5.3: Alternative Layout 5.9
Figure 10.1: Catchment Area Map of Paidipalem North Pumped Storage Project 10.6
Figure 10.2: Soil Map of Catchment Area (refer Table 10.2 for soil unit legend) 10.9
Figure 10.3: LS Factor Map of Catchment Area 10.9
Figure 10.4: Land use/ Land cover Map of Catchment Area 10.11
Figure 10.5: Erosion Intensity Map of Catchment Area 10.11
Figure 10.6: Layout Map Showing Location of Muck Disposal Sites 10.26
Figure 10.7: Cross Section of Muck Dumping Area 10.29
Figure 10.8: Cross-section of Retaining Wall 10.31
Figure 10.9: Embankments & Reservoirs – Paidipalem North Pumped Storage Project 10.52
Figure 10.10 & 10.11: River set up with dam and spillway 10.55
Figure 10.12: Breach parameters for linear mode 10.57
Figure 10.13: Upstream Elevation view of dam (Upper reservoir) 10.61
Figure 10.14: Upstream Elevation view of dam (Lower reservoir) 10.62
Figure 10.15: Dam breach flood hydrograph (FRL Case of upper reservoir, south end dam) 10.65
Figure 10.16: Upper reservoir Inundation Maps superimposed over Google Earth Map 10.68
LIST OF ANNEXURES
Annexure I: Scoping clearance of Paidipalem North PSP (1000 MW) accorded by MoEF&CC
Annexure II: Compliance to TOR
Annexure IIIa: Weather Data
Annexure IIIb: Wind Rose
Annexure IV: List of plant species reported from the study area
Annexure V: Biodiversity Conservation and Wildlife Management Plan
NREDCAP Draft EIA Report of Paidipalem North PSP
Chapter
INTRODUCTION
1
1.1 PURPOSE OF THE REPORT
The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process is an interdisciplinary and multistep
approach to ensure that environmental risks and impacts are included in decision making
regarding project’s feasibility. EIA document is considered as a technical tool that identifies,
predicts, and analyses impacts on the physical, biological environment, as well as social,
cultural, and health impacts. It helps to identify the possible environmental impacts of a
proposed activity leading to the development of a strategy or management plan to mitigate
impacts to the extent possible.
The purpose of Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) study of Paidipalem North Pumped
Storage Project (1000 MW) has been carried out with a view to assess the impacts of project
on the surrounding area and to suggest mitigation and management measures to minimize
any such impacts. EIA study for such projects is mandatory as per EIA Notification of September
2006, which stipulates the environment clearance procedure.
Considering the above objectives of Pumped Storage solutions, NREDCAP (New & Renewable
Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh Ltd) having rich lineage and an enviable
track record for successful completion of various hydro projects has forayed into
development of Pumped Storage Projects to provide large scale energy storage solutions to
the State and to the Nation and in this process has identified a location near Paidipalem
village, of Simhadripuram Mandal in YSR District (formerly known as Kadapa District) of
Andhra Pradesh for development of this 1000 MW Pumped Storage Project (PSP). The
location of the project is shown in Figure 1.1.
1.3 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF NATURE, SIZE, LOCATION OF THE PROJECT AND ITS
IMPORTANCE TO THE COUNTRY, REGION
Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh Ltd (NREDCAP Ltd.). The proposed
project will be comprised of two reservoirs i.e., Upper reservoir and Lower reservoir (to be
constructed), water conducting system, Pressure shaft, Surge shaft, Access tunnel, surface
powerhouse and tail race system.
The Paidipalem North PSP utilizes the water in the existing Paidipalem balancing reservoir
which has a gross storage capacity of 6.00 TMC (170 MCM). The Paidipalem balancing
reservoir has been constructed under Gandikota Lift Irrigation Scheme with a total ayacut of
47,500 acre. Water from the fore shores of Gandikota reservoir is lifted to Paidipalem
balancing Reservoir. A separate lower reservoir of capacity 0.93 TMC has been proposed for
the proposed project. The upper reservoir is located on the abutting hills of Paidipalem
reservoir at an altitude of 535.0 m above mean sea level with a maximum head of 247.82 m.
1.3.3 Location
The project is located at latitude 14°43'54.44"N and longitude 78°11'10.05"E, at an altitude
of 535.0 M above mean sea level. The project comes under the Rayalaseema region of
Andhra Pradesh, well known for its minerals and high Wind and Solar potential zone in the
country. The project location comes under YSR district in Simhadripuram Mandal, Paidipalem
village. The location map of project area is shown below. The district headquarters Kadapa
is located at 70KM and is surrounded by three major towns in the area viz, Pulivendula,
Muddanuru and Tadipatri. Location map of the project is shown in Figure 1.
The most reliable option for energy storage is development of Pumped storage schemes.
Pumped hydroelectric energy storage (PHES), is a type of hydroelectric energy storage used
by electric power systems for load balancing. The method stores energy in the form of
gravitational potential energy of water, pumped from a lower elevation reservoir to a higher
elevation. Low-cost surplus off-peak electric power is typically used to run the pumps. During
periods of high electrical demand, the stored water is released through turbines to produce
electric power. Although the losses of the pumping process make the plant a net consumer
of energy overall, the system increases revenue by selling more electricity during periods of
peak demand, when electricity prices are highest.
Since, proposed Paidipalem North project is a closed loop PSP, as per latest specific TOR for
PSPs issued through OM dated 14th Aug 2023 by MoEF&CC, EIA is based on one season data
(other than monsoon). To ensure compliance with the EAC’s recommendations, baseline
data was collected on physio-chemical and biological parameters covering pre-monsoon
season. The EIA study report has been prepared, in compliance with the scoping clearance
issued by MoEF&CC. The compliance of TOR with references is given in Annexure II.
Chapter
PROJECT DESCRIPTION
2
2.1 TYPE OF PROJECT
Paidipalem North Project is a pumped storage project consisting of hydro-power
generation. As per the amendment to EIA notification dated 20th April, 2022, all
hydropower projects more than 100 MW of installed capacity are category A projects,
hence the project is a Category ‘A1’ project, listed in item 1(c) in Schedule of EIA
Notification, 2006 and require an EIA study to be undertaken for environment clearance.
As far as power scenario of the state of Andhra Pradesh is concerned, in the year 2020-21
energy requirement was 62,080 MU and the supplied energy was 62,076MU. The Peak
demand of the year was 11,193 MW. These are likely to increase to MU of energy 147,599
& 24,633 MW of peak demand by FY 2028-29. The available plant capacities by FY2028-29
is 21,299 MW. Thus, the energy deficit for FY 2028-29 is 3,334 MW or 59,229 MU.
It is also seen that during the period of April to June 2022, there is power and energy deficit
of 8,657 MW and 4,107MU in the country and 874 MW and 403 MU in the state of Andhra
Pradesh which is likely to increase in coming years.
Also, it is prudent to mention here that the entire projected installed capacity may not be
available all the time to meet the peak demand owing to various reasons. Hence, new
schemes need to be pursued to meet the system’s requirement.
It is also seen that, in the state peak demand occurs typically for a duration of seven hours
during daytime and in night 5 to 6 hours. As the available hydroelectric potential in Andhra
Pradesh has almost been harnessed, the pumped storage schemes need to be pursued for
meeting the system peak. These schemes are amenable for quick start, reliable and render
operation flexibility in the system besides providing economic source for meeting peaking
capacity requirement. In this connection, this Paidipalem North PSP has potential to
develop pumped storage project to cater to the peak demand of 6 hours during the
daytime. Surplus wind/solar/thermal power will be used for pumping of water during off-
peak time.
The nearest rail head is Mangapatnam which is about 15 Km from the Project site and with
loading and unloading facility. The Mumbai–Chennai line, one of the busiest lines in the
southern region, passes through Mangapatnam railway station. It is one of the “B”
category railway stations in Southern Railway zone under Guntakal railway division. The
nearest airport is Kadapa, which is 70 km (approx.) from the project site. The nearest
seaport is Krishnapatnam Port and is about 220 km from the project site. The project site
lies in Simhadripuram Mandal, located in the Pulivendula Revenue division of the Kadapa
District of Andhra Pradesh. It is well connected with the NH 67 which connects
Krishnapatnam Port, Andhra Pradesh in the North to Panjim, Goa in the West. Location
map of the project is shown in Figure 1.
reversible generator pump turbine would be installed in the open pit type powerhouse. The
scheme is envisaged to meet the peak demand of about 6 hours with an estimated annual
energy generation of 1922.76 MU. Off-peak pumping hours are estimated as 6.53 hours with
annual pumping energy of 2407.53 MU. The cycle efficiency of the project is 79.86%.
The Feasibility Study Report of the proposed Paidipalem North PSP (5 x 200 MW) envisages
construction of following civil structures:
1. Upper Reservoir & Dam (Rockfill Dam): The upper reservoir is a composite pit and
rockfill dam type and proposed to utilize the excavated boulders for the compact layer of
rockfill dam.
2. Upper Intake: Total number of intake structures located in the upper reservoir is 5. Each
Upper Intake structure consists of 3 bays, each of 4.65 m width to accommodate 6
numbers of trash rack panel of size 4.65m x 5.65m, at the mouth of the each intake.
3. Head Race Tunnel (HRT): 5 Nos, concrete HRT of 6.6 m diameter for a length of 120 m is
provided under the reservoir bund.
4. Penstocks: The proposed project envisages above ground steel lined penstocks with 4.60
m diameter and 957.0 m long. And steel lined penstocks Tunnel having a length of 500.0
m with 4.60 m diameter.
5. Open pit type Powerhouse & Transformer Yard: The overall dimension of the
Powerhouse is 142m (L) x 24m (W) x 60m (H). Transformer Cavern size is 100.0 m (L) x 20
m (W) x 30 m (H).
5. Tailrace Pool and Tailrace Channel: A tail race pool having a length of 200 m is proposed
which will act as a forebay for pump mode of operation. Tailrace channel having a length
of about 1485 m is envisaged to carry water from powerhouse to lower reservoir and
vice versa.
6. Lower Reservoir & Dam (Rockfill Dam): The Lower reservoir is located in the natural
depression area having potential to create sufficient pondage by providing Rockfill dam
on one side of depression area for creating the reservoir. The maximum height of Rockfill
Dam is 37.85m.
7. Intake cum Jack well pump house and HDPE Pipeline: 0.45 m diameter,4.5 km long HDPE
pipeline is proposed from the jack well pump house (located near the existing Paidipalem
Balancing reservoir) to the lower reservoir for initial filling.
8. Pothead Yard: Considering five numbers of outgoing feeders, 400kV pothead with
tentative area of 140m x 60m has been proposed.
The upper reservoir, about 15% of lower reservoir, penstock and approach road to upper
reservoir falls under administrative control of Andhra Pradesh State Forest Department and
159.84 ha of forest land is required for Project Construction. Diversion of forest land for non-
forest purposes will be involved for construction of upper reservoir of Paidipalem North
project. Therefore, Forest Clearance to be obtained under Forest Conservation Act. The
remaining project components are falls in revenue land i.e., 128.34 ha.
All the project components are proposed outside the Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ). Thus, Wildlife
Protection Act is not applicable for this project.
The proposed Paidipalem North Project is envisaged as a pumped storage scheme with
traditional fixed speed synchronous motor/generator design. The following configuration for
the Turbine generator units has been adopted for the Project:
Table 2.1: Salient Features of Proposed Paidipalem North Pumped Storage Project
S. No. Description Value
i. Full Reservoir Level (FRL) of Upper Reservoir EL 540.0 m
ii. Minimum Drawdown Level (MDDL) of Upper EL 518.0 m
Reservoir
iii. Full Reservoir Level (FRL) of Lower Reservoir EL 308.0 m
Minimum Drawdown Level (MDDL) of Lower
iv. Reservoir EL 280.0 m
v. Installed Capacity of Plant 1000 MW
vi. Number of Units 5 Units
vii. Capacity of each unit 200 MW
viii. Continuous Overload 10%
ix. Type of Power House Pump storage Hydro Plant Surface
x. Gross Head
a Max. Gross Head 260.0 m
b Min. Gross Head 210.0 m
c Rated gross head 235.0 m
xi. Head Loss
A in generation mode 9.5 m
B in Pumping mode 7.5 m
xii. Generating Mode
a Max Net Head 250.50 m
b Min Net Head 202.88 m
c Rated Net Head 221.26 m
d Design Head 221.26 m
xiii. Pumping Mode
a Max Net Head 253.03 m
b Min Net Head 219.31 m
c Rated Net Head 235.83 m
d Design Head 235.83 m
xiv. Total Design Discharge For 5 Units
a Generating Mode 509.59 m3/s
b Pumping Mode 443.53 m3/s
xv. Centre line of generating unit EL 240.0 m
Francis, Reversible Pump Turbine,
xvi. Turbine Type Vertical Shaft, fixed speed
xvii. Generator Type Vertical shaft, Synchronous generator,
Suspended type
xviii. Turbine Efficiency (Generation) 90.5%
xix. Turbine Efficiency (Pumping) 93%
The Paidipalem Balancing reservoir Project envisages storage of 6.00 TMC of water at F.R.L.
+281.00 M. The contemplated ayacut under the project is about 50,000 acres in YSR
Kadapa District. The Paidipalem balancing reservoir has been constructed under Gandikota
Lift Irrigation Scheme.
The proposed upper reservoir will have a gross storage capacity of 11.63 MCM with dead
storage of 1.17 MCM. The proposed lower reservoir will have a gross storage capacity of
26.38 MCM with a dead storage of 0.83 MCM. Higher capacity of the lower reservoir is
proposed to cater the needs of another proposed pumped storage scheme on the
northeast side of the Paidipalem balancing reservoir i.e, Paidipalem East 1200 MW PSP.
First time filling of the lower reservoir will be met from the existing Paidipalem balancing
reservoir by constructing an intake well and by laying one line of HDPE pipes of size 450
mm for a length of 4.5 km. Two numbers of 200 HP motors are considered for pumping the
water. The same pipeline can also be used for meeting evaporation losses in the upper and
lower reservoirs.
Figure 2.3: Layout map of Paidipalem North Project along with intake pipe for initial filling
Out of the total area of land to be acquired, major part would be acquired permanently
while some would be obtained on lease basis for the construction period of the project.
Infrastructure facilities like contractors’ colonies, workshops, stores, etc. would be located
on land acquired on lease basis. And such land will be restored to its original status as far as
possible before returning it to the owners.
The total land requirement for Paidipalem North Pumped Storage Project works out to
approximately 288.18 ha. Out of which, 159.84 ha of land is forest land. The details of the
land to be acquired is reproduced below in Table 2.2, while the details of land required on
temporary basis is discussed below in Table 2.3.
Table 2.2: Land Requirement of Proposed Paidipalem North Pumped Storage Project
S. No. Description Land requirement (ha)
Forest Land
1 Upper reservoir and road area 102.51
2 Penstock and road area 20.23
3 Lower reservoir (Appropriate share with another project) 37.10
Revenue Land
1 Lower Reservoir (Appropriate share with another project) 69.59
3 Powerhouse, TRP, TRC, Penstock 17.74
4 Main Access Tunnel 2.10
5 HDPE Pipeline 6.09
6 Road 12.46
7 Muck disposal site 12.28
8 Township & Office 8.09
Total 288.18
Table 2.3: Land Requirement for Temporary Works of Proposed Paidipalem North PSP
S. No. Description Land requirement (ha)
1 Crushing Plant 1 0.25
2 Batching Plant 1 0.25
3 Crushing Plant 2 0.25
4 Batching Plant 2 0.25
Total 1.00
A total of 288.18 hectares of land will be acquired for construction of various components
of the project. A total of 209.20 ha of land is submerged under water and there is no
habitation coming in the submergence area. As such no population is affected by the
submergence.
The proposed project is planned to be completed within the time duration of 42 Calendar
months (excluding pre-construction activities) after award of works. The work of tendering,
evaluation & award will be carried out expeditiously so that the contractor mobilizes by the
start of working period.
Description
Length (m)
From To
Existing village road Lower reservoir dam 7800
Approach Road Lower reservoir dam 1365
Junction 1 Muck Disposal Area 299
Junction 2 Penstocks 433
Description
Length (m)
From To
Junction 3 Penstocks 995
Lower Reservoir Upper Reservoir 6346
Total length (m) 17238.00
2.9.2 Job facility Yard, Temporary Colony, Contractor facilities, & E&M Stores
OWNER’S COLONY
The owner’s colony would provide for residential as well as office accommodation to its
staff, both for pre and post construction stages. In addition to residential purposes, the
colony would also have facilities for medical aid, firefighting, fuel dispensing outlet,
material testing laboratory, etc. A small workshop or auto shop for upkeep of automobiles
in the post construction period would also be located in the colony.
The planning of the owner’s colony will be carried out by professional town planners and
architects to provide for all amenities in accordance with established norms and practices
in respect of town planning and building architecture. Proper arrangements would be made
for water supply and sanitation of the colony.
CONTRACTORS’ COLONIES
Two separate colonies for the contractor are planned: one for the upper reservoir area and
the other for the lower reservoir and powerhouse area. The colonies would have
permanent and temporary buildings and would provide for residences and offices.
STORAGE FACILITIES
Adequate material supply is the backbone of any job. The storage of material and spares
required for various activities of the project would be efficiently managed. To achieve this,
sufficient storage facilities will be created. A Central Warehouse would be established with
open and covered sheds along with indoor storage facilities near the Powerhouse complex
which would receive all incoming supplies. Cement, reinforcement steel, explosives, and
other job specific items of material could also be sent directly to the respective sites as per
their demand. The warehouse would stock electrical items separately.
Table 2.4: Size and location of aggregate processing and batching plants
S. No. Site Nos. Capacity
1 Aggregate Processing Plant (APP) 02 250 TPH
2 Batching & Mixing (BM) Plant 02 90 m3/hr.
All these Plant & Machinery will be located within the Job facility area.
The toes of the disposal piles would be retained and protected by providing suitably
designed gabion walls erected over concrete bases. Gabion walls would be preferred over
conventional masonry or concrete toe walls because of various reasons. They are easy to
build with locally available stones/boulders from the muck itself. They do not require any
setting/strengthening time as in the case of concrete/masonry walls. Not much technical skill
is required for making gabion walls. Prefabricated gabion boxes of different dimensions
could be used for obtaining better quality and durability.
Table 2.5: Quantity of muck to be generated from different project construction activities
and quantity required to be disposed off
Extra
Usage for Balance
S. Required rock
Project Component Excavation construction of Quantity of
No. fill material
rockfill embankment Muck
Quantity
1 Upper Reservoir 2,900,000.00 2,900,000.00 1,000,000.00 -
2 Lower Reservoir 300,000.00 700,000.00 400,000.00 -
3 Power Intake 65,200.00 65,200.00 - -
4 HRT 30,100.00 - - 30,100.00
5 Penstock Tunnel 64,600.00 - - 64,600.00
6 Powerhouse 644,200.00 644,200.00 - -
7 Draft tube tunnel 23,700.00 - - 23,700.00
8 MAT & ADIT 111,600.00 - - 111,600.00
9 TRP 1,341,000.00 650,400.00 690,600.00
10 TRC 3,153,800.00 - - 3,153,800.00
Total 4,074,400.00
Quantity of Muck disposal 4,074,400.00
Swell Factor 0.8
Total Quantity of Muck
5,093,000.00
disposal
Extra
Usage for Balance
S. Required rock
Project Component Excavation construction of Quantity of
No. fill material
rockfill embankment Muck
Quantity
Rock available for aggregates
3,157,660.00
considering 38% losses
Total quantity of Muck to be
1,935,340.00
dumped
One dumping site has been identified over an area of 12.28 ha area with a total capacity of
1,940,000 cum muck to be accommodated.
As laid down in the Explosive Rules of 1983, a safe distance of 300 m is required to be
maintained from public roads, etc. The area around the magazines would be fenced and a
strong gate would be provided which would be locked always except for the time to store
or issue explosives.
MAGAZINE STRUCTURE
The buildings of the magazines would be constructed as per provisions of e Explosives
Rules, 2008 and its amendment thereof, after getting the building plans approved from the
Petroleum & Explosives Safety Organization (PESO), Hyderabad Circle office. All
requirements for maintaining the safety distances would be met with. Lightening arresting
system as laid out in IS 2309 would be installed, tested and maintained.
The powerhouse and permanent colonies will also be provided with a CHF wireless link to
keep contact with other power stations and sub-stations in the grid. Presently, cellular
networks with 4G connectivity are available in the project area.
Many of the impacts of conventional hydropower projects, such as reduced flow in river and
impact on natural fish habitats, are not there in standalone schemes, which are not on any
river/stream. In addition, during the project design, land requirement has been assessed and
optimized to ensure minimum R&R issues and forest land diversion.
The most reliable option for energy storage is development of pumped storage scheme,
which utilizes the surplus power available during Off-peak period to pump up the water for
storage and meet the On-peak demand by utilizing the stored water during peak demand.
Along with balancing On-peak and Off-peak demands, a pumped storage scheme also helps
in controlling electrical network frequency and stabilizing the operation of grid.
The benefits to the state by setting up of Paidipalem North PSP is summarized below:
a. Peak Power Shortage: The development of Paidipalem North Pumped Storage Project
would address peak power shortage to the extent of 5.74 GWh per day per cycle and
help in giving an impetus to Andhra Pradesh with 24x7 power supply.
b. Cheap solar/wind tariff during off-peak time: Andhra Pradesh has emerged as a front
runner in the country’s renewable energy sector with 2,591 GW of solar power and
4,057 GW of wind power capacity installed as of September 2018. Owing to rich
resource availability, the state has the potential to develop 38 GW of solar and 44 GW
of wind power. With these potential it is expected that the state will have cheap
solar/wind tariff which will be used for pumping of water during off-peak time.
c. Stabilizing the Grid: The National Solar Mission would induct large quantum of
renewable energy to the grid in the years to come and the Solar power would go off the
grid by the end of the day. The pumped storage project (PSP) will be required for
stabilizing the grid and in turn supporting the National Solar Mission and facilitate
induction of renewable energy into the grid.
d. Long Term Asset to the State: The state will own a state-of-the-art Pump storage facility
after the end of concession period of 40 years. The state will benefit from investment of
the money and save its precious resources.
e. Time of Day Tariff and Smart Metering: The Time-of-Day Tariff with smart metering
would be a reality in the next few years. The Pump Storage Scheme would give the
option of maximizing revenue to the state, since it can bring in additional power online
at very short notice anywhere in the grid.
f. Employment and Local Area Development: The setting up of a 1000 MW PSP project
would provide employment to hundred plus technical staff and provide job opportunity
to thousands during the construction phase.
g. The flexibility of Southern Regional grid would also be enhanced by the addition of
1000 MW Paidipalem North PSP and the power system efficiency of the state as well as
Southern Region would increase. Surplus wind/solar/thermal power will be used for
pumping of water. The water thus stored in the upper reservoir during power surplus
periods will be used for meeting peak demand. Hence, Paidipalem North Pumped
Storage Project of 1000 MW capacity in the Kadapa district of Andhra Pradesh is
justified.
Chapter
DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT
3
The baseline data presented in this chapter has been prepared from primary data collected
during field studies which were then supplemented with data/information gathered during
interaction with concerned persons of various government departments and available
literature and reports published by various institutions and organizations.
Study area has been described and delineated in next paragraph of this chapter. It needs to
be mentioned that two projects namely Paidipalem North and Paidipalem East have been
conceived having one common lower reservoir and two separate upper reservoirs one each
for Paidipalem North and Paidipalem East PSPs. Hence, the project area or the direct
impact area within a 10 km radius of the main project components like Existing
Paidipalem Balancing reservoir, proposed Powerhouse, proposed upper and lower
reservoirs and approach roads, etc is common for both the projects and hence,
description of environmental baseline data remains common and same for both the
projects.
Field surveys in the study area were also conducted for ground-truthing and augmenting
the remote sensing data. For this purpose, various attributes such as land features, rivers,
forests, and vegetation types were recorded on the ground.
• Biological Environment: It covers both floral and faunal components, terrestrial and
aquatic. It describes forest type, floristics as well as faunal diversity, the occurrence of
RET species if any, and the presence of sensitive ecosystems like any notified Protected
Areas in the vicinity of the proposed project.
3.1.4 Methodology
While most of the baseline data were collected during the field studies conducted in pre-
monsoon/summer season, it, however, was supplemented with secondary
data/information gathered during interaction with concerned persons of various
government departments and available literature, research articles, and reports published
by various institutions and organizations.
• For the preparation of land use/ land cover map of the study area, digital data on land
use/land cover thematic maps prepared by National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC),
Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) of Dept. of Space with Andhra Pradesh State
Remote Sensing Centre as partner institute was used. The raster data was processed in a
GIS environment for further refinement using bands 5, 4 and 3 of Landsat 9 satellite
data of Path 144 Row 50 dated 01.04.2023, ground truth collected during field surveys,
and the latest imagery of the study area on Google Earth Pro.
• The description of the Geology of the area was sourced from Pre-Feasibility Studies of
the proposed project prepared by the project proponent.
• For information on forests, vegetation, and faunal elements in the area Forest Working
Plan of Kadapa Forest Division, Andhra Pradesh Forest Department was consulted.
• For forest type classification of the forests in the study area, ‘A Revised Survey of the
Forest Types of India’ by Champion and Seth (1968) was followed.
• For assessing the conservation status of plant species as well as faunal species by IUCN
Red List of Threatened Species Version 2022-2, The Indian RED List of Plant Species and
Indian Wildlife Protection (Act) 1972 were consulted.
• To report the plant species along with their uses, published literature was consulted and
cited at the relevant place in the document.
• For describing the socio-economic profile of the study area and available infrastructure
in the area, Village and Town Directory, District Census Handbook, Kadapa, Series -29,
Part-XIIA and Village and Town wise Primary Census Abstracts (PCA) Directory, District
Census Handbook, Kadapa, Series -29, Part-XIIB published by Census of India
Demographic profile of the study area from Census of India 2011, Directorate of Census
Operations, Andhra Pradesh were consulted.
For the preparation of land use/ land cover map of the study area, digital data on land
use/land cover thematic maps prepared by National Remote Sensing Centre (NRSC), Indian
Space Research Organisation (ISRO) of Dept. of Space with Andhra Pradesh State Remote
Sensing Centre as partner institute was used. The raster data was processed in a GIS
environment for further refinement using information from Landsat 9 data, ground truth
collected during field surveys, and the latest imagery of the study area on Google Earth
Pro. The Landsat 9 satellite data of Path 144 Row 50 dated 01.04.2023 was downloaded
from https://earthexplorer.usgs.gov/. From this Landsat 9 data False Color Composite (FCC)
of the study area was generated using bands 3, 4, and 5 (Figure 3.2).
Figure 3.2: FCC generated from Satellite imagery of the study area
b) Soil
To assess the soil fertility at different locations in the study area, soil samples were
collected from 10 locations (refer to Table 3.2 and Figure 3.3). Out of ten sample 5 were
taken from core zone comprised of area considered as direct impact zone of the proposed
project activities and 5 sites were selected in buffer zone i.e. area around the project area
within 10 km radius. These soil samples were analyzed for physical and chemical
characteristics. The sampling site locations on the map are given later in the chapter under
the section on soil describing soil characteristics. Soil samples were taken from the land
under forest, scrubland, and abandoned crop fields and were collected with help of Khurpi
from a depth of 15cm from the surface after removing the grasses and litter, foreign
material like roots, stones, pebbles, and gravel. Samples were collected in a polythene bag
and were brought to the laboratory for analysis. The soil analysis was carried out at the
AGSS Analytical and Research Lab Pvt. Ltd., Delhi (NABL accredited Lab.).
c) Air Environment
The ambient air quality monitoring was carried out at 10 locations in the study area by the
RSET team with the help of a team of NABL accredited laboratory (refer Table 3.3 and
Figure 3.4). The monitoring sites were selected considering sources those might have an
impact on the air quality as well as the prominent wind direction during the monitoring
period in the study area.
Ambient air quality monitoring was carried out for Sulphur Dioxides (SO2), Nitrogen
Dioxides (NO2), PM10, and PM2.5. Air quality monitoring was carried out conforming to the
National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Industrial Residential, Rural & Other Areas, and
Ecologically Sensitive Areas. The location of the monitoring station was finalized keeping in
view the proposed construction area, wind direction, and villages in the vicinity.
Table 3.3: Sites for ambient air quality monitoring in the study area
Site Code Monitoring Location Remarks Latitude Longitude
Core Zone
AQ2 Near Jangamreddipalle Village Residential area 14°40'4" 78°12'1"
AQ3 Near Paidipalem Village Residential area 14°40'5" 78°10'34"
AQ7 Near Paidipalem Balancing Reservoir Residential area 14°41'49" 78°12'35"
Buffer Zone
AQ1 Near Obulapuram Village Residential area 14°43'57" 78°14'38"
AQ4 Near Lavanuru Village Residential area 14°42'20" 78° 9'10"
AQ5 Near S. Timmapuram Village Residential area 14°44'53" 78° 9'3"
AQ6 Near Kondapuram Village Commercial area 14°46'7" 78°11'46"
AQ8 Near Sunkesula Village Residential area 14°39'12" 78°12'41"
AQ9 Nandyalampalle Village Residential area 14°39'40" 78°10'23"
AQ10 Near Bhanukota Temple Residential area 14°41'2" 78°14'60"
Traffic volume data was recorded by physically counting the number of different types of
vehicles passing through a point in a fixed time interval. In some major villages along the
road, towns were considered as nodes for monitoring the movement of traffic. The analysis
of traffic counts provides an estimate of Average Daily Traffic (ADT). To convert recorded
vehicles into a common scale, the Passenger Car Units (PCUs) equivalent factor as per IRC:
64 -1990 was adopted.
Figure 3.3: Map showing the location of Soil (S1-S10) and Vegetation (V1-V7) and Fauna (Tr1-Tr7) sampling sites
Figure 3.4: Map of the study area showing the location of Ambient Air, Noise and Traffic monitoring sites
Water quality parameters were covered as per the standard TOR. The water temperature
was measured with the help of a tester (Hanna instrument). The hydrogen ion
concentration (pH), electrical conductivity, and total dissolved solids were recorded with
the help of pH, EC, and TDS probes of Hanna instruments (Model HI 98130) in the field. For
the analysis of the rest of the parameters, the water samples were collected in
polypropylene bottles from the sampling sites and brought to the laboratory for further
analysis. Parameters analysed were salinity, total alkalinity, calcium, magnesium, total
hardness, chloride, sulphate, nitrogen, phosphate, silicates were analysed at the
AGSS Analytical and Research Lab Pvt Ltd., Delhi (NABL accredited Lab). These parameters
were analysed as per the standard procedures given by Adoni (1980) and APHA (1992) and
Bureau of Indian Standards (BIS): IS 3025 (Indian Standard: methods of sampling and test
(physical and chemical) for water used in industry).
b) Groundwater Quality
For assessing Groundwater samples were collected from 10 locations i.e., from hand
pumps and Borewells in the study area. The location of the sampling points is given in
Table 3.5 & Figure 3.5.
Figure 3.5: Map showing location of Surface water and Groundwater sampling sites
a) Phyto-sociological Studies
Phyto-sociological studies were undertaken to understand the community structure i.e.
species composition, their density, abundance, dominance, and diversity at different
locations in the study area.
i. Sampling Methodology
Standard methods of vegetation sampling were used for quantitative analysis of
community structure. For these quadrats (a sampling unit) of different sizes were used
depending upon the habit.
For sampling of trees, sites located in the deciduous forest area, Scrub Forest, Scrub land as
well as degraded areas near agricultural fields, quadrat size of 10m x 10m was used, and at
each sampling location minimum 10 quadrats were studied for trees. In the case of shrubs,
quadrats of 5m x 5m were laid while for herbs quadrat size of 1m x 1m was used. For
shrubs and herbs, minimum 10 quadrats were laid at each sampling site. At each site, an
area was demarcated where the quadrats were laid randomly to ensure maximum possible
representative coverage of the vegetation of the area. In each quadrat studied for trees,
shrubs, and herbs, the number of individuals of each plant species present was counted.
The data thus obtained was compiled in tabular form and analysed for different attributes
like density, frequency, and basal cover (basal area).
Density = Total no. of individuals of a plant species recorded from all quadrats
Total number of quadrats studied
Abundance = Total no. of individuals of a plant species recorded from all quadrats
Total number of quadrats of occurrence of a species
A/F Ratio was calculated to understand the dispersion pattern of tree species in the area as
suggested by Cottam and Curtis (1956). A/F ratio <0.025 indicates regular distribution,
between 0.025 and 0.05 indicates random distribution while >0.05 indicates clumped or
contagious distribution.
The data on density and basal cover obtained above was then converted into per ha.
Species diversity of the vegetation were calculated by using the Shannon-Wiener Diversity
Index (1963).
The index of diversity was computed by using Shannon Wiener Diversity Index (Shannon
Wiener, 1963) as: H = - Σ (ni/n) x ln (ni/n)
Where, ni is individual density of a species and n is total density of all the species.
The Importance Value Index (IVI) for trees was determined as the sum of relative density,
relative frequency, and relative dominance as per Curtis, 1959.
Cs =
where c is no. of species common with two communities/ S1 is no. of species in community
1 + S2 is no. of species in community 2.
b) Faunal Surveys
The faunal survey was carried out for the species of Mammals, Birds, Herpetofauna, and
butterflies. The study area was divided into different strata based on topography and
vegetation cover. Sampling for habitat and animals was done in different strata. The
normal systematic transects for mammals and birds were laid down on same locations
selected for vegetation sampling.
Most of the descriptions of different environmental components are based upon primary
data collected during field studies as described under methodology sections earlier. This
primary data was validated and supplemented with secondary data collected /information
gathered during interaction with concerned persons of various government departments -
and available literature and reports published by various institutions and organizations.
3.2.1.1 Physiography
To understand the topography of the study are, Digital Elevation Map, Relief map, and
Slope map were prepared from the Digital Elevation Model (DEM) of Shuttle Radar
Topography Mission (SRTM) 1 Arc-Second Global Digital Terrain Elevation Data (DTED).
Data was downloaded from https://earthexplorer.usgs.gov/ from which mask of the study
was extracted to prepare above mentioned thematic maps. These maps are given in
Figures 3.6, 3.7 & 3.8.
Accordingly, Digital Elevation Model (DEM) was generated from SRTM data and the same is
given in Figure 3.6 and according to it, the study area lies between 195 m to 556 m
elevation. From the DEM, then relief map of the study area was prepared and according to
it, about 83% of the project study area lies in 200 m to 300 m elevation band (refer Figure
3.7 and Table 3.7) and about 10% of the study area lies in 300 m to 400 m elevation band.
A slope map of the study area and data are given in Figure 3.8 and Table 3.8, it shows that
most of the area is gently sloping to moderately sloping as about 85% of the area is falling in
this category.
3.2.1.2 Drainage
The Paidipalem North PSP is an Off Stream Closed Loop Pumping Storage Project, which
will comprise two reservoirs that are to be constructed newly. Water from the fore shores
of Gandikota reservoir, which is constructed on Pennar River, will be lifted to Paidipalem
balancing Reservoir. The proposed Pumped Storage project utilises water from the existing
Paidipalem Balancing reservoir. A separate lower reservoir is envisaged towards North of
Paidipalem Balancing Reservoir. Chtravathi river is the tributary of Pennar River.
3.2.1.3 Geology
Understanding geology is of prime importance for any environmental or natural hazard
protection and for minimizing/managing the adverse impacts of the project. The Stability of
the engineering structures depends on the basement rocks and active geological processes
of the region where the project is being developed. The description of Geology is based
upon PFR prepared by the project proponent. The description of Geology is based upon
Pre-Feasibility studies of the project proponent. The brief of the geological aspects is
discussed below in the following paragraphs.
a. Regional Geology
Regional Geology gives a broad spectrum of geological set up in and around the project
site, which includes lithological assemblages/variations, stratigraphy and structural
features. Knowledge of Regional geological set up is necessary in order to correlate and
establish proper stratigraphic sequence of the area, to interpreting the subsurface
exploratory data and geophysical data, if any, and to assess suitability of the proposed
structures in the given geological framework, select suitable alignments and provide
accurate geological baseline data helpful to the designer to come out with judicious,
innovative geological friendly and most economic designs.
The YSR District (Kadapa) is underlain by various rock types that belong to the Late
Archaean or Early Proterozoic era which are succeeded by rocks of the Darwinian Age, and
both are traversed by dolerite dykes. The older rocks are overlain by rocks of the Cuddapah
Supergroup and Kurnool Group belonging to the Middle and Upper Proterozoic Age. The
Cuddapah Sedimentary Basin, which is a huge depression formed over the denuded
surfaces of older rocks extending into neighbouring districts occupies a major part of the
district. The major rock types are quartzites, shales, limestones, phyllites, granites,
granodiorites, and granite gneiss. The Archaean comprises the Peninsular Gneissic
Complex, represented by granite, granodiorite, granite-gneiss and migmatite. These rock
types occur in the Southwestern part of the district. Both the Archaean and Dharwad are
traversed by dolerite dykes and quartz reefs.
i. Upper Reservoir
The upper reservoir area has been classified under the Quartzite of Paniam formation in
the Kurnool group.
further excavated for a depth of 14.3 m. Quartzite rock is expected to encounter at the
intake structure area.
Project Area
3.2.1.4 Hydrology
The proposed pumped storage project has envisaged new lower and upper reservoirs with
a gross storage capacity of 0.93 TMC and 0.46 TMC respectively. The same new lower
reservoir is considered for another Pumped Storage project (Paidipalem East 1200 MW
PSP) in the vicinity, hence higher storage capacity has been considered. The details of
upper reservoirs of both the PSPs and the proposed lower reservoir for the PSPs are given
below:
Proposed Lower Reservoir (Common for Paidipalem East & North PSPs)
FRL 308 M
MDDL 280 M
Reservoir Bed Level 270 M
Gross storage capacity 26.38 MCM (0.93 TMC)
Live storage capacity 25.55 MCM (0.9 TMC)
The upper reservoir has no self-catchment area and for the lower reservoir it is about 6.5
Sq. Km. Water will be drawn from the Paidipalem Balancing Reservoir for the first-time and
the replenishment of water also sourced from the same reservoir. The Paidipalem
Balancing Reservoir has a nominal ayacut of 50,000 acre against its storage capacity of 6
TMC. There are no ongoing or proposed irrigation or water supply schemes at present. The
Govt. of AP will be requested to allocate one time filling of water as well as replenishment
water from Paidipalem balancing reservoir or Gandikota reservoir. Allotment from State
Government for water required for one time filling of lower reservoir from Paidipalem
Balancing Reservoir as well as for annual recoupment of evaporation losses in both
reservoir has been issued.
The self-catchment area of the proposed new lower reservoir for the Paidipalem East and
North Projects is 6.5 sq. km. The Peak discharge for the self-catchment area of lower
reservoir has been worked out as 62.2 cumec. The annual yield into the reservoir is worked
out as 1.0 MCM. The total evaporation losses in the upper and lower reservoirs are
estimated as 2.0 MCM. The water required for the evaporation losses can be met from
annual rainfall yield and remaining the evaporation losses will be met from either
Paidipalem Balancing reservoir.
The study of daily reservoir levels of Paidipalem Balancing Reservoir and as gathered from
the concerned department officials, the water levels in the Paidipalem Balancing Reservoir
since its commencement in 2019 has not gone below 5 TMC.
Since the water utilisation for the project is on a non-consumptive basis, it can be
concluded that the project has sufficient water throughout its life cycle.
The depth to water levels 10 -20 m is observed in north-western and south-eastern part of
the district.
3.2.1.8 Meteorology
The study area of the project lies in the YSR (Kadapa) District, which experiences mostly hot
summer and dry climate except in the monsoon season. The south-west monsoon rainfall
occurs from June to September in the study area with maximum rainfall occurring between
these months. The temperature in the command area starts rising in February and attains its
maximum value in May and then decreases. May and January are the hottest and coldest
months of the year, respectively. In summer, though day temperature remains high, nights are
colder and pleasant. The meteorological data for Kondapuram location of YSR (Kadapa) District
were downloaded from the online weather portal https://www.worldweatheronline.in/.
Monthly averages of data on temperature, rainfall, relative humidity, and wind speed for the
last 10 years 2013-2022 are given in Annexure-IIIa. A brief account of different meteorological
attributes is given in the succeeding paragraphs.
a) Temperature
The temperature of the study area recorded monthly data for the year from 2013 to 2022.
In the study area, the average maximum temperature of 39.2°C was recorded during April.
The average minimum temperature of 19.5°C was recorded during January (the reference
year 2013-2022). The monthly variation of average maximum and minimum temperatures
is shown in Figure 3.11.
b) Relative Humidity
The relative humidity is generally low throughout the year, except during post monsoon
month when the average humidity in the study area is close to 68% in December. The
summer months are generally the dry months of the year with average humidity as low as
32% in the study area (the reference year 2013-2022). The average monthly variation in
humidity is given in Figure 3.11.
c) Rainfall
The area receives maximum rainfall during the south-west monsoon i.e. between June and
October (Figure 3.12) when about 65.3% of the annual average rainfall is received and
34.7% of the annual average rainfall occurs between October and November post-
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monsoon or retreating monsoon season. The mean annual average rainfall of Kondapuram
tehsil of YSR (Kadapa) District was recorded as 890.9 mm. Maximum Rainfall in the area
was recorded in 2020 with an annual rainfall of 1366.89 mm with 71 rainy days. Minimum
annual rainfall was recorded in the year 2014 with an annual average of 506.49 mm (see
Figure 3.13).
Figure 3.12: Mean Monthly Average Rainfall and Number of Rainy Days in the study area for the
Years 2013-2022
Figure 3.13: Annual Rainfall for the last decade in the study area (reference Years 2013-2022)
d) Wind Speed
The wind speed is higher during the monsoon period as compared to the post-monsoon
period. The average maximum wind speed of 7.49 m/s is observed during July. Monthly
variation in wind speed during reference years 2013-2022 is given in Figure 3.14.
Wind speed and direction data is useful in identifying the influence of meteorology on the
air quality of the area. Based on the world weather online meteorological data, wind-rose
diagrams i.e. the diagrammatic representation of wind speed and wind direction were
generated for April 2023 to June 2023. Wind-rose diagrams of the study are given in Figure
3.15 and a summary of the same is given in Table 3.10. Detailed hourly and daily month-
wise data on wind direction is given in Annexure-IIIb.
Figure 3.14: Mean Monthly Average Max Wind Speed in the study area
The predominant maximum wind speed is (51.66%) and wind blow from North direction,
followed by second predominant wind direction from North North-east (20.42%) during
June 2023 and minimum wind speed is (20.97%) and wind blow from the North direction,
followed by second predominant wind direction North-east (15.33%) during May 2023.
April 2023
May 2023
June 2023
Figure 3.15: Wind Rose diagram
3.2.1.9 Soil
In general, Soils in the study area of two types i.e., Red Ferruginous and Black Soils. Black
Clay is the most superior soil in the district, which occupies 23.7% area in the district.
As seen from Table 3.11 and Figure 3.16, the majority of the study area including the area
around the upper and lower reservoir fall under Soil unit 9 (36.74%) characterized as Very
Fine Montmorillonitic, Hyperthermic Typic Haplusterts comprised of very dark greyish
brown soil.
Bulk density reflects the soil’s ability to function for structural support, water and solute
movement, and soil aeration. Most of the soils in the study area are Clay Laon, Loam and
Sandy Loam soil. On an average bulk density of soil is Medium due to presence of sand
content and varied from 1.08 to 1.85 (g/cc). Porosity and water holding capacity is
generally medium in the area thereby affecting the permeability of the soil as porosity
varied between 32% and 49% while water holding capacity varied between 36% and 56%.
Soil in the study area has moderately alkaline to neutral soil. Electrical conductivity varied
between 120 µS/cm and 340 µS/cm which is measure of soluble salts i.e., salinity. EC of soil
up to 2000 µS/cm is considered non-saline soil (see Table 3.12).
S.
Test Parameter S1 S2 S3 S4 S5 S6 S7 S8 S9 S10 S11
No.
11 Chloride Content (mg/kg) 96 93 132 102 190 140 98 89 109 119 110
12 Organic Carbon (%) 0.54 0.69 0.49 0.45 0.45 0.46 0.4 0.45 0.56 0.65 0.54
13 SAR 1.7 4.0 3.4 3.9 3.4 1.9 2.8 3.0 1.9 3.9 2.1
14 Available Phosphorus (kg/ha) 12 19 21 26 28 30 27 12 27 29 26
15 Available Nitrogen (kg/ha) 136 130 146 146 210 190 190 180 230 180 145
16 Available Potassium (kg/ha) 280 240 320 310 290 220 320 240 340 310 260
17 Salinity (ppt) <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01 <0.01
Soil fertility status of the area was assessed based upon soil test results and based upon
Soil Fertility Rating given in the table below.
Organic carbon an important indicator of soil health is in the ‘Low’ to ‘Medium’ range
throughout the study area (see Table 3.13). The soil fertility rating in terms of nitrogen was
observed in the ‘Low’ range. Phosphorus and potassium observed in the ‘Medium’ to ‘High’
range in the study area.
The soil fertility in the study area, in general, is based upon Nutrient Index in terms of NPK
as above in the case of Nitrogen is ‘Low’, whereas Phosphorus and Potassium are ‘High’
Nutrient Index.
c) Conclusions
• Soil in the YSR (Kadapa) District is characterized as Red Ferruginous and Black Soils.
Black Clay is the most superior soil in the district.
• Soil of the study area is Clay Laon, Loam and Sandy Loam Soil.
• In general, all the physical and chemical soil quality indicators reflect the good quality
of the soil.
• The soil fertility based upon Nutrient Index in terms of NPK shows that Potassium and
Phosphorus are in the ‘High’ range but the Nitrogen fertility status of the soil is ‘Low’.
S3: Near Maddulapaya Village S4: Proposed Paidipalem East Upper Reservoir
a) PM2.5 levels
PM2.5 levels were maximum at monitoring site AQ6 located near Kondapuram Village with
45.5 g/m3 and minimum levels of PM2.5 was recorded at site AQ7 near Paidipalem
Balancing Reservoir where levels were 13.4 g/m3 in the study area (Table 3.14).
b) PM10 levels
PM2.5 levels were maximum at monitoring site AQ6 located near Kondapuram Village with
76.7 g/m3 and minimum levels of PM2.5 was recorded at site AQ7 near Paidipalem
Balancing Reservoir where levels were 34.7 g/m3 in the study area (Table 3.14).
Similarly, NO2 were maximum at site AQ6 near Kondapuram Village with 15.1 g/m3 and
minimum levels of NO2 recorded at site AQ7 near Paidipalem Balancing Reservoir was 5.0
g/m3 (Table 3.14).
Table 3.14: Ambient Air Quality in the study area (unit: μg/m3)
Pre-monsoon Season
Sampling Parameters (μg/m3)
Monitoring Location Monitoring Schedule
Code PM2.5 PM10 SO2 NO2
24-04-2023 to 25-04-2023 36.8 66.5 7.7 9.8
27-04-2023 to 28-04-2023 35.8 65.6 7.6 10.1
01-05-2023 to 02-05-2023 40.2 56.5 7.8 10.2
04-05-2023 to 05-05-2023 37.4 60.1 7.6 10.1
08-05-2023 to 09-05-2023 40.2 58.9 7.5 11.2
AQ1 Near Obulapuram Village 11-05-2023 to 12-05-2023 40.2 58.7 7.7 10.9
15-05-2023 to 16-05-2023 37.1 57.8 7.8 10.3
18-05-2023 to 19-05-2023 38.8 59.8 7.5 10.6
Min 35.8 56.5 7.5 9.8
Max 40.2 66.5 7.8 11.2
Average 38.3 60.5 7.7 10.4
25-04-2023 to 26-04-2023 16.7 40.5 4.5 5.5
28-04-2023 to 29-04-2023 16.7 40.3 4.8 5.3
02-05-2023 to 03-05-2023 17.6 43.3 4.6 5.5
05-05-2023 to 06-05-2023 15.6 42.3 4.8 5.2
09-05-2023 to 10-05-2023 17.6 40.8 4.6 5.6
AQ2 Near Jangamreddipalle Village
12-05-2023 to 13-05-2023 15.6 41.5 4.9 5.3
16-05-2023 to 17-05-2023 17.6 44.2 4.9 5.4
19-05-2023 to 20-05-2023 17.6 42.5 4.5 5.5
Min 15.6 40.3 4.5 5.2
Max 17.6 44.2 4.9 5.6
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The results of monitoring show that PM2.5, PM10, SO2, and NO2 levels at all the sites are well
within the Residential & Rural area permissible limits prescribed by National Ambient Air
Quality Standard 2009 notified by CPCB. Air quality was also assessed using 24h averages of
PM2.5, PM10, SO2, and NO2 levels in the AQI calculator of CPCB and calculated AQI values
given in the table below. These also show the AQ1, AQ3, AQ4, AQ5 and AQ6 site is fall
under ‘Satisfactory’ category and rest of the sampling locations fall under ‘Good’ category
in the study area.
night time, as well as day-night average, were calculated. Maximum noise level recoded at
NT7/Near Kondapuram Village and minimum at NT9/Near Paidipalem Balancing Reservoir
in the study area.
Table 3.15: Equivalent Noise levels (Leq dB(A) in the study area
CPCB Limits
Leq Leq Leq Day
Site Category of Day Night
Monitoring Location Day Night and Night
Code Area/Zone Time Time
dB(A) dB(A) dB(A)
dB(A) dB(A)
NT1 Near Jangamreddipalle Village Residential Area 47.3 36.5 47.0 55 45
NT2 Near Maddulapaya Village Residential Area 45.8 35.3 45.6 55 45
NT3 Near Ravulakolanu Village Residential Area 48.8 37.7 48.4 55 45
NT4 Near Paidipalem Village Residential Area 47.8 36.9 47.5 55 45
NT5 Near Lavanuru Village Residential Area 50.4 38.9 49.9 55 45
NT6 Near Chitravathi River Bridge Commercial Area 59.2 45.6 58.1 65 55
NT7 Near Kondapuram Village Commercial Area 60.2 46.4 59.1 65 55
NT8 Near Obulapuram Village Commercial Area 59.7 46.0 58.6 65 55
NT9 Near Paidipalem Balancing Reservoir Residential Area 45.4 35.0 45.2 55 45
NT10 Near Bhanukota Temple Residential Area 48.3 37.2 47.9 55 45
As seen from Table 3.15 equivalent sound levels during daytime as well as night-time were
within prescribed standards of CPCB. This is because the area is away from any major noise
source, little traffic movement and the only activity is contributing to noise is the running
of agricultural equipment, running of tube wells, movement of people, etc.
Conclusion
As seen from the results of ambient air quality monitoring the air quality is good and
satisfactory in the study area and noise levels are also well within permissible limits as per
CPCB standards. This is mainly due to the absence of major industrial establishments and a
low volume of traffic in the study area.
The Permissible limit for Total Hardness (as CaCO3) concentration as per Drinking Water
Standards IS 10500: 2012 is 200 (mg/l). Based upon the Total Hardness concentration in
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water samples collected from different locations, the water is under the ‘Hard’ water to
‘Very hard’ water category as per the standards given in the table below.
Surface water samples were collected from Existing Paidipalem reservoir, Maddulapaya
Pond, Timmapuram reservoir and Chiravathi River in the study area. Results of surface
water quality analysis (Table 3.17) was compared with the Water Quality Criteria of Central
Pollution Control Board (http://www.cpcb.nic.in /WaterQuality Criteria.php) (Table 3.18).
All the samples collected from study area do not fall under Class ‘A’, ‘B’ or ‘C’. The surface
water in the study area at all the locations fall under Class ‘D’ i.e. designated best use of
Propagation of Wildlife and Fisheries according to CPCB, Water Quality Criteria (see
highlighted row). This is because of higher Biochemical Oxygen Demand i.e. >3mg/l even
though count of total coliform is less than 500 MPN/100 ml, pH is between 6.5 and 8.5 and
Dissolved oxygen is more than 5 mg/l (Table 3.18).
Table 3.18: Water Quality Criteria for designated Best Use by CPCB, New Delhi
Designated-Best-Use Class of water Criteria
Drinking-Water Source Total Coliforms Organism MPN/100ml shall be 50 or less
without conventional pH between 6.5 and 8.5
A
treatment but after Dissolved Oxygen 6mg/l or more
disinfection Biochemical Oxygen Demand 5 days 200C 2mg/l or less
Total Coliforms Organism MPN/100ml shall be 500 or less,
Outdoor bathing (Organised) B pH between 6.5 and 8.5, Dissolved Oxygen 5mg/l or more
Biochemical Oxygen Demand 5 days 200C 3mg/l or less
Drinking water source after Total Coliforms Organism MPN/100ml shall be 5000 or
conventional treatment and C less, pH between 6 and 9, Dissolved Oxygen 4mg/l or more
disinfection Biochemical Oxygen Demand 5 days 200C 3mg/l or less
Propagation of Wildlife and pH between 6.5 to 8.5, Dissolved Oxygen 4mg/l or more
D
Fisheries Free Ammonia (as N) 1.2 mg/l or less
Irrigation, Industrial Cooling, pH between 6.0 and 8.5
Controlled Waste disposal Electrical Conductivity at 250C micromhos/cm Max.2250
E
Sodium Absorption Ratio Max. 26
Boron Max. 2mg/l
Below-E Not Meeting A, B, C, D & E Criteria
Sodium Adsorption Ratio (SAR) is an irrigation water quality parameter used in the
management of sodium-affected soils. It is calculated using Sodium, Calcium, and
Magnesium concentrations expressed in meq/L. At a given SAR, the infiltration rate
increases as salinity increases or the other way around. Therefore, SAR and EC are used in
combination to evaluate potential problems.
In the present study, Electrical conductivity values varied between 50 µS/cm and 1080
µS/cm while SAR varied from 1.7 to 2.6 (see Table 3.17). All the samples from the study
area have SAR below 10.
Table 3.19: Classification for infiltration and permeability parameters for irrigation water
suitability
SAR
Rating Suitability
<3 3–6 6 – 12 12– 20 >20
>700 >1200 >1900 >2900 >5000 3 High
EC (µS/cm) 700-200 1200-300 1900-500 2900-1300 5000 -2900 2 Medium
<200 <300 <500 <1300 <2900 1 Low
(Source: Simsek and Gunduz, 2007; Spandana et al. 2013)
Based upon the classification of Irrigation water suitability given in the table above (Table
3.19) and SAR and EC values highlighted in Table 3.17 the suitability of water for irrigation
is High.
The analysis of water quality, therefore, is based upon 9 parameters as defined for WQI
above and based upon the score at each sampling site water quality has been designated
as Excellent, Good, Medium, etc. as per the range defined in the table below.
The water quality index based upon the above parameters is given in the table below.
SW1 SW2 SW3 SW4
WQI
67.0 68.27 65.7 68.5
According to WQI values obtained for pre-monsoon season surface water quality, in
general, is in the ‘Medium’ category in all the sampling locations in the study area.
Analytical results of Groundwater samples were compared with drinking water standards
IS-10500:2012 to assess the status of Groundwater taken from tube wells and hand pumps
as this water is used for drinking purposes in villages. All the samples were found within
permissible limits as per drinking water standards prescribed by CPCB.
Based upon DWQI range calculated based formula using parameters they have categorized
the Groundwater into different groups as follows:
The DWQI calculated for Groundwater samples collected from different locations in the
study area is given in the table below. According to DWQI tabulated in the table below all
the samples of groundwater fall in ‘Excellent’ water quality class. In general, Groundwater
is under the Very Hard category as stated in the next paragraph, water from hand pumps
or bore wells can be fit for drinking after conventional treatment.
Even though Total Hardness (as CaCO3) concentration in the Groundwater samples from
study area as per Drinking Water Standards IS 10500: 2012 is within permissible limits i.e.
<600 (mg/l), based upon the Total Hardness concentration in water samples collected from
different locations/sources, the Groundwater is under ‘Very Hard water’ category as per
the standards given in the table below.
The results of Groundwater Quality in the present compare very well with the earlier
studies undertaken in ‘Ground Water Year Book 2021-22 Andhra Pradesh’ by Central
Groundwater Board, Southern Region, Ministry of Water Resources, River Development
and Ganga Rejuvenation, Government of India (2021-22). In that also it was concluded that
groundwater in the study area belongs to the ‘Good’ water quality category.
SW3: Near Timmapuram reservoir SW4: Chitravathi river near Penjuvvi Village
3.2.2.3 Conclusion
Surface water
• All the samples collected from study area do not fall under Class ‘A’, ‘B’ or ‘C’. The surface
water in the study area at all the locations fall under Class ‘D’ i.e. designated best use of
Propagation of Wildlife and Fisheries according to CPCB, Water Quality Criteria
• Based upon CPCB guidelines as well the WQI calculated above the water in the study area
lies in ‘Medium’ category.
Groundwater
• According to BIS standards for Drinking Water (2012) all the Groundwater samples
collected from the study area fall within permissible limits of the same.
• According to DWQI all the samples of groundwater fall in ‘Excellent’ water quality class.
• In general, Groundwater is under the ‘Very Hard’ category, water from hand pumps or bore
wells can be fit for drinking after conventional treatment.
3.2.3.2 Floristics
a. Objectives: The objectives of the present floristic study were as follows:
• To prepare an inventory of various plant species found in the study area
• To assess the vegetation composition and community structure in the study area in
different land uses.
The inventory of plant species in the study area was prepared by using data in available
published literature. The nomenclature of the plant species was followed as per
https://wfoplantlist.org/plant-list.
b. Taxonomic diversity
As per data collected from field survey, an inventory of 89 plant species of angiosperm and
1 species (Cycas beddomei) belongs to gymnosperm, has been prepared and listed below in
Table 3.22. The list includes 25 tree species, 17 Shrub, 33 species of herbs, 8 species of
climbers and 7 species of grasses.
The detail inventory of Plant species reported from the study area has been prepared
based on primary survey and same has been supplemented with available secondary data.
An inventory of 228 species of plants belonging to angiosperms and 1 species (Cycas
beddomei) of gymnosperm, was compiled which includes plant species found in forested
areas, scrub land, near agricultural fields and settlements, abandoned land, etc. List of
flowering plant species (angiosperms) recorded from the area is given in Annexure IV. This
list includes 67 species of trees, 62 species of shrubs, 67 species of herbs, 18 species of
climbers and 14 species of grasses. Most of the vegetation is found mainly in the forest
area.
Based on the plant species reported from the study area, Fabaceae was found to be the
most dominant family with 35 plant species, which was followed by Apocynaceae (15
species), Malvaceae (12 species), Poaceae (12 species), Rubiaceae (11 species) and
Asteraceae (11 species) Details of plant species reported during the field surveys within
families are given in Table 3.23.
As per the Red list of Indian Plants published by Botanical Survey of India, no Endemic or
RET species among was recorded from the study area.
The conservation status following the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Version 2022-2
downloaded from www.iucnredlist.org is listed in the table below. The majority of the
species have not been assessed yet by IUCN (2022-2). Out of 229 species reported from the
area, 84 species have been assessed. Among these species, 6 plant species viz. Borassus
flabellifer, Cycas beddomei, Pterocarpus santalinus, Tectona grandis, Syzygium
alternifolium and Isonandra villosa are listed under Endangered (EN) category, Chloroxylon
swietenia under Vulnerable (VU) category and Pterocarpus marsupium is listed under Near
Threatened (NT) category of IUCN ver. 2022-2. While other species are listed either under
the Least Concern (LC) or Data deficient (DD) category (see Table 3.24 below).
Conservation Status
S. No Family Botanical Name IUCN 2022-2
34 Fabaceae Albizia amara LC
35 Fabaceae Albizia lebbeck LC
36 Fabaceae Butea monosperma LC
37 Fabaceae Cassia fistula LC
38 Fabaceae Dalbergia sissoo LC
39 Fabaceae Dichrostachys cinerea LC
40 Fabaceae Gliricidia Maculata LC
41 Fabaceae Hardwickia binata LC
42 Fabaceae Mimosa pudica LC
43 Fabaceae Phyllodium pulchellum LC
44 Fabaceae Pongamia pinnata LC
45 Fabaceae Pterocarpus marsupium NT
46 Fabaceae Pterocarpus santalinus EN
47 Fabaceae Rhynchosia minima LC
48 Fabaceae Senegalia pennata LC
49 Fabaceae Senna occidentalis LC
50 Fabaceae Vachellia karroo LC
51 Fabaceae Vachellia nilotica LC
52 Lamiaceae Premna tomentosa LC
53 Lamiaceae Tectona grandis EN
54 Lythraceae Woodfordia fruticosa LC
55 Malvaceae Bombax ceiba LC
56 Malvaceae Grewia hirsuta LC
57 Malvaceae Grewia tenax LC
58 Malvaceae Urena lobata LC
59 Malvaceae Waltheria indica LC
60 Meliaceae Azadirachta indica LC
61 Molluginaceae Glinus oppositifolius LC
62 Moraceae Ficus racemosa LC
63 Moraceae Ficus religiosa LC
64 Moringaceae Moringa oleifera LC
65 Myrtaceae Eucalyptus globulus LC
66 Myrtaceae Syzygium alternifolium EN
67 Myrtaceae Syzygium cumini LC
68 Nelumbonaceae Nelumbo nucifera DD
69 Phyllanthaceae Flueggea leucopyrus LC
70 Phyllanthaceae Phyllanthus emblica LC
71 Poaceae Eragrostis Unioloides LC
72 Rhamnaceae Ziziphus jujuba LC
73 Rubiaceae Catunaregam spinosa LC
74 Rutaceae Atalantia monophylla LC
75 Rutaceae Chloroxylon swietenia VU
76 Rutaceae Murraya koenigii LC
77 Salicaceae Flacourtia indica LC
78 Sapindaceae Cardiospermum halicacabum LC
79 Sapindaceae Dodonaea viscosa LC
80 Sapotaceae Isonandra villosa EN
81 Solanaceae Physalis angulata LC
82 Verbenaceae Gmelina asiatica LC
83 Verbenaceae Vitex negundo LC
84 Zygophyllaceae Tribulus terrestris LC
IUCN Ver. 2022-2 - International Union for Conservation of Nature; DD – Data Deficient; LC - Least
Concern; VU: Vulnerable; NT: Near Threatened; EN: Endangered
The Red Sander (Pterocarpus santalinus) species, endemic to Chittoor, Kadapa, Kurnool and
Nellore Districts in Andhra Pradesh. There is huge demand for its heart wood in the
international market. The wood of Red Sanders has historically been valued in Eastern part of
Asian Continent for Chinese hardwood furniture and has been used for making the bridge
and musical instrument. However, at present the felling and export of Red Sander is illegal in
India.
The other main timber species in the forest area are Terminalia elliptica, Anogeissus latifolia,
Tectona grandis, Toona ciliata, Haldina cordifolia, etc.
During the field survey information regarding such plants was gathered from meetings with
knowledgeable and elderly persons from villages located in the study area. Besides, data and
information on these plant species were also collected through secondary sources by
consulting literature and published reports. Ethnobotanical uses of plants for medicinal
purposes by the people have been studied by Reddy et.al. (2015), Reddy and Reddy (2014),
Maheshwari et. al. (2012) and Silori et.al. (2005)
Based upon the studies quoted above and information gathered during interaction with local
people while conducting field surveys a list of important medicinal plant species used for
treating various ailments were prepared and the same is given in Table 3.25.
Table 3.25: List of Plant Species found in the study area used for medicinal purposes
S. No. Botanical Name Vernacular Name Medicinal Uses
1 Abutilon indicum Adavibenda Leaf paste applied for toothache
2 Acalypha indica Kuppi Leaf juice used as a lotion for skin eruptions
Root bark soaked in a glass of water and taken
3 Alangium salvifolium Oodaga
orally for next day morning for stomach disorders
Psoriasis: Stem barks extract given orally and past as
4 Albizia lebbeck Dirasana
application.
5 Alternanthera sessili Ponnagantiaku Tender twigs used as a curry for eye diseases
6 Argemone mexicana Bramhadandi Cough: Leaf decoction given orally.
The root decoction is used in dyspepsia and as an
7 Bauhinia racemosa Madapaku chettu
antidote to snake poison or bites.
8 Boswelia serrata Guggilapuman Snake bite: Stem bark extract given orally.
Asthma: Seed paste is taken orally along with fresh
9 Butea monosperma Moduga
cow’s milk early in the morning for 20 days.
10 Cadaba fruticosa Adamorinika Leaf paste as application on the white spots.
Calophyllum Seed paste used as an external application for body
11 Ponna chettu
inophyllum swellings
12 Capparis sepiaria Nalluppi Root, Shoot and Sap swallowed for three days.
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Table 3.26: Other economically important plant species in the study area
S. No. Family Botanical Name Uses
1 Malvaceae Abutilon indicum Fibre
2 Alangiaceae Alangium salviifolium Timber
3 Fabaceae Albizia amara Timber
4 Fabaceae Albizia lebbeck Timber
5 Amaranthaceae Alternanthera sessilis Vegetable
6 Combretaceae Anogeissus latifolia Gum and Resin
7 Rutaceae Atalantia monophylla Timber
8 Meliaceae Azadirachta indica Timber
9 Arecaceae Borassus flabellifer Fibre
10 Phyllanthaceae Bridelia montana Timber
11 Fabaceae Butea monosperma Dye, Gum and Resin
12 Apocynaceae Calotropis gigantea Fibre
13 Apocynaceae Carissa carandas Edible
14 Apocynaceae Carissa hirsuta Edible
15 Apocynaceae Carissa spinarum Edible
16 Fabaceae Cassia fistula Timber
17 Rutaceae Chloroxylon swietenia Timber
18 Fabaceae Dalbergia sissoo Timber
19 Bignoniaceae Dolichandrone crispa Firewood
20 Moraceae Ficus religiosa Firewood
21 Malvaceae Grewia hirsuta Timber, Fibre
22 Fabaceae Hardwickia binata Timber, Fibre
23 Sterculiaceae Helicteres isora Fibre
24 Anacardiaceae Mangifera indica Edible
25 Moringaceae Moringa oleifera Vegetable
26 Rutaceae Murraya koenigii Vegetable
27 Apocynaceae Nerium oleander Ornamental
28 Oxalidaceae Oxalis corniculata Dye
29 Lamiaceae Premna tomentosa Timber
30 Fabaceae Prosopis juliflora Firewood
31 Fabaceae Pterocarpus santalinus Timber, Dye
32 Fabaceae Senegalia chundra Gum and Resin
33 Myrtaceae Syzygium cumini Edible
34 Combretaceae Terminalia bellirica Timber
35 Combretaceae Terminalia catappa Edible
36 Fabaceae Vachellia nilotica Gum and Resin
37 Verbenaceae Vitex negundo Dye
38 Apocynaceae Wrightia tinctoria Timber, Dye
39 Rhamnaceae Ziziphus jujuba Firewood, Edible
40 Rhamnaceae Ziziphus nummularia Firewood, Edible
41 Rhamnaceae Ziziphus oenoplia Firewood, Edible
42 Rhamnaceae Ziziphus xylopyrus Firewood, Edible
addition to Paddy the other crop in the district area Groundnut, Coriander, Sunflower,
Cotton, Redgram, Bengalgram etc. As per Agriculture Contingency Plan for District Kadapa,
the district is also rich in horticulture products like Mango, Orange & Batavian, Banana,
Lemon and Papaya are most common fruit crop grown in the area. The most cultivated
vegetable crops are Chillies, Onion, Tomato, etc.
Under storey consist of the thorny shrub species like Carissa hirsuta, Ziziphus oenoplia,
Catunaregam spinosa and Vachellia horrida. Other shrub species growing in the study area
are Calotropis gigantea, Waltheria indica, Grewia orbiculata, Senna auriculata, Dodonaea
viscosa, Lantana camara, Murraya koenigii, Nerium oleander, Ixora parviflora, etc.
The ground cover in the scrub forest and scrub lands was mostly characterized by degraded
and rocky lands and comprised the grass species like Aristida hystrix, Heteropogon
contortus, Chrysopogon zizanioides, and Eragrostis Unioloides with a few herb species like
Crotalaria Pusilla, Xanthium strumarium, Solanum surattense, Achyranthes aspera,
Phyllanthus niruri, Mesosphaerum suaveolens, Evolvulus alsinoides, Senna tora, Laggera
aurita, Sida cordata, Pulicaria wightiana, Euphorbia prostrata, Alternanthera sessilis,
Oldenlandia affinis, Cyanotis axillaris, etc.
The agricultural fields are mostly represented by the plantation of fruit species like Citrus
sinensis (Orange). Other plant species growing near agricultural fields and settlements are
Azadirachta indica, Mangifera indica, Ziziphus xylopyrus, Senegalia chundra, Vachellia
nilotica, Calotropis gigantea, Lantana camara, Nerium oleander, Murraya koenigii, etc.
a. Community Structure
The description of vegetation structure at different sampling locations is given in the
following paragraphs.
i. TREES
During the sampling, 19 species of trees were recorded from the different sampling sites.
Based on the estimated density of all tree species, Senegalia chundra was found to be the
most dominant tree species in forest area, which was followed by Ziziphus xylopyrus,
Prosopis juliflora, Dolichandrone crispa, Albizia amara, Vachellia nilotica, etc. In the study
area, maximum number of tree species were recorded from site V5 located near existing
Gandikota reservoir with 8 species. The lowest number of tree species was recorded at Site
V6 near Kottapalle Village (4 species) (refer Table 3.27).
upper reservoir areas are Senegalia chundra, Ziziphus xylopyrus and Dolichandrone crispa
associated with Prosopis juliflora, Vachellia nilotica, Albizzia amara, Wrightia tinctoria,
Sapindus emarginatus, etc.
Sampling site V2 represents the proposed lower reservoir area of proposed project. The
site is characterized as scrub land comprising Paidipalem balancing reservoir on one side
and hill slopes on the other sides which are occupied with the scrub forest. The dominant
tree species in this site are Senegalia chundra, Ziziphus xylopyrus, Prosopis juliflora,
Azadirachta indica, Bauhinia racemosa, Wrightia tinctoria, etc. (refer Table 3.27).
ii. SHRUBS
The shrub layer in the sampling area were represented by 14 species recorded during the
surveys. The maximum number of shrub species was recorded from Site V3 near
Maddulapaya pond which was represented by 8 species (see Table 3.28). The lowest
number of species was recorded at Site V1 at proposed upper reservoir and site V6 near
Kottapalle Village with 5 species.
Shrubs in the area were mostly distributed in the area with low tree cover, along the
periphery of forest area and on scrub land. Based on the estimated density, Carissa
hirsuta and Ziziphus oenoplia were found to be the most dominant species in the study
area, which was followed by Calotropis gigantea, Catunaregam spinosa, Waltheria indica,
Grewia orbiculata, Senna auriculata and Vachellia horrida.
iii. HERBS
Herbaceous layer was comprised of 28 herb species. The number of species at each
sampling site varies from 7 to 11 species. The maximum number of species occurred at
Site V5 located near existing Gandikota reservoir and Site V3 near Maddupalaya Pond with
11 species each. (Table 3.28). The lowest was recorded in Site V1 at proposed upper
reservoir with 7 species.
In the sampling area grasses were dominant and were represented by the species like
Aristida hystrix, Heteropogon contortus, Chrysopogon zizanioides, Cyperus rotundus,
Cymbopogon flexuosus, Eragrostis Unioloides, Arundinella bengalensis, etc.
Among dicot herb species, Crotalaria Pusilla and Xanthium strumarium were two of the
most dominant herb species in the area. Other common herb species were Solanum
surattense, Achyranthes aspera, Euploca strigosa, Phyllanthus niruri, Mesosphaerum
suaveolens, Evolvulus alsinoides, Cleome chelidonii, Senna tora, Conyza stricta, Laggera
aurita, Chenopodium album, Sida cordata, Pulicaria wightiana, etc.
V1 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7
S. No. Name of Species
F D Ab F D Ab F D Ab F D Ab F D Ab F D Ab F D Ab
13 Waltheria indica 25 200 2.0 -- -- -- 33 133 1.0 -- -- -- 25 200 2.0 -- -- -- -- -- --
14 Ziziphus oenoplia 58 333 1.4 50 300 1.5 50 233 1.2 50 333 1.7 58 300 1.3 -- -- -- 50 233 1.2
F=Frequency (%)., D=Density (No. of Individuals/ha); Ab. =Abundance.
I. Density
Density is one of the indicators to assess the dominance of a plant species occurring in an
area. The density of trees, shrubs, and herbs recorded during sampling in the study area are
given in Table 3.30.
The density of tree species varied from 124 trees ha-1 to a maximum of 266 trees ha-1 (refer
Table 3.30) The maximum density of trees in the area was recorded from the sampling site
V3 located near Maddulapaya Pond, followed by sampling site V1 (located at proposed north
upper reservoir) with 259 trees ha-1. Minimum density for the trees was observed from site
V6 near Kottapalle village located on agriculture and scrub land.
Total shrub density in the sampling area varied from minimum 900 plants ha-1 to maximum
1500 plants ha-1. Shrub in the area was mostly observed on the scrub forest and scrub land.
The density of shrub species was found to be maximum at sampling site V3 (located near
Maddulapaya Pond) and minimum was recorded for sampling site V6 near Kottapalle village
located on Agriculture and Scrub land (Table 3.30).
In case of herb species, the density varied from the minimum 58333 plant ha-1 to the highest
102500 plants ha-1. When comparing among the sites, herb density was relatively higher at
site V3, followed by site V5 near existing Gandikota Reservoir (98333 plants ha-1). The lowest
was estimated at site V6 (Table 3.30).
II. Dominance
The dominance of different species in the study area in terms of the Importance Value Index
(IVI) is given in Table 3.31. A total of 19 species of trees were recorded from the study area.
Among all tree species recorded from the study area, Senegalia chundra and Prosopis
juliflora were the species which were found growing in all the sampling sites.
Based on the estimated IVI values, Senegalia chundra was found to be structurally most
important tree species in forests as well as non-forest areas. In forest area other dominant
species were Ziziphus xylopyrus, Dolichandrone crispa, Prosopis juliflora, Albizia amara and
Anogeissus latifolia. In case of agriculture or scrub land, Senegalia chundra was co-
dominated by Citrus sinensis and Azadirachta indica.
ii. Dispersion/Distribution
A/F Ratio is a measure of the distribution of a species over an area i.e. whether it is
homogeneously distributed or has a clumped distribution. A/F ratio <0.025 indicates regular
distribution, between 0.025 and 0.05 indicates random distribution while >0.05 indicates
clumped or contagious distribution.
From the Table 3.33, It can be seen that Senegalia chundra was the only tree species which
showed a regular distribution (AF ratio<0.025) at site V6 near Kottapalle village which is
described as agriculture and scrub land. On the other hand, tree species has shown mostly
clumped distribution in most of the sampling sites and random distribution at few sites
(Table 3.32).
Among the trees, the species diversity Index was highest at sampling site V5 (2.09) located
near existing Gandikota reservoir. The lowest tree diversity in the sampling area was
estimated for sampling site V6 (1.40) located on agriculture and scrub land (Table 3.33).
Among shrubs, the highest species diversity (1.97) was estimated at site V3 located near
Maddulapaya pond and lowest (1.44) at site V6 located near Kottapalle village (Table 3.33).
The maximum diversity of herb species was estimated from sampling site V5 located near
existing Gandikota reservoir, followed by site V3 (2.12) near Maddulapaya pond. The lowest
diversity (1.64) was estimated at the site V1 at proposed north upper reservoir (Table 3.33).
The following table 3.34 indicates that the landuse type in the sampling Site V1, V2 and V3
are deciduous and scrub forest. Whereas the sampling Site V4, V5 and V6 are mostly having
scrub land and scrub forest.
The Sorenson similarity index values estimated for trees showed a very low similarity
between the trees growing in the scrub forests and agriculture & scrub lands. Site V6, which
is represented by agriculture of scrub lands, showed a very low similarities with the sites
representing mostly the forest area. In case of shrubs, a similar pattern has been observed
between scrub forest and agricultural & scrub lands. Herb species showed a relatively lower
similarity between most of sites and landuses as the Sorenson index value was recorded less
than 0.50.
Table 3.34: Sorenson Similarity Index
Sampling Sites Tree Shrub Herbs
(Land use Types) V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7 V2 V3 V4 V5 V6 V7
V1 (Scrub Forest) 0.63 0.47 0.63 0.67 0.29 0.88 0.67 0.71 0.62 0.67 0.36 0.91 0.40 0.33 0.27 0.22 0.27 0.57
V2 (Scrub Land) -- 0.40 0.71 0.63 0.50 0.71 -- 0.57 0.62 0.50 0.18 0.73 -- 0.42 0.50 0.21 0.25 0.80
V3 (Scrub Forest) -- -- 0.53 0.59 0.31 0.40 -- -- 0.53 0.71 0.46 0.62 -- -- 0.32 0.27 0.00 0.44
V4 (Scrub Forest/Scrub Land) -- -- -- 0.50 0.50 0.57 -- -- -- 0.62 0.33 0.67 -- -- -- 0.32 0.38 0.4
V5 (Scrub Forest/Scrub Land) -- -- -- -- 0.29 0.75 -- -- -- -- 0.36 0.55 -- -- -- -- 0.21 0.22
V6 (Agriculture/Scrub Land) -- -- -- -- -- 0.33 -- -- -- -- -- 0.40 -- -- -- -- -- 0.27
V7 (Scrub Forest) -- -- -- -- -- 1 -- -- -- -- -- 1 -- -- -- -- -- 1
a) Mammals
The sighting of mammals in the project area is quite rare. Blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra) was
the only species sighted near existing Paidipalem Balancing Reservoir. Based on field survey
and information collected from villagers and forest officials, a list of 25 species of mammals
reported from the study area of proposed project was compiled and the same is given in
Table 3.35.
Based on primary data collected during field survey and secondary data, a list of 25 species
of mammals with their conservation status reportedly found in the study area was compiled
and the same is given in Table 3.35.
Conservation Status
S.
Family Scientific name Common name IUCN WPA
No.
2022-2 1972
24 Hystricidae Hystrix indica Indian Crested Porcupine LC IV
25 Muridae Rattus rattus House Rat LC V
IUCN Ver. 2022-2-International Union for Conservation of Nature; LC-Least Concern; NT-Near Threatened; VU-Vulnerable;
EN-Endangered; WPA 1972 – The Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
b) Avifauna
During the field surveys, 24 species of birds belonging to 8 Orders were recorded from the
study area. Birds like Kingfishers, Green Bee-eater, Barn Swallow, White-browed Wagtail,
Indian Robin, Long-tailed Shrike, Purple Sunbird, Cormorants Herons, Egrets, Ducks, etc.
were most frequently sighted bird species in the study area. A list of bird species
composition and their conservation status has been described in Table 3.36.
Table 3.36: List of birds reported from the study area with their conservation status
Conservation
S. Status Residential
Family Common Name Scientific Name
No. IUCN WPA, Status
2022-2 1972
Order: Anseriformes
1 Anatidae Indian Spot-billed Duck Anas poecilorhyncha LC IV RR
Order: Coraciiformes
2 Alcedinidae Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis LC IV RR
White-throated
3 Alcedinidae Halcyon gularis LC IV RR
Kingfisher
4 Meropidae Asian Green Bee-eater Merops orientalis LC IV RR
Order: Columbiformes IV RR
5 Columbidae Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto LC IV RR
6 Columbidae Laughing Dove Spilopelia senegalensis LC IV RR
7 Columbidae Rock Dove Columba livia LC
Order: Passeriformes
8 Estrildidae Indian Silver bill Euodice malabarica LC IV RR
9 Hirundinidae Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica LC IV WV
10 Laniidae Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach LC IV RR
11 Leiotrichidae Common Babbler Argya caudata LC IV RR
Motacilla
12 Motacillidae White-browed Wagtail LC IV RR
maderaspatensis
13 Muscicapidae Indian Robin Saxicoloides fulicatus LC IV RR
14 Nectariniidae Purple Sunbird Cinnyris asiaticus LC IV RR
15 Ploceidae Baya Weaver Ploceus philippinus LC IV RR
16 Pycnonotidae Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer LC IV RR
17 Sturnidae Common Myna Acridotheres tristis LC
Order: Pelecaniformes
18 Ardeidae Little Egret Egretta garzetta LC IV RR
19 Ardeidae Purple Heron Ardea purpurea LC IV RR
Order: Podicipediformes
20 Podicipedidae Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis LC IV RR
Order: Suliformes
21 Phalacrocoracidae Indian Cormorant Phalacrocorax fuscicollis LC IV RR
22 Phalacrocoracidae Little Cormorant Microcarbo niger LC
Order: Charadriiformes IV RR
23 Charadriidae Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus LC IV RR
24 Charadriidae Yellow-wattled Lapwing Vanellus malabaricus LC IV RR
IUCN Ver. 2022-2-International Union for Conservation of Nature; LC - Least Concern; RR – Resident; WV – Winter Visitor;
WPA – Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
c) Herpetofauna
The herpetofauna were sampled on the same transects marked for mammals. The sampling
also carried along riverbanks and the sampling was repeated during night following the time
constrained Visual Encounter Rates (VES) method. A list of herpetofauna reported from
study area is given at Table 3.37. Changeable Agama (Calotes versicolor) and South Indian
Rock Agama (Psammophilus dorsalis) were the only reptile species reported during sampling
from the study area. Indian Bullfrog (Hoplobatrachus tigerinus) was the only amphibian
species sighted near pond during field survey. After consulting from the concerned forest
working plan and local people, a list of 9 species of reptiles and 2 species of amphibians has
been prepared as follows:
Table 3.37: List of Herpetofauna species recorded from the Study Area
Conservation Status
S.
Order Family Common Name Scientific Name IUCN WPA,
No.
2022-2 1972
AMPHIBIANS
1 Anura Dicroglossidae Indian Bullfrog Hoplobatrachus tigerinus LC IV
2 Anura Dicroglossidae Green Pond Frog Euphlyctis hexadactylus LC IV
REPTILES
1 Squamata Agamidae Changeable Lizard Calotes versicolor LC --
South Indian Rock
2 Squamata Agamidae Psammophilus dorsalis LC --
Agama
3 Squamata Boidae Red Sand Boa Eryx johnii NT IV
4 Squamata Colubridae Indian Rat Snake Ptyas mucosa LC II
5 Squamata Elapidae Common krait Bungarus caeruleus LC IV
6 Squamata Elapidae Indian Cobra Naja naja LC II
7 Squamata Pythonidae Indian Rock Python Python molurus NT I
Bengal Monitor
8 Squamata Varanidae Varanus bengalensis NT I
Lizard
9 Squamata Viperidae Russel's Viper Daboia russelii LC II
IUCN Ver. 2022-2-International Union for Conservation of Nature; LC - Least Concern; NT – Near Threatened; WPA –
Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
d) Butterflies
The area is rich in the diversity and density of butterflies. During survey Common Tiger
(Danaus genutia) was the most frequently sighted butterfly species in the area. A total of 2
species of butterflies were sighted during the winter season area listed below in Table 3.38.
Among the mammals, 5 species viz. Common Leopard (Panthera pardus), Sloth Bear
(Melursus ursinus), Blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra), Chinkara (Gazella bennettii) and Four-
horned Antelope (Tetracerus quadricornis) are categorised as schedule I species. Wild Dog
(Cuon alpinus), Golden Jackal (Canis aureus), Bengal Fox (Vulpes bengalensis) Jungle Cat
(Felis chaus), Indian Grey Mongoose (Herpestes edwardsii), Striped Hyaena (Hyaena hyaena),
Common Palm Civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus), Bonnet Macaque (Macaca radiata),
Rhesus Monkey (Macaca mulatta), Northern Plain Gray Langur (Semnopithecus entellus) and
Indian Giant Squirrel (Ratufa indica) are listed under schedule II category. Rest of the
mammalian species are listed under schedule II and IV category of WPA, 1972 (refer to Table
3.39).
As per the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, Version 2022-2, Wild Dog is listed under
Endangered (EN) category, Common Leopard, Sloth Bear, Four-horned Antelope, Sambar
Deer and Bonnet Macaque under Vulnerable (VU) category, Striped Hyaena and
Leschenault’s Rousette are listed under Near Threatened (NT) category.
As per the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species version 2022-2, all birds have been listed
under Least Concern (LC) category. As per the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, all species are
listed as Schedule IV category (refer to Table 3.40).
Among the butterflies, all species are either listed under Least Concern (LC) or not evaluated
by IUCN Red List categories (Ver. 2022-2). As per the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, Common
Crow (Euploea core) is categorised as schedule IV species (refer to Table 3.42).
For the documentation of fish fauna in the project area, experimental fishing was carried out
during the field visit. No fish species were landed during experimental fishing from different
Rivers and reservoirs. Data on the fish fauna in the study area was documented through
information collected through public consultation in the study area during field visits and
information available in published research papers and draft CEIA report on Gandikota PSP.
According to this list, 15 species are reported in the study area (Table 3.39).
Figure 3.17: Map Showing Aerial Distance of Proposed Project from boundary of Rajiv Gandhi National Park
3.2.3.6 Conclusions
i) The vegetation in the project study area especially in the Forest (Open/scrub forest) and
Scrubland were represented by dry deciduous and thorny vegetation.
ii) As per the land-use classification by NRSC, agriculture land and Scrub land constitute a
major part of the study area accounting for 42.08% and 15.74%, respectively, of the area.
Majority of forest area is comprised of scrub forest which cover 10.95% of the study
area.
iii) According to ‘'A Revised Survey of the Forest Types of India' by Champion and Seth
(1968) the forests in the study area are mainly comprised of Southern Thorn Forest,
Southern dry mixed deciduous forest and Southern Thorn Scrub.
iv) Senegalia chundra, Ziziphus xylopyrus, Dolichandrone crispa, Albizia amara, Vachellia
nilotica, Prosopis juliflora, Wrightia tinctoria, Anogeissus latifolia, Chloroxylon swietenia,
Atalantia monophylla, Euphorbia antiquorum, Boswellia serrata, Dichrostachys cinerea,
etc. are dominant tree species in the deciduous and scrub forest.
v) During survey 90 plant species including 25 species of trees, 17 species of shrubs, and 33
species of herb, 8 species of climbers and 7 species of grasses were recorded from the
area.
vi) As per primary survey and data compiled from secondary literature a list of 229 plant
species has been prepared.
vii) As per Red Data Book of India plants, the observed species does not fall under any
endemic or RET category.
viii) According to the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species (Version 2022-2), 6 plant species
viz. Borassus flabellifer, Cycas beddomei, Pterocarpus santalinus, Tectona grandis,
Syzygium alternifolium and Isonandra villosa are listed under Endangered (EN) category,
Chloroxylon swietenia under Vulnerable (VU) category and Pterocarpus marsupium is
listed under Near Threatened (NT) category.
ix) Mammals are represented by 25 species of which Blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra)
Semnopithecus entellus (Common Langur), Macaca mulatta (Rhesus macaque) and
Funambulus pennantii (Five-striped Palm Squirrel) are commonly sighted species.
x) Among the faunal species reported from the area, 5 species viz. Common Leopard
(Panthera pardus), Sloth Bear (Melursus ursinus), Blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra),
Chinkara (Gazella bennettii) and Four-horned Antelope (Tetracerus quadricornis) are
categorised as schedule I species.
xi) During field survey, 24 species of avifauna belonging to 8 Orders were sighted from the
study area.
xii) None of the avifaunal species is under any category of the IUCN Red List of Threatened
Species version 2022-2. As per the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972 all species are listed as
Schedule IV species.
xiii) 11 species of herpetofauna and 9 species of butterflies are recorded from the area
during survey.
xiv) During experimental fishing, No fish species was captured. A total of 15 species are
reported in the study area.
xv) Nearest Protected Area to the Project Components is Rajiv Gandhi National Park, which
is at a distance of around 35.40 km. All the project components are outside the notified
ESZs.
The study area falls under Simhadripuram, Muddanur, and Kondapuram Mandals in Y.S.R
district and Yellanur Mandal in the Anantapur district.
According to Census 2011, the district includes 3 revenue divisions, 36 mandals, 557 Gram
Panchayats, 726 Revenue villages and 2257 habitations. The Y.S.R district covers an area of
approximately 11,228 square kilometres, with a population density of 225 people per square
kilometre. There are 20, 60,654 people in the district (approximately 5, 06,456 households),
with 10, 37,867 males and 10, 22,787 females. The sex ratio (the number of females per
1000 males) is 985. The district scheduled caste and scheduled tribe populations are 16.39%
and 1.98%, respectively. The total literacy rate in Y.S.R district is 68.33%, with male and
female percentages of 78.76% and 57.85%, respectively. The demographic profile of the
district is given in Table 3.40.
b. Anantapur District
Anantapur district is a part of the Rayalaseema region, which is generally known as a
drought-prone district of Andhra Pradesh. The district is bounded on the north by Kurnool
district, on the east by Y.S.R. district, on the south-east by Chittoor district, and on the
south-west by Karnataka State.
According to Census 2011, there are 949 revenue villages in the Anantapur district, of which
921 are inhabited and the rest are uninhabited. The district headquarters are located in
Anantapur city, and it is administratively divided into 3 revenue divisions, 31 mandals, and
577 Gram Panchayats. The district covers an area of approximately 19130.00 square
kilometres, with a population density of 213 people per square kilometre. There are
40,81,148 people in the district (approximately 9,64,522 households), with 20,64,495 males
and 20,16,653 females. The sex ratio (the number of females per 1000 males) is 977. The
scheduled caste and scheduled tribe populations are 14.29% and 3.78%, respectively. The
total literacy rate in Anantapur district is 63.57%, with male and female percentages of
73.02% and 53.97%, respectively. (Refer to Table 3.40)
b. Social Category
There are 7897 scheduled castes in the study area, accounting for 16.85% of the total
population, with 3884 scheduled caste males and 4013 scheduled caste females. There are
661 scheduled tribes in total, accounting for 1.41% of the total population, with 328
scheduled tribe males and 333 scheduled tribe females. (Refer to Table 3.42)
c. Literacy
There are 28964 literate people in the study area, accounting for 61.83% of the total
population. Of these literates, 16695 (57.64%) are male literates, while 12269 (42.35%) are
female literates. The literacy rate in the villages is 69.12% (above the 6-year-old population),
with males and females having rates of 80% and 58.33%, respectively, creating a gender gap
of 21.67%. (Refer to Table 3.42)
d. Occupational Profile
According to the Census of India 2011, different types of workers may be classified as those
persons who have worked for at least six months or 183 days are treated as main workers;
on the other hand, if a person is categorised as a worker and has participated in any
economic or productive activity for less than six months or 183 days during the last year,
they are treated as marginal workers. Non-workers are those who have not worked any time
at all in the year preceding the enumeration.
The workers coming under the main and marginal workers categories are those involved in
activities such as cultivation, agriculture, livestock, fishing, plantation, manufacturing,
servicing, and repair in the household industry, construction, trade and commerce,
transportation, and other services.
• According to the 2011 census, total population of workers in the study area is 24792
(52.92%)
• Out of the total workers, main and marginal workers were 21611 (87.16%) and 3181
(12.83%), respectively.
Workers' employment pattern: - Main and marginal workers are classified into four
categories: cultivators, agricultural workers, household industry workers, and other workers.
As per the 2011 census, out of a total of 46840 workers in the study, 78.89% of the working
population are engaged in agriculture and allied services, out of which 29.31% are cultivators
and 49.58% are agricultural laborers. Only a small percentage of the population engaged in
household industry (3.49%), and 17.60% of the population engaged in other services, viz.,
trade, commerce, business, transport, government, and private jobs. Details of the main and
marginal working populations in the area are given in Table 3.43.
Educational Facilities: As has been observed in Table 3.44, the study area has primary
schools in 29 villages. The middle school is available in 7 villages, namely Kondapuram,
Regadipally, Pottipadu, Jangamreddipalle, Duddekunta, Simhadripuram, and Chawatapalli.
The secondary school is available in 8 villages, namely Kondapuram, Pottipadu, Lavanuru,
Korrapadu, Maddulapaya, Ravulakolanu, Simhadripuram and Chawatapalli, while the senior
secondary school is available in 2 village, namely Kondapuram and Simhadripuram. There
are no colleges available in the study area.
Health/Medical Facilities: As per Mission Antyodaya 2020, in the study area, 5 villages have
primary health centres and 5 villages have primary health sub-centres available. The PHC
centre is located 5–10 km away from most of the villages. For government dispensaries, the
village people travel more than 10 kilometres from the villages. For emergency medical care,
people are dependent on the district and Mandal Hospital, which are more than 10 km from
the villages. The veterinary hospital is situated in 9 villages, and the rest of the village people
travel around 5–10 m from the villages. (Refer to Table 3.44)
Drinking water: Tap water is the major source of drinking water. Apart from this Hand Pump
and Tube Wells /boreholes are also used in most villages in the study area.
Power Supply: Power supply for domestic use and agricultural use are available in all the
villages in the area.
Road Network: In the study, the villages are connected by Gravel roads, paved roads and
footpaths. All the villages have gravel and footpath roads whereas 27 villages are connected
with blacktopped/paved/pucca roads in the study area.
During the survey, a total of 8 villages were covered. All the surveyed villages fall under the
Kondapuram, Muddanur and Simhadripuram Mandals in the YSR district. The list of surveyed
villages and hamlets is given in Table 3.45 with their respective Mandal.
• Agriculture Production: The major crops grown in the villages within the study area are
paddy, groundnut, sunflower, cotton, blackgram, and betel leaves. Along the project
area, a double cropping pattern is practiced by the local community. The major
horticultural crops are mango, papaya, banana, papaya, and lemon. The vegetable crops
grown in the area are brinjal, onion, ladies' finger, tomato, and other vegetables.
• Livestock: Many families from these villages also work as out-migrant labour. About 50%
of the surveyed village’s families keep cows, goats, sheep, and buffalos. Food, milk, and
meat for household consumption as well as for the market. Buffaloes are being reared in
large numbers for better milk yields and are being supplied to cooperatives and local
consumption.
• Irrigation: In the study area, mostly two types of farming systems are observed, i.e., rain-
fed farming and irrigated farming through tube wells and canals. However, wells and
filter points provide irrigation to the paddy and other crops in the surveyed village and
also in the study area. Though there is a river across the study area, it is the only source
of irrigation in the rainy season since it flows mostly during the rainy days.
• Educational Institute: As per the field survey, primary schools are available in five
surveyed villages, except Devathapuram, Korrapadu, and Kibili Raghavapuram, while
middle schools are available in only one village, namely Jangamreddipalle. The high
school is situated in Lavanuru and Korrapadu villages. In rural areas, students travel
around 5–20 km for high school service. There are no colleges available in the study area,
and they travel more than 10 km to where colleges are available. The colleges are
available in Tadipatri, Jamalamadugu, and Kadapa towns.
• Medical Facilities: There are two primary health centres and one primary health sub-
centre available in the surveyed villages, namely Lavanuru, Anantapuram, and
Korrapadu. Veterinary hospital is situated in Lavanuru and Anantapuram villages. Major
hospitals are situated in Tadipatri, Jamalamadugu, and Kadapa towns, which are 10+ km
away from the surveyed villages.
• Drinking Water & Sanitation Facilities: The major source of drinking water is
government-supplied tap water, which is stored in the village water tank. The people are
aware of the importance of purified water. The Navaratanlu YSR Jalayagnam drinking
water scheme is being implemented in rural areas. As per the field survey, 90% of the
villages in the study area are connected through tap water. Other sources of drinking
water are hand pumps and tube wells. In the case of sanitation, access to the toilet in the
surveyed area is limited. Sanitation awareness and facilities are poor in the area. The
village people put solid waste on the roadside and unused land, as well as in the water
bodies.
• Banking and Postal Facilities: There are no banking facilities in the surveyed village.
There are 5 post/sub-post offices available in the villages, namely Lavanuru,
Anantapuram, Korrapadu, Devathapuram, and Jagamreddipalle. Self-help groups (SHGs)
are accessible in every village. To avail of the banking facilities (except SHGs), the
villagers have to travel for more than 5km.
• Electricity: About 100% of villages in the study area have access to electricity for
domestic purposes. The electricity is reported to be available throughout the day.
• Fuel Source: In the surveyed villages, it was revealed that lighting electricity is the main
energy source. In the project area, firewood and LPG gas were the main sources of
cooking energy. The firewood is sources, reeds, and sticks from scrub and charcoal.
There were also biogas, LPG gas, and charcoal used by the surveyed villages.
• Culture and Religion: The study area is inhabited by various religious groups like
Hinduism, Islam, and Christianity, each of which has its own festival. In the study area, a
lot of the population is Hindu. Most of the Hindu festivals, including Holi, Diwali, Raksha
Bandhan, Sankranthi, Dushera, etc., are celebrated here with a lot of zeal and passion.
Ramzan and Eid are celebrated at the same pace among the people of the Islamic
community. Many south Indian festivals, including Ugadi and Ursu, are also celebrated
with a lot of keenness. Telugu is the main language of the YSR district and the study area.
devotees from across the subdivision, block, district, and even the state of Andhra Pradesh
during festivals such as Siva Ratri, Nava Ratri, Diwali, etc. Some of the key tourist and
religious destinations in the YSR district include Pushapagiri, Ameen Peer Dargha, Gandi-
Anjanya Amm Sidhout Fort, Gandikota Fort, Lonkamal Sanctuary, etc. Gandikota Fort is
situated in the nearby Gandikota Reservoir, which comes under Jammalamudugu Tehsil.
The proposed pumped storage project will be set up on government barren land and reserve
forest lands. There are no villages at the project site. As a result, the project has no R&R
issues. So the villagers have no objections to the project.
The people are interested in the proposed PSP project. The development of the pump
storage project will solve the power supply problem in the villages and, in addition, provide
job opportunities. The pump storage scheme would give the option of maximising revenue
to the study area and the state. The availability of power supply will attract more industries
to establish their units in the district, and many businesses will come to support the large
number of resident and migrant workers at the project site. The anticipated increase in the
flow of money will create a suitable environment for micro- and small-scale enterprises.
3.2.4.7 Conclusion
The socio-economic study of the study area on behalf of the observed villages gives a clear
picture of its population, average household size, literacy rate, sex ratio, scheduled tribe,
scheduled caste, etc. The proposed project is not going to cause any private land acquisition
in the project area. Moreover, it can be added that the project would help in providing
employment to the population. Most of the people in the study area are engaged in
agriculture, migrant labour, and other private or government jobs, businesses, etc. The
average household has between 3-4 members per household. The overall literacy of the
study area is 61.83%, which is average literacy in the area. In a major part of the study area,
students suffer from a lack of drinking water, a permanent job to run their day-to-day lives,
and basic facilities. The major outcomes specify the following observations and gaps in the
study area: The sanitation, drainage, and medical infrastructure systems are very poor.
Approximately 80% of the study area lacks a Pucca close drainage system. The educational
facilities in the study area were fairly good up to secondary school. Medical facilities in the
study area are limited. The project area is connected to the roads, which are black-topped
(pucca), gravel (kuchcha), and footpaths. No chronic or epidemic disease has been reported
in the study area except for general cases of cough and fever. Electricity is available in all the
villages. 70% of the study area village has banking and postal facilities available. The
telecommunication facilities are good in the study area.
Operation phase of pumped storage projects is much cleaner and will have minimum
environmental impacts.
All the likely impacts have been considered for various aspects of environment, including
physico-chemical, ecological and socio-economic aspects. Invariably there are two types of
impacts that occur due to construction and operation of projects viz. permanent which
generally lead to loss of plant species, change of land-use, etc.; which can be
compensated/managed and temporary which can be minimized and mitigated.
Based on the project details and the baseline environmental status, potential impacts as a
result of the construction and operation of the proposed Paidipalem North Pumped Storage
Project have been identified. Wherever possible, the impacts have been quantified and
otherwise, qualitative assessment has been undertaken. Environmental protection
measures can be best enforced through inclusion of relevant clauses in the contract not only
for the main contractors but also for sub-contractors as most of activities are undertaken
through various contractors.
This Chapter deals with the anticipated positive as well as negative impacts during the
construction as well as operation phase of the proposed project.
Increased vehicular movement for transportation of man and material and use of
construction equipment will impact air quality at the construction site through emissions
from the engines and equipment, fugitive emissions due to material handling, etc.
Additionally, construction activities including operation of crushers, concrete batch plants,
construction work and movement of vehicles along unpaved road will generate dust &
gaseous emission and impact air quality. The burning of waste will also affect air quality and
therefore need to be controlled. In absence of proper fuel, construction workers at the
project site may use wood for fuel burning.
Noise level of about 80 dB(A) at 1m from the source will reduce significantly with distance
and can be calculated with the following formula at any location:
N2 = N1-20 log10(r2/r1) - Af dBA
The decrease in sound level of 80 dB(A) (at 1m from the source) at a distance of 100m from
the source is 40 dB(A) even in the absence of external attenuation factor. Decrease in sound
levels (measured at 1 m from the source) at various distances are given at Table 4.2. In the
absence of details of attenuation factors, they have assumed zero, whereas in actual practice
attenuation factors such as vegetation, barricades, etc. will reduce the sound level
significantly. Noise levels get reduced by 6 dB(A) with every doubling of distance.
Walls of houses attenuates at least 30 dB(A) of noise. In addition, there is attenuation due
to air absorption, atmospheric in homogeneities, vegetal cover, etc. Thus, no increase in
noise levels is anticipated beyond 100m from source during the project construction phase.
However, it can be a cause of concern from workers working in proximity to machines
generating noise.
It can be observed from Table 4.3 that noise level due to blasting operations are expected
to be of the order of 75-85 dB(A) at a distance of about 250m; which will be reduced to 35-
45 dB(A) in another 100m. External attenuation factor will reduce it further. As the blasting
is likely to last for 4 to 5 seconds depending on the charge, noise levels over this time would
be instantaneous and short in duration. Considering attenuation due to various sources,
even the instantaneous increase in noise level is not expected to be significant especially
during day time. Hence, noise level due to blasting is not expected to cause any significant
adverse impact.
Noise in and around the construction site may affect the wildlife and residents in the nearby
areas. Wildlife in the area will likely move away from the noise and eventually return to the
area when the blasting is over. However, there is no major wildlife observed in and around
the construction site and hence this may not be a significant issue.
f) Impacts on Labour
The effect of high noise levels on the operating personnel has to be considered as this may be
particularly harmful. It is known that continuous exposures to high noise levels above 90 dB(A)
affects the hearing ability of the workers/operators and hence, should be avoided. To prevent
these effects, it has been recommended by Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA) that the exposure period of affected persons be limited as in Table 4.4.
• The civil and hydro-mechanical work at site will lead to stockpiling and excavation activity
on site, thereby exposing the base soil to erosion. The runoff from this site and also from
muck disposal sites may contain high quantity of Suspended Solids which shall add to the
inorganic load of water bodies and drainages in the area. However, the impact of runoff
may not be very significant except during rainy season.
• During construction phase, waste water, sewage etc. shall be generated from the labour
camp and workshops. If disposed untreated, this would substantially deteriorate the
surface and ground water quality in the area.
• The oil and grease released from the project related activities may also change the
physico-chemical characteristics of water.
The domestic water requirement for the construction workers and the technical staff
migrating into the project area is of the order of 100 cum/day @ 100 lpcd. Adding other
requirement from fluctuating population, it can go up to 125 cum/day. With 80% of this
quantum to be generated as wastewater, the quantity of 100 cum/day is considered
significant and require planned disposal otherwise it will lead to water pollution, resulting in
increase in coliforms and other pathogens, which can lead to incidence of water borne
diseases. Therefore, project authorities would be taking appropriate measures to check such
disposal into the natural water bodies. In order to avoid any deterioration in water quality
due to disposal of untreated wastewater from labour camps, appropriate sewage treatment
facilities will be commissioned in the labour camps and only treated wastewater will be
discharged following “General Discharge Standards”.
Disposal of Muck
The major impact on the water quality arises when the muck is disposed along the water
bodies and natural drainage system. The unsorted waste going into the channels/ water bodies
will greatly contribute to the turbidity of water continuously for long time periods. The high
turbidity is known to reduce the photosynthetic efficiency of primary producers in the water
bodies and as a result, the biological productivity will be greatly reduced. Therefore, the
prolonged turbid conditions would have negative impact on the water quality. Therefore,
muck disposal has to be done in line with the Muck Disposal Plan, as given in Environment
Management Plan (Chapter 10) to avoid any negative impact.
The proposed pumped storage project has envisaged new lower and upper reservoirs with a
gross storage capacity of 0.93 TMC and 0.41 TMC respectively. One time filling of the
reservoir will be done by sourcing water Paidipalem balancing reservoir has been
constructed under Gandikota Lift Irrigation Scheme which has a gross storage capacity of
6.00 TMC (170 MCM); thereafter water will remain in-circulation and only evaporation losses
will be compensated by intermittent additional filling. There are no ongoing or proposed
irrigation or water supply schemes at present from Paidipalem balancing reservoir.
Therefore, no impact during operation is proposed project envisaged either on other
projects or on natural water bodies in the area.
During the operation phase, due to absence of any large-scale construction activity, the
cause and source of water pollution will be much different. Since only a small number of
O&M staff will reside in the area in a well-designed colony with sewage treatment plant and
other infrastructural facilities, the problems of water pollution due to disposal of sewage are
not anticipated. The treated sewage will be reused for gardening and green belt around the
colony.
site. The site will be fully rehabilitated and restored on completion of muck dumping. Muck,
if not securely transported and dumped at pre-designated site, can have serious
environmental impacts, such as:
• Can be washed away into the natural water bodies which can cause negative impacts on
surface and ground water quality.
• In many of the sites, muck is stacked without adequate stabilisation measures. In such a
scenario, the muck moves along with runoff and creates soil erosion like situations.
• Normally muck disposal is done at low lying areas, which get filled up due to stacking of
muck. This can sometimes affect the natural drainage pattern of the area leading to
accumulation of water or partial flooding of some area which can provide ideal breeding
habitat for mosquitoes.
Muck disposal needs to be carefully planned else it becomes a major impact from
construction of project. Such a plan is prepared and included in the Environment
Management Plan (Chapter 10).
Solid waste generated from temporary and permanent colonies in construction as well as
operation phase requires special management to dispose off, as warranted under the Solid
Wastes Management Rules (SWM) 2016. For that an efficient waste management system
will be required to be put in place to keep the environment of the region clean and healthy.
These colonies and temporary settlements will also require adequate water supply for
drinking and cleaning.
The project authorities will ensure sewage generated from labour colonies and site office is
treated and disposed as per the SPCB guidelines. It’s proposed to provide adequate septic
tanks with soak pits for treatment and disposal of sewage.
Other major impact on the flora in and around the project area would be due to increased
level of human interferences. The forest area in the Kadapa and Proddatur Forest Divisions is
well known for Pterocarpus santalinus, with the common names Red Sanders. The Red
Sander is endemic to eastern ghat and listed as Endangered by IUCN. The species is widely
distributed over forest area of Chittoor, Annamayya, YSR (Kadapa), Kurnool and Nellore
districts in Andhra Pradesh.
There is huge demand for its heart wood for furniture also used for making the musical
instrument. The felling and trading of Red Sander is illegal in India. The acquisition of forest
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NREDCAP Draft EIA Report Paidipalem North PSP
land for no-forestry work will leads to the loss of habitat of Pterocarpus santalinus. However,
the proposed project area comprised of Scrub land and Scrub Forest. Pterocarpus santalinus
is not found in the area.
The loss of vegetation cover and increase of anthropogenic pressure have impact on
regeneration of RET species. The workers may cut trees to meet their requirements for
construction of houses, furniture and space heating. Normally in such situations, lot of
indiscriminate use or wastage of wood is also observed, especially in remote or inaccessible
areas. Thus, it is necessary to provide training and awareness; and implement adequate
surveillance to mitigate the adverse impacts on terrestrial flora during project construction
phase.
During the construction period, large number of machinery and construction workers shall
be mobilized, which may create disturbance to wildlife population in the vicinity of project
area. The operation of various equipment will generate significant noise; noise and vibration
will also increase during blasting which will have adverse impact on fauna of the area. The
noise may scare the fauna and force them to migrate to other areas. Likewise siting of
construction plants, workshops, stores, labour camps etc. could also lead to adverse impact
on fauna of the area. During the construction phase, accessibility to area will lead to influx
of workers and the people associated with the allied activities from outside will also increase.
Increase in human interference will have an impact on terrestrial ecosystem.
Therefore, adequate measures will be required during the construction phase not to cause
any adverse impact on terrestrial and avifaunal population. Impact of blasting and other
Villagers in the area also depend on forest for fuelwood and fodder from the forest area.
Scrub forest in the area also used as grazing land for livestock. Loss of forest and grazing land
have impact on social environment of the area. Loss of natural habitat will also lead to human
wildlife conflict by means of damage of agriculture crops, fruit orchards and loss of
livestock’s. These impacts can be mitigated by implementing interventions proposed under
biodiversity conservation and wildlife management plan along with green belt development
plan and awareness programmes.
Impacts of projects such as muck generation, worker’s health and safety, waste generation
from labour colonies, impact on workers’ health, impact of tree cutting for fuel, impact on
physical environment due to material handling and operation of construction machinery,
etc. will be minimized by implementing various management plans. Environmental
Management Plans viz. Compensatory Afforestation Plan, Green Belt Development Plan,
Landscaping & Restoration Plan, Muck Management Plan, Dam Break Modeling & Disaster
Management Plan, Public Health Delivery Plan, Sanitation and Solid Waste Management
Plan, Energy Conservation Measures and Biodiversity Management & Wildlife Conservation
Plan have been prepared to address these specific impacts with a view to minimize adverse
impacts. Detailed Management Plans are discussed in Chapter 10.
Irreversible environment components or resources are those, whose use limit the future use
options and Irretrievable components are those whose use eliminate the future use options.
Typically, in the context of infrastructure project, Irreversible and Irretrievable commitments
of environmental components are due to use of non-renewable resources in project
construction and operation.
During the construction stage of the project, raw material will be consumed as resources,
which are in abundant supply. No impact is identified on any of the flora or fauna species
which will make them extinct by the project. Land required for the project will undergo
permanent change of land use. Forest land will be compensated by compensatory
afforestation and private land will be compensated as per the law. No displacement of
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NREDCAP Draft EIA Report Paidipalem North PSP
population is involved. During the project operation, water will be the main raw material for
power generation. For establishment of 1000 MW Pumped Storage project, the Project
envisages one-time initial requirement of water for filling of both the Upper and Lower
Reservoirs and will be utilized for power generation by recirculation and Evaporation losses,
if any will be recouped periodically from Paidipalem balancing reservoir. Therefore, project
does not have any significant irreversible and irretrievable impacts on environmental
components.
During
Disturbance to the aquatic Direct/Local/
3. Aquatic Ecology construction X X X
fauna after construction reversible
phase
D. Human Environment
During
Increased incidence of Diseases Direct/Local / construction
X X
Continuous and operation
Health and Phase
1.
Safety During
Fires, Explosion and other Construction
Direct/Local X X X
accidents at construction sites and Operation
Phase
Impact envisaged as there is Direct/Local/ Before the
2. Agriculture X X X
private land involved reversible construction
Positive and negative impacts
on socio-economic Direct/region During
3. Socio-economics X X X
environment Job opportunities al/Continuous operational
during construction phase. phase
The major air pollutants, which could be generally, released during various construction
activities and vehicular movements are Particulate Matter (PM), SOx and NOX. In addition to
these construction activities also generate noise due to the use of heavy machinery, heavy
vehicles, blasting, etc. which has serious impacts on humans as well as the wildlife of the
area.
• Oxides of Sulphur (SOx): SOx concentration is released into the air from vehicular
exhaust, Diesel Generator Sets, coal burning chulhas etc.
• Oxides of Nitrogen (NOx): Motor vehicles and fuel burning are generally responsible for
the release of oxides of nitrogen into the ambient air.
• Impacts of PM: High quantities of PM in the ambient air can cause emphysema, bronchial
asthma and eye-irritation which in some cases can also result in cancer. PM containing lead
particles (emitted from automobiles) is considered responsible for anemia as it affects
hemoglobin formation. Lead is also a proven carcinogen. Dust coating on leaves of plants
reduces photosynthesis and reduces plant growth.
• Impacts of SOx: The oxides of Sulphur causes irritation of mucous membranes of the
respiratory tract. Higher concentration may cause bronchitis. Plants are particularly
sensitive to high concentrations of SO2 and suffer from chlorosis, metabolic inhibition,
plasmolysis and even death.
• Impacts of NOx: Oxides of nitrogen can combine with hemoglobin to reduce the oxygen
carrying capacity of the blood. This can cause irritation of alveoli of the lungs and high
concentrations may even cause acute bronchitis.
• The crushers should be provided with air pollution control devices as per the rules laid
down by pollution control board, so as to minimize the release of PM into the atmosphere.
• The chimneys of the Diesel Generator Sets should be kept at appreciable height (as per
the CPCB guidelines). The DG sets should be properly maintained and with valid
certificates of Type Approval and also valid certificates of Conformity of Production.
• Regular water sprays at the crushing sites, dumping sites as well as on roads should be
ensured. Necessary clause shall be incorporated in the contractor’s agreement.
• Masks should be provided to the workers and staff.
• Proper ventilation facilities shall be provided inside the tunnel and at all the residential
complexes of the staff and labour.
• Ambient Air quality shall be monitored seasonally during the construction phase at
different locations with the help of NABL accredited lab.
• Controlled blasting during construction activities will be ensured.
• Diesel Generator sets should have acoustic enclosures to reduce the noise as per the
CPCB guidelines.
• Ear protection aids such as ear plugs, earmuffs, must be provided to the workers who
have to continuously work in the high noise area.
• The construction of civil and allied structures could lead to stockpiling and excavation
activity on site, thereby exposing the base soil to erosion. The runoff from this site and
also from muck disposal sites may contain high quantity of Suspended Solids which shall
add to the inorganic load of water bodies and drainages in the area. However, the impact
of runoff may not be very significant except during rainy season.
• During construction phase, wastewater, sewage etc. shall be generated from the labour
camp and workshops. If disposed untreated, this would substantially deteriorate the
surface and ground water quality in the area.
• The oil and grease released from the project related activities may also change the
physico-chemical characteristics of water.
• During Construction phase provision of portal STP/septic tank/ soak pit etc. of adequate
capacity for labour camp so that it can function properly for the entire duration of
construction phase
• Construction of settling tank to settle the suspended impurities from various sources
i.e. HMP/ crushers, labour camps, etc. before discharging into the main stream
• During Operation, Commission of suitable treatment facilities to treat the sewage
generated from the colony
• Provision of sedimentation cum grease traps at the outer mouth of drains located along
workshops, fuel filling stations, diesel generator rooms etc. so as to prevent entry of
contaminants to the water bodies.
• Oil interceptors shall be provided for refueling areas, vehicle parking, washing areas etc.
All spills and collected petroleum products will be disposed off in accordance with SPCB
guidelines.
A lump sum budget of Rs. 12.0 lakh per annum for construction period of 4 years has been
proposed for the mitigation measures for control of air, noise and water pollution during
project construction phase.
Chapter
5 ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVES
5.1 ALTERNATIVE STUDIES AND SELECTION OF FINAL LAYOUT
5.1.1 Paidipalem Balancing Reservoir
The existing Paidipalem Balancing Reservoir located at Paidipalem village in YSR district,
has been constructed under Gandikota Lift Irrigation Scheme Stage – I with a storage
capacity of 6.00 TMC. Water is pumped from the foreshore of the Gandikota reservoir to
meet the irrigation requirement of the Simhadripuram, Thondur Mandals on the upstream
side of the Gandikota Reservoir. The salient features of the Paidipalem Balancing Reservoir
are tabulated below. The Lower Reservoir proposed for the project draws water from
the Paidipalem Balancing Reservoir including replenishment of water required annually.
The upper reservoir is proposed on the abutting hills of the lower reservoir to gain maximum
head. The upper reservoir area is a plateau with a gentle slope towards the north. Since, there
is only one option for upper reservoir location, its capacity has been optimized based on the
safety and cost of the upper reservoir.
a) Water Availability: It is important to have the required water for the PSP and additional
water required for replenishing the lower reservoir to achieve the PLF considered
throughout the life of the project. The project scheme has got sufficient water.
b) Head: Higher head makes the project economical. The availability of a higher design head
will result in a lesser requirement of water. The smaller capacity of the upper reservoir
brings down the construction cost drastically. The proposed scheme has got good head
of water.
c) Existing Lower Reservoir: PSP connected to the existing lower reservoir reduces overall
project cost and construction time. However, a separate lower reservoir is envisaged
for the present scheme to reduce the TRC length as well as to avoid dependency on the
existing balancing reservoir. There is no cost impact due to construction of separate lower
reservoir.
d) L/H Ratio: Another critical parameter for project viability is its L/H ratio. PSP with L/H
less than 10 is considered as most economical. The proposed scheme has about 6.68.
e) Installed Capacity & Operating Hours: Higher capacity with more operating hours will
result in an economical PSP. The proposed capacity of the scheme is 1000MW with
operating hours as 5 hr: 54 min
f) Transmission Network: Availability of transmission networks in the vicinity of the project
will reduce the cost considerably. It is important to have power at a lower cost for
pumping and peak power demand for generation.
g) Availability of Construction Material: For constructing an earthen embankment for
the upper and lower reservoirs, the availability of material with minimum lead and
lifts will reduce the cost of the upper reservoir. Sand will be obtained from Chitravathi
and Penna Rivers. Coarse aggregate will be obtained from excavated rock boulders.
h) Geological Features: It is important to conduct detailed studies as the geological
features have an impact on the construction of underground pump house. As the entire
project runs on the surface other than small lengths of penstocks and draft tube
portions, the geological features have less impact on the project.
The proposed PSP at Paidipalem North meets all the above-mentioned aspects for setting
up a techno-commercially feasible project. Water will be drawn from the existing Paidipalem
Balancing Reservoir. Available head of +247.82 M, which is on the higher side, resulted in a
1000 MW project with 5 hr: 54 min of generating hours, availability of material and 400KV
transmission network making the proposed Paidipalem North PSP a techno-commercial
feasibility project.
As seen from the below figure, the contours are dropping suddenly 10 to 15 m at the edges.
To maintain the minimum safe distance from the edges and to avoid sliding of ridge slopes, a
minimum distance of 40 m from the outer bottom edge is maintained. Hence, it is decided to
consider Option II.
Five independent penstocks were proposed up to the tail race pool. The HRT from the upper
intake is a circular type underground tunnel, with 5.8 m diameter concrete lining for a length
of 50 m. There onwards, 5.8 m concrete tunnel has been transits to 4.2 m diameter steel
lined penstock upto a length of 270 m. From that, the steel pipes of diameter 4.2 m, 32 to 36
mm thick are laid along the hill slope, mounted on RCC pedestals upto a length of 1040 m.
At the foot of the hill water is conveyed through tunnels up to the powerhouse. An open pit
type powerhouse and above the ground transformer yard has been envisaged for the
project. A common Tailrace pool and channel are laid up to the MDDL of the lower reservoir.
The lower reservoir requires about 565 acres of land out of which 85 acres in Kondapuram
RF and the remaining 480 acres in Revenue lands. The upper reservoir, penstocks and the
approach road to the upper reservoir from the foot of the hills are in Kondapuram reserved
forest. Remaining required for the project are in Govt / Assigned lands.
Table 5.3: Comparison of Alternate Layout Options for Proposed Paidipalem PSP – North 1000 MW
S. No Description Option-I Option-II - FINAL Option-III
1 FRL at Upper Reservoir for PSP 540 540 540
FRL at Lower Reservoir for PSP 310 310 310
2 MDDL at Upper Reservoir for PSP 518 518 518
MDDL at Lower Reservoir for PSP 270 270 270
Lower Reservoir for PSP New Reservoir New Reservoir New Reservoir
3 L/H 5.1 6.67 7
Elevation of Turbine Centre line at
4 232 232 232
entrance of Powerhouse
5 Elevation at Draft tube 228 228 228
6 Head Race Tunnel (HRT) Circular Circular Circular
Type Concrete Concrete Concrete
Length 50 50 245 m
Dimensions inner 5.8 m 5.8 m 9m
No. of HRTs 5 5 2
Above Ground & Partial Above Ground & Partial
7 Pressure Shaft Under Ground Tunnels
Tunnelling Tunnelling
a) At NSL
Diameter 4.2 m 4.2 m - -
Length 560 1100 - -
Steel Pipe, 36 mm thick, mounted Steel Pipe, 36 mm thick, mounted
Type -
on concrete Pedestal on concrete Pedestal
No. of Pressure Shaft 5 5 - -
b) Tunnel
Diameter 4.2 m 4.2 m 6.5 m 4.5 m
Length 590 m 500 m 510 m 300
Type Steel Steel Steel Steel
No of Tunnels 5 5 2 4
8 Tail Race Pool Open Cut-Pool Open Cut-Pool Tail Race Tunnel
Length 150 m 150 m 1490 m
No. 1 1 2
Width at Starting Point 104 m 104 m Diameter – 9 m
Based on the above merits, Option-II has been finalised for the proposed Paidipalem 1000
MW. Pumped Storage Project. Alternate Layout drawings are exhibited as Figure 5.3. The
merits and demerits of the alternate options are tabulated below:
• The water conduit system (WCS) and Powerhouse are proposed above the
ground.
• Separate lower reservoir is considered for the project.
• L/H ratio is 5.1.
• The total length of the tail race channel to be excavated is 1900 m.
• The Powerhouse is located in the Forest area. The approval for getting the Forest
Option I land will take time. As there is a possibility of shifting the powerhouse, with the
same depth of excavation, into revenue lands. This will allow the construction of
the powerhouse early at least by 12 months. Hence the construction time can be
saved by avoiding this option.
• Apart from this, the length of the tail race channel is more by about 325 m
compared to option II.
• Hence, the option I is not considered.
• The water conduit system (WCS) and Powerhouse are proposed above the
ground.
• Separate lower reservoir is considered for the project.
• L/H ratio is 6.68.
• Powerhouse is an open pit type located outside the forest area. The entire land is
located in a revenue area. Land for the same can be obtained within 3 months.
Option II This will allow the start of construction early at least by 12 months.
• Surface penstocks will reduce the construction time and tunnel expenditure can
be avoided.
• The total length of the tail race channel to be excavated is 1575 m and is 325m
less than the option-I
• Considering the above, the layout option II with “project above the ground” is
considered.
• The Layout is completely Underground. The Tail Race Works are partly
underground and partly open channel.
• Separate lower reservoir is considered for the project.
• The L / H ratio is 7.
Option III • The length of the tail race tunnel & channel is 2310 m. Out of this 2310 m, 1490
m is a tunnel, and the remaining length is an open channel.
• L/H ratio is more compared to others.
• Construction time and cost of construction will be more for tunnels.
• Hence, Option III is not considered.
Monitoring shall be performed during all stages of the project (namely: construction and
operation) to ensure that the impacts are no greater than predicted, and to verify the
impact predictions. The monitoring program will indicate where changes to procedures or
operations are required, in order to reduce impacts on the environment or local
population. The monitoring program for the proposed project will be undertaken to meet
the following objectives:
• To monitor the environmental conditions of the project area and nearby habitation, if
any;
• To check on whether mitigation and benefit enhancement measures have actually been
adopted and are proving effective in practice;
To provide information on the actual nature and extent of key impacts and the
effectiveness of mitigation and benefit enhancement measures which, through a feedback
mechanism, can improve the planning and execution of future, similar projects.
The monitoring will be carried out by an NABL accredited laboratory for a period of 42
Calendar months (excluding pre-construction activities) during the project construction
phase or extended if the project construction period gets extended. For estimating the
budget of monitoring, 4.0 years period has been taken. First set of monitoring will start
just before the start of construction work. Monitoring locations/frequency will be adjusted,
as required, to meet the environment clearance conditions as mentioned in the EC letter to
be issued by MoEF&CC. On completion of project construction, a fresh budget will be
prepared, and monitoring will continue as per environment monitoring requirement set
out by MoEF&CC/Pollution Control Board.
project impact area. Budget proposed is worked based on Rs. 8000.00 per sample i.e. Rs.
2,16,000 per year.
Operation phase
Based on the result of analysis of ground and surface water samples during construction
period, operation phase monitoring can continue at same location for another year and
then the locations can be changed or reduced as required.
The frequency of monitoring shall be twice a week for four consecutive weeks at each
station for each season. The parameters to be monitored are PM10, PM2.5, Sulphur dioxide
(SO2) and Nitrogen Oxides (NOx). Every year, 144 ambient air quality samples will be taken
(6 stations x 2 days/week x 4 weeks x 3 seasons). A total cost of Rs. 17.28 lakh/year has
been earmarked for this purpose @ Rs. 12,000.00 per sample for monitoring as well as
analysis.
Operation Phase
Same schedule, as followed during construction phase, should be continued for operation
phase as well and budget can be extended.
6.1.3 Noise
Construction Phase
Noise emissions from vehicular movement, operation of various construction equipment
will be recorded during construction phase at major construction sites. The frequency of
monitoring will be once in 3 months. For monitoring of sound levels, three Integrating
Sound Level Meter will be purchased for which an amount of Rs. 2.00 lakh has been
earmarked as capital cost.
Operation Phase
Same schedule, as followed during construction phase, should be continued for operation
phase as well and budget can be extended.
In addition, status of bioengineering and engineering structures to control soil erosion and
increase the vegetation cover as proposed in Environmental management Plan will also
monitored under this plan. To monitor the status of plantation and engineering measures
will be start from 2nd year of construction phase.
For this an amount of Rs. 15.00 lakh per year for three years has been earmarked. Under
this programme, the survival rate and recruitment of the seedlings planted in the plots
taken up afforestation programme would be monitored through annual sampling. Not only
the survival and recruitment percentage but their height and other growth parameters
would also be monitored on annual basis.
Chapter
7 ADDITIONAL STUDIES
As per the scope of work issued by MoEF&CC, and Generic Structure of EIA Document as
per Appendix III of EIA Notification, following are covered under the Additional Studies:
a) R&R Plan – This section covers the process of land procurement of private land and
R&R Provisions to the affected families. In case of proposed Paidipalem North Pumped
Storage Project, no private land is required for the construction of various components
of proposed Project. Hence, requirement of preparation of Resettlement &
Rehabilitation Plan is not envisaged in the present case.
b) Local Area Development Plan (LADP) – It deals with the provisions being made by
project proponent to benefit the local population. This Plan will help improve quality of
life of local population in project surrounding areas. The budget proposed will form part
of Environment Management Plan.
c) Public Consultation – On completion of draft EIA report and its executive summary in
English and vernacular language (Telugu), reports will be submitted to Regional Office,
Andhra Pradesh State Pollution Control Board (APPCB), Kadapa to initiate the process
of Environmental Public Hearing (PH). On completion of Public Consultation process
and issue of report by Andhra Pradesh State Pollution Control Board (APPCB), major
issues raised during Public Consultation process and response will be covered in this
section.
Section
Chapter
REHABILITATION
REHABILITATION AND RESETTLEMENT
& RESETTLEMENT PLAN
7.1
7.1
7.1.1 Introduction
The project is located close to Paidipalem Village in the Simhadripuram Mandal of YSR
District in Andhra Pradesh. The project site is easily accessible by NH67 (Bellary to
Krishnapatnam Port). The land requirement of proposed PSP has been meticulously
planned to minimize the impacts. No private land is required for the construction of various
components of proposed project. The total land requirement for Paidipalem North Pumped
Storage Project works out to approximately 288.18 ha and 1.0 ha for temporary works. Out
of 288.18 ha, 159.84 ha is forest land and 128.34 ha land is under administrative control of
Revenue department of District YSR.
Section
7.2 LOCAL AREA DEVELOPMENT FUND
7.2.1 INTRODUCTION
Keeping in view one of the additional conditions stipulated with ToR accorded by Expert
Appraisal Committee (EAC), referring MoEF&CC OM dated 30.09.2020, provision has been
made to contribute financial assistance for Local Area Development Fund (LADF) under
Local Area Development Plan (LADP). The activities proposed under the Local Area
Development Plan (LADP) will be refined after Public Consultation/ Public Hearing meeting.
Activities to be implemented will be discussed with the District Administration and finalized
by the Multidisciplinary Committee.
Table 7.1: Focus Area and Nature of Local Area Development Activity
Focus Area Nature of Activity
• Need based infrastructure support for existing Schools
• Support for basic amenities in existing Schools
• Support for teaching and learning materials
Education
• Support for improving quality of education
• Support for meritorious students
• Support for general and specialized health camps
• Support to existing health facility
• Support through mobile health care services
Health Care • Support for emergency health care services
• Awareness on Health and Hygiene
• Support for Irrigation facilities
• Conduct awareness and training on modern agriculture methods
Animal Husbandry & • Promote natural farming/ organic farming
Irrigation Facilities • Conduct Veterinary Camps for livestock
• Construction of a Veterinary Clinic
• Construction of drinking water ponds for Livestock
• Support for strengthening existing roads
• Support for existing transportation services
Chapter
8 PROJECT BENEFITS
Overall Project Benefits
Power sector is a critical infrastructure element required for the smooth functioning of the
economy of the Nation. An efficient, resilient and financially healthy power sector is essential
for growth and poverty reduction. The availability of reliable, quality and affordable power
helps in the rapid agriculture, industrial and overall economic development of the state.
Today, Wind & Solar, are the lowest cost source of new energy, however their inherent
infirm nature & non-schedulability presents a huge challenge for integrating large RE
capacities, while maintaining grid stability.
Wind-Solar-Storage Hybrid Projects present a viable solution to the problem at hand and for
future wherein large RE capacities are being planned to be added to National grid. While
battery storage solutions are still evolving, integrating Wind & Solar with time tested and
proven Pumped Storage solutions presents an optimal, economically viable & scalable
solution to supply Schedulable Power On-Demand (SPOD) with both base load and peak load
capabilities.
Pumped Storage solutions provide the necessary scale (large volume of energy storage) and
have a long life-cycle resulting in lowest cost of delivered SPOD energy over the life of the
projects. Developing such integrated projects in Wind-Solar resource rich locations along
with Pumped Storage capacities independently, without impacting the existing natural water
systems / irrigation systems is necessary to sustainably power the future needs of our
country while maintaining grid stability.
The Government of Andhra Pradesh through its nodal agency, New & Renewable Energy
Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh (NREDCAP) identified 23 project locations in
the state for preliminary examination and development of renewable power through
pumped storage projects. The proposed Paidipalem North Project is among one of 23
identified pumped storage projects identified by NREDCAP.
The proposed Paidipalem North Pumped Storage Project can supply Schedulable Power on
Demand (SPOD) which is Dispatchable & Schedulable Renewable Energy to consumers
across India. With this in view, NREDCAP has undertaken feasibility studies to implement the
1000 MW Pumped Storage Energy which can act as a standalone power generator or act as
important component for Integrated Renewable Energy Projects (IREP).
Employment Generation
Typically, like all infrastructure projects, Paidipalem North PSP is planned to be completed in
42 Calendar months (excluding pre-construction activities), at the time of peak construction
work in the project, around 1000 workers (labour and staff) would be engaged during the
peak construction period, out of which 250 persons will be engaged permanently and about
750 will be temporary labour for the construction work. It is expected that 70% of the total
workforce shall be available from the State of Andhra Pradesh. After completion of the
project only a staff of about 200 technical persons shall be required for the operation of the
project.
In addition, the project would lead to creation of direct and indirect employment
opportunities as new factories would come up in and around the project due to reliable
power supply/availability, contract works for the locals during construction and operation
phase, etc.
the national and state level regulatory requirements with a view to mitigate potential
adverse environmental impacts resulting from the proposed project activities. The proposed
EMP aims at ensuring the implementation of proposed mitigation and monitoring measures
by the agency responsible for implementation.
EIA process has evaluated various impacts due to the proposed project and the proposed
mitigation measures which have been suggested along with various management plans; will
reduce the severity of identified adverse impacts on environment due to the proposed
activities.
The overall responsibility for implementation of the EMP measures rests with New &
Renewable Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh (NREDCAP) through
implementing agency and their contractors. Environment Manager of NREDCAP reporting
directly to the project head shall ensure coordination and implementation of the EMP
measures. He will be responsible for progress monitoring of environmental and social
safeguards during project construction and execution stage and submission of monitoring
and compliance report to the authority.
A grievance mechanism will be established where complaints and grievances from the locals
as well as the labour force will be directly addressed by Environment Manager. Records of
all complaints will be generated along with corrective and preventive actions till closure.
10.1.1COMPONENTS OF EMP
As per the Standard TOR, various plans need to be prepared as part of EIA study to ensure
mitigation and management of identified impacts.
In addition, water, air and noise management, environment safeguards during construction
activities have been covered under chapter 4; under mitigation measures. Environment
Monitoring at Chapter 6 as per generic structure of EIA. Other EMP components are
discussed in ensuing text.
Section
10.2
CATCHMENT AREA TREATMENT PLAN
The land required for the project involves acquisition of forest land too. As per the Feasibility
Study Report, 159.84 ha of forest land is required for the project construction. Diversion of
forest land for non-forest purpose will be involved for the construction of project components.
Therefore, Forest Clearance to be obtained under Forest Conservation Act. Catchment Area
Treatment (CAT) Plan is pre-requisite in the application of Forest Clearance. Hence, CAT Plan
has been prepared.
Soil erosion may be defined as the detachment, transportation and deposition of soil particles
from one place to other by means of transporting agents like water, air, winds etc. Soil erosion
is mainly affected by rainfall intensity, slope gradient, length, soil erodibility and vegetation
cover. Therefore, study of erosion and sediment yield from catchment are of great importance.
Soil erosion leads to:
• loss in production potential
• reduction in infiltration rates
• reduction in water-holding capacity
• loss of nutrients
• increase in tillage operation costs
• reduction in water supply
To control the rate of soil erosion in the catchment, Catchment Area Treatment (CAT) is an
ineluctable part. The CAT plan pertains to preparation of a management plan for treatment of
erosion prone areas through adequate preventive measures. An effective CAT plan is a key
factor to make the project eco-friendly and sustainable. Thus, a well-designed Catchment Area
Treatment (CAT) Plan is essential to ameliorate the above-mentioned adverse process of soil
erosion. CAT plan essentially consists of the following steps.
1. Calculation of soil erosion using Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE), combined
with Remote Sensing (RS) and Geographic Information System (GIS) technologies.
2. Prioritizing the areas for treatment using Silt Yield Index (SYI).
3. Planning of suitable erosion control measures.
4. Cost estimation for CAT plan.
The Catchment Area Treatment (CAT) plan highlights the management techniques to control
erosion in the catchment area of a water resource project. The life span of a reservoir is greatly
reduced due to erosion in the catchment area. Adequate preventive measures are thus needed
for the treatment of catchment for its stabilization against future erosion.
As per the Feasibility Study Report, 159.84 ha of land is required for Project Construction.
Diversion of forest land for non-forest purposes will be involved for construction of Paidipalem
North PSP project components. The catchment area treatment involves:
• Understanding of the erosion characteristics of the terrain and,
• Suggesting remedial measures to reduce the erosion rate.
The catchment of three different unnamed nalas/gullies at the proposed upper dam on each
nala/ gully forms the catchment area of upper reservoir. This catchment area also happens to
be the total area of upper reservoir i.e. 1.01 sq km only. Hence it is stated that once the project
is constructed upper reservoir will not have any catchment.
Catchment of an unmanned nala at the proposed lower dam forms the catchment area of lower
reservoir. This unnamed nala drains into the existing Paidipalem Balancing Reservoir. The
R S Envirolink Technologies Pvt. Ltd. 10.4
NREDCAP Draft EIA Report Paidipalem North PSP
catchment area of this unnamed nala at the proposed lower dam is 6.50 sq km. Catchment area
map is shown as Figure 10.1. In view of above, in the present study CAT Plan has been prepared
for the catchment of the lower dam only.
Soil and Land Use Survey of India (SLUSI) has Watershed Atlas of India under digital
environment using GIS and produced a Digital Watershed Atlas (DWA) where the delineation
and codification of watersheds in the country has been undertaken in GIS environment. The
delineation for DWS has been done in seven stages starting with Water Resource Regions and
their subsequent division and subdivisions into Basins, Catchments, Subcatchments,
Watersheds, Subwatersheds and Microwatersheds in decreasing size of the delineated
hydrologic unit.
As per Watershed Atlas of India, study area/ catchment area of lower dam falls in a single
microwatershed. The nomenclature of the microwatershed forming the catchment area has
been assigned as follows: Region (4) “All drainage flowing into Bay of Bengal except those at 2
& 3”; Basin (4C) “Cauvery to Krishna”; Catchment (4C3) “Pennar”; Subcatchment (4C3G)
“Chitravati”; Watershed (4C3G1) “Chitravati”; Subwatershed 4C3G1b and Microwatershed
4C3G1b5 (refer Figure 10.1).
Figure 10.1: Catchment Area Map of Paidipalem North Pumped Storage Project
For the estimation of rainfall erosivity in the Catchment Area, average rainfall of 10 years has
been taken from the High-resolution gridded CRU datasets. In the absence of site specific
periodic data, CRU data from the year 2011 to 2020 has been used for the calculation of R
factor. In and around the Catchment Area, average rainfall of 10 years have been taken from
the rain gauge station for the estimation of rainfall erosivity. The rainfall erosivity factor (R) has
been calculated using equation R = 81.5 + 0.38X for annual average rainfall of observed and
simulated data. The value of R i.e. 346.70 has been adopted in this study to calculate soil erosion
using RUSLE.
Figure 10.2: Soil Map of Catchment Area (refer Table 10.2 for soil unit legend)
The land use/ land cover pattern of the Catchment Area has been given in Table 10.3 and shown
as Figure 10.4. As can be seen from the map and table, the land use/ land cover pattern can be
classified into four classes, out of these, majority of the area i.e. 62.26% is covered by Scrub
Land, followed by Scrub Forest covering 31.48%. As per the landuse/ landcover map of the
catchment area, the classes based upon their contribution to soil erosion can be grouped into
two cover management factors and assigned with C values. Scrub forest and scrub land have
been assigned with c Value 0.02, while, barren rocky land and waterbodies with C value 0.00.
Table 10.3: Area Falling Under Different Land Use/ Land Cover Classes
Land use/ Land cover Classes Area (ha) Area (%)
Scrub Forest 204.74 31.48
Scrub Land 404.93 62.26
Barren Rocky Land 19.04 2.93
Waterbody 21.62 3.33
Total 650.34 100
10.2.3 Prioritization
`Silt Yield Index’ (SYI), method conceptualized by Soil and Land Use Survey of India (SLUSI) is
being used for prioritization of smaller hydrologic units within river valley project areas. Since
the catchment area is only 4.53 sq km and could be delineated into only one microwatershed
therefore, prioritization is not applicable.
The period for implementing Catchment Area Treatment Plan interventions including
maintenance has been taken as 8 years. It is proposed to prepare micro plans, establish
administrative setup and implement other entry point activities such as pre-planting operation
in the first year itself, followed by implementation of treatment measures in second year. The
maintenance period (only for biological measures) will be for subsequent 5 years.
i. Biological Measures
The biological measures would comprise of:
• Block Plantation
• Aided Natural Regeneration
The per hectare cost norms for both the biological measures have been sourced from already
approved CAT Plan in the state i.e. CAT Plan for diversion of forest land to an extent of 34.05
ha under the foreshore of Owk Reservoir Complex Stage-II, Andhra Pradesh.
A) Block Plantation
A well-stocked forest is the best insurance against soil loss as well as for ecological
rehabilitation. It is therefore proposed to increase the vegetation cover in the tract. For this,
patches of scrub forest falling under severe and very severe erosion intensity category shall be
brought under block plantation. The locality factors prevalent in the area such as fires, grazing
etc. are fairly adverse to the establishment of plantations. Thus, special and intensive efforts
are needed to ensure the success of plantation work. To ensure success of plantation work,
provision of watch and ward has also been made. Owing to the above enumeration factors, the
plantation will require higher levels of maintenance also. 1600 plants per hectare at a spacing
of 2.5 m x 2.5 m will be planted under this scheme. Planting will be done in pits. Pre-planting
operation should be done well in advance. Plants should be healthy with strong stems. As far
as possible indigenous species will be planted. Provision is also made for five years
maintenance. The unit cost for block plantation including maintenance cost for five years is
estimated to be Rs. 1,15,020 per ha consisting of Rs. 67,570 for pre-planting and plantation
operation and Rs. 47,450 for maintenance for five years. The area to be brought under block
plantation and is 38 ha.
B) Pasture Development
As there are degraded patches of scrub land in the area, this measure will be adopted to
encourage development of new and healthy pastures for use of cattle of the area. Under this
treatment, suitable species of grasses and leguminous plant species be planted in the land area
earmarked for the purpose. The unit cost for pasture development including maintenance cost
for five years is estimated to be Rs. 46,470 per ha consisting of Rs. 35,150 for plantation and Rs.
11,320 for maintenance for five years. The area to be brought under block plantation and is
17.0 ha.
The year-wise areas requiring treatment measures have been suggested but have not been
marked. The spatial location of specific treatment to be carried out in the free draining
catchment area would require extensive detailing during the implementation of CAT and a
provision for micro-planning has been made in the total CAT financial allocation. Thereafter,
annual work plan would be prepared well in advance after undertaking initial ground surveys
during micro-planning, specifying physical and financial targets, sites, locations and
beneficiaries of each component of the project activity. Month-wise work schedule of various
items of each component for the financial year would also be prepared in advance and its timely
implementation would be ensured. Monthly progress report on all activities would be
submitted by the Range Officers to Divisional Forest Officer. The monitoring committee shall
be constituted at the project level for this purpose which too would monitor on a regular basis
the quality and quantity of works being carried out under the CAT plan area. A provision of Rs.
1.57 lakh has been made for this component.
10.2.5.4 Contingencies
A provision of Rs. 2.62 lakh has been kept under this component for some leeway to adjust any
unforeseen expenditure.
S. Rate Total
Item Unit
No. (Rs) Physical Financial (Rs)
II Engineering Measures
3 Brushwood Check Dams 2,000 No 22 44,000.00
4 Check Dams (DRSM) 5,000 No 7 35,000.00
Sub Total II (3+4) 29 79,000.00
IV Administrative Measures
5 Administrative Charges @5% of Treatment Cost 2,61,987.50
6 Micro planning @2% of Treatment Cost 1,04,795.00
Monitoring & Evaluation Cost @3% of Treatment
7 1,57,192.50
Cost
8 Contingencies @5% of Treatment Cost 2,61,987.50
B Sub Total IV 7,85,962.50
A Treatment Cost (Sub Total I + II + III) 20,27,070 13,00,100 7,19,530 4,96,670 2,36,660 2,36,660 2,23,060 52,39,750
IV ADMINISTRATIVE MEASURES
5 Administrative Charges @5% of Treatment Cost 1,30,994 1,30,994 2,61,988
6 Micro planning @2% of Treatment Cost 1,04,795 1,04,795
Monitoring & Evaluation Cost @3% of Treatment
7
Cost 52,398 52,398 52,398 1,57,193
8 Contingencies @5% of Treatment Cost 1,01,354 65,005 35,977 24,834 11,833 11,833 11,153 2,61,988
B Sub Total IV 3,37,142 2,48,396 35,977 24,834 64,231 11,833 11,153 52,398 7,85,963
Total (A and B) 23,64,212 15,48,496 7,55,507 5,21,504 3,00,891 2,48,493 2,34,213 52,398 60,25,713
For this purpose, CEC has classified the forest taking in view the ecological role and value of
the forest, 16 major forest types have been further grouped into 6 ecological classes
depending upon their ecological functions (refer. Revision of rates of NPV applicable for
different class/category of forests 2014).
The cost of Net Present Value (NPV) was calculated as per the revised NPV rates by MoEF&CC
dated 6th January 2022. For non-forestry use/diversion of forest land, the NPV may be
directed to be deposited in the Compensatory Afforestation Fund as per the rates given below
(in Rs.).
Total forest land requirement for diversion for non-forest use i.e. for the construction of
Paidipalem North PSP activities is 159.84 ha. As the forest in the project area fall in the Eco
Class III as being of type Tropical Moist Deciduous Forests with open forest type, therefore
NPV @ Rs. 9,57,780/ha would be required to be deposited in the Compensatory
Afforestation Fund. The total cost of NPV has been estimated as Rs. 15,30,91,555.20 (say Rs.
1530.92 lakh).
The main objective of the Biodiversity Conservation and Wildlife Management Plan is the
sustainable use of natural resources which involves scientific management of natural wealth
vis-à-vis developmental activities that are likely to affect these resources. The threats to
biodiversity generally arise due to anthropogenic activities that may arise as a result of the
proposed development activities. Therefore, Biodiversity Conservation & Wildlife
Management plan has been formulated for the conservation and management of the forest
ecosystems in the vicinity of proposed project.
Keeping in view of the anticipated impacts of proposed project on the biodiversity of area,
the main objectives of biodiversity conservation and wildlife management plan are as
follows:
i. Conservation and preservation of natural habitats in and around project area
ii. Mitigation and control of project induced biotic and/or abiotic pressures/ influences
that may affect the natural habitats,
iii. Creating all round awareness regarding conservation and ensuring people’s
participation in the conservation efforts and minimizing man-animal conflict.
iv. Habitat Conservation and Management of Schedule-I species reported from the
project area.
Table 10.10: Break-up for Wildlife Management and Conservation Plan for Schedule-I Species
Fund Allocated
S. No. Activity
(Rs in Lakh)
Habitat Improvement by development of vegetation cover by
1 0.0*
plantation with suitable species.
Biological fence (Bamboo species, Euphorbia sp., Agave americana,
etc.) around the habitation and around the agriculture fields 15.00
2
adjoining to forest area to control human wildlife conflict
3 Construction and filling of water holes and ponds in wildlife habitat. 25.00
4 Support/Provision of veterinary care, cages, recuse centers, etc. 24.00
5 Anti-Poaching measures and preventing illegal tree felling 5.00
6 Training Programme for Techniques of faunal species rescue 4.00
7 Prevention of Forest Fire: Training and Infrastructure facilities 15.00
Total 88.00
* Covered under Biodiversity Management & Wildlife Conservation Plan (refer table 9).
Detailed Biodiversity Conservation and Wildlife Management Plan along Conservation Plan
for Schedule-I species is enclosed as Annexure V.
i) For improvement of vigilance and measures to check poaching, check posts and watch
towers will be needed. In order to strengthen the working capacity, the workforce of the
State Forest/Wildlife Department they must be provided with necessary equipment such
as a camera, wireless, binoculars GPS, search lights, health kits, etc. that would increase
their capability and efficiency of monitoring.
ii) The construction of inspection paths and watch towers for more effective and meaningful
patrolling by the department.
iv) Creation of veterinary facilities and rescue camps for healthcare of wild animals and for
disease control. For this purpose, it is essential to maintain a stock of medicines in
addition to setting up of a mobile-rescue-cum-rehabilitation-van.
Project authorities would provide funds to State Forest Department. Total financial outlay
under this head would be Rs. 25.00 lakh.
Biodiversity Conservation Strategy Action Plans (SBCSAP) and State Forest Department to
implement, monitor and evaluate the Biodiversity Conservation and Wildlife Management
Plan of the proposed Project. The activities of BMC shall be under the direct administrative
control of the Chief Wildlife Warden/Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, Andhra Pradesh.
The BMC will comprise of the following members:
The Chairman of the committee will have the right to assign various activities to various
members for proper functioning and result-oriented tasks. The committee will monitor the
progress of the proposed plan. Total financial outlay for the BMC would be Rs. 4.00 lakh only.
State Forest Department shall be the executing agency for implementation of the proposed
mitigation measure under Biodiversity Conservation and Wildlife Management Plan in the
surrounding of proposed project site, therefore, a total amount of Rs. 191.50 lakh will be
deposited with the D.F.O/ Forest Department for taking up different activities within the
area.
Section
10.5
FISHERIES DEVELOPMENT PLAN
The proposed Paidipalem North PSP is off-stream project. The proposed project will not have
any significant impact on habitat of fish fauna. For operation of proposed project water will
be lifted once from Paidipalem reservoir. However, considering the fact that fisheries as an
important source of income for the people in the area, the Fisheries management has been
proposed under this plan.
Considerable change in the aquatic ecosystem and dependency of local people on fish
resources in the area required the habitat conservation and rehabilitation of aquatic fauna
in natural water bodies and reservoirs.
The proposed Paidipalem North Pumped Storage Project is envisaged as Off-Stream Project
in nature and have not any impact of operation on natural water system. Both proposed
Upper and Lower reservoirs are located away from all existing natural water systems. Water
for operation of project will be lifted one time from existing nearby Paidipalem Reservoir
and will be stored in the lower reservoir and used cyclically between upper and lower
reservoirs for energy storage and discharge.
Although there is no significant impact of project on natural water system but considering
the ecological and commercial importance of fisheries resources in Chitravati and Penna
River, a budgetary provision of Rs. 10.00 lakh has been made to enrich fisheries resources in
the riverine ecosystem under the head of Environmental Management Plan of proposed
Paidipalem North PSP.
In addition to promote riverine fisheries in the area, funds have also been allocated for
management of reservoir fisheries. A budgetary provision of Rs. 5.00 lakh each for the
Gandikota Reservoir and Paidipalem Balancing Reservoir is made under the Fisheries
Management Plan.
As per district official website of YSR district there are 36 Fishermen Cooperative Societies,
and 4 Fisher Women Cooperative Societies were registered under department of fisheries.
These numbers show the interest of people in fisheries resources.
To promote the aqua culture and fish farming in the State, Government of Andhra Pradesh
has taken a decision to exempt lands converted to aquaculture from payment of NALA (Non-
Agricultural Land Assessment) Tax vide The AP Gazette Notification of Act No.16 of 2012
dt.14-5-2012.
State Government also issue comprehensive and consolidated instructions and guidelines
viz. mandatory registration for freshwater aquaculture, constitution of District Level
Committee to permit freshwater aquaculture by registration to consider the cases for
regularization of existing unregistered freshwater aquaculture farms and for registering new
freshwater aquaculture farms.
Therefore, considering the potential of freshwater aquaculture in the district and provisions
made by the State Government the requirement and potential of fish farming, financial
provision of Rs. 5.00 lakh/ year for 4 years has been made for skill development and training
on new techniques for fish farming and management of freshwater aquaculture / fish
farming to the registered fish farm owners.
In addition to skill development, funds were also provided by developer for awareness
programme organized to promote freshwater aquaculture in the area. For this provision of
Rs. 1.0 lakh/ year for four years has been made under the proposed Fisheries Development
Plan.
A total of Rs. 24.00 lakh Fund will be deposited to the State Fisheries Department and
department will be responsible to organize training/ skill development and awareness
programme.
For strengthening the infrastructure of these Government fish farms, financial provision of
Rs. 25.0 lakh has been made under Fisheries Development Plan of proposed Paidipalem PSP.
The State Fisheries Department shall be the executing agency for implementation of the
proposed Plan in the surrounding of proposed project site, therefore, a total amount of Rs.
70.00 lakh will be deposited with the State Fisheries Department for taking up different
activities within the area.
Section
10.6
MUCK MANGEMENT PLAN
10.6 MUCK MANAGEMENT PLAN
The muck generated from various project activities during the construction of the PSP may
adversely affect the environment if not properly managed. The generated muck volume, if
not properly disposed, can destroy the landscape and increase the atmospheric particulate
matter. The proposed PSP (1000 MW) is located near village Paidipalem in the
Simhadripuram Mandal of YSR Kadapa district in Andhra Pradesh is likely to generate large
volume of muck of which some quantity will be utilizable, and the remaining muck volume
needs to be rehabilitated at appropriate dumping sites in a technically and ecologically sound
manner. Map showing location of Muck dumping site is given in Figure 10.6.
The identification of muck disposal areas was done in line with the topographic and site-
specific conditions as specified above.
The options like dumping muck in stages and allowing it to consolidate/settle through the
monsoon, compacting the dumped muck with Bulldozer movement, zoning of the dump
judiciously to ensure the stability of 30° slope under all superimposed conditions will be
explored and utilized. The plan and cross-sections of the proposed muck dumping site is
given at Figures 10.7.
The main objectives of process of muck dumping and restoration of these muck disposal sites
are:
• to protect and control soil erosion;
• to create greenery in the muck disposal area;
• to improve and develop the sites into recreational site;
• to ensure maximum utilization of muck for the construction purpose;
• to develop the muck disposal site/ dumping yard to blend with the surrounding
landscape.
In Paidipalem PSP, a scientific approach and methodology was followed for identification of
the dumping site. All possible alternate sites were inspected and examined before rejecting
or selecting any site. The dumping site is characterized by:
iii) the identified muck site is close to the area of generation to avoid hazards related to
transport of muck for long distances and minimizing traffic problems.
The generated muck will be carried in dumper trucks tightly covered in line with international
best practices. All precautionary measures will be followed during the dumping of muck. All
dumpers will be well maintained to avoid any chances of loose soil from being falling during
the transportation. All unpaved routes will be periodically wetted with the help of sprinklers
prior to the movement of dump trucks. Dumping would be avoided during the high-speed
wind, so that suspended particulate matter (PM10) levels could be maintained. After the
dumping the surface of dumps will be sprayed with water with the help of sprinklers and
then compacted.
As mentioned above, for disposal of 1,935,340 cum of muck, an area of 12.28 Ha having
capacity of 1,940,000 cum has been identified (see Table 10.13. The excavated material from
various construction sites would be disposed of at designated site in a controlled and orderly
manner. All measures would be adopted to ensure that the dumping of muck does not cause
injury or inconvenience to the people or the property around the area. The general
topography of the disposal area has a flat ground profile. The spillage of muck will be
prevented by making RR masonry retaining walls to retain the piled muck. The top surface
would be levelled and graded after the capacity of any dumping site is exhausted. The top
surface will be covered with soil and grass seeding will be ensured to promote vegetation
cover. Suitable retaining walls shall be constructed prior to dumping of muck, and terraces
would be developed to support the muck on vertical slope and for optimum space utilization.
Loose muck would be compacted layer-wise. The compacted muck will be ultimately covered
with fertile soil, and suitable plants will be planted adopting suitable bio-technological
measures.
The following engineering and biological measures have been proposed for the development
of spoiled areas.
The methodology consists in developing the formation width is half cutting and half filling,
so that the materials obtained from cutting are utilized in filling. The excavation on hill side
will be done to get a stable slope for the materials encountered. At places breast wall, gabion
walls shall be done in natural slope to retain filled material, particularly where there is
problem of retaining the slope.
i) Retaining Wall
Total area of land for dumping of muck is 12.28 ha (refer Table i.e., which can accommodate
about 1,94,000 Cum. The height of the retaining wall will be approximately 3m. A typical
sketch of the retaining wall is given at Figure 10.8.
ii) Compaction
Compaction is an engineering measure, which would reduce bulk density of the muck
thereby optimizing the use of muck disposal area and would make it suitable for the
plantation and other biological measures. Top surface would be levelled and graded to make
the alternative use. The muck will be spread in layers of 500-700 mm thick layers. Top surface
would be levelled and graded to make the alternative use. On top a layer of soil would be
spread to make the land suitable for plantation. The total cost for the process of compaction
is Rs. 180.00 lakh.
iii) Fencing
Fencing is a bio-engineering measure. After rehabilitation of muck the dumping area need
protection for some time from disturbing by human and domestic animals. For this reason,
fencing around the muck deposited is required. Barbed wire strands with two diagonal
strands, clamped to wooden/ concrete posts placed at 3 m distance are proposed around
the dumping piles. Project authorities will establish temporary wind barriers around 3 sides
of dumps in close of settlement area. Estimated cost of engineering measures is given at
Table 10.14.
i) Soil treatment
Muck dumped at various sites is not considered to be nutrient rich as it is excavated from
tunnels and other structures. In order to make it suitable for the plantation it will be provided
bio treatment.
ii) Plantation
The selected species will be planted after their nurseries have been developed. The dumping
areas are very small; therefore, a separate nursery would not be required. Saplings for
plantation should be procured from existing forest department nursery. Nearly 1-2 years old
saplings would be used for the plantation. Grasses and herbaceous species would be used in
the inter space of tree and shrub species. They will help in providing the continuous chain of
support in retaining debris, reinforcing soil and increasing the infiltration capacity of the
area. After the process of compaction dumping site will be available for the plantation. In
consultation with the forest department as well as horticultural department.
The afforestation with indigenous plant species of high ecological and economic value which
can adapt to local habitat will be undertaken with 750-800 plants per hectare depending
upon the canopy cover required. Major tree species which would be planted are listed in
table below.
The estimated cost of these measures would be Rs. 93.00 lakh. This cost includes the cost of
turfing slopes, preparation of ground, spreading of manure, etc., providing 5 cm of soil cover
and transportation and carriage. It also includes the cost of fencing, irrigation, watch and
ward, etc. (see Table 10.15).
Table 10.15: Total financial outlay for the biological measures at dumping sites
S. Rate/ ha Amount
Particulars Quantity
No. (in Rs.) (Rs. in lakh)
1 Site preparation (Levelling and spreading of fertile soil) 12.0 ha 2,00,000 24.00
Digging and filling of Pits
2 10,000 Nos. 60/pit 6.00
(size: 0.45 m x 0.45 m x 0.45 m)
Cost of plant material including transportation of Plant
3 10,000 Nos. Lumpsum 10.00
material from nursery
Planting of entire Plants raised in P/bag including labour
4 10,000 Nos. 30/ plant 3.00
charges
5 Manure and soil filling in pits including transportation - Lumpsum 5.00
6 Cost of RCC fence post and B/Wire Lumpsum 15.00
7 Maintenance for 5 years 5 Years 300000.0 15.00
8 Misc. (watering, transport, etc.) - Lumpsum 15.00
Total 93.00
During construction period about 8.09 ha land is required for job facility, for colony and office
and 1.0 ha temporary land is required for Crushing and Batching plants. Setting up of
infrastructure for construction including colonies for labor will lead to clearing of vegetation.
The forest land diverted for the construction of the project component, will be cleared of
vegetation. Part of this land on completion of project construction can be restored. The
following measures would be adopted for the rehabilitation and landscaping of colony areas
and construction sites.
• Proper roads and lanes would be provided inside the colony area. The open area will be
covered with vegetation. Preferably native ornamental plants and trees will be planted in
rows along the roads and lanes.
• Proper channels would be provided inside the colony to drain out the rain/ domestic
water. Retaining walls will be built to avoid soil erosion, landslides and slips.
• Parks and playgrounds for staff and children would be developed in colony of project area.
The estimated cost of restoration of construction is 43.00 lakh (see Table 10.17).
Table 10.17: Cost estimates for engineering and biological measures for construction areas
Rate/ unit Amount
S. No. Item of work Quantity
(in Rs.) Rs. (in lakh)
Leveling and development of
1 9 ha 2,00,000/ha 18.00
the Job Facility Area
2 Avenue Plantation* -
3 Fencing Lump sum 10.00
4 Maintenance 5 Years 3,00,000/Year 15.00
Total 43.00
*Cost Covered in Green Belt Development Plan
constructed to access the various components of the proposed project. The total land
required for the construction of the new road is 12.46 ha. Most of the proposed road passes
through scrub land and open forest.
• Properly demarcate area to be cleared to save as many trees as well as shrubs possible.
Tree felling for road construction/works would be kept bare minimum and strict control
must be exercised in consultation with the Forest Department.
• Employ the methodology of balanced cut and fill formation to avoid large differences in
cut and fill quantities.
• Protect cut slopes by providing breast walls, construction of catch water and intercepting
drains, treatment of slopes and unstable areas above and underneath the road, etc.
• Undertake controlled blasting techniques where blasting is required.
• Do not dump or throw excavated material haphazardly but dump in a suitable manner at
designated muck dumping location.
• Link all artificial drains built for drainage near the working area with the existing natural
drainage system. Ensure these drains have gentle slopes. However, on steep slopes
provide check dams so that soil is not eroded and carried away by high-velocity flows.
The estimated cost of implementing mitigation measures discussed above during road
construction is given in Table 10.18.
Table 10.18: Details of cost estimates for measures during road construction
Amount
S. No. Item Quantity Rate
(Rs. lakh)
1. Site Clearance of vegetation 8.0 ha Rs. 50000/- per ha 4.00
Provision of retaining/ breast walls,
2. construction of catch water, and 2800 cum Rs.7500/- per cum 210.00
interceptor drains
Provision of the drainage system along
3. 34000 rmt Rs.500/- per rmt 170.00
project roads (17.0 km)
Total 384.00
It is proposed to carry out roadside plantation and the details of same are discussed in
Section 10.12.
The project authorities will ensure sewage generated from labour colonies and site office is
treated and disposed as per the SPCB guidelines. It is proposed to provide adequate septic
tanks with soak pits for treatment and disposal of sewage.
Waste generation rate in Indian cities ranges between 200-870 grams/capita/day, depending
upon the region’s lifestyle and the size of the city. The per capita waste generation is
increasing by about 1.3% per year in India (Annepu, 2012). State-wise data show that Andhra
Pradesh average is about 364 gm/capita/day, however, project area being small town/rural
is expected to generate lower than that of state average. It is assumed for the estimation of
quantum of waste generation, for the purpose of preparation of solid waste management
plan, that migrant labour population will follow the local pattern. Therefore, when project
will go for construction, about 300 grams/capita/day is expected to be generated.
Further, the peak labour population is estimated to be 1000 persons. It is also expected that
locals in the proximity will also use solid waste management facilities; keeping this in view,
the plan is prepared for about 1500 persons.
For 1500 persons an estimated amount of about 540 Kg/day (0.36 kg x 1500 individuals) of
solid waste will be generated. This waste will be collected, segregated, and disposed off in
line with the provisions laid down in Solid Waste Management Rules, 2016.
10.8.1.1 Reuse/Recycling
Project proponent/contractor will explore opportunity to recycle the waste generated at the
project site, in this context project will identify authorized vendors for recycling or disposal
of used batteries, used oil and used oil filters (as these are hazardous waste). Bio-degradable
waste will be treated in Organic Waste Composter (OWC) and the manure generated will be
distributed to local villagers.
Solid waste collected shall be disposed-off at a common storage point. Three trucks will be
commissioned to collect the solid waste and dispose the same at sites designated for
disposal of solid waste.
10.8.1.4 Disposal
The solid waste will be transported for disposal at the designated landfill sites. The landfill
shall have impervious clay at the bottom most layers. The second layer shall be impervious
liner (Geo membrane), third layer will be of sand, after that well compacted solid waste is
to be put over the sand, then again, a layer of clay, finally a layer of soil. Vegetation shall be
grown on the topmost layers. It will give a good aesthetic view of landfill.
i) Degradable component
The bio-degradable portion of the solid waste would be disposed of by composting. The
degradable portion is expected to be about 70% i.e., about 378 kg/day of the degradable
portion of solid waste will be generated.
For treatment of bio-degradable solid waste, provision of Solid Waste Treatment Plant has
been proposed established in the project area. The capacity of treatment plant is about 5
ton/day. Proposed Solid Waste Treatment Plant not only manage the solid waste
generated inside the project area, but also cater the management of Solid Waste of
surrounding villages. The composting process takes around 45-60 days to mature. The
screened compost would be used as good manure especially for the cultivation of
vegetables and for fruit orchards in the area. The treated waste is further utilized as
manure at plantation sites, gardens, and herbal park.
A provision of additional 50% of the total area, for accommodating infrastructure facilities
w i l l be included while working out requirement of space. The liner system will comprise
of the following layers below the waste:
Cost
S. No. Item (Rs. lakh)
5 One covered truck for conveyance of solid waste to landfill site @ Rs. 25.00 25.00
lakh per truck
6 Two tractors with trolleys @ Rs. 11.00 lakh per tractor with trolley 22.00
7 Manpower cost for 6 persons @ Rs. 18000 per person per month for 4 years 51.84
Running, operation and maintenance of trucks and trolleys including driver’s
8 36.00
salaries @ Rs. 25,000 per vehicle per month for 3 vehicles for 4 years
9 Awareness Programme/ Periodical Training (Rs. 1.0 Lakh/ year) 4.00
10 Tools & Equipment’s 10.00
Total Cost (Rs. lakh) 303.84
* Cost of land is taken in DPR
Section
10.9
PUBLIC HEALTH DELIVERY SYSTEM
ii. Chances of increase in water borne diseases as malaria, and dengue are high if there is a
stagnant water body in the vicinity. The project is a pumped storage scheme which will
create new reservoirs and water will remain in circulation on daily basis from upper to lower
and vice versa. Stagnation of water and multiplication of mosquitoes and other vectors is
not anticipated, however, monitoring and preventive measures are recommended to
prevent outbreak of water-borne diseases.
iii. Chances of increase in respiratory troubles due to increase in suspended particles during
the construction phase. Mainly a cause of concern for construction workers who are likely
to be exposed to dust for long hours. PPEs, such as dust masks, are recommended to mitigate
such impacts.
iv. Chances of occurrence of gastroenteritis, cholera and typhoid in the labour camps. The
project should make proper arrangements for maintaining high hygienic conditions in the
colonies and labour camps, by providing good sanitation and drinking water facilities.
Medicines would be distributed free of cost to the labour during construction period as and
when required.
It is recommended that the developer provide the following medical facility, directly or
through contractor, to ensure safe and healthy operations during the entire construction
phase. This also helps in minimizing the dependence of labour population on the existing
medical facility.
A medico needs to be engaged to make regular visits to these villages and organize health
promotional activities with the active participation of the local village leaders, NGOs and
available local health functionaries. The health functionaries would undertake the following
tasks as a part of health promotional activities:
• Organize awareness programs and medical camps to make people aware about the
common diseases in the region. This should include poster campaign, awareness camps,
medical camps for health check-ups and vaccination/ treatment, etc.
• Collect water samples to ascertain the potability of water from different sources so as to
monitor regular disinfection of drinking water sources.
• Maintain close surveillance on incidence of communicable diseases in villages.
• Maintain close liaison with the community leaders and health functionaries of different
departments, so that they can be mobilized in case of an emergency.
• Close interaction to be maintained with health department functionaries of the state
government.
• In case of verifiable health problem arising due to blasting activities of the project,
necessary health care facilities shall be provided.
In addition to the above health promotional activities safety measures for contagious
diseases like AIDS and pandemic like Covid19 has been taken in consideration. Therefore, to
minimize the impact of such diseases, it is necessary that project proponents and contractors
must follow specific protocols and government advisories. As a part of EMP, the project
should made provisions to ensure taking adequate measures to control the spread of disease
among workforces. The plan should be updated, keeping in view the prevailing situation at
the time of start of work.
At the time of labour engagement and start of work or anytime during the execution of work,
any directives issued by government with respect to labour, movement, labour stay at site,
social distancing or any other restriction put in place to contain the spread of infectious
disease should be strictly adhered to.
Project proponents will monitor and ensure that contractors will follow any restriction on
movement or advise on distancing as issued by the government due to any infectious disease
during the period of construction. Project proponent will request the details from the
Contractor about the measures being taken to address the risks. This may include the
following aspects as relevant:
• Conducting pre-employment testing for contagious diseases
• Controlling entry and exit from site/ workplace
• General hygiene
• Cleaning and waste disposal
• Control the frequency of workers entering/exiting the site
• Providing appropriate forms of personal protective equipment (PPE) such as masks
• Training and communication with workers and surrounding community
• Request the Contractor to convene regular meetings with the project health and safety
specialists and medical staff (and where appropriate the local health authorities), and to
take their advice in designing and implementing the agreed measures.
• Create one or more Covid focal point(s) among workforce, who can monitor the situation
and workers and interact with them for any symptoms/requirement
Section
10.9
ENERGY CONSERVATION MEASURES
Energy Conservation Measure (ECM) are to be planned and implemented during construction
phase either directly by developer or through contractor to reduce the pressure on natural
resources in the project area and minimize impacts on this count. These measures can affect
a variety of resources mainly forest, from negative impact of fuel wood collection by
stakeholders as well as by labours during construction period. To mitigate such impacts,
feasible measures will be adopted to help minimize pressure on forest. These are briefly
discussed in the ensuing text.
Community kitchen: The project developer through contractor/ working agencies would
make sufficient arrangement for the establishment of at least two community kitchens. These
will be established near the project colonies. The kitchen should provide food to the labour at
subsidized rates. The facility should maintain proper hygiene while preparing and supplying
food, with adequate arrangement for waste collection and disposal. In addition, canteens are
also proposed for labour near major construction sites to provide tea/snacks at subsidized
rates.
Kitchen fuel: During the construction period of the project, many families may prefer cooking
on their own instead of using community kitchen. In absence of fuel for cooking, they would
resort to tree cutting and using wood as fuel. To avoid such situations, the project authority
through contractor/ working agencies should make LPG available to these migrant workers.
The supply of LPG can be ensured on regular basis at subsidized rates.
It is estimated that about 50% of married labour families and all the technical and
supervisory staff would prefer doing their own cooking. Additional connections would be
needed for community kitchens, and married labour families. Therefore, developer through
contractor/ working agencies will coordinate with the LPG supplier to set up a storage depot
in the area to ensure regular supply of LPG cylinders in the project area during construction
period.
Efficient cooking facilities: Project authority should also take measures for reducing the fuel
consumption. The authority should provide solar cookers and pressure cookers through
contractor/ working agencies to the families of migrant workers. Accordingly, budget has been
allocated for the supply of cookers. This facility will also increase work efficiency of migrant
workers and they will also get proper daily diet.
Solar Lantern: Provision of solar lantern has also been made in the project budget and these
will be distributed to labour camps.
1. Identification of risks – fire and explosion, collapse of shed/structure, fall from working
at height, collapse of lifting appliances, hit by fallen objects, landslides, failure during
underground work, drowning, etc. All the potential risk and high hazard areas/activities
need to be identified and listed. It should also cover high pollution area such as working
in high noise or high dust areas.
2. Steps to Minimize Accident/Emergency – Documents should list all the Do’s and Don’ts
to avoid/minimize emergencies. It should also identify the activities and areas requiring
use of specific PPEs. Prepare SOPs for risk operations.
3. Resource Planning – Document should identify the resources required to minimize
accidents/emergency as well as those which would be required to manage emergency,
if it happens and budge thereof.
4. Preparation of Site Emergency Plan – a site specific emergency plan needs to be prepared
covering all the accident/emergency situations listing control and command structure
and roles and responsibilities.
5. Training and Awareness – regular training and awareness of workers will be needed to
ensure they understand and follow all the safety instructions and use appropriate PPEs.
A detailed plan will be prepared covering the above activities before start of construction
work. A tentative budget of Rs. 60.00 lakh for labour management is given in Table 10.23.
Table 10.24 gives list of BIS Standards related to safety aspects during various stages of
construction, installation, erection of different components and appurtenance of river valley
projects, including inspection, observation and maintenance aspects from safety
consideration. Relevant codes should be used to ensure the safety of workers at sites.
Section
10.12
GREENBELT DEVLEOPMENT PLAN
The spacing for trees is proposed at 3m and for shrubs at 2m. The pit size has been
recommended as 1 x 1 x 15 cm for trees and 30 x 30 x 30 cm for shrubs. For the protection
of trees from the cattle and other losses, tree guards shall be required. Approximately 5000
trees will be planted in total along both the side of the road in plain area and one side of the
road on hilly terrain. The cost of the plantation has been calculated as per the existing labour
charges and material cost (plants, FYM, tree guard, etc.). The total cost of roadside plantation
(including cost of plant and labour charges) works out to be Rs. 9.00 lakh, also for protection
of seedling and saplings financial provision of Rs. 11.25 lakh has been kept for tree guards
and fencing.
10.12.2 Green belt Around Colony Area Powerhouse site and Office Complex
Greenbelt will be developed through plantation around the Project Colony, Office Complexes
and other job facility area is proposed to be done, so that, greenery is developed in the
project area. Plants basically of horticulture, floriculture and ornamental importance are
recommended within the premises of building in the colony for added attraction and
providing a green lustre.
Precaution should be exercised by not planting large size trees around buildings and other
similar structures as during winter the sun rays are obstructed by them invariably and much
wanted sunshine is impaired. Besides this, it is also proposed to develop green belt around
the working areas for trapping the dust and noise. Plantation of avenue, with native,
ornamental and fruit trees are proposed in these areas along with the area around office
complex. The ornamental, fruit plants will be procured from the horticulture department
and local market while the avenue plants will be raised in the project nursery (Table 10.25).
For protection of trees from cattle iron tree guards shall be required.
Table 10.25: Tree species suggested for Landscaping, Roadside and Avenue Plantation
S. S.
Family Scientific Name Family Scientific Name
No. No.
Tree Species 13 Meliaceae Toona ciliata
1 Anacardiaceae Mangifera indica 14 Myrtaceae Syzygium sp.
2 Bignoniaceae Spathodea campanulata 15 Rubiaceae Neolamarckia cadamba
3 Malvaceae Hibiscus sp. 16 Rutaceae Aegle marmelos
4 Meliaceae Azadirachta indica 17 Anonaceae Polyalthia longifolia
5 Combretaceae Terminalia sp. 18 Phyllanthaceae Phyllanthus emblica
Strelitziaceae
Ravenala Shrub & Climbers
6 madagascariensis 19 Apocynaceae Nerium indicum
7 Fabaceae Albizia sp. 21 Asparagaceae Agave americana
8 Fabaceae Cassia fistula 22 Sapindaceae Dodonaea viscosa
9 Fabaceae Dalbergia sissoo 23 Poaceae Dendrocalamus strictus
10 Fabaceae Acacia nilotica 24 Lamiaceae Duranta repens
11 Fabaceae Acacia catechu 25 Nyctaginaceae Bougainvillea glabra
12 Magnoliaceae Magnolia champaca 26 Rutaceae Murraya paniculata
Table 10.26: Summary of cost for different components of Green Belt Development Plan
S. Area/ Unit rate Total
Expenditure details
No. Quantity (Rs.) Amount (Lakh)
Roadside plantation (trees and 4.0 ha (3000 trees
1 shrubs); including plant cost 90/ plant 9.00
and 7000 shrubs).
Plantation & Lawn development at
project colony and office complex
2 (Ornamental & fruit Trees); including 2 ha. Lumpsum 20.00
plant cost
3 Tree guards and fencing 1500 nos. 750/ guard 11.25
4 Maintenance of Plantation 4 Year 3,00,000/ Year 12.00
Total 52.25
The nature, accuracy and format of information produced from a dam break analysis will be
influenced by the end application of the data.
Emergency Planning
To reasonably prepare an emergency plan, it will be necessary for the dam break analysis to
provide:
➢ Inundation maps at a scale sufficient to determine the extent of and duration of
flooding
➢ Timing of the arrival and peak of the flood wave
Development Control
Development control will focus mainly on the extent of possible inundation resulting from
different failure scenarios. Consideration may also be given to the characteristics of the
population at risk.
• Embankment (dam) break with initial reservoir level at FRL in case of upper reservoir
Paidipalem North PSP project involves rockfill earthen embankments as dam on hilltop which
forms upper reservoir and rockfill earthen embankments near existing Paidipalem reservoir
forming a lower reservoir. Man-made earthen embankments (dam) could be vulnerable
which has been assessed for probable dam break scenarios.
Figure 10.9: Embankments & Reservoirs – Paidipalem North Pumped Storage Project
Mathematical modeling of dam breach floods can be carried out by either one dimensional
analysis or two-dimensional analysis. In one dimensional analysis, the information about the
magnitude of flood, i.e., discharge and water levels, variation of these with time and velocity
of flow through breach can be had in the direction of flow. In the case of two-dimensional
analysis, the additional information about the inundated area, variation of surface elevation
and velocities in two dimension can also be assessed.
One dimensional analysis is generally accepted, when valley is long and the flood wave
characteristics over a large distance from the dam are of main interest. In the instant case,
as these valleys are long and the flood wave characteristics over a large distance from the
dam are of main interest, one dimensional modeling was adopted.
where, Q = discharge;
A = active flow area;
A0 = inactive storage area;
h = water surface elevation;
q= lateral outflow;
x = distance along waterway;
t = time;
Sf = friction slope;
Sc = expansion contraction slope and
g = gravitational acceleration.
Advanced computational modules are included for description of flow over hydraulic
structures, including possibilities to describe structure operation. The formulations can be
applied for looped networks and quasi two-dimensional flow simulation on flood plains. The
computational scheme is applicable for vertically homogeneous flow conditions extending
from steep river flows to tidal influenced tributaries.
i) Kinematic wave approach: The flow is calculated from the assumption of balance
between the friction and gravity forces. The simplification implies that the Kinematic
wave approach cannot simulate backwater effects.
ii) Diffusive wave approach: In addition to the friction and gravity forces, the
hydrostatic gradient is included in this description. This allows the user to take
downstream boundaries into account, and thus, simulate backwater effects.
iii) Dynamic wave approach: Using the full momentum equation, including acceleration
forces, the user is able to simulate fast transients, tidal flows, etc., in the system.
Depending on the type of problem, the appropriate description can be chosen. The dynamic
and diffusive wave descriptions differ from kinematic wave description by being capable of
calculating backwater effects. The solution algorithm for the different flow descriptions is
identical in the inner programme structure, implying that the user does not have to
distinguish between the different computational levels, when running the program. In the
instant case, dynamic wave approach was adopted for a better simulation.
Hydrodynamic module utilizes a space staggered grid consisting of alternating h and Q
points, i.e., points where water levels (h) and discharges (Q) are computed sequentially.
Topographic data are entered at the h points, and discharge relations are evaluated at Q
points. During simulations, the complete non-linear equations of open channel flow are
solved numerically at the grid points at specified time intervals for the given boundary
conditions.
calculation points, i.e., two h-points and one Q-point. If a spillway is added to the dam, it
can be described as a separate branch with 3 calculation points. The dam and spillways are
located at a Q-point. The river set-up with a dam and, with dam and spillway are shown in
Figure 10.10 and Figure 10.11 respectively.
Figure 10.10 & 10.11: River set up with dam and spillway
The description of the reservoir storage is entered in the processed data. The surface storage
area of the dam is described as a function of the water level and it is entered as additional
flooded area. The lowest water level given for the reservoir should be somewhere below the
final breach elevation of the dam.
The cross-sectional area is set to a large finite value and is used only for calculating the inflow
head loss into the breach. The inflow head loss can be calculated as:
In order to obtain a reasonable head loss description, it is only necessary that Ares >> As so
that [1-(As /Ares)] = 1. The hydraulic radius is set to any non-zero value.
The total surface area of the reservoir is calculated as:
Since the total surface area is already described by the additional flooded area, the first term
should be equal to zero. Therefore, the width b should be set to zero.
Dam
At the Q point, where the dam break structure is located, the momentum equation is
replaced by an equation which describes the flow through the structure. As the momentum
equation is not used at the Q point, the ∆x – step is of no relevance. The maximum ∆x for
the river branch, where the dam is to be placed, should therefore be greater than the
distance between two cross-sections in the reservoir branch. So, no cross-section is
interpolated between the actual cross-sections.
Though, in present case spillway is not contemplated as there is no storm water inflow into
the upper reservoir.
proportional to that in the central part of the breach. The coefficient of proportionality (side
erosion index) is of the order of 0.5 – 1.0.
In the present case, piping failure has been simulated and collapse ratio has been defined
beyond which breach collapses.
Initial conditions (water level and discharge) must be specified in HD parameter file,
including the reservoir level, at which the dam break simulation should commence. The set-
up should be run until a steady state condition is reached (i.e., Q=constant=lateral inflow up
to the downstream boundary).
For the present study, the following data as supplied has been used;
Table 10.27: Elevation-Area Capacity Table of Upper Reservoir Paidipalem North Upper
Reservoir
Estimation of the dam break flood will depend on time of failure, extent of overtopping
before failure, size, shape and time of the breach formation, etc., which are called dam
breach parameters. The breach characteristics that are needed as input to the existing dam
break models are i) Initial and final breach width; ii) Shape of the breach; iii) Time duration
of breach development, and iv) Reservoir level at time of start of breach. The predominant
mechanism of breach formation is, to a large extent, dependent on the type of dam and the
cause due to which the dam failed.
A study of the different dam failures indicates that earthen or rockfill dams never collapse
instantaneously as concrete dams which breach by sudden collapse. Earthen or rockfill dams
develop breaches which increase gradually. The breaching time may vary from a few hours
to a few days, depending on amongst other the dam geometry and the construction
material. The development of the breach largely determines the reservoir outflow
hydrograph, and a reasonable description of the breach development is therefore required
in near field dam break models. In far field models a reasonable flood routing procedure is
of more importance, because the outflow variation is rapidly damped out as the flood wave
propagates downstream.
The way earthen or rockfill dam starts to breach can be specified as one of the following
failure modes:
- Linear failure, i.e. the increase in breach dimensions is assumed to occur linearly over a
given time (the time of breach development)
- Erosion based failure, i.e. the increase in the breach depth is calculated from a classical
sediment transport formula. The increase in breach width is calculated as the increase
in breach depth multiplied by side index.
In present case, erosion-based failure has been considered with the following erosion based
beach parameters:
Upper reservoir
Erosion based failure has been adopted in the present case; breach of piping failure initially
has been considered with a defined collapse ratio beyond which breach collapses. End levels
of the breach should reflect the bounds imposed by the valley bathymetry accordingly the
values have been taken. Under this scenario, following simulation has been carried out:
- Worst case scenario when reservoir is at FRL 540 m and breach starts in form of piping
failure
Accordingly, the breach parameters as shown in snapshot below have been selected for the
dam break study.
The dam breach flood hydrograph just downstream of the dam/embankment is given in
Figure 10.15.
The peak of the dam breach flood just downstream of the dam is 1374 cumec after about
one hour since the start of breach. The maximum discharge, water level and their time of
occurrence at different locations of the valley downstream of the dam/embankment are
given in Table 10.28 respectively.
Figure 10.15: Dam breach flood hydrograph (FRL Case of upper reservoir, south end dam)
From Table 10.29, it can be seen that the rise in water level along the reach of the valley is
maximum 2.58 m and minimum at 1.34 m. Average rise in water level works out to 1.96 m
for the entire simulated reach.
For dam break studies of Paidipalem North Project, the valley for a length of about 6223 m
downstream upto existing Gandikota reservoir has been represented in the model by
numerous cross sections taken at a suitable interval. Breach has been assumed to occur
when reservoir is at FRL of 540 m. The profile of water levels below the Dam at all cross-
sections is given as Table 10.29. From these profiles, at locations below the Dam & their
subsequent markings on the topographic maps, it can be seen which areas are likely to be
submerged in case of Dam break.
It is clear from the inundation maps that in case of Dam break scenario, no village is likely to
be affected in case of upper reservoir.
For dam break studies of Paidipalem North Project, the valley for a length of about 6223 m
downstream upto existing Gandikota reservoir has been represented in the model by
numerous cross sections taken at a suitable interval. From the result of Dam Break Modeling
it is evident that in worst case scenario of FRL, up to about 6223 m d/s of the Dam (upper
reservoir), flood wave elevation to the maximum reaches after about 41-42 min from start
of breach thus not having substantial time for rescue, hence Disaster Management Plan
should concentrate on preventive actions and emergency preparedness, rescue action
planning and implementation of same.
Also, as evident from the inundation map, in case of Dam break scenario, no village is likely
to be affected in case of upper reservoir. Disaster Management Plan is more of emergency
preparedness, rescue action planning and implementation.
It needs to be highlighted that due to location and nature of the project, area doesn’t witness
catastrophic events like cloud bursts and flash floods and hence, only above considered cases
constitute critical scenarios for the dam break study.
Surveillance and monitoring programmes are required to be implemented during design and
investigation, construction, first reservoir filling, early operation period and operation &
maintenance phases of the life cycle of Dam/embankment.
essential for efficient and successful disaster response. During an actual emergency, rapid
and effective action is required. For this to happen, disaster response and contingency plans
must be in place before a disaster strikes along with the necessary resources. If appropriate
action is not taken or if the response is delayed, lives may be needlessly lost. Typical
components will be as mentioned below:
This plan presents warning and notification procedures to be followed in case of potential
disaster. The purpose is to provide timely warning to nearby residents and alert key
personnel responsible for taking action in case of an emergency.
The following measures can be taken to avoid the loss of lives and property:
• To establish an effective embankments Safety Surveillance and monitoring program
Chapter
11 SUMMARY AND CONCLUSION
11.1 PROJECT DESCRIPTION
The Paidipalem North Pumped Storage Project (Paidipalem North PSP) of capacity 1000
MW is proposed at village Paidipalem, District YSR in Simhadripuram Mandal, Andhra
Pradesh by M/s New and Renewable Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh
Ltd (NREDCAP Ltd.). The project comes under the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh,
well known for its minerals and high Wind and Solar potential zone in the country. The
district headquarters Kadapa is located at 70 km and is surrounded by three major towns in
the area viz, Pulivendula, Muddanuru and Tadipatri.
The Paidipalem North PSP utilizes the water in the existing Paidipalem balancing reservoir
which has a gross storage capacity of 6.00 TMC (170 MCM). The Paidipalem balancing
reservoir has been constructed under Gandikota Lift Irrigation Scheme with a total ayacut
of 47,500 acre. Water from the fore shores of Gandikota reservoir is lifted to Paidipalem
balancing Reservoir. A separate lower reservoir of capacity 0.93 TMC has been proposed
for the proposed project. The upper reservoir is located on the abutting hills of Paidipalem
reservoir at an altitude of 535.0 m above mean sea level with a maximum head of 247.82
m.
11.2.1 Physiography
The study area of the proposed project lies between 195 m to 556 m elevation. about 81%
of the project study area lies in 200 m to 300 m elevation band and about 12% of the study
area lies in 300 m to 400 m elevation band. Topography is gently sloping to moderately
sloping as about 85% of the area is falling in this category.
11.2.2 Drainage
The Paidipalem North PSP is an Off Stream Closed Loop Pumping Storage Project, which
will comprise two reservoirs that are to be constructed newly. Water from the fore shores
of Gandikota reservoir, which is constructed on Pennar River, will be lifted to Paidipalem
balancing Reservoir. The proposed Pumped Storage project utilises water from the existing
Paidipalem Balancing reservoir. A separate lower reservoir is envisaged towards North of
Paidipalem Balancing Reservoir. Chitravathi river is the tributary of Pennar River.
11.2.3 Geology
The proposed project lies in the Pennar basin, east of the township of Cuddapah – the type
Paidipalem reservoir is surrounded by high altitude hilly ranges covered by thorny bushes
and shrubs with medium-sized trees. The top of the hill ranges run with dykes of large
blocks of hard rocks. They are in-situ in some places and exposed as sheet rock in other
locations. Streams and streamlets are formed, and they are draining into the reservoir. The
subject area belongs to the Kadapa Super Group of Formations. Quartzite dykes are
extending on the hill tops, consisting of very huge blocks of hard rock followed by hard
layered formations of Shales, Limestones, and Sandstones with large-size boulders in some
places and semi-weathered rocks in other locations. Sills and Dolerite dykes have intruded
on the above structures. Sill is a tubular sheet intrusion, that has intruded between the
older layers of sedimentary rocks, beds of volcanic Lava or tuff or along the direction of
foliation in metamorphic rock. In contrast, a dyke is a disordinate intrusive sheet that does
cut across the older rocks. Sills are fed by dykes.
11.2.4 Hydrology
The proposed pumped storage project has envisaged new lower and upper reservoirs with
a gross storage capacity of 0.93 TMC and 0.41 TMC respectively. The same new lower
reservoir is considered for another Pumped Storage project (Paidipalem East 1200 MW
PSP) in the vicinity, hence higher storage capacity has been considered.
The upper reservoir has no self-catchment area and for the lower reservoir it is about 6.5
Sq. Km. Water will be drawn from the Paidipalem Balancing Reservoir for the first-time and
the replenishment of water also sourced from the same reservoir. The Paidipalem
Balancing Reservoir has storage capacity of 6 TMC. There are no ongoing or proposed
irrigation or water supply schemes at present. Allotment from Andhra Pradesh State
Government for water required for one time filling of lower reservoir from Paidipalem
Balancing Reservoir as well as for annual recoupment of evaporation losses in both
reservoirs has been issued.
The study of daily reservoir levels of Paidipalem Balancing Reservoir and as gathered from
the concerned department officials, the water levels in the Paidipalem Balancing Reservoir
since its commencement in 2019 has not gone below 5 TMC.
Since the water utilisation for the project is on a non-consumptive basis, it can be
concluded that the project has sufficient water throughout its life cycle.
11.2.6 Meteorology
The study area of the project lies in the YSR district, which experiences mostly hot summer and
dry climate except in the monsoon season. the average maximum temperature of 39.2°C was
recorded during May. The average minimum temperature of 19.5°C was recorded during
January. The area receives maximum rainfall during south-west monsoon i.e. between June
and October. The Humidity is generally low throughout the year, except during post
monsoon month when the average humidity in the study area is close to 68% in
September. The average maximum wind speed of 7.49 m/s is observed during June.
11.2.7 Soil
Soil in the YSR district is characterized as Red Ferruginous and Black Soils. Black Clay is the
most superior soil in the district. Soil of the study area is Clay Laon, Loam and Sandy Loam
Soil. In general, all the physical and chemical soil quality indicators reflect the good quality
of the soil. The soil fertility based upon Nutrient Index in terms of NPK shows that
Potassium and Phosphorus are in the ‘High’ range but the Nitrogen fertility status of the
soil is ‘Low’.
The results of monitoring show that PM2.5, PM10, SO2, and NO2 levels at all the sites are well
within the Residential & Rural area permissible limits prescribed by National Ambient Air
Quality Standard 2009 notified by CPCB. Air quality was also assessed using 24h averages of
PM2.5, PM10, SO2, and NO2 levels in the AQI calculator of CPCB and calculated AQI values
shows the AQI values fall under ‘Satisfactory’ and ‘Good’ category in the study area.
Surface water
• All the samples collected from study area do not fall under Class ‘A’, ‘B’ or ‘C’. The
surface water in the study area at all the locations fall under Class ‘D’ i.e. designated
best use of Propagation of Wildlife and Fisheries according to CPCB, Water Quality
Criteria
• Based upon CPCB guidelines as well the WQI calculated above the water in the study
area lies in ‘Medium’ category.
Groundwater
• According to BIS standards for Drinking Water (2012) all the Groundwater samples
collected from the study area fall within permissible limits of the same.
• According to DWQI all the samples of groundwater fall in ‘Excellent’ water quality class.
• In general, Groundwater is under the ‘Very Hard’ category, water from hand pumps or
bore wells can be fit for drinking after conventional treatment.
During field surveys 89 species of angiosperm and 01 species of were recorded from the
study area. The list includes 25 tree species, 17 Shrub, 33 species of herbs, 8 species of
climbers and 7 species of grasses. The detail inventory of Plant species reported from the
study area has been prepared based on primary survey and same has been supplemented
with available secondary data. An inventory of 228 species of plants belonging to
angiosperms and 1 species (Cycas beddomei) of gymnosperm, was compiled which includes
plant species found in forested areas, scrub land, near agricultural fields and settlements,
abandoned land, etc.. List of plant species recorded from the area is given in Annexure IV.
As per the Red list of Indian Plants published by Botanical Survey of India, no Endemic or
RET species among was recorded from the study area. As per the IUCN Red List of
Threatened Species Version. 2022-1, Among the RET species, Borassus flabellifer, Cycas
beddomei, Pterocarpus santalinus, Tectona grandis, Syzygium alternifolium and Isonandra
villosa are listed under Endangered (EN) category, Chloroxylon swietenia under Vulnerable
(VU) category and Pterocarpus marsupium is listed under Near Threatened (NT) category of
IUCN ver. 2022-2.
Avifauna: A total of 24 species of bird species 8 Order were recorded during the field survey
from the study area. Commonly found birds like Kingfishers, Green Bee-eater, Barn
Swallow, White-browed Wagtail, Indian Robin, Long-tailed Shrike, Purple Sunbird,
Cormorants Herons, Egrets, Ducks were most frequently sighted bird species in the study
area.
Herpetofauna: During the surveys, Changeable Lizard (Calotes versicolor) and Pondichery
Fan Throated Lizard (Sitana Ponticeriana) were the only reptile species sighted during the
survey. List of herpetofauna comprised of 9 species of reptiles and 2 species of amphibians
has been compiled based on information collected during the field survey, public
consultation and concerned working plan.
Butterflies: The area is rich in the diversity and density of butterflies. The Common Grass
Yellow, Plain Tiger and Lime Butterfly were frequently sighted in the area. A list of 9 species
has been prepared based on the species sighted during the field survey.
Conservation Status
According to Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act (1972 Among the mammals, 5 species viz.
Common Leopard (Panthera pardus), Sloth Bear (Melursus ursinus), Blackbuck (Antilope
cervicapra), Chinkara (Gazella bennettii), Four-horned Antelope (Tetracerus quadricornis),
Python (Python molurus), Bengal Monitor Lizard (Varanus bengalensis) are listed as
schedule I species.
Fish: 15 species of fish fauna in the study area were documented through information
collected through public consultation in the study area during field visits and information
available in published research papers and draft CEIA report on Gandikota PSP. According to
IUCN Red List 2022-2, Cirrhinus cirrhosis (Mrigal) and Wallago Catfish (Wallago attu) are
listed under the Vulnerable (VU) category, while the rest of the species are under the Least
Concern (LC) category.
In the project, a total of 38 villages fall within the study area, of which 3 villages are un-
inhabited. Out of 38 villages, 36 are in Y.S.R district (19 villages of Kondapuram Mandal, 5
villages of Muddanur Mandal, and 12 villages of Simhadripuram Mandal), and 2 villages are
in Anantapur district (2 villages of Yellanur Mandal). The total population of the study area
is 46840, with 23452 (50.06%) males and 23388 (49.93%) females. The sex ratio was found
to be 997 females per 1000 males. There are 7897 scheduled castes in the study area,
accounting for 16.85% of the total population. There are 661 scheduled tribes in total,
accounting for 1.41% of the total population.
The literacy rate in the project area villages is 61.83% (of the total population above 6
Year). Of the total working population (532.92%) in the study area comprising 87.16% were
main working and 12.83% were marginal worker. Agriculture is the main occupation of the
people in the area with 78.89% of the total working population are engaged in agriculture
and allied services (livestock, fishing, plantation, etc.).
The education facilities in the area are moderate up to middle school but for secondary and
senior secondary education students travel up to 5 to 8 km. There are no colleges available
in the study area. There are 5 Primary Health Sub-centers and 5 Primary Health Centre in
the area. For emergency medical care, people are dependent on the district and Mandal
Hospital, which are more than 10 km from the villages. The veterinary hospital is situated
in 9 villages.
Tap water is the major source of drinking water. Apart from this Hand Pump and Tube
Wells /boreholes are also used in most villages in the study area.
Power supply for domestic use and agricultural use are available in all the villages in the
area.
The project site is easily accessible by NH67 (Nellore to Proddatur). All villages in the area
are well connected by road. post/sub post office services are available in all the villages.
There are 19 Post/Sup-Post offices available in the study area. There is only one
Commercial/Co-Operative bank available in the village.
Operation Phase Impacts: In pumped storage projects, no impacts are envisaged on air
environment during operation phase.
Operation Phase Impacts: No major impacts are envisaged on noise environment during
project operation phase.
bodies if surface run off with high suspended solid is discharged into them.
Domestic wastewater will be generated from project and worker’s colony to be set up
during construction phase, which can find its way to river/ ground water without any
treatment will cause significant impact on water environment therefore needs to be
managed properly.
Operation Phase Impacts: The project will create artificial upper and lower reservoirs and
water will remain in circulation from Upper Reservoir to Lower reservoir during power
generation and pumped up during non-generation hours on daily basis. One time filling of
the reservoir will be done by sourcing water from existing Paidipalem Balancing Reservoir.
Therefore, no direct impact on natural water bodies during operation is envisaged.
Construction Phase
Impact on Terrestrial Flora: major impact on the flora in and around the project area would be
due to increased level of human interferences. The forest in the area is well known for
Pterocarpus santalinus, with the common names Red Sanders. The Red Sander is endemic to
eastern ghat and listed as Endangered by IUCN. The species is widely distributed over forest
area of Chittoor, Annamayya, YSR Kadapa, Kurnool and Nellore districts in Andhra Pradesh.
There is huge demand for its heart wood for furniture also used for making the musical
instrument. The felling and trading of Red Sander is illegal in India. The acquisition of forest land
for no-forestry work will leads to the loss of habitat of Pterocarpus santalinus. In addition to
Pterocarpus santalinus, Tectona grandis, Cycas beddomei, Syzygium alternifolium and Isonandra
villosa, Chloroxylon swietenia are the tree species reported from the forest area in the vicinity of
project are under listed as RET species by IUCN ver. 2022-2.
Impact on Terrestrial Fauna: Loss of forest cover leads to loss of wildlife habitat. Also,
during the construction period, large number of machinery and construction workers shall
be mobilized, which may create disturbance to wildlife habitat in the vicinity of project
area, however, these will be temporary and last during the construction period. To
minimize the impact of wildlife habitat around the project area, Biodiversity Conservation
and Wildlife Management Plan, including conservation Plan of Schedule-I species has been
proposed in Environmental Management Plan.
Operation Phase
On completion of the construction of the project, the land used for construction activities
will be restored. Construction workers who have resided in that area will move out of the
project area. Operation phase impacts on flora and fauna will be positive due to green belt
development, restoration of construction areas, etc. Increase of greenery in the area and
creation of reservoir will have positive impact on faunal species.
Villagers in the area also depend on forest for fuelwood and fodder from the forest area.
Scrub forest in the area also used as grazing land for livestock’s. Loss of forest and grazing
land have impact on social environment of the area. Loss of natural habitat will also lead to
human wildlife conflict by means of damage of agriculture crops, fruit orchards and loss of
livestock’s.
Control of Air Pollution: For the control of air pollution during construction phase of the
project, it is suggested that it should be made mandatory for the contractor/s engaged in
the construction works to ensure the implementation of pollution control measures as per
CPCB guidelines with regular monitoring of ambient air quality in the project area. Vehicles
should have valid PUC and all project roads should be metalled.
A lump sum budget of Rs. 12.0 lakh per annum for period of 4 years has been proposed for
the mitigation measures for control of air, noise and water pollution during project
construction phase.
The monitoring will be carried out by an NABL accredited laboratory for a period of 4 years
during the project construction phase or extended if the project construction period gets
extended. The monitoring program for the proposed project will be undertaken to meet
the following objectives:
• To monitor the environmental conditions of the project area and nearby villages.
• To check on whether mitigation and benefit enhancement measures have actually been
adopted and are proving effective in practice.
A total of Rs. 138.76 lakh have been allocated to implement various activities envisaged
under the Environmental Monitoring Programme.
Based on the local consultations in project affected villages, the focus areas covering many
important components of the sustainable development such as social, economic, livelihoods
and environment will be identified and set of development activities shall be proposed
under each focus area for the benefit of the local people under the Project. An amount of
Rs. 5.00 crore has been earmarked for local area development activities.
In addition, the project would lead to creation of direct and indirect employment
opportunities as new factories would come up in and around the project due to reliable
power supply/availability, contract works for the locals during construction and operation
phase, etc.
Local Area Development: Total project cost is 5398.38 Crore (with IDC); an investment of
this magnitude in the area will improve the local infrastructure in the region. An amount of
Rs. 5.00 crore has been earmarked for local area development with a view to improve the
quality of life of local residents in the project vicinity. They will have opportunities of skill
development, education, better medical and health care, improved local infrastructure,
etc.
The project level Environment Monitoring Cell (EMC) would coordinate with stakeholders
for effective implementation of all environmental safeguard measures prescribed in the
EMP & environment and forest clearance letters.
The catchment of three different unnamed nalas/gullies at the proposed upper dam on
each nala/ gully forms the catchment area of upper reservoir. This catchment area also
happens to be the total area of upper reservoir i.e. 1.01 sq km only. Hence it is stated that
once the project is constructed upper reservoir will not have any catchment.
Catchment of an unnamed nala at the proposed lower dam forms the catchment area of
lower reservoir. This unnamed nala drains into the existing Paidipalem Balancing Reservoir.
The catchment area of this unnamed nala at the proposed lower dam is 6.50 sq km. In
view of above, in the present study CAT Plan has been prepared for the catchment of the
lower dam only. The catchment area treatment involves:
• Understanding of the erosion characteristics of the terrain and,
• Suggesting remedial measures to reduce the erosion rate.
The estimated cost of implementation of Catchment Area Treatment Plan as defined above
is Rs. 60.26 lakh. Since another project named Paidipalem East Pumped Storage Project
proposes to utilise the same lower reservoir for which the present CAT Plan has been
prepared therefore it is proposed to distribute the cost of implementation of CAT Plan
equally between Paidipalem North Pumped Storage Project and Paidipalem East Pumped
Storage Project. In view of this, the effective cost of implementation of CAT Plan for
Paidipalem North Pumped Storage Project is Rs. 30.13 lakh.
In consultation with the Andhra Pradesh State Forest Department and District
administration. The estimated cost of the Compensatory Afforestation Programme is Rs.
239.76 lakh.
Forest in the project area fall in the Eco Class III as being of type Tropical Dry Deciduous
Forests with open forest type, therefore NPV @ Rs. 9,57,780/ha would be required to be
deposited in the Compensatory Afforestation Fund. The total cost of NPV has been
estimated as Rs. 1530.92 lakh.
The total cost of the compensatory afforestation plan, NPV, compensation of trees and
cost of damage to fence and infrastructure is Rs. 1770.68 lakh.
The total budget for implementation of Fisheries Development Plan has been proposed as
Rs. 69.00 lakh.
Keeping the above requirement and topography of the area, four dumping sites have been
identified covering an area of 12.28 ha area with a total capacity of 1,940,000 cum muck.
The estimated cost of the relocation and rehabilitation of excavated material will be Rs.
467.18 lakh.
Medical services at secondary level play a vital and complimentary role to the tertiary and
primary health care systems and together form a comprehensive district-based health care
system. Following activities are proposed:
• Ambulance: 2 no. with all the basic Medicare facilities and small DG set, etc. to cater for
villages in the project area.
• Budget for running the ambulances including driver, fuel and maintenance for 4 years.
• First aid posts (02 nos.) including sheds, furniture and basic equipment.
• Budget for running the first aid post including cost of medico, para-medico/Nurses and
attendant, consumables, etc. for 4 years.
• Budget for strengthening existing medical facilities.
• Budget for Health Awareness/ Vaccination Camps for 4 years.
• Mitigation measures to avoid spread of infectious diseases among workforce
Budgetary estimates for public health delivery system to be implemented have been
worked out as Rs. 228.00 lakh.
Chapter
12 DISCLOSURE BY THE CONSULTANT
12.1 DISCLOSURE BY THE CONSULTANT
The EIA report of Paidipalem North Pumped Storage Project has been prepared by M/s R S
Envirolink Technologies Pvt. Ltd., (RSET) Gurgaon which is a QCI-NABET accredited
company to undertake River Valley, Hydroelectric, Drainage and Irrigation Projects
(Category ‘A’) according to the TOR approved by MoEF&CC. Certification and contact
details are:
A copy of the Accreditation certificate along with the list of experts involved is appended at
the beginning of the report.
• Dam Break Modeling and Disaster Management Plan; Hydrological and Hydro-dynamic
modelling
• Catchment Area Treatment (CAT) Plan, Watershed modelling, Watershed Analysis,
Rehabilitation, Inventories and Management Planning
• Remote Sensing and GIS: All aspects related to applications of Remote Sensing and GIS
especially in the field of natural resources management.
• Socio-economic studies
• Surface Water Hydrology, Water Quality, and Erosion Control
• Environmental Monitoring
RSET is on the list of Consultants who are permitted to appear before Expert Appraisal
Committee (EAC) and State Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) and can certify various
documents including Environment Impact Assessment (EIA)/ Environment Management
Plan (EMP) reports under the accreditation scheme for EIA consultants with Quality Council
of India (QCI)/National Accreditation Board for Education and Training (NABET).
Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Consultant Accreditation Scheme has been
developed which has been adapted as minimum requirement by Ministry of Environment,
Forest & Climate Change (MoEF&CC), Government of India.
RSET’s core competence includes Environment & Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) of
hydro power, solar power, drinking water supply and transmission & distribution projects
according to World Bank, IFC’s performance standards, NDB and Equator principles.
• Details of project (exiting and proposed) and site L- Chapter 2: Project Description; Section 2.12,
sections of all U/S and D/S projects of river with Page 2.15.
relevant maps and figures.
• A map of boundary of the project site. Chapter 2: Project Description, Figure 2.2; Page
2.6
• Location details on a map of the project area Chapter 2: Project Description, Section 2.3,
Figure 2.1; Page 2.2
• Layout details and map of the project Chapter 2: Project Description, Figure 2.2; Page
2.6
• Drainage pattern and map of the river catchment Chapter 3: Description of The Environment:
up to the proposed project site. Section 3.2.1.2; Page 3.17.
• Delineation of critically degraded areas in the Chapter 10: Environmental Management Plan,
directly draining catchment on the basis of silt yield Section 10.2 CAT Plan: Section 10.2.6; Page
10.10
• Soil characteristic and map of the project area. Chapter 3: Description of The Environment:
Section 3.2.1.9; Figure 3.16; Page 3.26
• Geological and Seismic-tectonic details and maps Chapter 3: Description of The Environment:
of the area surrounding the proposed project Section 3.2.1.3; Page 3.17
• Remote sensing studies, interpretation of satellite Chapter 3: Baseline Environment: Section 3.1.4;
imagery, topographic sheets Figure 3.2, 3.6, 3.7, 3.8 and 3.10: Page 3.5, 3.16,
3.16, 3.17 and 3.22.
• Land details including forests, private and other Chapter 2: Project Description:
land. Section 2.5; Table 2.2; Page 2.8
3 Description of Environment and Baseline data
To know the present status of environment in the Chapter 3: Description of The Environment
area, baseline data with respect to environmental Section 3.1.1 Page 3.1, Figure 3.1, Page 3.3
components air, water, noise, soil, land and biology &
biodiversity (flora & fauna), wildlife, socio-economic
status etc. the study area should comprise off the
S.
Clause in Standard ToR Compliance
No
following:
• Catchment area up to the dam site
• Submergence area
• Project area or the direct impact area should
comprise of area falling within 10 km radius from
the periphery of reservoir, land coming under
submergence and area downstream of dam up to
the point where tail race Tunnel (TRT) meets the
river.
• Downstream up to 10km from the tip off the
reservoir.
Chapter 3 Description of The Environment
4 Details of the Methodology
Section 3.1.4; Page 3.4
5 Methodology for collection of Biodiversity data
• The number of sampling locations should be Chapter 3: Description of The Environment
adequate to get a reasonable idea off the diversity Section 3.1.4.3; Page 3.13; Figure 3.3 Page 3.8
and other attributes of flora and fauna.
• The entire area should be divided in grids. Chapter 3: Description of The Environment
Section 3.1.4.3; Page 3.13; Figure 3.3 Page 3.8
• The R.E.T. species referred should include species Chapter 3: Description of The Environment
listed in schedule I and II of Wildlife (protection) Section 3.2.3.2(c); Page 3.48 and 3.2.2.3(e) Page
Act, 1972. 3.66
6 Components of the EIA study
A Physical and Chemical Environment
Geological & Geophysical Aspects and Seismo-
i
Tectonics
• Physical Geography, Topography, Regional Chapter 3: Description of The Environment
Geological aspects and structure of the catchment. Section 3.2.1; Page 3.15
• Landslide zone or area prone to landslides existing Chapter 10 Environmental Management Plan:
in the study area should be examined. Section 10.2 CAT Plan, Page 10.3
• Existing noise levels and traffic density in the Chapter 3: Description of The Environment
study area at 6 locations. Section 3.2.1.11; Page 3.33
iii Soil Characteristics
• Soil classification, physical parameters (viz., Chapter 3: Description of The Environment
texture, porosity, bulk density and water holding Section 3.2.1.9.
capacity) and chemical parameters (viz. pH, Figure 3.16, Page 2.26
electrical conductivity, Magnesium, calcium, total Table 3.11, Page 3.26,
alkalinity, chlorides, sodium, potassium, organic Table 3.13, Page 3.28.
carbon, available potassium, available
phosphorus, SAR, nitrogen and salinity, etc.,) (6
locations).
iv Remote sensing and GIS Studies
• Generation of thematic maps viz., slope map, Chapter 3: Description of The Environment
drainage map, soil map, land use and land cover Figure 3.6, Figure 3.7, Figure 3.8, & Figure 3.10;
map, etc. Based on these, thematic maps, an Page 3.16, 3.16, 3.17 & 3.22
erosion intensity map should be prepared.
Chapter 10: Environmental Management Plan:
Section 10.13; Page 10.3
• New Configuration map to be given in EIA report Chapter 3: Description of The Environment
Section 3.3, Page 3.82
V Water Quality
• History of the ground water table fluctuation in Chapter 3: Description of The Environment;
the study area. Section 3.2.1.6; Page 3.21
• Water quality for both surface water and ground Chapter 3: Description of The Environment;
water for (i) Physical parameters (pH), Section 3.2.2, Water Environment; Page 3.36
temperature, electrical conductivity, TSS); Table 3.17, 3.18, 3.19 & Table 3.20
(ii)Chemical parameters (Alkalinity, Hardness, Page 3.36; 3.37, 3.38 & 3.41
BOD, COD, NO2, PO4, CI, SO4, Na, K, Ca Mg, Silica,
Oil & Grease, phenolic compounds, residual
sodium carbonate); (iii)Bacteriological parameters
(MPN, Total coliforms) and (iv) Heavy Metals (Pb,
As, Hg, cd, cr-6, total Cr, Cu, Zn, Fe).
• Delineation of sub and micro-watersheds, their Chapter 10: Environmental Management Plan:
locations and extent based on the All-India Soil Section 10.2; Page 10.3
and Land Use Survey of India (AISLUS),
Department of Agriculture, Government of India.
Erosion levels in each micro-watershed and
prioritization of micro-watershed through silt
yield index (SYI) method of AISLUS.
B Water Environment & Hydrology
• Hydro-Meteorology of the project viz. Chapter 3: Description of The Environment
precipitation (snowfall, rainfall), temperature, Section 3.2.1.8; Page 3.22
S.
Clause in Standard ToR Compliance
No
relative humidity, etc. Hydro-meteorological
studies in the catchment area should be
established along-with real time telemetry and
data acquisition system for inflows monitoring.
• Run-off, discharge, water availability for the Chapter 3: Description of The Environment
project, sedimentation rate, etc. Section 3.2.1.4; Page 3.20
• Catastrophic events like cloud bursts and flash Chapter 3: Description of The Environment
floods, if any, should be documented. Section 3.2.1.5; Page 3.21
• Set-up a G&D monitoring station and a few rain- Chapter 3: Description of The Environment
gauge stations in the catchment area for Section 3.2.1.4; Page 3.20
collecting data during the investigation.
• Flow series, 10 daily with 90%, 75% and 50% Chapter 3: Description of The Environment
dependable years discharges. Section 3.2.1.4; Page 3.20
• Norms for release of Environmental flow i.e. 30% Chapter 3: Description of The Environment
in monsoon, 20% in lean season and 25% in non- Section 3.2.1.4; Page 3.20
monsoon & non-lean season to be followed
corresponding to 90% dependable year. A site-
specific study on minimum environmental flow
should be carried out.
C Biological Environment
S.
Clause in Standard ToR Compliance
No
Flora:
• Characterization of forest types (as per Champion Chapter 3: Description of The Environment
and Seth method) in the study area and extent of Section 3.2.3.1; Page 3.45
each forest type as per the Forest Working Plan.
• General vegetation profile and floral diversity Chapter 3: Description of The Environment
covering all groups of flora including. A species Section 3.2.3.2 (h); Page 3.53
wise list may be provided.
• Details of endemic species found in the project Chapter 3: Description of The Environment
area. Section 3.2.2.2 (c); Page 3.48
• Cropping pattern and Horticulture Practices in the Chapter 3: Description of The Environment
study area. Section 3.2.2.2 (g); Page 3.52
Fauna:
• Fauna study and Inventorisation should be carried Chapter 3: Description of The Environment
out for all groups of animals in the study area. Section 3.2.3.3; Page 3.63; Table 3.35,3.36, 3.37
Their present status along with Schedule of the & 3.38
species.
• Details of endemic species found in the project Chapter 3: Description of The Environment
area. Section 3.2.3.3(e); Page 3.66
• Existence of barriers and corridors, if any, for wild Chapter 3: Description of The Environment
animals. Section 3.2.3.5; Page 3.69
• For categorization of sub-catchment into classes Chapter 10: Environment Management Plan
and for the consequent CAT plan, the entire Section 10.3; CAT Plan; Page 10.3
catchment (Indian Portion) is to be considered and
not only the directly the draining catchment.
D Aquatic Biology
• Documentation of aquatic fauna like macro-
invertebrates, zooplankton, phytoplankton
benthos etc.
• Fish and fisheries, their migration and breeding
grounds.
Chapter 3: Description of The Environment
• Fish diversity composition and maximum length &
Section 3.2.3.4; Table 3.39; Page 3.69
weight of the measured populations to be studied
for estimation of environmental flow.
• Conservation status of aquatic fauna.
• Sampling for aquatic ecology and fisheries must
be conducted during three seasons Pre-monsoon
(summer) and monsoon. Sizes (length & weight)
off important fish species need to be collected
S.
Clause in Standard ToR Compliance
No
and breeding and feeding grounds should also be
identified along the project site or in vicinity.
E Socio-economic Environment
• Collection of baseline data on human settlements, Chapter 3: Description of The Environment
health status of the community and existing Section 3.2.4 Page 3.72
infrastructure facilities for social welfare including
sources of livelihood, job opportunities and safety
and security of workers and surroundings
population.
• List of all the Project Affected Families with their Chapter 7 Additional Studies
names, age, education qualification, family size, Section 7.1 Rehabilitation & Resettlement Plan
religion, caste, source of income, land & house
holdings, other properties, occupation, source of
income, house/land to be acquired for the project
and house/land left with the family, and other
property, possession of cattle, type off houses
etc.
7 Impact Prediction and Mitigation Measures
The adverse impact due to the proposed project Chapter 4: Anticipated Impact and Mitigation
should be assessed and effective mitigation steps to Measures
abate these impacts should be described.
i Air Environment
• Changes in ambient and ground level Chapter 4: Anticipated Impact and Mitigation
concentrations due to total emissions from point, Measures
line and area sources.
• Effect on soil, material, vegetation and human Section 4.1.1 Page 4.2
health.
• Impact of emissions from DG set used for power
during the construction, if any, on air environment.
• Pollution due to fuel combustion in equipment and
vehicles
• Fugitive emissions from various sources.
ii Water Environment
S.
Clause in Standard ToR Compliance
No
• Changes in surface and ground water quality. Chapter 4 Anticipated Impact and Mitigation
• Steps to develop pisci-culture and recreational Measures
facilities Section 4.1.3 Page 4.5
• Changes in hydraulic regime and downstream flow.
• Water pollution due to disposal of sewage
• Water pollution from labor colonies/ camps and
washing equipment.
3 Land Environment
• Adverse impact on land stability, catchment of soil Chapter 4: Anticipated Impact and Mitigation
erosion, reservoir sedimentation and spring flow (if Measures
any) (a) due to considerable road
construction/widening activity (b) interference of Section 4.1.4 Page 4.7
reservoir with the inflowing stream (c) blasting for
commissioning of HRT, TRT and some other
structures.
• Changes in land use / land cover and drainage
pattern
• Immigration of labour population
• Quarrying operation and muck disposal
• Changes in land quality including effects of waste
disposal.
• River bank and their stability
• Impact due to submergence.
4 Biological Environment
• Impact on forests, flora, fauna including wildlife, Chapter 4: Anticipated Impact and Mitigation
migratory avi-fauna rare and endangered species, Measures Section 4.1.6 Page 4.9
medicinal plants etc.
• Pressure on existing natural resources. Chapter 4: Anticipated Impact and Mitigation
Measures Section 4.1.6 Page 4.9
• Deforestation and disturbance to wildlife, habitat Chapter 4: Anticipated Impact and Mitigation
fragmentation and wild animal's migratory Measures Section 4.1.6 Page 4.9
corridors.
• Impact on fish migration and habitat degradation Chapter 4: Anticipated Impact and Mitigation
due to decreased flow of water. Measures Section 4.1.3 Page 4.7
• Impact on breeding and nesting grounds of animals Chapter 4: Anticipated Impact and Mitigation
and fish. Measures, Section 4.1.3.3 Page 4.7
5 Socio – Economic Aspects
• Impact on local community including Chapter 3: Description of The Environment
demographic profile. Section 3.1.4.3; Page 3.13; Figure 3.3 Page 3.8
• Impact on socio-economic status.
• Impact on economic status.
• Impact on human health due to water / water
borne disease
• Impact on increase traffic.
• Impact on Holy Places and Tourism.
S.
Clause in Standard ToR Compliance
No
• Impacts of blasting activity during project
construction which generally destabilize the land
mass and leads to landslides, damage to
properties and drying-up of natural springs and
cause noise pollution will be studied. Proper
records shall be maintained of the baseline
information in the post project period.
• Positive and negative impacts likely to be accrued
due to the project are listed.
8 Environmental Management Plan (EMP)
Catchment Area Treatment (CAT) Plan should be
prepared micro-watershed wise. Identification of free
draining/ directly draining catchment based upon
Remote Sensing and Geographical Information
System (GIS) methodology and Sediment Yield Index
(SYI) Method of AISLUS, Dept. of Agriculture, Govt. of
India coupled with ground survey. Areas or
watersheds falling under 'very severe' and 'severe' Chapter 10: Environment Management Plan
1 erosion categories should be provided and required Section 10.2; Page 10.3
to be treated. Both biological as well as engineering
measures should be proposed in consultation with
State Forest Department for areas requiring
treatment. Year-wise schedule of work and monetary
allocation should be provided. Mitigation measures to
check shifting cultivation in the catchment area with
provision for alternative and better agricultural
practices should be included.
Compensatory Afforestation shall be prepared by the Chapter 10: Environment Management Plan
state forest department in lieu of the forest land Section 10.3; Page 10.17
proposed to be diverted for construction of the
2 project as per the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.
Choice of plant for afforestation should include native
and RET species, if any. This will be a part of the forest
clearance proposal.
Biodiversity and Wildlife Conservation & Management Chapter 10: Environment Management Plan
Plan for conservation and preservation of endemic, Section 10.4; Page 10.19
3 rare and endangered species of flora and fauna to be Annexure V
prepared in consultation with State Forest
Department
Fisheries Conservation & Management Plan-Fish
Chapter 10: Environment Management Plan
fauna inhabiting the affected stretch of river, a
4 Section 10.5; Page 10.22
specific fisheries management plan should be
prepared for river and reservoir.
Resettlement and Rehabilitation (R&R) Plan needed Chapter 7: Additional Studies; Section 7.1:
to be prepared on the basis of findings of the socio- Resettlement and Rehabilitation Plan
economic survey coupled with the outcome of public
consultation held. The R&R package shall be prepared
5
after consultation with the representatives of the
project affected families and the State Government.
Detailed budgetary estimates are to be provided.
Resettlement site should be identified. The plan will
S.
Clause in Standard ToR Compliance
No
also incorporate community development strategies.
R&R Plan is to be formulated as per land Acquisition,
Resettlement and Rehabilitation Act, 2013 which
came into force w.e.f. 1.1.2014
Green Belt Development Plan along the periphery of Chapter 10 Environmental Management Plan
reservoir, colonies, approach road, canals etc. Local Section 10.12; Page 10.49
6 plant species must be suggested with physical and
financial details. Local plant species suitable for
greenbelt development should be selected
Reservoir Rim Treatment Plan for stabilization of land
slide/land slip zones if any, around the reservoir
periphery to be prepared. Suitable engineering and NA
7
biological measures for treatment of the identified
slip zones to be provided with physical and financial
schedule.
Muck Disposal Plan- suitable sites for dumping of Chapter 10: Environment Management Plan
excavated material should be identified in Section 10.6; Page 10.25
consultation with the State Pollution Control Board
and Forest Department. All Muck disposal sites should Figure 10.6 Page 10.26: Layout Map of Muck
be minimum 30 m away from the HFL of river. Plan for Dumping Site
8
rehabilitation of muck disposal sites should also be Figure 10.7 L/section/ cross section of muck
given. The L- section/ cross section of muck disposal disposal sites page 10.29
sites and approach roads to be given. The plan shall
have physical and financial details of the measures
proposed.
Plan for Restoration of quarry sites and landscaping of Chapter 10: Environment Management Plan
9
colony areas, working areas, roads, etc. Section 10.7; Page 10.34
Study of Design Earthquake Parameters: A site Under Process
specific study of earthquake parameters should be
done. Results of the site-specific earthquake design
10
parameters should be approved by National
Committee of Seismic Design Parameters, Central
Water Commission (NCSDP) New Delhi.
Dam Break Analysis and Disaster Management Plan: Chapter 10 Environmental Management Plan
The outputs of Dam Break Model should be illustrated Section 10.13; Page 10.51
11 with appropriate graphs and maps clearly bringing out
the impact of Dam break scenario. Provision for early
warning systems should be provided.
Water, Air and Noise Management Plans to be Chapter 6 Environmental Monitoring
12 implemented during construction and post Programme
construction periods.
Public Health Delivery Plan including the provisions of Chapter 10 Environmental Management Plan
drinking water supply for local population shall be in Section 10.9; Page 10.41
the EIA/EMP Report. Status of the existing medical
facilities in the project area shall be discussed.
13
Possibilities of strengthening of existing medical
facilities, construction of new medical infrastructure
etc. will be explored after assessing the need of the
labour force and local populace.
Chapter 10 Environmental Management Plan
14 Labour Management Plan for their Health and Safety.
Section 10.11; Page 10.47
S.
Clause in Standard ToR Compliance
No
Sanitation and Solid-waste management plan for Chapter 10 Environmental Management Plan
15
domestic waste from colonies and labour camps etc. Section 10.8; Page 10.37
Local Area Development Plan to be formulated in
consultation with the Revenue Officials and Village
Chapter 7: Additional Studies; Section 7.2, Local
16 Panchayats. Local skill development schemes should
Area Development Plan, Page 7.3
be given. Details of various activities to be undertaken
along with its financial out lay should be provided.
Environmental safeguards during construction Chapter 4 Assessment of Impact
activities including road construction. Section 4.5; Page 4.16
17
EIA Chapter 6 Environment Monitoring
Programme
Energy conservation measures for the work force Chapter 10 Environmental Management Plan
during construction with physical and financial details. Section 10.10, Page 10.45
18 Alternatives will be proposed for the labour force so
that the exploitation off the natural resource (wood)
for the domestic and commercial use is curbed.
Environmental Monitoring Programme to monitor the Chapter 6: Environmental Monitoring Plan
migratory measures implemented at the project site Section 6.1, Page 6.1
is required will be prepared. Provision for
Environment Management Cell should be made. The
19 plan will spell out the aspects required to be
monitored, monitoring indicators/parameters with
respect to each aspect and the agency responsible for
the monitoring of that particular aspect throughout
the project implementation.
A summary off cost Estimates for all the plans, cost Chapter 11: Summary and Conclusion, Section
20 for implementing all the Environmental Management 11.9, Table 11.1, Page 11.15
Plans.
Environmental matrix during construction and Chapter 4 Anticipated Impact and Mitigation
14
operational phase needs to be submitted. Measures Section 4.4 Table 4. 5 Page 4.13
Matrix formulated on the basis of detailed study and Chapter 4 Anticipated Impact and Mitigation
15 field survey of flora and Fauna methodology used shall Measures Section 4.4 Page 4.12; Table 4. 5
be mentioned in the EIA report. Page 4.13
Endemic plant and animal species found in the area Chapter 3: Description of The Environment
16 concerned shall be provided instead listing entire Section 3.2.2.2 (c); Page 3.48
endemic species found in the State. 3.2.3.3(e), Page 3.66
Details of Flora and Fauna reported in submergence Chapter 3: Description of The Environment
area, Nos. of tree along with their density and Section 3.2.3.2 (h); Page 3.53
17 nomenclature of the tree species required to be felled Section 3.2.3.2 (i); Page 3.53
for reservoir creation and other project component Table 3.30 to 3.34 Page 3.60 to 3.62
Project impact on avi-fauna shall be studied and Chapter 4 Anticipated Impact and Mitigation
18 incorporated in EIA/ EMP report. Measures Section 4.1.6 Page 4.9
Impact assessment on the fish diversity based on the
Chapter 4 Anticipated Impact and Mitigation
19 hydrological alteration at the water drawing sources
Measures Section 4.1.3 Page 4.7
shall be studied.
20 Stage-I Forest Clearance shall be obtained. Yet to be applied for
Study of impacts of project on water sources i.e. Chapter 4 Anticipated Impact and Mitigation
21 Paidipalem balancing reservoir. Measures Section 4.1.3 Page 4.7
[B] Socio-economic Study
Declaration by the project proponent by way of affidavit
that “No” Inter-state issue / policies issue is involved
22 Appendix-II
with any state in the project. Consent from other state
for drawing of water, if required.
All the tasks including conducting public hearing shall be
done as per the provisions of EIA Notification, 2006 and
23 as amended from time to time. Public hearing issues --
raised and compliance of the same shall be incorporated
in the EIA/EMP report in the relevant chapter.
Statement on the commitments (activity-wise) made
during public hearing to facilitate the discussion on the
24 CER in compliance of the Ministry’s OM F.No.22- --
65/2017- IA.III dated 30th September, 2020 shall be
submitted.
Not Applicable
Tentative no. of project affected families shall be No private land will be acquired for the
25 identified and accordingly appropriate Rehabilitation & proposed project; therefore, no family is
Resettlement plan shall be prepared. affected due to the acquisition of land for
the proposed project.
EIA Chapter 3 Description of The
26 Details of settlement in 10 km area shall be submitted.
Environment; Section 3.2.4.2 Table 3.41;
S. No ADDITIONAL CONDTIONS COMPLIANCE
Figure 3.18 Page 3.74
[C] Muck Management / Disaster Management
Details of quantity of muck generation component wise Chapter 10: Environment Management Plan
27 and disposal site along with transportation plan and its Section 10.6: Muck Management Plan; Page
monitoring to be provided. 10.25
Chapter 10: Environment Management Plan
Details of Muck Management plan prepared along with
28 Section 10.6: Muck Management Plan; Page
estimated cost incorporated in EIA/EMP report
10.25
Techno-economic viability of the project must be
29 Under Process
recommended from CEA/CWC
[D] Miscellaneous
Pre-DPR Chapters viz., Hydrology, Layout Map and
30 Power Potential Studies duly approved by CWC /CEA Under Process
shall be submitted.
Undertaking need to submitted regarding no activities
31 has been yet on the project site and water allocated to Appendix-III
this scheme shall not be diverted to other purpose.
Both capital and recurring expenditure under EMP shall Chapter 11 Summary and Conclusion
32
be submitted Section 11.9; Table 11.1 Page 11.15
Draft EIA Report Paidipalem North PSP
The photograph should bear the date, time, latitude &
33 Photographs with date and time are given in
longitude of the monitoring station/sampling location.
relevant sections of Report
Arial view video of project site shall be recorded and to
34 --
be submitted.
Detailed plan to restore wider roads and convert them Chapter 10: Environment Management Plan
35
into narrow upto 10m after construction of the project. Section 10.7: Section 10.7.3; Page 10.34
NREDCAP Draft EIA Report Paidipalem North PSP
Annexure IIIa
Table 2: Mean annual average Rainfall (mm) and Numbers of Rainy Days (Reference years 2013-2022)
2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022
Months
A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B A B
January 0 0 0 0 3.2 1 11.6 1 7.9 1 0 0 14.3 2 11.9 1 10 2 6.2 1
February 16.97 2 0 0 0.8 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.8 1 0 0 2.6 1 0 0
March 0 0 3.7 1 9.2 2 0 0 1.2 1 18.9 1 0 0 0 0 0 0 1.4 1
April 6.04 1 0 0 52.95 4 0 0 1.5 1 0 0 11 6 12.5 2 12.6 1 2.9 1
May 31.8 5 91.93 11 55.42 5 34.5 8 41.6 10 41.5 9 106.99 14 14.5 3 73.91 5 100.6 6
June 57.7 11 120.94 7 98.91 9 264.03 19 111.96 15 155.86 14 75.32 12 269.72 8 89.47 8 68.7 7
July 203.52 22 94.73 13 39.86 8 107.66 12 45.7 8 44.4 11 171.49 20 240.21 16 334.34 20 148.6 15
August 115.36 12 167.47 10 124.19 10 39.79 3 133.1 14 85.2 9 206.26 11 92.73 7 85.79 9 170.4 12
September 236.38 15 92.18 7 173.06 14 212.44 16 289.8 11 88 9 206.71 16 285.46 16 83.8 10 137.09 7
October 349.23 11 94.06 10 120.27 7 13.03 2 239.72 13 49.53 3 16.3 4 255.95 10 100.38 8 122.2 8
November 20.28 3 34.8 4 260.32 15 7.6 1 7.7 2 17.2 4 49.25 1 178.52 7 166.61 18 58.7 8
December 0 0 54.8 3 4.3 1 32.96 2 0 0 5.9 1 11.9 1 5.4 1 6.3 1 43.9 4
Note:- A-Rainfall (mm); B-No. of Rainy days
NREDCAP Draft EIA Report Paidipalem North PSP
Table 3: Mean Monthly Average Maximum Wind speed (mps) (Reference years 2013-2022)
Months 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 Average
January 4.5 5 4.2 4 4 3.6 4.7 4.9 4.9 4.4 4.4
February 5.1 5 5 4.8 4.1 4.6 5.6 5.5 4.8 5 5.0
March 5.3 4.6 5 5 4.3 4.7 5.9 5.4 5.1 5.2 5.1
April 5.1 5.1 5.1 4.9 4.8 5.1 5.3 4.9 5 5.4 5.1
May 6 6.8 6 5.7 5.9 5 5.9 5.6 6 6.4 5.9
June 7.5 8.1 7.5 6.7 7 7.5 7.1 6.6 7.2 6.9 7.2
July 7.8 6 8.1 7.8 8.1 8.8 7.8 5.9 7.4 7.2 7.5
August 6.2 5.1 6.7 7.8 6.6 8.7 7.8 7.3 6.4 6.9 7.0
September 4.5 3.6 4.8 6.3 5 5.2 6.2 5.8 6.5 4.2 5.2
October 3.9 3.4 3.6 3.8 3.5 4.3 3.8 4.2 3.4 3.9 3.8
November 3.3 3.9 4.4 3.2 4 4.4 4.1 4.8 4.2 4.2 4.1
December 3.9 4.2 4 3.7 4 4.7 4.9 4.8 4.1 4.7 4.3
Annexure-IIIb
WIND ROSE DATA
Table 1: Wind Rose April data 2023
S.No. YYYY MM DD HH W_dir W_Sp S.No. YYYY MM DD HH W_dir W_Sp
1 2023 04 1 0:00 315 3 55 2023 04 7 18:00 225 5
2 2023 04 1 3:00 360 3 56 2023 04 7 21:00 202.5 5
3 2023 04 1 6:00 337.5 3 57 2023 04 8 0:00 225 5
4 2023 04 1 9:00 45 4 58 2023 04 8 3:00 225 1
5 2023 04 1 12:00 45 3 59 2023 04 8 6:00 180 3
6 2023 04 1 15:00 22.5 3 60 2023 04 8 9:00 202.5 3
7 2023 04 1 18:00 360 2 61 2023 04 8 12:00 202.5 5
8 2023 04 1 21:00 315 2 62 2023 04 8 15:00 202.5 5
9 2023 04 2 0:00 45 2 63 2023 04 8 18:00 202.5 6
10 2023 04 2 3:00 22.5 4 64 2023 04 8 21:00 202.5 6
11 2023 04 2 6:00 337.5 3 65 2023 04 9 0:00 225 4
12 2023 04 2 9:00 360 4 66 2023 04 9 3:00 225 3
13 2023 04 2 12:00 22.5 2 67 2023 04 9 6:00 247.5 2
14 2023 04 2 15:00 360 3 68 2023 04 9 9:00 225 3
15 2023 04 2 18:00 337.5 3 69 2023 04 9 12:00 202.5 5
16 2023 04 2 21:00 22.5 2 70 2023 04 9 15:00 202.5 6
17 2023 04 3 0:00 225 3 71 2023 04 9 18:00 202.5 6
18 2023 04 3 3:00 337.5 4 72 2023 04 9 21:00 202.5 6
19 2023 04 3 6:00 337.5 3 73 2023 04 10 0:00 225 3
20 2023 04 3 9:00 360 4 74 2023 04 10 3:00 225 2
21 2023 04 3 12:00 360 3 75 2023 04 10 6:00 225 2
22 2023 04 3 15:00 360 2 76 2023 04 10 9:00 247.5 2
23 2023 04 3 18:00 337.5 3 77 2023 04 10 12:00 202.5 4
24 2023 04 3 21:00 337.5 1 78 2023 04 10 15:00 202.5 4
25 2023 04 4 0:00 225 5 79 2023 04 10 18:00 202.5 5
26 2023 04 4 3:00 225 4 80 2023 04 10 21:00 202.5 6
27 2023 04 4 6:00 315 4 81 2023 04 11 0:00 202.5 4
28 2023 04 4 9:00 337.5 5 82 2023 04 11 3:00 225 2
29 2023 04 4 12:00 360 2 83 2023 04 11 6:00 315 1
30 2023 04 4 15:00 360 2 84 2023 04 11 9:00 270 1
31 2023 04 4 18:00 292.5 2 85 2023 04 11 12:00 180 4
32 2023 04 4 21:00 180 3 86 2023 04 11 15:00 180 5
33 2023 04 5 0:00 225 5 87 2023 04 11 18:00 180 6
34 2023 04 5 3:00 315 4 88 2023 04 11 21:00 180 5
35 2023 04 5 6:00 315 3 89 2023 04 12 0:00 225 3
36 2023 04 5 9:00 315 4 90 2023 04 12 3:00 247.5 2
37 2023 04 5 12:00 315 2 91 2023 04 12 6:00 315 1
38 2023 04 5 15:00 270 1 92 2023 04 12 9:00 292.5 1
39 2023 04 5 18:00 315 0 93 2023 04 12 12:00 202.5 3
40 2023 04 5 21:00 225 6 94 2023 04 12 15:00 202.5 4
41 2023 04 6 0:00 225 4 95 2023 04 12 18:00 202.5 6
42 2023 04 6 3:00 225 2 96 2023 04 12 21:00 202.5 5
43 2023 04 6 6:00 337.5 3 97 2023 04 13 0:00 225 4
44 2023 04 6 9:00 337.5 3 98 2023 04 13 3:00 225 2
45 2023 04 6 12:00 292.5 3 99 2023 04 13 6:00 315 1
46 2023 04 6 15:00 225 3 100 2023 04 13 9:00 315 3
47 2023 04 6 18:00 180 5 101 2023 04 13 12:00 292.5 1
48 2023 04 6 21:00 202.5 5 102 2023 04 13 15:00 180 4
49 2023 04 7 0:00 202.5 6 103 2023 04 13 18:00 270 1
50 2023 04 7 3:00 202.5 4 104 2023 04 13 21:00 225 4
51 2023 04 7 6:00 202.5 3 105 2023 04 14 0:00 180 4
52 2023 04 7 9:00 202.5 4 106 2023 04 14 3:00 225 2
53 2023 04 7 12:00 225 5 107 2023 04 14 6:00 315 2
54 2023 04 7 15:00 225 5 108 2023 04 14 9:00 315 3
NREDCAP Draft EIA Report Paidipalem North PSP
S.No. YYYY MM DD HH W_dir W_Sp S.No. YYYY MM DD HH W_dir W_Sp
109 2023 04 14 12:00 292.5 2 168 2023 04 21 21:00 180 5
110 2023 04 14 15:00 225 3 169 2023 04 22 0:00 270 1
111 2023 04 14 18:00 225 3 170 2023 04 22 3:00 360 3
112 2023 04 14 21:00 225 2 171 2023 04 22 6:00 360 2
113 2023 04 15 0:00 180 3 172 2023 04 22 9:00 360 3
114 2023 04 15 3:00 225 2 173 2023 04 22 12:00 22.5 3
115 2023 04 15 6:00 270 2 174 2023 04 22 15:00 45 4
116 2023 04 15 9:00 315 3 175 2023 04 22 18:00 157.5 4
117 2023 04 15 12:00 315 0 176 2023 04 22 21:00 225 5
118 2023 04 15 15:00 157.5 3 177 2023 04 23 0:00 225 4
119 2023 04 15 18:00 180 2 178 2023 04 23 3:00 45 2
120 2023 04 15 21:00 180 3 179 2023 04 23 6:00 337.5 3
121 2023 04 16 0:00 225 4 180 2023 04 23 9:00 22.5 4
122 2023 04 16 3:00 157.5 1 181 2023 04 23 12:00 45 2
123 2023 04 16 6:00 270 2 182 2023 04 23 15:00 292.5 2
124 2023 04 16 9:00 315 3 183 2023 04 23 18:00 45 2
125 2023 04 16 12:00 180 3 184 2023 04 23 21:00 202.5 6
126 2023 04 16 15:00 157.5 4 185 2023 04 24 0:00 225 5
127 2023 04 16 18:00 202.5 4 186 2023 04 24 3:00 225 5
128 2023 04 16 21:00 202.5 4 187 2023 04 24 6:00 247.5 3
129 2023 04 17 0:00 225 3 188 2023 04 24 9:00 315 3
130 2023 04 17 3:00 225 3 189 2023 04 24 12:00 315 2
131 2023 04 17 6:00 315 3 190 2023 04 24 15:00 315 2
132 2023 04 17 9:00 315 3 191 2023 04 24 18:00 315 3
133 2023 04 17 12:00 225 2 192 2023 04 24 21:00 225 6
134 2023 04 17 15:00 180 5 193 2023 04 25 0:00 247.5 5
135 2023 04 17 18:00 225 4 194 2023 04 25 3:00 225 4
136 2023 04 17 21:00 225 6 195 2023 04 25 6:00 202.5 3
137 2023 04 18 0:00 180 3 196 2023 04 25 9:00 225 2
138 2023 04 18 3:00 180 3 197 2023 04 25 12:00 225 3
139 2023 04 18 6:00 135 1 198 2023 04 25 15:00 225 4
140 2023 04 18 9:00 270 1 199 2023 04 25 18:00 225 8
141 2023 04 18 12:00 202.5 3 200 2023 04 25 21:00 225 5
142 2023 04 18 15:00 180 4 201 2023 04 26 0:00 270 5
143 2023 04 18 18:00 180 3 202 2023 04 26 3:00 315 3
144 2023 04 18 21:00 180 5 203 2023 04 26 6:00 202.5 3
145 2023 04 19 0:00 180 2 204 2023 04 26 9:00 270 1
146 2023 04 19 3:00 202.5 2 205 2023 04 26 12:00 225 3
147 2023 04 19 6:00 292.5 2 206 2023 04 26 15:00 225 3
148 2023 04 19 9:00 337.5 5 207 2023 04 26 18:00 225 3
149 2023 04 19 12:00 315 2 208 2023 04 26 21:00 202.5 6
150 2023 04 19 15:00 202.5 3 209 2023 04 27 0:00 225 6
151 2023 04 19 18:00 202.5 4 210 2023 04 27 3:00 225 5
152 2023 04 19 21:00 202.5 4 211 2023 04 27 6:00 225 2
153 2023 04 20 0:00 202.5 4 212 2023 04 27 9:00 337.5 2
154 2023 04 20 3:00 337.5 3 213 2023 04 27 12:00 315 1
155 2023 04 20 6:00 337.5 3 214 2023 04 27 15:00 180 2
156 2023 04 20 9:00 360 4 215 2023 04 27 18:00 247.5 3
157 2023 04 20 12:00 360 2 216 2023 04 27 21:00 225 4
158 2023 04 20 15:00 225 2 217 2023 04 28 0:00 225 5
159 2023 04 20 18:00 90 4 218 2023 04 28 3:00 225 4
160 2023 04 20 21:00 180 3 219 2023 04 28 6:00 180 4
161 2023 04 21 0:00 360 5 220 2023 04 28 9:00 247.5 3
162 2023 04 21 3:00 360 4 221 2023 04 28 12:00 225 3
163 2023 04 21 6:00 337.5 5 222 2023 04 28 15:00 180 4
164 2023 04 21 9:00 45 4 223 2023 04 28 18:00 180 3
165 2023 04 21 12:00 45 2 224 2023 04 28 21:00 135 3
166 2023 04 21 15:00 315 1 225 2023 04 29 0:00 225 5
167 2023 04 21 18:00 202.5 3 226 2023 04 29 3:00 225 4
NREDCAP Draft EIA Report Paidipalem North PSP
S.No. YYYY MM DD HH W_dir W_Sp S.No. YYYY MM DD HH W_dir W_Sp
227 2023 04 29 6:00 225 2 234 2023 04 30 3:00 225 1
228 2023 04 29 9:00 22.5 3 235 2023 04 30 6:00 270 2
229 2023 04 29 12:00 337.5 2 236 2023 04 30 9:00 292.5 3
230 2023 04 29 15:00 45 1 237 2023 04 30 12:00 270 2
231 2023 04 29 18:00 45 4 238 2023 04 30 15:00 225 2
232 2023 04 29 21:00 180 5 239 2023 04 30 18:00 247.5 3
233 2023 04 30 0:00 225 3 240 2023 04 30 21:00 225 4
YYYY-Year; MM-Month; DD-Date; HH-Hour; W_dir-Wind Direction (Degree); W_Sp-Wind Speed (m/s).
YYYY-Year; MM-Month; DD-Date; HH-Hour; W_dir-Wind Direction (Degree); W_Sp-Wind Speed (m/s).
ANNEXURE-IV
List of Plant Species Reported From Study Area
S. No Botanical Name Habit S. No Botanical Name Habit
Acanthaceae Aristolochiaceae
1 Andrographis paniculata Herb 33 Aristolochia indica Herb
2 Barleria cristata Shrub Asteraceae
3 Dyschoriste vagans Shrub 34 Acmella paniculata Herb
4 Eranthemum nervosum Shrub 35 Blumea bifoliata Herb
5 Justicia adhatoda Shrub 36 Blumea lacera Herb
6 Lepidagathis cristata Herb 37 Chromolaena odorata Shrub
Aizoaceae 38 Conyza stricta Herb
7 Trianthema portulacastrum Herb 39 Emilia sonchifolia Herb
Alangiaceae 40 Grangea maderaspatana Herb
8 Alangium salviifolium Tree 41 Laggera aurita Herb
Amaranthaceae 42 Pulicaria wightiana Herb
9 Achyranthes aspera Herb 43 Tridax procumbens Herb
10 Aerva javanica Herb 44 Xanthium strumarium Herb
11 Alternanthera sessilis Herb Bignoniaceae
12 Chenopodium album Herb 45 Dolichandrone atrovirens Tree
Anacardiaceae 46 Dolichandrone crispa Tree
13 Mangifera indica Tree 47 Dolichandrone falcata Tree
Apiaceae 48 Oroxylum indicum Tree
14 Centella asiatica Herb Boraginaceae
Apocynaceae 49 Euploca strigosa Herb
15 Gymnema sylvestre Climber 50 Heliotropium indicum Herb
16 Aganosma cymosa Shrub Burseraceae
17 Calotropis gigantea Shrub 51 Boswellia serrata Tree
18 Calotropis procera Shrub Cactaceae
19 Carissa carandas Shrub 52 Opuntia dillenii Shrub
20 Carissa hirsuta Shrub 53 Opuntia stricta Shrub
21 Carissa spinarum Shrub Cannabaceae
22 Dregea volubilis Shrub 54 Cannabis sativa Herb
23 Hemidesmus indicus Herb 55 Trema orientalis Tree
24 Ichnocarpus frutescens Shrub Capparaceae
25 Nerium oleander Shrub 56 Cadaba fruticosa Shrub
26 Vallaris solanacea Climber 57 Cadaba zeylanica Shrub
27 Wattakaka volubilis Climber 58 Capparis sepiaria Climber
28 Wrightia antidysenterica Shrub Casuarinaceae
29 Wrightia tinctoria Tree 59 Casuarina equisetifolia Tree
Araceae Celastraceae
30 Wolffia globosa Herb 60 Gymnosporia montana Tree
Arecaceae 61 Gymnosporia senegalensis Shrub
31 Borassus flabellifer Tree Cleomaceae
32 Phoenix loureiroi Tree 62 Cleome chelidonii Herb
NREDCAP Draft EIA Report Paidipalem North PSP
Prepared for:
PAIDIPALEM NORTH PUMPED STORAGE PROJECT
New & Renewable Energy Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh
(NREDCAP)
District YSR, Andhra Pradesh
Prepared by:
R. S. Envirolink Technologies Pvt. Ltd.
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CONTENTS
Page No.
1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................................... 1
1.1 Propose of Report ....................................................................................................................... 1
1.2 Project Location ........................................................................................................................... 1
1.3 Project Description ...................................................................................................................... 2
1.4 Description of Flora and Fauna of the Project Area .................................................................... 4
1.4.1 Forest Types in the Study Area........................................................................................... 4
1.4.2 Vegetation profile of study area ........................................................................................ 4
1.4.3 Floral Diversity .................................................................................................................... 4
1.4.4 Rare, Endangered and Threatened (RET) Species .............................................................. 6
1.4.5 Faunal Elements ............................................................................................................... 11
1.5 Protected Areas ......................................................................................................................... 17
1.6 Threats to Biodiversity & Wildlife ............................................................................................. 18
2. BIODIVERSITY MANAGEMENT AND WILDLIFE CONSERVATION PLAN ...................................... 20
2.1 Objectives of Management ...................................................................................................... 20
2.2 Mitigation Measures ................................................................................................................. 20
2.3 Conservation and Management Measures ............................................................................... 20
2.3.1 Wildlife Habitat Preservation & Improvement ................................................................ 21
2.3.2 Development and Management of Grassland ................................................................. 21
2.3.3 Awareness Programme .................................................................................................... 22
2.3.4 Budget .............................................................................................................................. 22
3. CONSERVATION AND MANAGEMENT OF SCHEDULE-I SPECIES ............................................... 23
3.1 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 23
3.2 Schedule-I Species (WPA 1972) Reported in the Study Area .................................................... 23
3.3 Conversation Measures for Schedule-I Species ........................................................................ 23
3.4 Management Measures ............................................................................................................ 25
3.4.1 Veterinary care ................................................................................................................. 25
3.4.2 Training to Local Youth ..................................................................................................... 25
3.4.3 Prevention of Forest Fire .................................................................................................. 25
3.4.4 Construction and Maintenance of Water Holes/ Ponds in Wildlife Habitat. ................... 26
3.4.5 Safeguards during construction phase ............................................................................. 26
3.5 Budgetary Provisions ................................................................................................................. 26
4. Strengthening of Infrastructural Facilities of Forest Department ............................................ 27
5. Monitoring and Evaluation ........................................................................................................ 27
6. Locations of Proposed Intervention .......................................................................................... 28
7. Financial Provision ..................................................................................................................... 28
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Forest types found in the Study Area ..................................................................................... 4
Table 2: List of Plant Species recorded during field survey.................................................................. 5
Table 3: Details of Species found in the Study Area ............................................................................ 6
Table 4: Conservation Status of Plant Species ..................................................................................... 7
Table 5: List of Mammalian Species Reported in the Study Area ...................................................... 11
Table 6: List of birds reported from the study area with conservation and Residential status ........ 12
Table 7: List of Herpetofauna Reported from the Study Area ........................................................... 13
Table 8: Butterflies recorded from Study Area .................................................................................. 13
Table 9: Butterflies recorded from Study Area .................................................................................. 17
Table 10: Budget for Biodiversity Management & Wildlife Conservation Plan ................................. 23
Table 11: Break-up for Wildlife Management and Conservation Plan for Schedule I Species ............ 26
Table 12: Total Cost of Biodiversity Management and Wildlife Conservation Plan .......................... 28
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Location Map of Paidipalem North Pumped Storage Project ............................................... 2
Figure 2: Layout map of Paidipalem North Project along with intake pipe for initial filling................ 3
Figure 3: Map Showing Aerial Distance of Proposed Project from Rajiv Gandhi National Park........ 18
Biodiversity Conservation and Wildlife Management Plan Paidipalem North Pumped Storage Project
1. INTRODUCTION
Pumped Storage Projects (PSP) presents an optimal, economically viable & scalable solution
to supply Schedulable Power On-Demand (SPOD) with both base load and peak load
capabilities to the Nation.
The Govt. of Andhra Pradesh through its nodal agency, New & Renewable Energy
Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh (NREDCAP) identified 23 project locations in
the state for preliminary examination and development of renewable power through
pumped storage projects. Proposed Paidipalem North Pumped Storage Project (1000 MW)
is one of among 23 identified pumped storage project identified by NREDCAP.
The nearest rail head is Mangapatnam which is about 15 Km from the Project site and with
loading and unloading facility. The Mumbai–Chennai line, one of the busiest lines in the
southern region, passes through Mangapatnam railway station. It is one of the “B” category
railway stations in Southern Railway zone under Guntakal railway division. The nearest
airport is Kadapa, which is 70 km (approx.) from the project site. The nearest seaport is
Krishnapatnam Port and is about 220 km from the project site. The project site lies in
Simhadripuram Mandal, located in the Pulivendula Revenue division of the Kadapa District
of Andhra Pradesh. It is well connected with the NH 67 which connects Krishnapatnam
Port, Andhra Pradesh in the North to Panjim, Goa in the West. Location map of the project
is shown in Figure 1.
The upper reservoir, about 15% of lower reservoir, penstock and approach road to upper
reservoir falls under administrative control of Andhra Pradesh State Forest Department and
159.84 ha of forest land is required for Project Construction. Diversion of forest land for
non-forest purposes will be involved for construction of upper reservoir of Paidipalem
North project. Therefore, Forest Clearance to be obtained under Forest Conservation Act.
The remaining project components are falls in revenue land i.e., 128.34 ha. Construction of
Paidipalem North PSP is planned to be completed in a period of 42 months, excluding Pre-
construction works, creation of infrastructure facilities viz. additional investigations,
improvement of road network and colonies.
Figure 2: Layout map of Paidipalem North Project along with intake pipe for initial filling
Under storey consist of the thorny shrub species like Carissa hirsuta, Ziziphus oenoplia,
Catunaregam spinosa and Vachellia horrida. Other shrub species growing in the study area
are Calotropis gigantea, Waltheria indica, Grewia orbiculata, Senna auriculata, Dodonaea
viscosa, Lantana camara, Murraya koenigii, Nerium oleander, Ixora parviflora, etc.
The ground cover in the scrub forest and scrub lands was mostly characterized by degraded
and rocky lands and comprised the grass species like Aristida hystrix, Heteropogon
contortus, Chrysopogon zizanioides, and Eragrostis Unioloides with a few herb species like
Crotalaria Pusilla, Xanthium strumarium, Solanum surattense, Achyranthes aspera,
Phyllanthus niruri, Mesosphaerum suaveolens, Evolvulus alsinoides, Senna tora, Laggera
aurita, Sida cordata, Pulicaria wightiana, Euphorbia prostrata, Alternanthera sessilis,
Oldenlandia affinis, Cyanotis axillaris, etc.
The agricultural fields are mostly represented by the plantation of fruit species like Citrus
sinensis (Orange). Other plant species growing near agricultural fields and settlements are
Azadirachta indica, Mangifera indica, Ziziphus xylopyrus, Senegalia chundra, Vachellia
nilotica, Calotropis gigantea, Lantana camara, Nerium oleander, Murraya koenigii, etc.
Table 2. The list includes 25 tree species, 17 Shrub, 33 species of herbs, 8 species of
climbers and 7 species of grasses.
S. S.
Family / Botanical Name Habit Family / Botanical Name Habit
No No
Ranunculaceae 81 Sapindus emarginatus Shrub
71 Clematis gouriana Climber 82 Dodonaea viscosa Climber
Rhamnaceae Smilacaceae
72 Ziziphus xylopyrus Shrub 83 Smilax zeylanica Herb
73 Ziziphus oenoplia Shrub Solanaceae
Rubiaceae 84 Datura stramonium Herb
74 Catunaregam spinosa Shrub 85 Solanum surattense Shrub
75 Ixora parviflora Herb Tiliaceae
76 Oldenlandia affinis Trees 86 Grewia orbiculata Shrub
Rutaceae 87 Triumfetta pentandra Shrub
77 Atalantia monophylla Trees Verbenaceae
78 Chloroxylon swietenia Trees 88 Lantana camara Trees
79 Citrus sinensis Shrub Zygophyllaceae
80 Murraya koenigii Trees 89 Balanites roxburghii Herb
Sapindaceae 90 Tribulus terrestris Herb
The detail inventory of Plant species reported from the study area has been prepared
based on primary survey and same has been supplemented with available secondary data.
An inventory of 228 species of plants belonging to angiosperms and 1 species (Cycas
beddomei) of gymnosperm, was compiled which includes plant species found in forested
areas, scrub land, near agricultural fields and settlements, abandoned land, etc. List of
flowering plant species (angiosperms) recorded from the area is given in Annexure IV. This
list includes 67 species of trees, 62 species of shrubs, 67 species of herbs, 18 species of
climbers and 14 species of grasses. Most of the vegetation is found mainly in the forest
area.
Based on the plant species reported from the study area, Fabaceae was found to be the
most dominant family with 35 plant species, which was followed by Apocynaceae (15
species), Malvaceae (12 species), Poaceae (12 species), Rubiaceae (11 species) and
Asteraceae (11 species) Details of plant species reported during the field surveys within
families are given in Table 3.
As per the Red list of Indian Plants published by Botanical Survey of India, no Endemic or
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Biodiversity Conservation and Wildlife Management Plan Paidipalem North Pumped Storage Project
The conservation status following the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species Version 2022-2
downloaded from www.iucnredlist.org is listed in the table below. The majority of the
species have not been assessed yet by IUCN (2022-2). Out of 229 species reported from the
area, 84 species have been assessed. Among these species, 6 plant species viz. Borassus
flabellifer, Cycas beddomei, Pterocarpus santalinus, Tectona grandis, Syzygium
alternifolium and Isonandra villosa are listed under Endangered (EN) category, Chloroxylon
swietenia under Vulnerable (VU) category and Pterocarpus marsupium is listed under Near
Threatened (NT) category of IUCN ver. 2022-2. While other species are listed either under
the Least Concern (LC) or Data deficient (DD) category (see Table 4 below).
Conservation Status
S. No Family Botanical Name IUCN 2022-2
41 Fabaceae Hardwickia binata LC
42 Fabaceae Mimosa pudica LC
43 Fabaceae Phyllodium pulchellum LC
44 Fabaceae Pongamia pinnata LC
45 Fabaceae Pterocarpus marsupium NT
46 Fabaceae Pterocarpus santalinus EN
47 Fabaceae Rhynchosia minima LC
48 Fabaceae Senegalia pennata LC
49 Fabaceae Senna occidentalis LC
50 Fabaceae Vachellia karroo LC
51 Fabaceae Vachellia nilotica LC
52 Lamiaceae Premna tomentosa LC
53 Lamiaceae Tectona grandis EN
54 Lythraceae Woodfordia fruticosa LC
55 Malvaceae Bombax ceiba LC
56 Malvaceae Grewia hirsuta LC
57 Malvaceae Grewia tenax LC
58 Malvaceae Urena lobata LC
59 Malvaceae Waltheria indica LC
60 Meliaceae Azadirachta indica LC
61 Molluginaceae Glinus oppositifolius LC
62 Moraceae Ficus racemosa LC
63 Moraceae Ficus religiosa LC
64 Moringaceae Moringa oleifera LC
65 Myrtaceae Eucalyptus globulus LC
66 Myrtaceae Syzygium alternifolium EN
67 Myrtaceae Syzygium cumini LC
68 Nelumbonaceae Nelumbo nucifera DD
69 Phyllanthaceae Flueggea leucopyrus LC
70 Phyllanthaceae Phyllanthus emblica LC
71 Poaceae Eragrostis Unioloides LC
72 Rhamnaceae Ziziphus jujuba LC
73 Rubiaceae Catunaregam spinosa LC
74 Rutaceae Atalantia monophylla LC
75 Rutaceae Chloroxylon swietenia VU
76 Rutaceae Murraya koenigii LC
77 Salicaceae Flacourtia indica LC
78 Sapindaceae Cardiospermum halicacabum LC
79 Sapindaceae Dodonaea viscosa LC
80 Sapotaceae Isonandra villosa EN
81 Solanaceae Physalis angulata LC
82 Verbenaceae Gmelina asiatica LC
83 Verbenaceae Vitex negundo LC
84 Zygophyllaceae Tribulus terrestris LC
IUCN Ver. 2022-2 - International Union for Conservation of Nature; DD – Data Deficient: LC - Least Concern; VU:
Vulnerable; NT: Near Threatened; EN: Endangered
a) Mammals
The sighting of mammals in the project area is quite rare. Blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra)
was the only species sighted near existing Paidipalem Balancing Reservoir. Based on field
survey and information collected from villagers and forest officials, a list of 25 species of
mammals reported from the study area of proposed project was compiled and the same is
given in Table 5.
b) Avifauna
During the field surveys, 24 species of birds belonging to 8 Orders were recorded from the
study area. Birds like Kingfishers, Green Bee-eater, Barn Swallow, White-browed Wagtail,
Indian Robin, Long-tailed Shrike, Purple Sunbird, Cormorants Herons, Egrets, Ducks, etc.
were most frequently sighted bird species in the study area. A list of bird species
composition and their conservation status has been described in Table 6.
Table 6: List of birds reported from the study area with conservation and Residential status
Conservation
S. Status Residential
Family Common Name Scientific Name
No. IUCN WPA, Status
2022-2 1972
Order: Anseriformes
1 Anatidae Indian Spot-billed Duck Anas poecilorhyncha LC IV RR
Order: Coraciiformes
2 Alcedinidae Pied Kingfisher Ceryle rudis LC IV RR
White-throated
3 Alcedinidae Halcyon gularis LC IV RR
Kingfisher
4 Meropidae Asian Green Bee-eater Merops orientalis LC IV RR
Order: Columbiformes IV RR
5 Columbidae Eurasian Collared Dove Streptopelia decaocto LC IV RR
6 Columbidae Laughing Dove Spilopelia senegalensis LC IV RR
7 Columbidae Rock Dove Columba livia LC
Order: Passeriformes
8 Estrildidae Indian Silver bill Euodice malabarica LC IV RR
9 Hirundinidae Barn Swallow Hirundo rustica LC IV WV
10 Laniidae Long-tailed Shrike Lanius schach LC IV RR
11 Leiotrichidae Common Babbler Argya caudata LC IV RR
Motacilla
12 Motacillidae White-browed Wagtail LC IV RR
maderaspatensis
13 Muscicapidae Indian Robin Saxicoloides fulicatus LC IV RR
14 Nectariniidae Purple Sunbird Cinnyris asiaticus LC IV RR
15 Ploceidae Baya Weaver Ploceus philippinus LC IV RR
16 Pycnonotidae Red-vented Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer LC IV RR
17 Sturnidae Common Myna Acridotheres tristis LC
Order: Pelecaniformes
18 Ardeidae Little Egret Egretta garzetta LC IV RR
19 Ardeidae Purple Heron Ardea purpurea LC IV RR
Order: Podicipediformes
20 Podicipedidae Little Grebe Tachybaptus ruficollis LC IV RR
Order: Suliformes
21 Phalacrocoracidae Indian Cormorant Phalacrocorax fuscicollis LC IV RR
22 Phalacrocoracidae Little Cormorant Microcarbo niger LC
Order: Charadriiformes IV RR
23 Charadriidae Red-wattled Lapwing Vanellus indicus LC IV RR
Yellow-wattled
24 Charadriidae Vanellus malabaricus LC IV RR
Lapwing
IUCN Red List of Threatened Species. Version 2022-2; LC - Least Concern; NT-Near Threatened; WPA – Wildlife
(Protection) Act, 1972; RR-Resident; WV-Winter Visitor
c) Herpetofauna
The herpetofauna were sampled on the same transects marked for mammals. The sampling
also carried along riverbanks and the sampling was repeated during night following the
time constrained Visual Encounter Rates (VES) method. A list of herpetofauna reported
from study area is given at Table 7. Changeable Agama (Calotes versicolor) and South
Indian Rock Agama (Psammophilus dorsalis) were the only reptile species reported during
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Biodiversity Conservation and Wildlife Management Plan Paidipalem North Pumped Storage Project
sampling from the study area. Indian Bullfrog (Hoplobatrachus tigerinus) was the only
amphibian species sighted near pond during field survey. After consulting from the
concerned forest working plan and local people, a list of 9 species of reptiles and 2 species
of amphibians has been prepared as follows: The classification and nomenclature of
reptiles are based upon http://www.reptile-database.org/ and amphibians are based upon
https://amphibian softheworld.amnh.org/.
d) Butterflies
The area is rich in the diversity and density of butterflies. During survey Common Tiger
(Danaus genutia) was the most frequently sighted butterfly species in the area. A total of 2
species of butterflies were sighted during the winter season area listed below in Table 8.
Among the mammals, 5 species viz. Common Leopard (Panthera pardus), Sloth Bear
(Melursus ursinus), Blackbuck (Antilope cervicapra), Chinkara (Gazella bennettii) and Four-
horned Antelope (Tetracerus quadricornis) are categorised as schedule I species. Wild Dog
(Cuon alpinus), Golden Jackal (Canis aureus), Bengal Fox (Vulpes bengalensis) Jungle Cat
(Felis chaus), Indian Grey Mongoose (Herpestes edwardsii), Striped Hyaena (Hyaena
hyaena), Common Palm Civet (Paradoxurus hermaphroditus), Bonnet Macaque (Macaca
radiata), Rhesus Monkey (Macaca mulatta), Northern Plain Gray Langur (Semnopithecus
entellus) and Indian Giant Squirrel (Ratufa indica) are listed under schedule II category. Rest
of the mammalian species are listed under schedule II and IV category of WPA, 1972 (refer
to Table 5). As per the WPA, 1972, Python and Monitor Lizard are categorised as schedule I
species, India Rat Snake, Indian Cobra and Russel’s Viper as schedule II and Indian Bullfrog,
Green Pond Frog, Red Sand Boa and Common Krait are categorised under schedule IV
species (Table 7).
As per the IUCN Red List of Threatened Species, Version 2022-2, Wild Dog is listed under
Endangered (EN) category, Common Leopard, Sloth Bear, Four-horned Antelope, Sambar
Deer and Bonnet Macaque under Vulnerable (VU) category, Striped Hyaena and
Leschenault’s Rousette are listed under Near Threatened (NT) category. While, all birds
have been listed under Least Concern (LC) category. As per the Wildlife (Protection) Act
1972, all species are listed as Schedule IV category (refer to Table 6).
categories (Ver. 2022-2). As per the Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972, Common Crow (Euploea
core) is categorised as schedule IV species (refer to Table 8).
f) Aquatic Ecology
Fish and Fisheries
Proposed project is Closed Loop Off-stream project. Gandikota Reservoir, constructed on
the Pennar River, feeds the water required for the Paidipalem balancing reservoir. Water
from the fore shores of Gandikota reservoir will be lifted to Paidipalem Balancing Reservoir.
The proposed Pumped Storage project utilises water from the existing Paidipalem Balancing
reservoir. A separate lower reservoir is envisaged towards North of Paidipalem Balancing
Reservoir.
For the documentation of fish fauna in the project area, experimental fishing was carried
out during the field visit. No fish species were landed during experimental fishing from
different Rivers and reservoirs. Data on the fish fauna in the study area was documented
through information collected through public consultation in the study area during field
visits and information available in published research papers and draft CEIA report on
Gandikota PSP. According to this list, 15 species are reported in the study area (Table 9).
Figure 3: Map Showing Aerial Distance of Proposed Project from boundary of Rajiv Gandhi National Park
A large population of workers from other areas, including technical staff, workers, and
other groups of people is likely to congregate in the area during the peak project
construction phase. It can be assumed that the technical staff will be of higher economic
status and will live in a more urbanized habitat, and will not use wood as fuel if adequate
alternate sources of fuel are provided. However, workers and other population groups
residing in the area may use fuel wood, if no alternate fuel is provided. The workers may
also cut trees to meet their requirements for the construction of houses, furniture.
Normally in such situations, a lot of indiscriminate use or wastage of wood is also observed,
especially in remote or inaccessible areas.
Other major impact on the flora in and around the project area would be due to increased
level of human interferences. The forest in the area is well known for Pterocarpus
santalinus, with the common names Red Sanders. The Red Sander is endemic to eastern
ghat and listed under Endangered category by IUCN. The species is widely distributed over
forest area of Chittoor, Annamayya, Kadapa, Kurnool and Nellore districts in Andhra Pradesh.
There is huge demand for its heart wood for furniture also used for making the musical
instrument. The felling and trading of Red Sander is illegal in India. The acquisition of forest
land for no-forestry work will leads to the loss of habitat of Pterocarpus santalinus. In
addition to Pterocarpus santalinus, Pterocarpus marsupium, Chloroxylon swietenia and
Syzygium alternifolium are the tree species reported from the forest area in the vicinity of
project are under listed as RET species by IUCN ver 2022-2.
During the construction period, a large number of machinery and construction workers
shall be mobilized, which may create disturbance to the wildlife population in the vicinity of
the project area. The operation of various equipment will generate significant noise,
especially during blasting which will affect the fauna of the area. The noise may scare the
fauna and force them to migrate to other areas. Likewise, siting of construction plants,
workshops, stores, labour camps, etc. could also lead to adverse impacts on the fauna of
the area. During the construction phase, accessibility to the area will lead to an influx of
workers and the people associated with the allied activities from outside will also increase.
An increase in human interference could have an impact on the terrestrial ecosystem.
market. The felling and trading of Red Sander is illegal in India. Also, the stakeholders from
the study area depends upon forest for their day to day need of fodder, fuelwood, and other
non-Timber Forest products (NTFP) as well as timber wood needs. This results in
tremendous pressure on the forests.
f) Grazing pressure:
The scrub forest in the area is under heavy grazing pressure by the livestock and is
susceptible to damage by livestock.
Plantation site will be trench fenced and brushwood fence, for the protected from cattle
grazing. With the improvement in habitat of wildlife the incidences of human wildlife
conflict will accordingly reduce. The estimate cost for plantation over about 25 ha degraded
forest land in the surrounding of Project area has been worked @ Rs. 1,50,000 per ha for
Enrichment plantation. The enrichment plantation will be carried along the periphery of
upper reservoir in the adjoining forest area. As such, no additional forest land will be diverted
for this purpose.
With a view to reduce dependence on the natural forests for biomass and other non-
timber forest products (NTFPs) or minor forest produce (MFP) alternate resources need to
be building up. NTFPs/MFP plantations will be carried out on the community land,
degraded land, fallow lands which help in sustainable land management and also a tool for
reclamation. An area of about 8 ha in will be developed.
Decentralized nurseries will be created with the help of forest department. Species to be
raised are primarily to cater to fuel, fodder, and small timber needs. Seedlings will be
distributed every year to villagers on a nominal rate. The distribution will be facilitated
through Forest Range office in the area. Forest department may take up prior survey with
the help of local administrative bodies/panchayats to assess the requirement plants.
A budgetary estimate has been made @ Rs. 1,00,000.00 per ha under this head. The
estimated cost for farm forestry is Rs. 8.00 lakh.
Considering that the wildlife populations will be impacted by project construction activities
and also due to influx of migrant labour force, mitigation measures should also be taken for
the larger area. The following measures are proposed:
• Control on poaching.
• Awareness campaigns aimed at creating awareness towards respecting the habitat
protection in general and the protection of wildlife species in particular.
Under this programme, various activities viz. training, publishing of pamphlets, brochures,
hoardings, etc. shall be carried out during the construction phase of the project. The
following activities are planned under this programme:
Observance of Wildlife Week: The wildlife week will be celebrated every year in the month
of March to assess all the tasks set aside for wildlife management. Under this programme,
seminars, art competitions and awareness campaigns will be held.
Nature Club: Nature clubs will be introduced at Higher secondary and High school level in
the project area. They will be imparted education by means of audio-visual aids so as to
sensitize them about importance of wildlife conservation.
Involvement of Village Panchayats and NGOs: The Panchayats of affected villages and
active NGOs in the project area would be involved to disseminate the knowledge about the
benefits of the proposed project and ensuring greater participation in the conservation
efforts and safeguard the environment of the area.
For implementation of awareness programme an amount of Rs. 1.00 lakh/year has been
budgeted.
2.3.4 Budget
Total budget for the Biodiversity Management & Wildlife Conservation Plan would be Rs.
74.50 lakh. The breakup of the budget is given at Table 10 below.
Table 10: Budget for Biodiversity Management & Wildlife Conservation Plan
S. Total Amount
Particulars
No. (Rs. in lakh)
Afforestation and Enrichment in the adjoining forest area along the
1 37.50
periphery of upper & lower reservoir (@1,50,000/ha for 25 ha)
2 Farm forestry for fuelwood and timber (@100000/ha for 5 ha) 8.00
3 Development and Management of Grasslands (lump sum) 25.00
4 Awareness Programme @ Rs. 1 lakh/year for 4 years 4.00
Total 74.50
3.1 Introduction
The development activities often present a threat to biodiversity in the area like habitat
destruction, degradation, fragmentation through overexploitation, poaching, hunting,
pollution, etc. Therefore, developmental projects are required to maintain ecological
integrity to ensure biodiversity conservation and sustainable development together. The
impacts need be mitigated or minimized substantially through well drafted conservation
management plan. The Indian Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 mandates protection of plants
and animal species by way of listing them under different schedules to provide them
varying degrees of protection. Schedule I and part II of Schedule II provide absolute
protection and offences under these are prescribed the highest penalties. Key strategies
required for any biodiversity management plan are in situ strategy, ex situ strategy,
reduction of anthropogenic pressure and rehabilitation of endangered species.
b. Biological Fences: Conflicts generally arises when leopard or Sloth Bear enters in
human settlements, which indirectly reflect the condition of adjacent forested areas, i.e.
its ability to support Leopard and Sloth Bear habitat. Protective Fencing to Protect
Livestock: Biological fences will be used to protect the livestock from the leopard
attack.
c. Strict Protection Measures: The Wildlife (Protection) Act of 1972 provides us with the
statutory framework for wildlife conservation, and Poaching is a crime against
wildlife. During interview and discussion with local people it was noted that study
area is not prone to poaching or any other wildlife violence related to leopard. But,
precaution will be always taken while dealing with wildlife. The contact information of
concern wildlife and forest department will be provided to every worker or at the field
office. If any kind of poaching or other offense is noticed; it will be immediately
clued-up to the concern Forest and Wildlife Officials. More importantly, worker will
make aware of wildlife crime and subsequent penalties and punishment.
d. Small earthen material lined water tanks will be created in the identifies habitat area
as well as to make sure availability of drinking water.
e. Litter burning will be discouraged strictly. Litter burning practices destruct habitat and
destroy feeding material and remove the cover and nesting materials necessary for
shelter and protection from predators.
Awareness generation between farmers and local villagers about the nature and ecological
importance of the species. Villagers would be encouraged to use natural manure such as
cow dung and vermicompost (compost prepared by earthworms which convert organic
waste into manure) instead of chemical fertilizers and pesticides that mostly kill insects
(food of monitor lizard) which limit food supply. Insects are an important prey-item
during the incubation period and for juvenile’s growth.
The support of village heads and other members of gram panchayat, local leaders and
members of regional NGO would be solicited to execute the proposed awareness and
habitat improvement programmes. Functions like wildlife week, world forestry day, Van
Mahotsav and world environment day will be organized. The discussion may evolve
around habitat loss, human- wildlife conflicts and how best the vegetation can be revamped
etc.
Moreover, a training workshop for all workers will be conducted at the start of any project.
It will include formal training on the importance of biodiversity and to make available the
information about the flora and fauna of high conservation value present in the area.
Information on Wildlife policies and Government regulation and penalties will be provided
to workers. Similar kinds of activities will be done time to time to enhance the interest of
mine workers in the conservation.
i. Creation of veterinary facilities and rescue centres for healthcare of wild animals and
for disease control. For this purpose, it is essential to maintain medical facilities in the
veterinary centres.
ii. Provision of 01 mobile-rescue-cum-rehabilitation-van with financial provision of Rs.
12.00 lakh.
iii. For Maintenance of mobile-rescue-cum-rehabilitation-van and medical supplies provision
of Rs. 2.00 lakh/ year for 4 years has been proposed under this plan.
iv. Training programme shall be organised for upgradation of knowledge and techniques of
faunal species rescue and veterinary care. A total budget of Rs. 4.00 lakh has been
proposed for training programme.
i. Fire Fighting Equipments: These Fire watchers will also be equipped with certain Fire
Fighting Equipments such as Fire resistance dress, Water bottle, Axe, Shoes etc. to
attend to emergencies. Therefore, financial provision has been made for fire-fighting
equipments.
ii. Clearing of Fire Line: Fireline will be cleared over a vulnerable area.
iii. Training & Awareness: Financial provision to organise firefighting training for forest
officials and villagers residing around project area has been made under this Plan.
Table 11: Break-up for Wildlife Management and Conservation Plan for Schedule I Species
S. No. Activity Fund Allocated
(Rs in Lakh)
1 Habitat Improvement by development of vegetation cover by 0.0*
plantation with suitable species.
Biological fence (Bamboo species, Euphorbia sp., Agave americana,
etc.) around the habitation and around the agriculture fields 15.00
2
adjoining to forest area to control human wildlife conflict
3 Construction and filling of water holes and ponds in wildlife habitat. 25.00
Fund Allocated
S. No. Activity (Rs in Lakh)
4 Support/Provision of veterinary care, cages, recuse centers, etc. 24.00
5 Anti-Poaching measures and preventing illegal tree felling 5.00
6 Training Programme for Techniques of faunal species rescue 4.00
7 Prevention of Forest Fire: Training and Infrastructure facilities 15.00
Total 88.00
*Covered under Biodiversity Management & Wildlife Conservation Plan (refer table 7)
i) For improvement of vigilance and measures to check poaching, check posts and watch
towers will be needed. In order to strengthen the working capacity, the workforce of
the State Forest/Wildlife Department they must be provided with necessary equipment
such as a camera, wireless, binoculars GPS, search lights, health kits, etc. that would
increase their capability and efficiency of monitoring.
ii) The construction of inspection paths and watch towers for more effective and
meaningful patrolling by the department.
iv) Creation of veterinary facilities and rescue camps for healthcare of wild animals and for
disease control. For this purpose, it is essential to maintain a stock of medicines in
addition to setting up of a mobile-rescue-cum-rehabilitation-van.
Project authorities would provide funds to State Forest Department. Total financial outlay
under this head would be Rs. 25.00 lakh.
The Chairman of the committee will have the right to assign various activities to various
members for proper functioning and result-oriented tasks. The committee will monitor the
progress of the proposed plan. Total financial outlay for the BMC would be Rs. 4.00 lakh only.
7. FINANCIAL PROVISION
The total budget allocated focusing on Biodiversity and Wildlife Conservation and
Management Plan including conservation and management measures for Schedule-I
species is Rs 191.50. Lakh. The Break-up of the budget is given in Table 12.
Andhra Pradesh State Forest Department shall be the executing agency for implementation
of the proposed mitigation measure under Biodiversity Conservation and Wildlife
Management Plan in the surrounding of proposed project site, therefore, a total amount of
Rs. 191.50 lakh will be deposited with the State Forest Department for taking up proposed
activities within the area.
Table 12: Total Cost of Biodiversity Management and Wildlife Conservation Plan
Fund Allocated
S. No. Activity
(Rs in Lakh)
1 Biodiversity Conservation and Wildlife Management Plan 74.50
2 Conservation & Management of Schedule-I Species 88.00
3 Strengthening of Infrastructural Facilities of Forest Department 25.00
4 Monitoring And Evaluation 4.00
Total 191.50
G.O.Ms.No. 19 Dated:-L2.O9.2022
Read the following: -
ORDER:-
Government of Andhra Pradesh is giving prioriry for promotion of
Renewable Energr Power projects and has been rolling out multiple
initiatives, programs, policies and incentives to accelerate the development
of the renewable energr sector. The State is having good RE power potential
particularly in Rayalaseema rcgion ',l,here huge extents of lands have been
identified for promotion of RE power projects by inviting private investments.
3. ln the G.O lst to 4th read above Government have issued orders
providing incentives for large scale promotion of Wind Power, Solar Power
and Wind-Solar hybrid Power Projects in the State of Andhra Pradesh.
6. In the reference Sth read above, M/s Indosol Solar Pvt. Ltd. (ISPL),
Hyderabad, have submitted the proposal to the Government to allocate the
Captive Power Plants to meet their Power Requirements for the Green Field
Vertically Integrated Solar Photovoltaic Manufacturing Unit for allocation of
1.50 GW Wind Power, 3.5 GW Solar Power and 2.2 GW Pumped storage
power Projects:-
(Contd..P.3)
::3::
7 . The estimated capitai expenditure for proposed solar PV module
manufacturing unit is indicated as Rs. 20,836 Crores in the 1st phase with
a potential to create employment for more than 5,000 people in AP State.
The project is expected to create huge employment opportunities to about
1 1 ,500 people directly and 10,000 - t I ,000 people indirectly in a phased
manner (3 phases) over a period of 5 years. The manufacturing facility being
set up by M/s. ISPL is highly energr intensive and requested the
Government for allocation ol PSP, Solar and Wind Power Projects to meet the
captive power requirements thereby reducing the cost of power for their
manufacturing facilify will bring down the cost of manufacturing of solar cell
and they can compete with International Market. In the case of Captive
Power Plants an amount of Rs.25,000 crores of revenue to the Government
and 1 1,000 persons will get direct and indirect employments u.ith the
proposed project.
8. The proposal of M/s. Indosol Solar Pvt. Ltd. has been placed before
State Investment Promotion Board (SIPB) meeting held on 05.O9.2022. The
SIPB has taken the following decisions:
i. Allotment of Pumped Storage Hydro Power (PSP) Projects and Solar
Power and Wind Power Projects as follows:
a. Paidipalem East Pumped Storage Power Project in YSR Dist.-
1200 MW
b.Paidipalem North Pumped Storage Power Project in YSR Dist.-
1000 Mw
c.Solar Power in Kolimigundla mandal, Kurnool District -
3500 MW
d.Wind Power in Dhone West and Hebattam of Holagunda
mandal, Kurnool District -1500 MW
(P,T,O)
1
v11. Govt. of Andhra Pradesh will support and facilitate the project for
availing grants of special category projects under central Govt.
schemes.
vlll Govt. of Andhra Pradesh will facilitate the project for availing
benefits provided as per National Energr Storage Policy without
any financial commitment from Govt. of Andhra Pradesh.
(Contd.P.5)
c
v11 Govt. of Andhra Pradesh will support and facilitate the project for
availing grants of special category projects under Central Govt'
schemes.
v111. Govt. of Andhra Pradesh will facilitate the project for availing
benefits provided as per National Energ}r Storage Policy without
any financial commitment from Govt. of Andhra Pradesh.
x. Statutory fee and charges to NREDCAP shall be paid for Wind and
Solar Power capacities within two months from the date of this
order.
12. The Vice Chairman & Managing Director, New and Renewable Energr
Development Corporation of Andhra Pradesh Ltd.,, Tadepalli shall take
further necessary action accordingly.
K. VIJAYANAND
SPECIAL CHIEF SECRETARY TO GOVERNMENT
To
M/s Indosol Solar Pvt. Ltd., 6-3-879l8, 3rd Floor, G Pulla Reddy Sweets
Buildings, Begumpet, Hyderabad-SOO 0 16.
The Vice Chairman & Managing Director, NREDCAP, Tadepalli.
The Chairman & Managing Director, APIRANSCO, Vidyuth Soudha,
Vijayawada.
The Chiel Commissioner of Land Administration & Special Chief Secretary to
Government, APIIC Towers, Mangalagiri.
The Special Chief Secretary to Governmenr, Revcnuc Department.
The Special Chief Secretary to Government, Finance Department.
The Special Chief Secretary to Govt., Industries & Commerce Department.
The Special Chief Secretary to Government, EFS&T Department.
The Principal Secretary to Government, Water Resources Department.
The Principal Chief Conservator of Forests, GoAP, Guntur.
The Collector & District Magistrate, Kurnool District.
The Collector & District Magistrate, Nandyal District.
The Collector & District Magistrate, YSR District.
Copv to:
The Commissioner of Industries, Vijayawada.
The Managing Director, APGENCO, Vidyuth Soudha, Vijayawada.
The Chairman & Managing Director, APSPDCL, Tirupati.
The Chairman & Managing Director, APCPDCL, Vijaya'*'ada.
The Chairman & Managing Director, APEPDCL, Visakhapatnam.
(P.r.o.)
B
K tlo.,-.
SECTION OFFICER