EIA - Report (Matiari-Lhr Project) PDF
EIA - Report (Matiari-Lhr Project) PDF
EIA - Report (Matiari-Lhr Project) PDF
AUGUST 2015
This report has been prepared based on the Project information provided by the
designer to NESPAK dated 15 th July, 2015. NESPAK is not responsible or control over
the changes in the Project design data which may require update of this report.
HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
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FIGURES
ANNEXES
PHOTOLOG
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LIST OF FIGURES
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LIST OF TABLES
Table ES-1: Mean Daily Temperatures at Meteorological Gauging Stations (1981-2010) .... vii
Table ES-2: Mean Daily Temperatures at Meteorological Gauging Stations (1981-2010) ... viii
Table 3–1: Status Summary of Planned Power Generation ............................................... 3-2
Table 3–2: Proposed T/L Routes ....................................................................................... 3-7
Table 3–3: Summary of the T/L Route Options ................................................................ 3-10
Table 3–4: Proposed Power Generation Plan .................................................................. 3-11
Table 4-1: Current-Carrying Capabilities of Different Conductors ....................................... 4-9
Table 4-2: Resistance Power Losses of Different Conductors .......................................... 4-11
Table 4-3: Electric Energy Losses of Different Conductors .............................................. 4-11
Table 4-4: Mechanical Properties of Different Conductors ............................................... 4-12
Table 4-5: Permissible Conductor Clearances ................................................................. 4-15
Table 4-6: Configuration of HVDC Power Line Carrier Channels ..................................... 4-20
Table 4-7: Estimated Work Force Requirement for Proposed Bipole ± 600 KV HVDC T/L
Project ............................................................................................................ 4-27
Table 4-8: Estimated Construction Materials for Single Tower ......................................... 4-27
Table 5–1 (a): Mean Daily Temperatures at Meteorological Gauging Stations (1981-2010)5-2
Table 5–1(b): Relative Humidity (1981-2010) ..................................................................... 5-5
Table 5–1(c): Mean Monthly Rainfall (1981-2010).............................................................. 5-6
Table 5–1(d): Mean Wind Speed at Synoptic Hours (1981-2010)....................................... 5-6
Table 5–2(a): Mean Daily Temperatures at Meteorological Gauging Stations (1981-2010) 5-7
Table 5–2(b): Relative Humidity (1981-2010) ..................................................................... 5-8
Table 5–2(c): Mean Monthly Rainfall (1981-2010).............................................................. 5-9
Table 5–2(d): Mean Wind Speed at Synoptic Hours (1981-2010)....................................... 5-9
Table 5–3(a): Mean Daily Temperatures at Meteorological Gauging Stations (1981-2010) .....
............................................................................................................................... 5-10
Table 5–3(b): Relative Humidity (1981-2010) ................................................................... 5-12
Table 5–3(c): Mean Monthly Rainfall (1981-2010)............................................................ 5-12
Table 5–3(d): Mean Wind Speed at Synoptic Hours (1981-2010)..................................... 5-13
Table 5-4: Values of Seismic Zones of Pakistan .............................................................. 5-14
Table 5–5: Surface Water Resources falling in the COI of the proposed T/L (Section-I)... 5-19
Table 5–6: Surface Water Resources falling in the COI of the proposed T/L (Section II) .. 5-20
Table 5–7 (a): Sampling Points for Environmental Monitoring (Section-I) ......................... 5-22
Table 5–7b: Sampling Points for Environmental Monitoring (Section-II) ........................... 5-23
Table 5–8 (a & b): Summary of Landuse in the COI of Section-I ...................................... 5-25
Table 5–9 (a & b): Summary of Landuse in the COI of Section-II ..................................... 5-27
Table 5-10: Major Floral Species Found along the Project Route Alignment in Sindh ...... 5-28
Table 5-11: Major Floral Species Found along the Project Route Alignment in Punjab .... 5-29
Table 5-12: Major Fauna Species Found along the Project Route Alignment in Sindh ..... 5-31
Table 5-13: Major Fauna Species Found along the Project Route Alignment in Punjab ... 5-32
Table 5-14: Major Avifauna found along the Project Route Alignment in Sindh ................ 5-33
Table 5-15: Major Avifauna Found along the Project Route Alignment in Punjab ............. 5-34
Table 5–16 (a): District-wise No. of Villages and Households at Section-I along T/L COI. 5-37
Table 5–16(b): District-wise No. of Villages and Households at Section-II along COI ....... 5-38
Table 5–17: District Wise Population and Average Household Size based on DCR and
Socio-Economic Survey ............................................................................... 5-40
Table 5–18: Major Caste Groups/ Tribes Settled in the COI ............................................. 5-42
Table 5–19: Decision Methods in the Villages .................................................................. 5-44
Table 5–21: District Wise Population and Average Household Size ................................. 5-51
Table 5–22: Major Caste Groups/ Tribes Settled in the COI ............................................. 5-53
Table 5–23: Decision Methods in the Villages .................................................................. 5-55
Table 6–1: Role of Concerned Agencies/Departments ....................................................... 6-2
Table 6–2: List of Consultations with the Stakeholders ...................................................... 6-3
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LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
AC Alternating Current
ADB Asian Development Bank
AHs Affected Houses
ALAO Assistant Land Acquisition Officer
AM Angle Marker
ANSI American National Standards for Electric Power Insulators
ASTM American Standard for Testing Material
BOD Board of Directors
BOOT Built Operate Own Transfer
CAS Compulsory Acquisition Surcharge
CASA Central Asia, South Asia Regional Electricity Trade Project
CBD Convention on Biological Diversity
CBOs Community Based Organizations
CCR Community Complaints Register
CE Chief Engineer
CET China Electrical Power Equipment and Technology Company
COI Corridor of Impact
CPPA Central Power Purchasing Agency
CRPEA Contract Registrar and Power Exchange Administrator
DC Direct Current
DCR District Census Reports
DISCOs Distribution Companies
EA Environmental Assessment
ECO Economic Corporation Organization
EHV Extra High Voltage
EIA Environmental Impact Assessment
EMF Electromagnetic Field
EMMP Environmental Management and Monitoring Plan
EN Euronorm Standard Specifications
EPA Environmental Protection Agency
ESA Environmental Social Assessment
EURONORM European Legal Requirements to Musculoskeletal Disorders
GDP Gross Domesatic Product
GENCOs Generation Companies
GIS Geographical Information System
GMT Greenwich Mean Time
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GOP Government of Pakistan
GRC Grievance Redress Committees
GSC Grid Station Construction
GSO Grid Station Operation
HSE Health Safety and Environment
HVAC High Voltage Alternating Current
HVDC High Voltage Direct Current
ICB International Competative Bidding
ILO International Labour Organization
IEE Initial Environmental Examination
IGF Inspector General Forestry
IPPs Independent Power Projects
KMC Karachi Metropolitan Cooperation
KV Kilo Volt
LAA Land Acquisition Act
LAC Land Acquisition Collector
LAR Land Acquisition and Resettlement
LARF Land Acquisition and Resettlement Framework
LARP Land Acquisition and Resettlement Plan
M&E Monitoring and Evaluation
MLO Martial Law Order
MMM Mitigation and Management Matrix
MSDS Material Safety Data Sheet
MVA Mega Volts Amperes
NCS National Conservation Strategy
NEPRA National Electric Power Regulatory Authority
NEQS National Environmental Quality Standards
NESC National Electrical Safety Code
NGOs Non-Governmental Organizations
NOC No Objection Certificate
NPO No Project Option
NRP National Resettlement Policy
NTDC National Transmission and Dispatch Company
O&M Operation and Maintenance
OHSW Overhead Shield Wire
OIC Organization of Islamic Countries
OPGW Optic Fibre Ground Wire
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PAPs Project Affected Persons
PC-1 Proforma Planning Commission Proforma
PD Project Director
PEPA Pakistan Environmental Protection Act
PEPC Pakistan Environmental Protection Councl
pH Power of Hydrogen
QUAD S/C Quad Bundle Single Circuit
REA Rapid Environmental Assessment
RNR Renewable Natural Resources
ROW Right of Way
SAARC South Asian Atlantic Regional Corporation
SDO Sub-Divisional Officer
SEPA Sindh Environmental Protection Agency
SI Survey and Soil Investigations
SPS Safeguard Policy Statement
SPSS Statistical Pakage for Social Science
SSR Sub-Synchronous Resonance
TA Telegraph Act
T/L Transmission Line
T/Ls Transmission Lines
TLC Transmission Line Construction
TOR Terms of Reference
TSS Total Suspended Solid
UC Union Concil
UNO United Nations Organization
UTS Ultimate Tensile Strength
WAPDA Water and Power Development Authority
XEN Executive Engineer
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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
Pakistan is facing electricity crisis due to demand and supply short fall as well as ever
increasing electricity prices in Pakistan. Moreover, the existing network of National
Transmission and Dispatch Company (NTDC) is already overloaded and needs expansion.
With the induction of new Power sources, new Transmission Lines (T/Ls) are required for
carrying the additional Power to the major electricity distribution centres of the Country.
In order to cope with these crises, Government of Pakistan (GOP) has looked out for various
Power Generation options other than Natural Gas and Furnace Oil. In this regard, GOP has
planned to generate additional power in the Karachi region and utilize the Coal reserves of
Thar, Sindh in Pakistan.
GOP has decided to implement two (02) key options i.e. to have Power generation from Thar
coal reserves and have Power Plants based on imported coal to be located in Karachi.
Taking a proactive approach, National Transmission & Dispatch Company (NTDC), has
accordingly proposed to construct the T/L on BOOT basis from Matiari to Upcountry (Lahore)
on priority basis. In order to have this Project implemented, number of tasks including T/L
route selection, environmental and resettlement studies and economic and financial analysis
of the Project is required. This Report deals with the Environmental Impact Assessment
(EIA) of the proposed T/L from Matiari to Lahore.
The proposed T/L is a + 660KV High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) circuit starting from the
district Matiari near Hyderabad at a converter Station located in Matiari, Sindh and ending at
the Punjab province district Nankana Sahab near Lahore. Figure 1-1 shows the location map
of the proposed T/L. Total length of the T/L is about 865.55 km, of which 314.9 km falls in
Sindh province and remaining 550.65 km are located in Punjab province. Proposed T/L route
passes through twelve (12) districts, out of which five (05) districts are located in Sindh and
the remaining seven (07) are located in Punjab province.
Purpose of the Study
The purpose of this study is to assess the positive and significant adverse environmental
and social impacts and to suggest mitigation and remedial measures to make the Project
environment friendly and achieve sustainability during the construction and operational
stages of the Project, prepare Environmental Management and Monitoring Plan (EMMP)
with cost estimates and to intiate the NOC process from the concerned provincial EPAs i.e
Sindh Enviornmental Protection Agency (SEPA) and EPA, Punjab.
Approach and Methodology
The detailed approach and methodology used for the EIA study is as follows:
Literature Review;
Route Optimization Study;
Review of Environmental Laws and Institutional Requirements;
Delineation of Corridor of Impact (COI);
Baseline Survey of COI;
Analysis of Alternatives;
Baseline Conditions of the COI;
Stakeholder Consultations;
Impact Assessment and Mitigation Measures;
Environmental Management and Monitoring Plan (EMMP); and,
Conclusions and Recommendations.
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Applicable Polices, Laws and Guidelines
Following are the applicable policies, laws, regulations and guidelines related to the
proposed Project:
National Environmental Policy, 2005;
National Conservation Strategy, 1991;
Pakistan Environmental Protection Act (PEPA), 1997;
Regulations for Environmental Assessment, 2000;
National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS), 2000;
Land Acquisition Act, 1894
Telegraphy Act, 1910;
Affected Persons Ordinance, 2001;
Electricity Act, 1910;
Provincial Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) Acts,
Ordinances and Rules (Act, 1972);
Cutting of Trees (Prohibition) Act, 1975;
Punjab Plantation and Maintenance of Trees Act, 1974;
Protection of Trees and Brushwood Act, 1949;
Provincial Local Government Ordinances, 2001;
Antiquities Act, 1975;
Sindh Cultural Heritage (Preservation) Act, 1994;
Factories Act, 1934;
Explosives Act, 1884;
Punjab Wildlife (Protection, Preservation, Conservation and Management) Act, 1974;
Sind Wildlife Protection Ordinance, 1972;
Forest Act,1927;
Pakistan Penal Code,1860;
West Pakistan Water and Power Act, 1958;
Guidelines for Sensitive and Critical Areas;
ADB Safeguard Policy Statement, 2009;
Convention on Biological Biodiversity, 1994
Convention on Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals, 1979;
Rio Declaration, 1992; and,
Convention on Wetlands (Ramser Convention), 1971.
Project Description
Proposed project have two main components i.e. Converter Stations and T/L.
Converter Stations will be located at each end of the proposed T/L (Matiari and Lahore) to
transform the Alternating Current (AC) used in the national networks into Direct Current (DC)
for transmission and vice versa. One of the main advantages of DC transmission consists in
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the savings achieved by not having intermediate Sub Stations along the T/L. Depending on
the final design the Converter Stations dimensions will be finalized. T/L main design
components are the Towers and the Conductors.
Taking into account the possibility of the transmission of more Power through the proposed
T/L in the future years, + 660KV Bi-pole Thrasher conductors in quad bundle configuration
for the HVDCT/L has been recommended for interconnection. These functional
specifications have been prepared at this stage of the Project. It may be added that detailed
specifications of the T/L will be based on these functional specifications and will be prepared
at a later stage once the Project implementation is finalized.
For Extra High Voltage (EHV) lines, safety considerations are of two types. One is related
with the safety of the system, while others are those that are related to the public safety. It is
for this reason that NTDC has adopted a 100 m wide (50 m either side from the centreline)
corridor as the ROW and 500 m wide (250 m either side from the centreline) corridor as the
COI for the T/L. NTDC has planned to implement the Project on BOOT Basis. Chinese
Company ―CET‖ will implement the Project on urgent basis.
Analysis of Alternatives
The various alternatives which have been considered during the conduct of the study are:
No Project Option (NPO);
Technological System Study of T/L Alternative;
Alternative Route Alignment selection; and,
Design Alternatives.
The proposed T/L Project is a cost effective, sustainable and environmental friendly option to
dispatch the bulk electricity from Matiari to major electricity supply centres of Pakistan.
Based on the facts No Project Option (NPO) if exercised, electricity produced from Karachi
and Thar areas cannot be supplied to the national grid hence it will not be available to the
consumers. This may result in lost an opportunity to cope with the shortage of Power and
boost in the national economy. In light of above situation, NPO is not acceptable for
Pakistan.
Two options were considered for the technical comparison as given below for the proposed
T/L project:
Alternative 1: HVDC
Alternative 2: HVAC
Technical comparison results 1of both the alternative schemes concluded that HVDC is more
economical and technically viable.
Therefore, Alternative-1 is feasible and technically superior.
Baseline Conditions
Following is the brief of the baseline conditions of T/L COI. Principally the whole T/L has
been divided into two (02) sections namely Section I&II. Section-I lies in the Sindh Province
i.e. from AM #1 to AM #49 while Section-II lies in Punjab Province i.e. from AM #50 to AM
#169. Following is the brief of baseline conditions in the COI of the proposed T/L Project:
1
See Phase-1 Report Vol1 for detailed technical comparison
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Physical Environment
Section I:
T/L starts at the Summo village in Matiari district. The whole area is the part of rich fertile
land of Matriari district. There exist the orchards of Mango, Guava, and Citrus etc. along with
wheat, rice, vegetables due to the avaialbity of irrigation water.
At AM # 8 the proposed T/L enters the Sanghar district. The district does not have any
mountain or hill. The district can be divided into two parts: a fertile plain area in the west; and
desert area in the east. The T/L passes through eastern desert area as well as the
agriculture part of Sanghar district. Most of the area consists of barren tracks of sand dunes
covered by thorny bushes.
At AM # 28 district Khairpur starts. The portion where T/L enters the district consists of hills
of windblown sand running in parallel rows from north-east to south-east.
From Khairpur T/L enter the Sukkur district at AM # 36. The T/L passes through desert
portion of the Salehput sub-division.
T/L passes through the Ghotki district from AM # 41 to AM # 49. T/L passes through the
desert area of the district which consists of hills of windblown sand and is part of the Thar
Desert.
Table ES-1 below describes the mean daily maximum and minimum temperatures in
Summer and Winter seasons of the Meteorological Gauging Stations which represents the
climate of Section-I.
Section II
T/L enters the district Rahim Yar Khan at AM # 50. Desert area is called Cholistan. T/L
passes through the desert area. The surface of the desert consists of a succession of sand
dunes and covered with the vegetation peculiar to sandy tracts.
Bahawalpur district starts at AM # 63 on the desert area known as Cholistan. It extends
along the entire eastern boundary of Bahawalnagar district in the north and Rahim Yar Khan
district in the south. The surface of the desert consists of a succession of sand dunes. It is
covered with the vegetation peculiar to the sandy tracks.
T/L enters Bahawalnager district at AM # 75. The line passes through the irrigated
agriculture area. The main source of irrigation in this area is semi-perennial and perennial
canals which debouche from Sulemanki Head Works. T/L also crosses the Sutlej River in
Bahawalnagar district.
T/L enters Pakpattan district at AM # 95. The area is a flat plain, covered on the north by the
old bed of the Bias River. Soil impregnated with soda and other salts is common and known
as Kallarathi. The major means of irrigation in the COI are canal and tube wells. Pakpattan
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canal takes off from Sulemanki Headwork‘s also cross by the T/L. This canal and its branch
namely Khadir branch irrigate a vast area of the district.
T/L enters Okara after AM # 125. T/L is crossed by Depalur canal. T/L crosses the semi-
urban area which is rich in agriculture.
T/L enters Kasur district at AM # 151 near village Kitan Kalan and passes through the upland
area where T/L also crosses the old bed of Bias River. The soil is sandy. The upland is flat
plain sloping from north-east to south-west.
Table ES-2 below shows the mean daily maximum and minimum temperatures in Summer
and Winter seasons of the Meteorological Gauging Stations which represents the T/L
Section-II.
Table ES-2: Mean Daily Temperatures at Meteorological Gauging Stations (1981-2010)
Ecological Environment
The proposed Transmission Line (TL) from Matiari to Lahore passes through two main eco-
regions i.e. Desert-Xeric shrublands and Sub-Tropical Thorn area. The Desert-Xeric
shrubland category includes districts of Sanghar, Khairpur, Sukkur, Ghotki, Rahim Yar Khan,
Bahawalpur and Bahawalnagar, and consists of Angle Marks No. 8 to 94. The eco-region of
Sub-Tropical Thorn area includes rest of the districts i.e. Matiari, Pakpattan, Okara, Kasur,
and Nankana Sahib and stretches over AM-1 to AM-7 and AM-95 to AM-169. However, for
the purpose of collection of field data, the proposed T/L route has been split up into two
Sections i.e. Section-I (districts falling in Sindh) and Section II (districts falling in the Punjab).
The original flora of the area consists of the tropical thorn vegetation with acacia species
predominanting with particular charateristics of thorny hard wooded species of short boles
and low branching crowns. Fauna includes mammal species of jackal, rabbit, porcupine and
wild boar. Reptiles consist of snakes and small sized lizards. Squirrel and mouse are the
basic rodents while frog and toad are commonly found in the Project Area.
Game Reserves, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries
]The proposed T/L will not pass through or cross any protected area i.e. Game Reserves,
National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries etc. However, proposed T/L passes at a distance of
about 12 kilometers from Changa Manga Reserve Forest (RF) at AM-160. Proposed Project,
therefore, will not cause any impact on the flora and fauna of the Reserved Forest.
Socio-Economic Environment
To document the socio-economic conditions of the population settled in the COI, socio-
economic surveys of the selected households were carried out. One of the major steps after
the identification of the villages and their estimated populations was the calculation of
sample size. Total 164 villages were found within the T/L COI for Matiari to Nankana Saheb
and socio-economic survey was conducted in these villages. Based on the field visit and
DCRs of the relevant districts, total number of households and population is estimated along
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the COI. Based on the estimated population and household sample size of 450 was
determined using a statistical formula.
Section-I
T/L in Section-I passes through some semi urban and mostly rural areas. In this section,
about 64 village are located along the COI. As per socio-economic survey highest population
in this section is residing in Sanghar district and lowest population in Ghotki district because
in Ghotki district most of the T/L route is in desert area. 2nd highest population is living in
Khairpur district which is 41,600 persons. Total population in the COI of Section-I is 103,855
persons.
Based on the field survey major occupations in the COI are agriculture farming, labour
(unskilled workers), service (government or private employ), business (small shop keeper)
and livestock rearing (sale and purchase of livestock and dairy products). As per data
collected for the baseline, it was noticed that agriculture/farming and unskilled labour is the
main source of income for the locals.
The optimum cropping pattern refers to the allocation of the cropped area under different
crops during the year in order to attain maximum output within the existing resources. In
general, there are four (04) main crops (i.e. wheat, cotton, maize, sugarcane,) being grown
in the COI from Matiari to Ghotki.
The results derived based on the ‗village profile surveys‘ shows that out of 64 villages /
Goths, 75 to 85 percent population in the COI had access to roads, electricity, fuel wood and
schools especially for boys, while the other facilities like health, sui-gas, drinking water and
telephones were found with only less than 10 percent population. Drinking water/ water
supply schemes were also not available in most of the villages. In the COI from Matiari to
Ghotki districts, drinking water is a major issue for the people especially in desert and barren
areas of Sanghar, Khairpur and Ghotki where people are forced to use pond water for
drinking. The major sources of drinking water in the COI are streams, nullahs, pumps and
tubewell etc. In some areas of Sanghar and Ghotki districts, women have to fetch water
from far away ponds and dug wells from their houses.
Section-II
As per socio-economic survey, highest population in the COI is calculated as 95,000
persons of Okara district. Due to urban or semi urban area population density is high in
Okara. The lowest population is 11,400 persons in Bahawalpur district with most part of TL
pass through the rural areas in this district. Total population falling in the COI from Rahim
Yar Khan to Nankana Saheb is 297,400.
Saraiki and Punjabi as the mother tongue in the COI of Section-II, however, Balochi and
Pashto are also spoken in the few areas.In Rahim Yar Khan and Bahawalpur, Saraiki is
dominant language while from Bahawalnagar to Nankana Saheb Punjabi and Urdu are
spoken.
Based on the field survey, major occupations in the COI are agriculture / farming, unskilled
labour, service, business, shops and livestock rearing. As per data collected for the baseline,
it was noticed that agriculture farming and unskilled labour is the main source of the income
for the locals.
The optimum cropping pattern refers to the allocation of the cropped area under different
crops during the year in order to attain maximum output within the existing resources. In
general, there are four (04) main crops (i.e. wheat, cotton, Maize, sugarcane) being grown in
the COI from Rahim Yar Khan to Nankana Sahib.
During the field surveys, it was observed that in case of farm households, the major sources
of income included the income from crops and livestock (Dairy products). For non-farm or
landless households, the main sources of income are the income from off-farm activities,
such as business, Govt. or private employment, labour etc.
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The survey results derived based on the ‗village profile‘ shows that out of 95 villages, 80 to
90 percent of the villages in the COI had access to roads, electricity, fuel wood and schools
especially for boys, while the other facilities like health, sui-gas, drinking water and
telephones were found at less than 50 percent villages. Drinking water/ water supply
schemes were also not available in most of the villages. The major sources of drinking water
are hand pumps, streams, nullahs, pumps and tubewell etc. in the COI. In some areas of
Rahim Yar Khan and Bahawalpur districts, women have to fetch water from dug well or
water ponds far away from their houses.
Stakeholder Consultation
Stakeholders, especially the local population, involvement is an important feature of the
environmental assessment and can lead to a better and more acceptable decision-making
regarding the Project design and implementation. As a part of EIA studies consultations with
the Proponent (NTDC), government departments such as Sindh, EPA (SEPA), EPA, Punjab,
Sind Wildlife and Forest Department, Punjab Wildlife and Forest Department, Archaeology
Departments of Sind and Punjab, Irrigation Departments of Sindh and Punjab, Revenue
Departments etc., NGOs working in the COI and the potential project affectees were
consulted.
Feedback received during public consultation are related to the willingness of people to
accept project, compensation for their effected crops, livelihood, electricity and
compensation/relocation/resettlement while concerns include drinking water supply and
sewerage, health facilities, road infrastructures, education, women issues, agriculture and
security.
Numbers of scoping sessions/focus group discussions with the women were also carried out
at various locations in the COI. The purpose of focus group discussions was to share
information about the Project activities and to analyze the gender related activities.
Project related concerns and feedback by the women in the COI were mostly related to their
privacy, benefits associated with the project, any special provision related to jobs for the
women in the area.
Impact Assessment and Mitigation Measures
With the implementation of the proposed Project following major positive impacts are
foreseen:
Dispatch of Electricity from Matiari to Lahore;
Flexibility in the NTDC T/L system;
Employment Opportunities;
Infrastructure Development;
Increase in Land Value; and
Socio-economic Uplift.
Some of the indirect benefits envisaged due to the increase of electricity in the national grid
are as follows:
Due to the implementation of the Project, increase in the availability of electricity in the
national grid will be ensured;
Expansion of the industrial base is expected due to the availability of electricity in the
national grid; and
Better quality of life will be available for the residents of the Study Area if electricity from
the national grid is provided to the locals of COI.
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Apart from positive impacts proposed T/L Project also have some potential adverse
environmental and social impacts. These are divided into two (02) major components which
are given below:
Transmission Line (T/L); and,
Converter Stations.
Summary of identified potential significant environmental and social impacts of T/L and
Converter Stations along with their mitigation measures are outlined below:
The proposed T/L will not involve the permanent land acquisition as per NTDC practice
in the light of LAA and Telegraph Act, 1910. No permanent land acquisition will be made
for the land at the Tower footings as the landowner will be allowed to use the area under
the Towers after the installation. T/L Section I and II a is mostly passing over the
agriculture land. Some part of Section I and II is also crossing the desert. The
Contractors will require temporary land acquisition for the construction camps.
The land for construction camps should be selected and leased prior to the start of
construction phase. Land will be directly rented from the private landowners by the
Contractors. The provisions of the LAA will not be involved as the acquisition of the land will
be temporary and will be covered by short-term lease agreements between the landowners
and Contractor. Rental terms should be negotiated to the satisfaction of the concerned
landowners and the agreement should be in local language to make the process clear.
Permanent acquisition of land will be required for the Converter Station at Matiari and at
Nankana Sahib near Lahore along with PLC and OPGW Repeater Station at Rahim Yar
Khan and Repeater OPGW Station at Hasilpur. Final selection of the sites for the
Converter Stations and OPGW and PLC Repeater Stations is in process;
Permanent land will be acquired as per LAA and ADB policy requirements for Involuntary
Resettlement will also be fulfilled. It is recommended that existing market price of the land
should be paid to the landowner. In this regard proper LARP should be prepared and
implemented prior to the construction of the Converter Station.
Ambient air quality will be affected by the fugitive dust and emissions from the
construction machinery and vehicular traffic during the construction phase.
The measures such as the use of existing quarries, Concrete batching plants equipped with
dust control equipment such as fabric filters or wet scrubbers to reduce the level of dust
emissions; periodic tuning of the vehicles; regular sprinkling of water and Haul-trucks
carrying sand aggregate and other materials will be kept covered with tarpaulin to reduce the
dust pollution, will be adopted.
Noise generated by the construction machinery during the construction stage is likely to
affect the COI particularly the sensitive receptors like nearby schools, hospital etc. This
impact will be more pronounced in both the sections however, end of Section II is more
sensitive due to proximity to the urban to semi-urban residential areas.
As the proposed T/L route at some locations is passing near houses, so special care must
be taken for noise producing activity by providing casing to the noise generating part of the
machinery or use of noise absorbing materials. Properly tuned vehicles and oiling of moving
part of equipment may also reduce the noise levels. Construction timing should be
coordinated with locals. Normally noise generating activities are allowed from 9 AM to 5 PM
during day time to avoid disturbance to humans as well as fauna.
The total strength of labor for transmission line construction is about 4,500 persons
(about 1,000 Chinese engineers and skilled workers). About 14 camps are to be
established during construction period. Approximate proposed strength of the labour in
all camps is 322 persons for the T/L, Towers and stringing of conductors. These persons
will be involved during hauling and installation stage. As a general rule the water
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consumption will be about 20 gallon/capita/day (75.7 liter/capita/day) and will
subsequently generate about 70 to 80% of this water as sewage.
Approximate proposed strength of the labour in each camp for Converter Station will be
about 1,200 persons (in total 2×1,200 persons). Among them, about 400 persons are
Chinese engineers and skilled workers which will generate about 1.9 m3/day of
wastewater and about 12.5 kg/day of solid waste. Improper wastewater and solid waste
management activities can increase disease transmission, contaminate ground and
surface water and ultimate damage to the ecosystem.
Domestic and chemical effluents from the construction camp should be disposed by the
development of on-site sanitation systems i.e. septic tanks along with soakage pits. Proper
monitoring to check the compliance of NEQS will be carried out. Proper solid and hazardous
waste management system should be adopted for camps;
Construction activities such as clearing and grubbing, excavation, filling, laying down
concrete foundation for Towers and setting up construction camps will affect the existing
soil condition in the COI.
Good engineering practices will help to control or minimize the soil erosion both at the
construction sites and in peripheral areas, particularly at the Tower foundations and along
the haul tracks. All the disturbed areas need to be protected against soil erosion by stripping
and stockpiling of all the available topsoil for later re-vegetation. Special slope protection
measures should be adopted in the sensitive areas i.e. desert or semi-desert areas. Site
restoration plan for the Project should be strictly followed.
Natural streams and irrigation channels mostly in agicultural areas of Sinddh and
Punjab may be prone to increase in sedimentation and silt due to excavated material
(loose aggregate) with the runoff from the construction area, workshops and equipment
washing-yards.
The excavated material will be managed by ensuring proper storage areas located far away
from the water bodies. It will not cause the siltation of the irrigation channels. All the areas
disturbed due to erosion need to be protected against soil erosion by stripping and
stockpiling of all the available topsoil for later re-vegetation. At sand dunes, proper slope
protection should be provided to reduce the erosion of the slopes.
Land may be contaminated due to the spillage of chemicals, fuels, solvents, oils, paints,
concrete, solid waste generated at campsites etc. This normally happens when these
materials are transported in open or loosely capped containers.
The Contractors will be required to instruct and train their workforce in the storage handling
and management of materials and chemicals that can potentially cause soil contamination.
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) implementation should be enforced.
Construction stage of the proposed Project may affect the existing infrastructure within
the ROW of the T/L where Towers are to be installed and stringing activities to take
place. Estimated list of infrastructure falling within the ROW (100 m) is provided in the
report. Exact number will be identified after the availability of project foot / spotting of
Towers on ground.
During the detailed design stage, NTDC will coordinate with NHA and local road
department/authorities for the installation of the Towers and during stringing of the
conductors where the line is crossing the existing roads for the provision of alternate traffic
route and management. Special care is required during the construction of Towers as well
as stringing of conductors. During the stringing of conductors, temporary shutdown of the
existing T/Ls will be ensured to safeguard the workers and the surroundings.
Surface and groundwater resources may get contaminated by the fuel and chemical
spills, or by solid waste and effluents generated by the kitchens and toilets at the
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construction camp sites. Moreover, runoff from the chemical storage areas may also
contaminate the surface water bodies.
As a mandatory step, all the effluents should be disposed as per the requirements of NEQS.
Moreover, to reduce the risk of surface and groundwater contamination, good management
practices will be adopted to ensure that fuels, chemicals, raw sewage and wastewater
effluent are disposed in a controlled manner.
T/L section passing through agriculture land, where trees have been raised by the
farmers along the boundaries of their agricultural fields or along the water channels.
Orchards (mostly Mangos, Banana, Guava and Citrus exist) which may have to be
removed.
Land holders should be paid reasonable compensation for the loss of their standing trees, in
accordance with the prevailing market rates. This will mitigate the financial losses of the land
holders. They should be encouraged to plant new trees, outside the ROW of the T/L.
Based on the Google images and field surveys, the total cultivated area, which will be
affected due to this Project, is nearly 16,500 hectares, which forms about 38.8% of the
total area coming in the COI. The agriculture of the tract in Sindh and Punjab will
receive significant adverse impact due to various operations such as movement of
heavy machinery, erection of Towers, dragging, stretching and stringing etc.
Land holders will be paid compensation for the loss of their standing agricultural crops in
accordance with the prevailing market rates as per LAA, Telegraph Act, NTDC practices and
LARP specific to the Project. The landholders will also be allowed to salvage the agricultural
crops and other vegetation from the affected fields.
The damages may occur to existing crops during the construction stage due to the
following activities:
o Considerable vehicular movement for the transportation of materials/water and steel
work will be involved at the time of concreting of Tower foundations. This movement
and storage of materials will cause damage to the existing crops; and
o The stringing of conductors involves movement of equipment and vehicles along the
corridor, which may involve the cutting of trees and considerable damage to the
existing crops.
Compensation for the loss of crops to the land owners and cultivators as the case may be
will be paid, in accordance with the prevailing market prices and uniformity in rates will be
ensured within the local areas;
It is anticipated that local water resources will be utilized to meet the camp and
construction requirements, bringing its use into competition with the local use especially
in the desert areas of Sindh and Punjab province in Sections I to II where the water
availability is limited.
Approval from the local administration and representatives of the concerned irrigation
departments or other relevant authorities will be obtained before using the local surface
water resources
During the construction activities of the Tower foundations, erection and stringing of
conductor, people will suffer loss in their annual income due to the loss of crops, trees
etc. The land under the Towers during the operation stage may also restrict the current
land use for agriculture purposes;
Fair, prompt and negotiated compensation for the crops and trees on private land will be
provided to the affectees. Generally, in the areas which are devoid of irrigation and very few
trees exist along the Project corridor some assistance if seem possible in the form of good
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compensation rates may be awarded. However, orchards of Mango, Banana, Citrus need
special provision for the compensation
As the Project route is passing through the rural areas of Okara, Pakpattan,
Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan and all districts of Sindh from Ghotki to
Matiari, women activities in the field may become affected due to the construction
activities;
The Contractor have to select the specific timings for the construction activities like Tower
footings, erection and stringing of conductors so as to cause least disturbance to the local
population particularly women considering their routine movement hours.
During baseline survey it was identified that, T/L also crosses some houses of
vulnerable people in few areas. During the field visit it was also identified that the
owners of the affected structures fall below the poverty line. Income of these vulnerable
groups may be affected due to the implementation of the Project like crossing of T/L
upon their infrastructure, affect of any assets such as houses, tube wells room etc.
LARP provisions should be strictly followed to eliminate the impact on livelihood.
Occurrence of accidents/incidents during the construction stage is a common
phenomenon and workers as well as locals will be more prone to serious accidents. The
COI falls in Sindh and Punjab in which area is sensitive from the law and order point of
view and the security of the Contractor and Consultant staff will be a major issue.
Special provision of security for all the activities should be kept to deal with any unpleasant
incident. To avoid accidents HSE provisions should be strictly followed. Moreover, complying
with the safety precautions for the construction workers as per International Labour
Organization (ILO), Convention No. 62 as far as applicable to the Project Contract is highly
recommended.
Removal of the infrastructure like buildings, huts, animal sheds, tube wells etc. will
cause the loss of community shelters and sources of income. Although the number of
public infrastructure fall into the proposed T/L route, no significant relocation is expected
as the Project has the flexibility to provide proper horizontal/vertical clearance for safe
passage over the existing infrastructure.
In order to mitigate or compensate the impact of land acquisition and resettlement LARP
provisions should be followed.
During the operational stage, electric current (induction) may travel into the Towers due
to short circuiting and may become a hazard to the public and livestock.
It is recommended that NTDC at the planning stage of the Project would plan necessary
arrangements in the form of Earthling system of the Towers to avoid accidents. As exact
location of Towers spotting is not yet finalized at this stage. However, it is recommended that
at least two (02) diagonal legs of the Towers should be properly grounded to avoid any such
incident.
The electromagnetic field (EMF) may have significant adverse impacts on the health of
locals. EMF due to extra high voltage (EHV) can cause the risk of leukaemia, which is a
disease in which white blood cells mutate and become cancerous before maturity.
These cells are important in fighting against infection in the body. Leukaemia also slows
down the production of red blood cells that are needed to carry oxygen in the blood.
Leukaemia is the second leading cause of death for children ages 2-15 years.
Since the Project has been planned to pass through the least populated area and the T/L will
be kept at least 100 m from the populated areas, effects due to EMF are envisaged to be
minimal due to safe distance. Similarly a vertical clearance required as per international
standards will also be maintained especially near the populated areas. During operation
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stage check will be kept by the NTDC that no construction will be allowed within 100 m of the
proposed T/L.
Collapse of the Towers due to the high wind or earthquake will be dangerous for human
as well as animal life and can cause loss to property.
The Towers are designed on the basis of proper subsoil investigations and climatic
conditions of the area including maximum wind velocity and earthquakes which are normally
based on last 50 years data. At the time of detailed survey for fixing the Tower positions
proper soil investigations will be carried out to check the presence of collapsible soils and if
detected, Engineer will be informed immediately for design change. It will be ensured that no
accident due to collapsing of Towers would occur during the life of the Project. Morover,
electrode stations are planned to groubd the current in case of any disaster.
Compensation and Resettlement Policy Framework
In order to mitigate the impact of land acquisition, loss of crops, loss of infrastructure, loss of
livelihood etc. a compensation and resettlement framework has been developed. The Project
is at the feasibility stage and detailed survey along with the spotting of the T/L Towers and
their design are still to be finalized. Same in the case with the Converter Stations for the
proposed T/L. Only demarcation of the T/L route and AMs has been marked on maps. In the
absence of the demarcation of T/L in the field and spotting of Towers, it was very difficult to
identify the PAPs within the ROW. The number of affectees will be identified within the ROW
when the detailed LARP survey after the spotting of Towers at the site will be available.
Occurrence of any public and religious structures such as mosque or graveyard will also be
identified /verified at that stage, which may be affected due to the Project implementation.
Major laws related to the compensation and resettlements are Land Acquisition Act,
Telegraphy Act, Local Provincial Laws such as Sindh and Punjab Katchi Abadies Act and
ADB Policy.
In principle, Pakistan Law and ADB Policy adhere not only to the objective of PAPs
compensation, but also to the objective of rehabilitation. However, LAA is unclear on how
rehabilitation is to be achieved and in practice the provision of rehabilitation is left to ad hoc
arrangements taken by local governments and specific Project Proponents. To clarify these
issues and reconcile eventual gaps between Pakistan Law and ADB Policy, the LARF and
LARP for the proposed T/L is being prepared as a separate document to ensure
compensation at replacement cost of all items, the rehabilitation of informal settlers and the
provision of subsidies or allowances for PAPs that may be relocated, suffer business losses,
or may be severely affected.
Entitlement provisions for PAPs cover such impacts as land losses, house and buildings
losses, crops and trees losses, a relocation subsidy, rehabilitation measures and a business
losses allowance based on tax declarations and/or lump sums.
Agricultural land impacts will be compensated based on whether a PAP‘s access to, or use
of, their land is restricted. For PAPs whose access to and use of, agricultural land is not
restricted i.e. they can continue to cultivate the land, compensation will be for removed or
damaged crops and trees. For PAPs whose access to, or use of, agricultural land is
restricted i.e. they cannot continue to cultivate the land compensation will be paid at
replacement value in: (i) cash at current market rates plus a 15% compulsory acquisition
surcharge (CAS), or (ii) through replacement land equal in value/productivity to the plot lost.
When >10% of an PAP‘s income or agricultural land is affected, AHs (owners, leaseholders
and sharecroppers) will get an additional allowance for severe impacts equal to the market
value of a year‘s gross yield of the land lost (inclusive of winter and summer harvest).
Eventual transaction taxes/fees will either be paid by NTDC or waived by local governments.
Market rates will be assessed through a survey of prevalent land prices, carried out by local
government and financing institutions along with involvement of community.
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HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
Residential/commercial land will be compensated at replacement value by either (i) land
for land or (ii) cash at current market rates free of any deductions. Renters/leaseholders will
receive an allowance corresponding to 3 months‘ rent. However, the land under Towers and
line (100 m wide ROW) can be used by the landowner or sharecropper for cultivation.
Houses, buildings, structures will be compensated in cash at replacement cost free of
depreciation, salvaged materials and transaction cost deductions. The compensation for
houses/buildings will also include the cost of lost water and electricity connections.
Crops: Cash compensation at current market rates for the net harvest actually lost as it
may be the winter, the summer crop, or both. Crop compensation will be paid both to
landowners and tenants based on their specific sharecropping agreements.
Trees: Cash compensation shall reflect income replacement based on market price.
Businesses: compensation for permanent business losses will be encashed for a 1-year
income based on tax declaration or, if unavailable, based on the official minimum salary;
compensation for temporary business will be encashed for the period of income interruption
(1 to 3 months) based on tax declaration or, if unavailable, official minimum salary.
Business workers and employees: Indemnity for lost wages for the period of business
interruption up to a maximum of 3 months.
Agricultural land leaseholders, sharecroppers and workers: Where the access to, or
use of, the land is restricted; affected leaseholders will receive either a renewal of the lease
in other plots or cash corresponding to the yearly yield of land lost for remaining years of the
lease up to a maximum of (3) years. Sharecroppers will receive their share of harvest at
market rates (if impact is temporary) or if the land is lost permanently additional
compensation for 1 crop. Agricultural workers, with contracts interrupted, will get an
indemnity in cash corresponding to their salary in cash and kind for the remaining part of the
agricultural year (inclusive of both winter and summer crops).
Community structures and public utilities: These will be fully compensated or
replaced/rehabilitated so as to satisfy their pre-Project functions.
Relocation subsidy: PAPs forced to relocate will receive a relocation subsidy sufficient to
cover transport costs and living expenses for 1 month.
Framework provides the entitlement matrix and the proposed guidelines for the LARP.
Environmental Management and Monitoring Plan (EMMP)
In the end Environmental Management and Monitoring Plan (EMMP) has been developed.
The main objectives of the EMMP are:
Provide the details of the Project impacts along with the proposed mitigation measures
and the corresponding implementation activities;
Define the role and responsibilities of the Project Proponent, Contractor, Supervisory
Consultants and other role players and effectively communicate environmental issues
among them;
Define a monitoring mechanism, reporting frequency and identify monitoring parameters
to ensure that all the mitigation measures are completely and effectively implemented;
and
Identify the resources required to implement the EMMP and outline the corresponding
financing arrangements.
An Environmental Mitigation & Management Matrix (MMM) for the T/L and Converter
Stations are attached in the EMMP, which establishes the linkages between the
environmental and social impacts, mitigation strategy and the agencies responsible for
execution.
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HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
EMMP includes the Monitoring Mechanism, Monitoring Plan, Site Restoration Plan
Guidelines, Solid and Hazardous Plan Guidelines, Chance Find Procedures, Tree Plantation
Plan, Documentation Plan, which will ensure that the proper results are achieved by the
implementation of measures from concerned entities. The monitoring of environmental and
social activities will be carried out by NTDC through Environmental and Social Experts from
their Environmental Cell or hired staff by NTDC Internal Monitoring agency. The
Environment and Social Expert working under the NTDC field staff will supervise all the
activities in the field and will provide assistance to the NTDC staff in this regard. He will also
ensure public participation.
Monitoring and evaluation (M&E) is also proposed in the EMMP.
An estimated cost for Environmental Management, Monitoring and Training has also been
provided in the EMMP for inclusion in the PC-I or overall Project Cost. It should be noted that
as referred earlier the Project is at a preliminary stage and the detailed survey is to be
carried out for the Project showing the actual position of the Towers, so at this stage only
tentative and lump sum amount has been allocated for the relocation of the infrastructure
and the compensation for Land Acquisition and Resettlement is based on the environmental
and social field surveys.
As a conclusion of the Study, the proposed Project have positive as well as some significant
adverse impacts that can however be managed by proper mitigation and compensation
measures and residual adverse impacts will not be of significant nature.
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HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
1 INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
The main sources of the Power generation in Pakistan are based on Fuel Oil and Gas, Hydel
and Nuclear Power Plants. Since Pakistan is not an oil producing Country, therefore, the
high price of electricity in Pakistan is due to the significant contribution of Thermal Power
based on Fuel Oil. Pakistan is facing Power crisis due to demand and supply shortfall as well
as ever increasing electricity prices. With the reduction in the gas supply in Pakistan the
conditions are further deteriorated. Moreover, the existing network of National Transmission
and Dispatch Company (NTDC) is already overloaded and with the potential of induction of
new PowerSources, new Transmission Lines (T/Ls) are very much required on urgent basis
to despatch the additional planned Power to the major distribution centers of the Country for
supply to the consumers.
In order to cope with imminent Power crises and reduce load shedding, Government of
Pakistan (GOP) has looked out for various Power Generation options based on Regasified
Liquified Natural Gas (RLNG), Imported Coal, Coal reserves of Thar, Solar etc.
Taking a proactive approach, NTDC has proposed to include the T/L from the planned
Power Plants near Karachi and Thar region. It is envisaged that a capacity of about 4000
MW would be developed in Thar and Karachi regions in few years and new T/Ls need to be
developed for transmitting this quantum of Power to major load center of Pakistan which are
located in Upcountry. In order to transmit this Power from Thar and Karachi to Upcountry,a
500 kV collector/switching station is being developed at Matair. In order to evacuate the
power at Matari station, T/L needs to be established on the basis of technical studies. A
Coverter Station has been proposed at Matiari to collect the power and T/L from Matiari to
Lahore has been proposed for the implementation on fast track basis.
It is important to mention here that as per information made available the proposed T/L will
be implemented in Built Operate Own and Transfer (BOOT) mode. National Engineering
Services Pakistan (Pvt.) Limted (NESPAK) has been assigned the challanging task to
complete the Enviornmental Imapct Assessment (EIA) study to fulfil the requirements of
Enviornmental Protection Agencies (EPAs) and to initate the proess of NOC. Terms of
Reference (TOR) for the study as provided by the NTDC is attached as Annex-I.
Note: This EIA Report comprises two volumes namely, 1 and 2. Volume 1 is the main report
while Volume 2 contains maps, annexes and photologs.
1.2 Nature, Size and Location of the Project
The proposed Project is a linear project of T/L from Matiari to Lahore to transfer the Power.
The proposed T/L crosses thorugh two provinces i.e. Sindh and Punjab hence the T/L is
divided into the two (02) mian sections namely Section-I and II, Section-I, Angle Marker (AM)
# 1 to 49 are located in Sindh province and Section-II AM # 50 to 169 are located in Punjab
province.Figure 1-1 shows the location map of the proposed T/L. In this report, Sindhand
Punjab provinces are used to indicate the T/L route districts falling in the respective
provinces. Sindh and Punjab provices hosts large number of districts proposed T/L only
passes few of these districts. Figure 1-2 shows the location of T/L in desert of these two
provices in Pakistan.
Proposed T/L is divided into AMs, which is the point where the proposed T/L changes its
direction (angle).
The proposed T/L starts from Matiari district Sindh and finishes in Punjab province in district
Nankana Sahib. Length of the T/L is about 865.55 km, of which 314.9km falls in Sindh
province and remaining 550.65 km in Punjab province. Proposed T/L route passes through
total twelve (12) districts, of which five (05) districts are located in Sindh and the remaining
seven (07) are located in Punjab. Figure 1-3 a&b shows the map of Sindh and Punjab
provinces showing the districts being crossed by the proposed T/L. Proposed. T/L Section-I
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HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
and II mostly crosses the rural agriculture and some desert areas in Sindh province, while as
it enters Punjab province at Sadiqabad, some Part of Section-II alos crosses over desert in
Rahimyar Khan and Bahawalpur districts and some part in the semi-urban to urban areas of
Okara and Kasur districts.
1.3 Project Objectives
Considering the increasing demand of energy and current shortfalls, Government is planning
to install new Power Plants and additional T/Ls and Grid Stations which are required to meet
the growing demand of transmission and to strengthen the existing NTDC transmission
system. The proposed Project is the part of NTDC Power Sector Expansion Program. The
main objectives of NTDC‘s program is to provide adequate facilities for reliable and stable
transmission of electrical Power, keeping in view the growing demand of domestic,
commercial, industrial and agricultural customers of Pakistan Water and Power
Development Authority (WAPDA).
WAPDA‘s Power Wing has been unbundled and corporative into Distribution Companies
(DISCOs), Generation Companies (GENCOs) and NTDC. Main objective of NTDC is to
procure Power from GENCOS, IPPs and WAPDA‘s Hydro Wing on behalf of DISCOs and to
deliver it to the networks of DISCOs through integrated system of 500 KV and 220 KV T/Ls
and Sub Stations.
As the major Hydro Resources are located in the northern areas of the country and thermal
generation facilities are concentrated in southern parts, a large and extensive Power
transmission network consisting of 500, 220, 132 and 66 KV T/Ls and Grid Stations was built
for delivering Power to the main distribution centers which are also located mostly in the
middle part of the country. Further expansion in this transmission network is being constantly
carried out in line with the plan for expansion of generation schemes for system
improvements.
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HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
The proposed Project aims to meet not only incremental demand for Power but also
overcome voltage problems and enhance reliability of Power supply in service areas of
DISCOs. The Project will also reduce overloading on existing 220/132 KV transformers.
Finally, the Project may reduce transmission losses to about 20.22 MW.2 Immediate
objectives of the proposed Project can briefly be summarized as under:
Dispatch Power from Matiari nearby areas to the major load distribution center of the
Country to reduce the existing shor falls;
Improvement in the voltage profile of Grid Stations;
Reduction in T/L losses;
Improvement in the NTDC System reliability; and
Socio-economic uplift of the T/L route areas.
1.4 Scope of the Study
Consultants have envisaged the following Scope of Work (SOW) related to environmental
and resettlement studies in the light of Terms of Reference (TOR) and discussions held with
the NTDC:
Review of national and local guidelines, laws and policies;
Review of all relevant existing data, studies, reports and drawings;
Minimize and avoid the environmental and resettlement effects during design;
Identification of the most environmentally and socially feasible T/L route;
Collection of baseline data related to Physical, Ecological and Social/Cultural
environmental aspects;
Identification, evaluation and categorization of the potential significant adverse physical,
ecological and socio-economic impacts on the local environment during the construction
and operational stages of the proposed T/L;
Recommend appropriate environmental and social mitigation measures for the
identified adverse impacts and monitoring plans to address them;
Review the capability of the NTDC staff for the development of the Environmental
Management and Monitoring Plan (EMMP);
Preparation of EMMP;
Determine the regulatory procedures and protection measures needed to obtain
environmental and forestry clearances from the concerned departments;
Provide technical assistance to NTDC for the issuance of No Objection Certificate
(NOC) from the concerned EPAs; and
Prepare future line of action/further studies required such as Land Acquisition and
Resettlement Framework (LARF), Land Acquisition and Resettlement Plan (LARP) etc.
Copy of TOR‘s relevant portion is attached as Annex-I.
1.5 Purpose of the Report
The purpose of this EIA Report is to assess whether or not significant adverse environmental
and social impacts are anticipated and to suggest mitigation and remedial measures to make
the Project environmental friendly and sustainable during the construction and operational
stages of the Project and to initiate the process of NOC from the concenred EPAs. In order
2
EIA Report of Lahore New Grid Station Project
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HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
to implement the proposed mitigation measures, an EMMP with cost estimates has been
developed. EMMP also provides the environmental management capability and recommends
institutional strengthening measures of the management units of NTDC.
1.6 Extent of the Study
As per PEPA, 1997 and Pak-EPA (Review of IEE and EIA) Regulations, 2000, Schedule-II,
T/L of 11 KV and above requires an EIA study.
According to the PEPA, 1997 & EPA Regulations, 2000 a separate EIA, study is required for
the Converter Stations. At this stage these stations are considered as a part of the Project,
but at the time of Project implementation a separate environmental study would be carried
out for the proposed Sub Stations and Converter Stations.
This EIA study covers the environmental impacts of the proposed T/L, Converter Stations
comprising the physical, ecological and socio-economic aspects. A minimum strip of 100 m
(50 m on either side from the centerline) was delineated as Right of Way (ROW) in which
direct impacts of the proposed T/L are envisaged due to the implementation. However, for
indirect impact related to physical, ecological and social domains, a COI of 500 m on each
side of transmission centerline was considered as project corridor or COI.
It is worth to mention here that the location of spotting of Towers and the material quarry
sites is not finalized yet. Project foot print has not been made available on ground.
Therefore, their general anticipated impacts are identified. The site specific comments will be
taken up after the finalization of the spotting and marking of related sites. This study also
suggests the mitigation measures and describes the institutional arrangements and the
Mitigation Management Matrix (MMM) with cost estimates.
1.7 Project Proponent
Ministry of Water and Power of Pakistan's is managing the Power sector with the crisis
management objectives to improve the efficiency of the Power sector and to meet
customers' electric energy requirements on a sustainable and environment friendly basis.
The specific objectives are:
Stop load shedding;
Constructing new Grid Stations;
Reducing line losses; minimizing tripping and theft control;
Revamping of generation units and to improve customer services; and
Development of an integrated automated Power planning system for generation,
transmission and distribution to ensure system stability, fault isolation and upgrade
relying, metering and tripping system at NTDC as well as DISCOs levels.
NTDC under the Ministry of Water and Power is the Project Proponent of the proposed T/L.
NTDC operates under WAPDA. It commenced commercial operation on December 24, 1998
after incorporation on November 6, 1998. It was organized to take over all properties, rights
and assets obligations and liabilities of 220 KV and 500 KV Grid Stations and T/Ls network
owned by WAPDA. NTDC operates and maintains nine (09) 500 KV Grid Stations, 4,160 km
of 500 KV T/Ls and 4,000 km of 220 KV T/Ls in Pakistan. NTDC was granted a transmission
license on December 31, 2002 by National Electric Power Regularity Authority (NEPRA) to
engage in the exclusive transmission business for a term of thirty (30) years, pursuant to
Section 17 of the Regulation of Generation, Transmission and Distribution of Electric Power
Act, 1997. NTDC's headquarter is situated at WAPDA House Lahore3 with details as given
below.
National Transmission & Dispatch Company Limited (NTDC)
3
NTDC Official Website
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along the proposed Project alignment through which accessibility to the proposed alignment
was made.
The following environmental criteria were used in addition to technical and design
considerations for the proposed T/L route.
Avoid towns/populated areas;
Avoid indigenous or tribal settlements;
Avoid cultural, religious and historical buildings;
Maintain minimum disturbance to the natural habitat and vegetation;
Maintain appropriate distance from the sensitive receptors (500 m);
Avoid large water bodies like lakes, rivers or streams; and
Avoid airports and other such facilities.
After the marking of proposed T/L route based on the above criteria, route optimization was
carried out jointly by the design and environmental teams of NESPAK and route was send to
CET for finalization.
1.8.3 Review of Environmental Laws and Institutional Requirements
National laws, legislations, guidelines as well as ADB Safeguards and Policies/Guidelines in
the absence of local laws related to resettlement along with relevant international protocols
were reviewed.
1.8.4 Delineation of Corridor of Impact (COI)
COI/Study Area include the actual Project Right of Way (ROW) as well as the area in the
surroundings in which positive and adverse impacts may be foreseen due to the
implementation of the proposed Project was marked based on the .
Based on the available tentative T/L route marked at Google Earth, a route optimization of
the T/L was made by a team of experts to highlight any potential sensitive physical,
ecological and socio-economic constraints in and along the proposed T/L route. Based on
the above considering the urgency and short time avaialble, a maximum COI of 500 m with
250 m on each side from the centerline was selected as COI for the baseline survey.
1.8.5 Survey of COI
A team of environmental and social experts including surveyers, ecolgists, land experts,
valuation experts, enumerators etc. carried out the environmental and social survey of the
COI to familiarize themselves with the local conditions and the environmental settings.
During the survey, the information regarding the topography, soils, rock, surface water,
groundwater, flora and fauna, wetlands, forested areas, social settings and villages/towns
along the COI was observed.
1.8.6 Analysis of Alternatives
The analysis of different alternatives was carried out during the selection of the most feasible
T/L route of the study in consultation with NTDC and CET staff in order to select the most
viable route keeping in view the environmental, economic and social constraints.
It is an international practice for the preparation of EIA that the proposed Project is
compared with other alternative arrangements that could be developed to meet the
objectives for which the proposed Project has been planned.
An analysis was carried out in consideration of technical and environmental aspects.
Moreover, No Project Option (NPO) was also considered with reference to the effect on the
Country‘s economics. This exercise provides justification for the need of the proposed
Project.
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located in the COI of the proposed T/L in twelve districts. Based on the statistical sampling
methodology, 450 households were interviewed and consulted for the collection of baseline
socio-economic data.
The following major aspects were covered in the socio-economic baseline survey of the
sample population settled along the COI:
Demographic characteristics;
Literacy status/ education;
Nature of business/occupation;
Livelihood/income;
Living standard of the population;
Access to credit;
Social Infrastructure available;
Gender issues;
Pressing needs of the people;
Community perception about the Project etc.; and
Other aspects.
Checklists and Proformas which are used during the baseline surveys for the EIA study are
attached as Annex-II.
1.8.8 Stakeholder Consultations
The Consultants identified Project stakeholders and held meetings with them during the
surveys to receive feedback on the expected environmental issues related to the Project
impacts and suggested mitigation measures. Meetings were carried out with the Project
affectees, relevant departments including Wildlife, Agriculture, Fisheries, Provincial EPAs,
Irrigation and Power Departments, WAPDA, NTDC, Non-Governmental Organizations
(NGOs) etc. to discuss the issues/constraints and get their views and feedback to mitigate
the potential environmental impacts associated with the implementation and operation of the
Project. All in all more than 67 consultations/group discussions with the locals residing in the
COI were carried out along the T/L route at various locations.
Based on the above, letters were also written to the concerned Wildlife and Forest
Departments regarding the occurrence of any protected areas. The copies of the letters are
attached as Annex-III. The proceedings of the consultations/meetings along with the
photographs and list of participants are documented in Chapter 6.
1.8.9 Impact Assessment and Mitigation Measures
A logical and systematic approach was adopted for impact identification and assessment.
The process began during the screening and continued through scoping which identified the
key issues and classified them into different categories. The tools, which were used for
impact assessment, are:
Checklists;
Matrices; and
Overlays.
Identification of potential environmental and social impacts in terms of their nature,
magnitude, extent, location, timing and duration were carried out. The impacts were
correlated to the Project location, design stage, construction stage and operation stage.
Based on the impacts prediction methods and as a result of public/stakeholder consultations,
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the Consultants screened the adverse environmental impacts for inclusion in the mitigation
measures and environmental management plan. The same process was followed for the
identification of social impacts. Public consultations (which provided feedback of the impacts
from the stakeholder‘s viewpoint) were used to screen out the insignificant impacts. Matrices
and overlays were used for the evaluation of temporal and spatial impacts respectively.
The Consultants proposed practicable, economically feasible and socially acceptable
mitigation measures for the significant adverse environmental and social impacts. These
measures were based on exploring the ways to achieve the Project objectives causing least
disturbance to the existing environment by alternative ways, proposing changes in the
Project design (ROW, height of the T/L Towers and sitting of facilities), through improved
monitoring and management practices (storage of construction materials, labour camps,
waste disposal, disposal of construction debris etc. or through monitory compensation).
1.8.10 Environmental Management and Monitoring Plan (EMMP)
An EMMP has been prepared to ensure the adequacy and effectiveness of the proposed
protocol by clearly identifying the roles and responsibilities of the agencies responsible for
implementation, monitoring and auditing of EMMP activities, existing and suggested
framework, necessary approvals, training needs and the required further studies. EMMP
also include organizational setup, a monitoring mechanism, monitoring plan, environmental
and social parameters to be monitored with their frequency. Similarly, costs for
environmental monitoring and social component/social mitigation measures were also
included as part of the EMMP. Environmental monitoring, evaluation, auditing and reporting
mechanism were also proposed in the EMMP.
1.8.11 Conclusions and Recommendations
Based on the baseline conditions, identified impacts and suggested mitigation measures and
proposed environmental cost, conclusions are made. Based on the conclusions,
recommendations regarding the future plan of action and outcome of the EIA report are
provided.
1.9 Report Structure
The EIA report has been structured into following chapters:
Chapter-1 provides the Project background and nature, size and location of the Project,
Project objectives, Project Proponent followed by scope of the study, purpose of the study
and its approach, extent of the study and the report structure.
Chapter-2 provides a brief about national environmental policies, legal and administrative
frameworks applicable to the Project together with the applicable International
Safeguards/Guidelines and international protocols.
Chapter-3 provides the analysis of alternatives considered for the proposed Project so far.
Chapter-4 presents description of the Project including Project components, approvals and
implementation schedule for Project and other information available so far.
Chapter-5 explains in detail the existing environmental baseline conditions of the Study Area
considering the physical, ecological and social environment.
Chapter-6 depicts the consultations carried out with the stakeholders to know the concerns
and issues.
Chapter-7 exhibits the environmental and social impacts assessment with the proposed
mitigation measures during the design, construction and operation stages of the Project.
Chapter 8 presents the compensation and resettlement framework for the loss of assets by
the erection of the line with an estimate of the budget and a schedule of actions to be
implemented to make the inventories and the monitoring of the compensations.
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Chapter-9 provides an overall approach for managing and monitoring the environment
related issues and describes the institutional framework and resource allocations to
implement the EMMP along with the environmental monitoring plan.
Chapter-10 provides the major conclusions in the light of the available Project plans, field
surveys and impacts assessment; mitigation measures; and necessary recommendations.
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2.1 General
This chapter provides an overview of the official policy framework and legislation that applies
for controlling the environmental consequences of the Project implementation and operation.
The Project is expected to comply with all the policies, laws, guidelines, acts and legislations
of the Pakistan and other related environmental aspects.
2.2 National Policy Framework
Following elements of national policy framework are relevant to this Project:
2.2.1 National Conservation Strategy, 1992
The Pakistan National Conservation Strategy (NCS), which was approved by the federal
cabinet in March 1992, is the principal policy document on environmental issues in the
Country (EUAD/IUCN, 1992).
The NCS outlines the Country‘s primary approach towards encouraging sustainable
development, conserving natural resources and improving efficiency in the use and
management of resources. The NCS has 68 specific programs in 14 core areas in which
policy intervention is considered crucial for the preservation of Pakistan‘s natural and
physical environment. The core areas that are relevant in the context of the proposed Project
are pollution prevention and abatement, restoration of rangelands, increasing energy
efficiency, conserving biodiversity, supporting forestry and plantation and the preservation of
the cultural heritage.
2.2.2 National Environment Policy, 2005
The national environmental policy 2005 aims to protect, conserve and restore Pakistan‘s
environment in order to improve quality of life of the citizens through sustainable
development. The main objectives of the policy are:
Conservation, restoration and efficient management of the environmental resources;
Integration of the environmental considerations in policy making and planning process;
Capacity building of government agencies and other stakeholders at all levels for the
better environmental management;
Meeting international obligations effectively in line with the national aspirations; and
Creation of a demand for environment through mass awareness and community
mobilization.
2.2.3 National Climate Change Policy, 2012
The National Climate Change Policy provides a framework for addressing the issues that
Pakistan faces or will face in future due to the changing climate. In view of Pakistan‘s high
vulnerability to the adverse impacts of climate change, in particular extreme events,
adaptation effort is the focus of this policy document. The vulnerabilities of various sectors to
climate change have been highlighted and appropriate adaptation measures spelled out.
The policy covers measures to address issues in various sectors such as water, agriculture,
forestry, coastal areas, biodiversity and other vulnerable ecosystems.
Notwithstanding the fact that Pakistan‘s contribution to global greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions is very small, its role as a responsible member of the global community in
combating climate change has been highlighted by giving due importance to mitigation
efforts in sectors such as energy, forestry, agriculture and livestock.
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The policy thus provides a comprehensive framework for the development of Action Plans
for national efforts on adaptation and mitigation. This policy document is a ‗living‘ document
and will be reviewed and updated regularly to address emerging concepts and issues in the
ever-evolving science of climate change.
2.2.4 National Disaster Risk Reduction Policy, 2013
Disasters have an enormous and significant adverse impact on the development of key
sectors of economy like agriculture, infrastructure, housing, health, and education and above
all the environment, they result in a serious social and economic set-back to the
sustainable development. Disasters also pose threat to increasing poverty and resultantly
backslide the national development targets set to achieve the Millennium Development
Goals (MDGs). Climate change induced disasters pose even greater threat to sustainable
development in developing country like Pakistan which is ranked quite amongst the most
vulnerable countries. Continuous floods of 2010, 2011 and 2012 are seen as an indication of
more intense and frequent extreme events in the future.
Disaster risk reduction interventions were being carried out in the country till date by
different departments / agencies in isolation at national, province and district levels. There
was a strong need to give them directions and sound guidelines to align their activities in line
with the true spirit of National Disaster Management Act, 2010 to counter the threats of
disasters faced by the country. NDMA, being the lead focal agency for disaster
preparedness and management, has therefore, embarked upon formulation of a
comprehensive National Disaster Risk Reduction Policy through wider consultations with all
stakeholders including all provinces, state of AJ&K and regions. This policy covers disasters
risk reduction in a more holistic way and introduces a proactive and anticipatory approach by
laying special emphasis on risk assessment and prevention.
2.2.5 Pakistan Labor Policy, 2010
The main objective of the Labour Policy, 2010 is the social and economic well-being of the
labour of Pakistan. The Labour Policy, 2010 has following four (04) parts:
i) Legal Framework;
ii) Advocacy: rights of workers and employers;
iii) Skill development and employment; and
iv) Manpower export.
2.2.6 Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper, 2003
The full Poverty Reduction Strategy Paper of Pakistan (PRSP), prepared after a long
consultative process involving the ministries, provincial and district governments, civil
society, various interested groups, donors and grass root communities across the provinces
of Pakistan. It outlines the broad framework and strategy for poverty reduction based on four
(04) pillars:
Accelerating economic growth while maintaining the macro-economic stability;
Improving the governance;
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4
www.finance.gov.pk
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being transformed for each province. However, the core legislation and spirit remains the
same.
The law Stipulates:
No Proponent of a Project shall commence construction or operation unless he has filed
with the Government Agency designated by Pak-EPA or Provincial EPAs an EIA and
have obtained an NOC;
Establishment and Formation of the Pakistan Environmental Protection Council;
Powers and Functions of the Federal and Provincial EPA;
Prohibition of certain discharges or emissions;
National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS), for wastewater, air emissions and
noise; and
Law also emPowers Federal Government to issue notices and to enforce them for the
protection of the environment.
For the effective implementation of the provisions of PEPA 1997, Pak-EPA headed by a
Director General has been constituted. On the same pattern, EPAs have established in all
the provinces.
The capability of regulatory institutions for environmental management largely achieves the
success of environmental assessment for ensuring that development Projects are
environmentally sound and sustainable.
2.3.1 Pak EPA Regulations, 2000
Under Section 12 (and subsequent amendment) of the 1997 Act, a Project falling under any
category specified, in Schedule II, requires the Proponent to file an IEE or EIA with the
Agency. Within ten (10) working days of the submission of IEE or EIA, the Agency will
confirm that the document submitted is complete for the purpose of review. During this time,
should the federal agency require the Proponent to submit any additional information; the
IEE or EIA will be returned to the Proponent for revision, clearly listing those aspects that
need further discussion. Subsequently, the Agency shall make every effort to complete an
IEE review within forty five (45) days and an EIA review within ninety (90) days of filing of the
complete information of report.
As per PEPA, 1997 and EPA (Review of IEE and EIA) Regulations, 2000, Schedule-II, an
EIA study is required for the 11 KV and above T/L. In accordance with the requirements of
the TOR, the EIA will include the assessment of T/L route with regard to interference with the
protected areas, recommendation of mitigation measures and its cost estimate, review of
regulatory measures, development of environmental monitoring and management plans and
recommendations to enhance the institutional capability of NTDC.
It is also worth mentioning here that the Pak-EPA has delegated Powers to the provincial
EPAs to enforce the provisions of the 1997 Act, an EIA will be submitted to the following
agencies, if part of the proposed Project is falling in their respective domains:
Sindh Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA); and
Environmental Protection Agency(EPA) Punjab.
Therefore, this EIA report needs to be submitted to the SEPA as well as EPA, Punjab for the
issuance of NOC from both the agencies.
2.4 Guidelines for Environmental Assessment
Pak-EPA has published a set of environmental guidelines for conducting environmental
assessments and the environmental management of different types of development
Projects. The guidelines that are relevant to the proposed Project are listed below.
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located in a notified area and there are no apparent ecological or cultural values
associated with the site, take no further action;
If the Proponent, or Consultant identifies an ecological site that appears to be of
importance, but the site is not listed, they should discuss the site with the relevant
conservation authority;
If the site falls within the boundaries of a protected ecosystem, the relevant conservation
authority in each province should be contacted for advice about the extent to which the
development may be allowed and with what conditions. Certain protected areas may
have total prohibition of development while others may allow controlled development;
The relevant conservation authority should inform the responsible authority of their
assessment of the significance of the likely impacts of the proposed development early
in the process in order for the responsible authority to determine the level of
documentation required. The Provincial EPA‘s will then be in a position to review the
level of reporting required in the light of the advice from the conservation authorities;
and
During the review of the environmental report, the responsible authority will liaise with
the Conservation Authority to ensure that the impacts and mitigation measures detailed
in the environmental report are well based to frame environmental approval conditions,
which protect the values of the listed area.
2.5.2 Protected Areas Clearance Procedure
Protected areas help maintain the integrity and diversity of eco-systems, protect flora and
fauna and facilitate ecological processes such as water flows, soil regeneration, nutrient
cycling and so on, which is vital for all life.
The Guidelines for Sensitive and Critical Areas have described the procedure for the
clearance of the Forestry and Wildlife departments in case of the Project lies into the
protected areas.
The Secretary Forestry and Wildlife department at the provincial level will be involved in the
comment and recommendation for EA that are related to ecosystems. The Proponent or
consultant for a proposed development in a protected area will be required to contact the
Secretary Forestry and Wildlife departments in Punjab, Sindh, KPK, Baluchistan, Azad
Jammu and Kashmir (AJK), or Northern Areas.
At the federal level, the office of the Inspector General Forestry (IGF) will be the central and
national coordinator for the Provincial Wildlife department in the EA report review. The IGF
office has on-going responsibilities for policy formulation, implementation, embedding
process, monitoring, technical assistance and Research and Development (R&D) assistance
if required. Finally, the IGF will need to be involved to assist in any dispute between the
provincial Wildlife departments and the Proponent/consultant which they cannot resolve
themselves.
The EA report should not be finalized and submitted to the responsible authority (i.e.
provincial EPA‘s) until there is consultation with the provincial Wildlife departments and their
comments and recommendations are taken into consideration as part of the mitigation and
control measures.
These guidelines are expected to be included by the Federal IGF Office in the refinement of
their current Forestry Master Plan for upto year 2017. The involvement of the provincial
Wildlife departments and Federal IGF in the EA report review will become a critical part of
the process for Project review and approval, for development in or vicinity of protected
ecosystems.
While the provincial Wildlife Conservation Departments and the Federal IGF will provide this
technical and specialized expertise in the review process, the review of the environmental
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reports and the provision of any Environmental approval will be undertaken by the
responsible authority, as provided for in the Act and elsewhere in the package.
2.6 Pakistan Environmental Impact Assessment Procedures
These are descriptive documents guidelines the format and content of IEE/EIA reports to be
submitted to Federal and Provincial EPA for obtaining NOC. Following are the major areas,
which are covered by these guidelines:
The EA report formation (scope, type and category of Project, description of Project,
alternatives, site selection, baseline data);
Assessing impacts (identification, analysis and significance);
Mitigation and impact management and preparing an EMP;
Reporting (format, main features, shortcomings, other forms of presentation);
Review and decision making (role, steps, remedial options, checks and balances);
Monitoring and auditing (systematic follow up, effective data management); and
Project management (inter-disciplinary teams, programming and budgeting).
2.7 Guidelines for Public Consultation
The Pak-EPA published these guidelines to deal with possible approaches to public
consultation and techniques for designing an effective program of consultation that reaches
out to all major stakeholders and ensures the incorporation of their concerns in any impact
assessment study. These guidelines cover:
Consultation, involvement and participation of stakeholders;
Effective public consultation (planning, stages of EIA where consultation is appropriate);
and
Facilitation involvement (including the poor, women and NGOs).
2.8 National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS)
The NEQS, 2000, specify the following standards:
Maximum allowable concentration of pollutants (32 parameters) in municipal and liquid
industrial effluents discharged to inland waters, sewage treatment facilities and the sea
(three separate sets of numbers);
Maximum allowable concentration of pollutants (16 parameters) in gaseous emissions
from industrial sources;
Maximum allowable concentration of pollutants (two (02) parameters) in gaseous
emissions from vehicle exhaust; and
Maximum allowable noise levels from vehicles;
The NEQSs for motor vehicle exhaust and noise was approved in 2009. These NEQS
specify the exhaust and noise standards for in use vehicles and new vehicles (Petrol and
Diesel vehicles).
The NEQSs for ambient air quality, drinking water quality and noise has been approved in
2010. These NEQS specify the following:
Maximum allowable concentration of pollutants (nine (09) parameters) for ambient air;
Maximum allowable concentration of pollutants (35 parameters) in drinking water; and
Maximum allowable noise levels during day and night time for residential area,
commercial area, industrial area and silence zones.
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3 ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVES
3.1 General
This Chapter deals with an analytical overview of the different alternatives that have been
considered in the Project. The analysis has been carried out critically so as to justify the
need of the Project and the selected options. Besides the economic viability, environmental
sustainability and social soundness, the proposed Project was considered for various
alternatives. The various alternatives which have been considered during the Feasibility
Study are:
No Project Option (NPO);
Technological System Study of T/L Alternatives;
Route Alignment Alternatives; and
Design Alternatives.
3.2 No Project Option (NPO)
Pakistan is facing acute shortage of Power due to increase in population and industrial
development, which has created a huge gap between the demand and supply of electric
Power. Currently being utilized Power generating sources are not sufficient to meet the
electricity demand of today and obviously insufficient to meet the future ever increasing
demand. Currently the resources whih are being utilized are mostly based on the imported
fuel oil which prove to be the most expensive one. Hence GOP has to spend millions of
foreign exchange to import fuel to run these Power Plants. According to the available data,
the installed power generation capacity in Pakistan is estimated to be about 22,104 MW
including 8,793 MW and 5,458 MW from thermal private and public generating units
respectively, 7,097 MW from hydro, 650 MW from nuclear and 106 MW from wind 5. The gap
between supply and demand in the PEPCO's system went over 6,000 MW 6 mark, it
remained around 4,000 to 5,000 MW for most part of the year. The gap representing about
one third of the total demand in PEPCO's system, forced one third of the electricity
consumers to remain without electricity over a twenty-hour period. Further reduction in
supply due to constraints in the transmission and distribution networks led to load shedding
of up to 12 hours in urban areas.
This has caused inflationary pressure on the general public. Inflationary pressure created a
social instability and misconception among the masses towards the Government. At present,
there is a dire need for commissioning additional Power generation resources to overcome
the shortage of electricity.
Figure 3-1 shows the relative costs comparison of different electricity generation
technologies. Graph reveals that energy generation from coal and nuclear energy are
competitive with (or better than) other conventional energy generation (gas, hydro etc.),
although there is some variance while solar is the most expensive. The electricity produced
through renewable sources i.e. Hydel, Solar and Wind is environment friendly, but these
energy generation Projects demands higher capital cost and long time to complete.
Electricity demand and supply gap is increasing annually and causing a great economic loss
to the Country. According to estimates7, for example energy deficit for the year 2010 has
given Rs. 45 billion blow to the economy of Pakistan. This is, however, a high time to exploit
other resources including the coal resources of the Country to for power generation. Thar
coal has great potential for mining and Power generation. Thar Coal presents an electricity
5
Power System Statistics, 2013-2014, NTDC
6
State of Industry Report, 2013, NEPRA
7
WAPDA Official Website
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8
generation potential of more than 20,000MW . Moreover, Karachi and adjoin regions can be
utilized to install power plants based on the imported coal due to the avaialbity of shore line.
Figure 3–1: Relative Costs of Electricity Generation Technologies (2003 Canadian cent
per Kilowatt hour)9
In order to cope with eminent Power crises and to reduce crunch of load shedding, the GOP
has also decided to generate energy from the sources other than fuel oil. In this regards
varous options are being considered and being implemented. A status summary of planned
Power generation from the Thar and Karachi is given below in Table 3-1:
8
Thar Coal Development Authority Official Website
9
http://www.cna.ca/curriculum/cna_world_energy_res/comparison-eng.asp?bc=Comparison%2
0of%20Electrical%20Generation&pid=Comparison%20of%20Electrical%20Generation
10
Thar Coal and Energy Board
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It is envisaged that about 4,000MW capacity of Power Projects will be installed in Karachi
and Thar regions with a potential of future expansion and T/L need to be established for
transmitting this quantum of Power from these area to Upcountry.
The existing NTDC Grid map of 500 and 220 KV systems is attached as Figure 3-2. The
Southern and Northern line diagrams of NTDC system are shown as Figures 3-3 and 3-4.
The existing grid station at Jamshore cannot tap this anticipated capacity of power, hence a
coverter station at Matiari is being proposed. Similalry to despatch this power from Matiari to
the load distribution ceters of NTDC grid, T/L is required which can carry bulk power.
Keeping in view the existing system, NTDC has proposed a new T/L to transmit the Power
from these areas to Upcountry. The Project will be implemented by CET on BOOT basis
after technical, economical and environmental consideratoins.
As electricity is pivotal for running all sectors and directly influences the economy. The
economic progress is hampered due to the shortage of electricity. One important factor of
lower GDP and inflation of commodity prices in recent years is attributed to shortfalls in
electricity supply. Electricity cannot be used until or unless the electricity is supplied to the
national grid. Hence to utilize the generated electricity, T/Lneed to be established to the
major load distribution centers of Pakistan.
The proposed T/L Project is a cost effective option to dispatch the bulk electricity from
Matiari to major electricity supply centers of Pakistan. Based on the facts mentioned above,
NPO, if exercised, electricity produced from Karachi and Thar areas cannot be supplied to
the consumers which may push Pakistan to further increase shortage of electricity and
willcause losses to national economy. In light of above situation, NPO is not acceptable.
3.3 Study of T/L Potential Route Corridors
A T/L is a linear severance of the landscape, similar to a highway or railway line. However,
the environmental impact is usually significantly less than that of a highway or railway line.
This is mainly due to the fact that permanent contact with the ground is limited to the
Towers, at approximately 400m intervals along the line route as compared to a highway or
railway, which have continuous ground contact and act as a barrier for people and animals.
In order to find the potential route corridors of the T/L existing generation points, sub-stations
and terminal points were studied. Based on the study, proposed routes of the T/L in
segments which join the generation point, Sub Stations and terminal points are summarized
below in Table 3-2:
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The selection of an appropriate route corridor of the above mentioned T/Ls was critical as
the environmental and resettlement issues as well as existing infrastructures, such as roads
and railway lines crossings, protected areas etc. need to be taken into account. The cost of
the construction of T/L is a critical factor that needs to be considered. In order to minimize
the construction cost, the Consultant has adopted efficient approach for avoiding steep
slopes, forested land protected/sensitive areas etc.
3.4 T/L Route Alignment Criteria
Consultant considered the environmental and resettlement issues associated with the
proposed T/L routes for the comparison of different options. The Consultant developed the
Route Alignment Criteria based on the technical as well as critical environmental and social
including resettlement parameters in order to minimize the impacts to the extent possible.
The following criteria were developed for the selection of T/L route considering physical,
ecological and socio-economic environments:
Avoid densely populated areas/towns;
Avoid indigenous or tribal settlements;
Avoid cultural, religious and historical buildings;
Minimize disturbance to the natural habitats of flora and fauna;
Avoid major birds migratory routes;
Avoid Wildlife sanctuaries, national parks and game reserves;
Avoid potentially security vulnerable areas;
Appropriate distance from the sensitive receptors (for instance, minimum 500m);
Avoid crossing large water bodies like lakes, rivers or streams; and
Avoid crossing airports, railway tracks and other similar structures and facilities.
3.4.1 Routing of T/Ls and Converter Stations
After studying potential T/L corridor, one potential route after considering different routes i.e.
Route A was considered for further studies. Figure 3-5 shows the Route A marked on
satellite imagery.
Initially Route A was identified by the CET design team and marked on the imagery. The
details of Route A are given in Table 3-3. Subsequently, NESPAK team evaluated this route
by identifying various kinds of features (natural as well as manmade) with the major
emphasis on settlements and ecological sensitive areas. Large number of settlements, along
with the crossings on protected forests, wetlands, agriculture land was identified during the
route alignment study. These limitations were marked on the route map and a constraint
map was developed. Later, Route A was modified to minimize these identified constraints.
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This route was marked as Route B. Route B was marked on the satellite imagery to meet the
route alignment criteria.
With this alignment the effected settlements were considerable reduced.Details of Route B
are given below in Table 3-3. Based on the desk studies, information collected through
available documents/imageries etc. and in the light of identified significant features, the
Route B was considered for route optimization. Figure 3-5 shows the Route A & B.
Route Optimization
The route optimization was carried out by the team of experts along with the environmental
and resettlement experts to optimize the Route B by physical observations at the site. The
route optimization survey was started from Matiari to Lahore. The team adopted the same
approach as described in the route alignment criteria to minimize the environmental and
resettlement issues. Based on the findings of route optimized survey, Route B was further
modified to further minimize the issues and was finalized as Route C. A comparison of
Route A, B and C is shown in Table 3-3.
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Based on the comparison Route C was finally selected based on technical we well as
environmental grounds.
3.5 Technological Alternatives
To find the most economical and environmental friendly technology to dispatch the
electricity, various technological options were considered. In principle alternatives are
available for the transmission of Power i.e. through High Voltage Alternating Current (HVAC)
and High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC). Apart from the choice between AC and DC,
selection of 500, 660 and 765 KV circuits is also available. All these alternatives were
considered for the proposed T/L Project.
The first electric generator was the direct current (DC) generator and hence, the first T/L was
constructed with DC. The basic discoveries of Galvani, Volta, Oersted, Ohm and Ampere
were in the DC field. Thomas A. Edison built the first electric central station in the world in
1882, on the Pearl Street, in the New York, which was the DC current. Despite the initial
supremacy of the DC, the alternating current (AC) supplanted the DC for greater uses. This
is because of the availability of the transformer, the induction motor and polyphase circuits in
the 1880s and 1890s.
The transformer is a very simple device and easy to operate to change the voltage level for
the transmission, distribution and use. The induction motors are the workhorse in the
industries and work only with AC. That is why AC has become very useful for the
commercial and domestic uses. But for the transmission of electricity over long distances,
DC is still more favourable than AC because of its economical, technical and environmental
advantages, such as decrease need for new Power stations, reduced ROW and less visual
impacts. High voltage DC (HVDC) Transmission system consists of three basic parts: 1)
Converter Station to convert AC to DC 2) T/L or conductor 3) second Converter Station to
convert back to AC. HVDC transmission systems can be configured in many ways on the
basis of cost, flexibility and operational requirements.
Current and voltage limits are the two important factors of the high voltage T/L. The AC
resistance of a conductor is higher than its DC resistance because of skin effect and
eventually loss is higher for AC transmission. The switching surges are the serious transient
over voltages for the high voltage T/L, in the case of AC transmission the peak values are
two or three times of normal crest voltage but for DC transmission it is 1.7 times normal
voltage. HVDC transmission has less corona and radio interference than that of a HVAC T/L.
The total Power loss due to corona is less than 5 MW for a ± 450 KV and 895 km HVDC T/L.
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These alternatives were based on the following data obtained from the NTDC Planning
Department.
Load Forecast upto 2030;
Generation Plans upto 2030; and
Transmission Plans upto 2017-18.
To evolve the most feasible T/L route, the analysis was focused on the ultimate spot year of
the study i.e. 2030. The overall quantum of targeted Power to be transferred from south to
Upcountry by the year 2030 as per the information provided by NTDC is given below in
Table 3-4:
It is clear from above table that the significant component of proposed Power addition in
South will be obtained from the Thar and Karachi regions. The system conditions of low
water of January 2030 based on available climate change predictions have also been
simulated based on the data received from NTDC. Hence based on the above HVDC T/L is
considered most appropriate for the bulk despatch of power.
3.6 Converter Station Site Selection Guidelines
Since, the Project is being implemented on urgent basis and the detailed topographic survey
and design of the Converter Stations is yet to be carried out, the following points will be
taken care of at a later stage:
To minimize the resettlement, relocation of the existing infrastructure like roads,
railways, cultural and religious sites etc. and alignment will be adjusted during the
detailed survey;
To avoid the cutting of fruit trees like apple and peach, alignment might be adjusted.
However, an alternative for provision of Towers with maximum height to achieve the
minimum required clearance will also be considered especially at sites where change of
alignment is not possible;
Adjustment of Towers to provide the minimum required vertical clearance at crossing
points of roads; and
Based on the site conditions, Towers with adequate height will be used to provide the
required clearance;
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4 PROJECT DESCRIPTION
4.1 General
This Chapter provides an overview of the Project including the proposed T/L route,
Converter Stations, and their design construction aspects. The chapter provides details of
project type, design considerations, construction aspects, construction procedures, and
Operation and Maintenance. For in-depth technical details, reference to the Desing
Document is recommended.
4.2 Type of the Project
The proposed Project is essentially a linear T/L Project with some components which are of
non-linear nature such as Converter Stations, etc.
The proposed Project comprises following two (02) major components:
i. Transmission line; and
a. Conductors; and
b. Towers.
ii. Converter Stations.
Schematic diagram of the proposed T/L is shown in Figure 4-1. These are detailed below:
4.2.1 Transmission Line
The length of the proposed T/L route is about 865.55 km, out of which about 314.9 km lies in
Sindh province, while the rest of 550.65 km is located in Punjab province.
The T/L route passes through plain sandy and alluvial lands in Sindh and Punjab provinces.
During selection of the alignment of the proposed T/L, efforts were made to avoid the
existing settlements, infrastructure and other features by following the criteria mentioned in
Chapter 3.
Total numbers of AMs in the proposed T/L are about 169 in number. Out of total, 49 AMs
falls in Sindh province while rest are located in Punjab province. Total Towers in the
proposed line from Matiari in Sindh to Lahore in Punjab are estimated to be about 1898 in
number. Out of these, about 681 Towers will be erected in Sindh while the remaining towers
are to be raised in Punjab. The spacing between the Towers shall not be uniform because of
the physical and other considerations like crossing of main roads, railway line, canals etc. for
avoiding houses, infrastructure and cultural properties. However, average distance between
Towers can vary from 275 to 340 m considering the topography and land use of the areas.
Considering comprehensive carrying capacity, electromagnetic environment, mechanical
property, tower load, economy, conductor manufacture, stringing construction, operating
maintenance etc. and nature condition, steel reinforced aluminum conductor 4×JL/G3A-
1000/45 is adopted in this project. For coastal areas, considering the anticorrosion
requirement, all aluminum alloy conductor 4×JL/LHA1-745/335 is adopted. In budgetary
estimates of this project, steel reinforced aluminum conductor 4×JL/G3A-1000/45 is
considered.
According to the requirement of communication, there are two OPGW optical fiber cable in
this project. Considering electrical, mechanical and lightning proof factor, OPGW-150 is
recommended in this phase.
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Electricity is transmitted at high voltages (110 kV or above) to reduce the energy lost in long-
distance transmission. Power is usually transmitted through overhead Power lines.
Underground Power transmission has a significantly higher cost and greater operational
limitations but is sometimes used in urban areas or sensitive locations.
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A key limitation in the distribution of electric Power is that, with minor exceptions, electrical
energy cannot be stored, and therefore must be generated as needed. A sophisticated
control system is required to ensure electric generation very closely matches the demand. If
the demand for Power exceeds the supply, generation plants and transmission equipment
can shut down which, in the worst cases, can lead to a major regional blackout. To reduce
the risk of such failures, electric transmission networks are interconnected into regional,
national or continental wide networks thereby providing multiple redundant alternative routes
for Power to flow should (weather or equipment) failures occur. Much analysis is done by
transmission companies to determine the maximum reliable capacity of each line (ordinarily
less than its physical or thermal limit) to ensure spare capacity is available should there be
any such failure in another part of the network.
Taking into account the possibility of higher export of Power through the line in future years,
+660 KV Bi-pole conductors in quad bundle configuration for the HVDC T/L has been
recommended for interconnection. These functional specifications have been prepared at
this stage of the Project after considering all essential parameters. It may be added that
detailed specifications of the T/L will be based on these functional specifications and will be
prepared at a later stage once the Project implementation is finalized. The parameters
considered for the system and human safety are described below in detail.
Considering the location of Sending end Supporting Power Source, the condition of 500kV
existing power evacuation networkin Sindh,the collection of power sources, connection of
converter station, and minimize the length of DC line, the site of DC delivery point converter
station will be near Matiari which is the north part of Hyderabad.
Connection of Delivery Point Converter Station
The delivery point converter station is π connected into Jamshoro~Moro 500kV line.
There are eight 500kV circuits going out from delivery point converter station. One returns to
Jamshoro; one returns to Moro; other 6 return to power sources.
Delivery Point Power Source
The Hubco Coal Power Plant and Port Qasim Coal Power Plant will be connected to
converter station by two 500kV lines respectively; Engro Thar Coal Power Plant and SSRL
Thar Coal Block I Mine Mouth Power Plant will be connected to converter station by one
500kV line respectively, and these two power plants will be connected by one 500kVAC line.
The scheme of connection system was agreed by Pakistan side. The investment and
construction will be finished by Pakistan side.
Access System of Receiving End Converter Station
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parameters considered in the design criteria are based on the data collected from the
various meteorological stations at an evaluation of 50 m of.
Maximum Conductor Temperature 50oC
Minimum Conductor Temperature -5.0oC
The Annual Average Temperature 25oC
10-Minute Average Wind Speed 32.3m/s
The Annual Average Thunderstorm Days 4.4~38days
The Annual Average Relative Humidity(UTC 0am) 72.5~74.2%
Years of Average Rainfall 112.0~679.7mm
Current Rating of Conductor 1673A
b) Conductors and Line Configurations
The selection of conductor is based on electrical, mechanical and atmospheric pollution
considerations. The size of conductor is determined such that the corona and radio
interference levels are within the internationally acceptable limits.Considering
comprehensive carrying capacity, electromagnetic environment, mechanical property, tower
load, economy, conductor manufacture, stringing construction, operating maintenance etc.
and nature condition, steel reinforced aluminum conductor 4 × JL/G3A-1000/45 conductor
has been selected. For coastal areas, considering the anticorrosion requirement, all
aluminum alloy conductor 4×JL/LHA1-745/335 is adopted. In budgetary estimates of this
project, steel reinforced aluminum conductor 4×JL/G3A-1000/45 is considered.
According to the requirement of communication, there are two OPGW optical fiber cable in
this project. Considering electrical, mechanical and lightning proof factor, OPGW-150 is
recommended in this phase.
Studies and economic analysis will be carried out by the Consultant to determine the
optimum size of the conductor. The conductor in the phase shall be placed in horizontal
formation for the single circuit Towers. The phase spacing at Towers, as well as at mid span,
has been determined by taking into account the following restrictions:
Minimum conductor-to-leg clearance of 6.4 m under extreme wind conditions;
Space to accommodate insulator V-String; and
Space to provide between cross-arms of two phases of single circuit type Towers.
The ultimate tensile strength (UTS) limits for conductor tension will be as given below:
17% of UTS under no wind conditions, every day stress at every day temperature, final
conditions;
50% of UTS under full wind load (44.7 m/sec) at every day temperature, final condition;
30% of UTS under no wind load condition at minimum temperature, initial condition; and
Maximum wind pressure of 175kg/m² on conductors, 190 kg/m² for Optical Fibber
Ground Wire (OPGW) and Overhead Shield Wire (OHSW) and 240kg/m² for insulators
have to be adopted.
4.3.1.1 Towers
a) Tower Structures
All the Towers shall be self-supporting type, lattice steel structures, fabricated from
galvanized structural steel shapes. Outline diagram of tower is shown in Figure 4.3.The steel
employed will be in accordance with the latest edition of the following standards:
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Table 4-2: Resistance Power Losses of Different Conductors
JL/G3A- JL1/LHA1- JLHA3-
Sr. No. Conductor type
1000/45 745/335 1050
1 Number of bundle conductors 4 4 4
Aluminium-sectional area of sub-
2 1000 1080 1050
conductor/mm2
Aluminium-sectional area of polar
3 4000 4320 4200
conductor /mm2
Polar conductor resistance with
4 nominal current-carrying capacity 0.0081 0.0077 0.0080
(Ω/km)
5 Nominal current density (A/mm2) 0.75 0.69 0.71
Nominal resistance loss power
6 145.41 138.92 143.86
(kW/km)
7 Nominal line loss rate 3.22% 3.07% 3.19%
Note: The year-round average milieu temperature 25℃ is used to calculate conductor resistance in
operation.
Table 4-3: Electric Energy Losses of Different Conductors
JL/G3A- JL1/LHA1- JLHA3-
Sr. No. Conductor type
1000/45 745/335 1050
1 Number of bundle conductors 4 4 4
Annual resistive loss (10000kwh/km)
2 65.44 62.52 64.74
τ=4500
Annual resistive loss (10000kwh/km)
3 81.43 77.80 80.56
τ=5600
Annual resistive loss (10000kwh/km)
4 85.61 81.78 84.69
τ=6000
Annual resistive loss (10000kwh/km)
5 94.52 90.30 93.51
τ=6500
6 Outside diameter(mm) 42.10 42.84 42.13
7 corona loss(kW/km) 6.04 6.02 6.04
8 Annual corona loss (10000kwh/km) 5.29 5.27 5.29
9 Corona loss power/Resistance loss
4.15% 4.33% 4.20%
power
10 Annual electric energy loss
70.73 67.79 70.03
(10000kwh/km) τ=4500
11 Annual electric energy loss
86.72 83.07 85.85
(10000kwh/km) τ=5600
12 Annual electric energy loss
90.90 87.06 89.98
(10000kwh/km) τ=6000
13 Annual electric energy loss
99.81 95.57 98.80
(10000kwh/km) τ=6500
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b) Tower Spotting
Tower spotting will be done considering the following factors:
Selection of proper Tower type and positioning at optimum location;
Achievement of economical Tower heights with safe clearance from ground and nearby
objects;
Assurance of compliance with design load criteria;
Location of Towers to minimize risk of foundations being damaged by flood, erosion,
shifting of sands etc.;
Providing a minimum clearance of 20 m from the outer conductor to the nearest
conductor of another Power line, existing or planned;
Avoiding interference with or obstruction to any roadway or track being regularly used by
wheeled vehicles, animals or pedestrians;
In areas of shifting sands, extra ground clearance will be needed to ensure that
movement of the sand dunes will not reduce conductor ground clearance below the
minimum safe value; and
The requirements of the relevant authorities regarding distance of Towers from the
roadways and railways.
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NTDC will provide the final route of the T/L to the Contractor. Contractor will carry out the
detailed surveys including preparation of plan and profile drawings and Tower staking in the
field.
c) Tower Foundations
American Concrete Institute (ACI), IEEE Guideline for Transmission Structure Foundation
Design and Testing (IEEE Standard 691-2001) will be used for Towers Foundations.
All the Tower foundations will be designed as individual leg footings, with 4 legs per Tower.
The following foundation types will be considered depending upon the results of the soil
investigations.
Shallow Foundation (Square);
Dry;
Semi-submerged;
Submerged;
Deep Foundation; and
Piles.
Depending on the engineering parameters of the soils under various conditions (based on
the geotechnical results which are in process), different types of foundations will be
recommended. Final choice will be made after the Contractor has carried out soil
investigations at the time of construction.
The foundations will be about 2.5 to 5 m below the natural surface level with only Tower
footings protruding up to 0.45 m above the ground. The general steel structure of the Tower
will have a clearance of 4 to 8 m from the natural ground. This will allow the farmers to utilize
the ground underneath the Tower.
Pile foundation is considered for Tower locations at nullah/stagnant/flash flood area at
places where the soil condition do not permit the use of shallow foundations. The exact
number of pile foundations will depend on subsurface investigations at the Tower locations
at the time of construction. Outline diagram of foundation is attached as Figure 4.4
The concrete grade shall be of C-15, C-25, C-30 etc. while steel grade shall be HPB 300,
HRB 400. Equivalent quality materials meeting above specifications can also be used.
4.3.1.2 Insulation
T/L has been provided with appropriate insulator assemblies. These have been determined
based on the degree of contamination in air, Power frequency, operative voltage, switching
and lighting surge voltage under the particular service conditions of the line. The type of
insulators, creepage distance and shed diameter has been selected in accordance with the
existing international standards for similar voltage level.
ANSI C29.1: American national standards for electric Power insulators;
IEC Publication 383: Insulators of overhead lines with a normal voltage above 1000 V;
IEC 575: Thermal-Mechanical performance test on string-insulator units; and
Other relevant ANSI, ASTM and IEC Standards.
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4.3.1.3 Safety Parameters
For Extra High Voltage (EHV) lines, safety considerations are of two types. One is related to
the safety of the system, while others are those that are related to the public. It is for this
reason that NTDC has adopted a 100 m wide (50 m either side from the center line) corridor
as the ROW for the proposed T/L. The aspects to be considered in this regard are as under:
(a) System Safety
Conductor to Tower Clearance: For the safety of the system, it is imperative that any
factor that may interrupt the Power supply should be considered in the design. The
clearance of the conductor from Tower legs and trusses is of prime importance. Therefore, in
the design, a minimum clearance of 6.4 m has been adopted under extreme wind conditions.
This is based on minimum requirements of National Electric Safety Code (NESC) (ANSI C2).
With this clearance, there is 99% probability of withstanding switching surge of 3-sigma
margin due to maximum over voltage under adverse climatic conditions.
Earthing of the System: Every Tower is connected to an earthing system. This is to keep
Tower footings resistance at a level lower than 10 Ohms. For this, two (02) earth electrodes
of copper-clad steel rods are sunk vertically into the ground to a minimum depth of 3 m and
at the locations where the required resistance is not achieved crow footing will be done.
Lightning Performance: The Tower geometry, clearance and insulation of the system are
designed to perform safely within the permitted lightning intensities. In this respect,
consideration has been given to the Tower footing resistance and Isokeraunic level of the
area. The accepted level is one trip out/ 100 km/ year due to lightning.
(b) Public Safety
General Aspects: In view of public safety, NTDC has adopted a policy of keeping a 100 m
wide corridor clear of all obstructions for ±600 KV T/L (50 m on either side from the center
line). However, NTDC allows general farm practices within this corridor, but tree plantation
that exceeds a height of 2.5 m is not allowed. As such, the existing orchards having fruit
trees with a height of not exceeding 2.5 m are allowed to remain under the lines. Similarly,
open wells, including Persian wheels, are allowed to remain under the T/Ls. However, tube
wells and peter pumps are not permitted under the high voltage conductors. This is for the
reason that piping and cranes used to refurbish such wells could come in contact with the
lines.
No residential or other public buildings like factory, school, hospital etc., are permitted within
the corridor. However, farm buildings, which are not used for residential purposes are
allowed to remain under the high voltage lines, provided a 10.2 m minimum clearance is
maintained. The height of the Towers can be increased to accommodate such buildings.
Conductor to Ground Clearance: The conductor to ground clearance is desirable to be
worked out based on over voltage due to switching surge. In this consideration, safe
clearance is required to be provided for moving objects under the line with a height of 6.0 m,
withstanding switching surge of 3-sigma margin with 99.7% probability under adverse
atmospheric conditions. This should keep the maximum voltage gradient at ground level and
maximum current induced in a person less than the internationally allowable values. As
such, the total conductor to ground clearance shall in no way be less than 10.2 m.
The specific standard accepted is that of the NESC, currently applicable in the United
States. The permissible conductor clearances (at a maximum temperature of 75oC) are
given in Table 4-5.
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Ground water quality and quantity is feasible and will be utilized for the proposed Station.
Lahore converter station‘s coordinate is E73 ˚50‘ 18‘‘, N31 ˚15‘ 13‘‘ proposed by NTDC.
The grounding electrode‘s coordinate shall be chosen from; (a) E73 ˚52‘ 17.28‘‘, N30 ˚52‘
12.55‘‘, (b) E73 ˚32‘15.67‘‘, N31 ˚8‘ 10.07‘‘, (c) E73 ˚33‘ 56.97‘‘, N31 ˚12‘ 54.81‘‘.
Each Converter Station will have the following key components:
The valve hall: this building houses the thyristor valves, the electronic component at
the heart of the AC-DC conversion process;
The control building: this structure encases all the control, protection and
telecommunication equipment as well as the operator‘s office and computer stations;
and
The outdoor switchyard: the switchyard will contain the Power transformers, auxiliary
supplies and harmonic filters.
The AC side of the Converter Stations will be connected to the local AC network at a local
Sub Station via overhead or underground cable. The DC side is connected directly to the
proposed T/L.
Main Electrical Connection
The valve is bipolar and each electrode contains a 12 pulsation connection line.
At the 500kV AC side, 3/2 breaker connection is adopted.
The three-phase winding of converter transformer is YNy0 connection and YNd11
connection, single phase with double winding. Its AC side is connected with AC 500kV
bus line with AC 500kV distribution apparatus.
The DC side is typical bipolar DC connection. At the DC side of converter station,
according to electrode, there are smoothing reactor, DC passive filter, DC voltage
measurement device, DC current measurement device, DC disconnector, high-speed
switcher, neutral point device and voltage protector.
DC filters are large AC filter groups.
System Communication
On the DC line between Matiari converter station and Lahore converter station, there are
one 24-core OPGW fiber cable. The length is about 878km.
There is an optical communication repeater station near Rahim Yar Khan and Hāsilpur
respectively. All repeater stations are regarded as under tower, it is necessary to consider
new communication machine room and external power source, and installed with optical
communication equipment and communication power supply etc. The main power of
repeater station is from reserve power of 11kV substation nearby. Emergency power supply
is solar power hybrid generating. The external power source of repeaterstation will be
constructed by the employer.
The length of DC line is 878km in this project, and the length of optical fiber is 920km. The
longest distance of SDH 2.5G system in China is 397km, which is Jiuquan~Hunan ultra-high
voltage project using ultra-low-loss fiber and ROPA technology. We will arrange at least two
repeater stations.
PLC repeater station is usually in the middle of the line. In this project, PLC repeater station
can be constructed with Rahim Yar Khan OPGW repeater station. Rahim Yar Khan repeater
station is 385km from Matiari converter station and 493km from Lahore converter station.
PLC repeater station should contain primary equipment like DC isolation filter, coupling
capacitor, DC line trap, combining and processing equipment and power line carrier
equipment etc.
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For Rahim Yar Khan OPGW and PLC repeater station, the total area is about 4500m 2, and
building area is 150m2. Its coordinate is E70°26‘ 18.48601‘‘, N28°14‘ 58.41340‘‘.
(Transmission tower No. G808). Typical PLC repeater station layout is attached as Figure
4.6.
An OPGW repeater station is arranged at Hāsilpur, the total area is about 1000 m 2, and
building area is 120 m2. Its coordinate is E72°29‘ 2.70‘‘, N29°36‘ 23.20‘‘.
The conceptual arrangement of HVDC power line carrier channels is shown on Figure 4.7
and configuration is elaborated in Table 4-6.
Table 4-6: Configuration of HVDC Power Line Carrier Channels
Sr. Name Standard Unit Matiari Repeater Lahore Total
No. Station
1 DC line trap 4000-2.0/63 Set 4 4 4 12
2 Combining and Bipolar Set 2 4 2 8
processing equipment coupling
3 Coupling capacitor Set 4 4 4 12
4 DC isolation filter Set 2 2 2 6
5 Carrier 80W Set 2 4 2 8
6 Monitoring system of Set 1 1 1 3
carrier system
7 Instrument of carrier Set 1 1 1 3
system
8 High-frequency cable SYV-75-9 Km 4 1 4 9
2
9 Copper bar 120mm Km 1 0.2 1 2.2
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Foundations Design
Pile foundation is adopted for valve hall, control building, comprehensive building, spare part
warehouse, foundation of converter transformer, foundation of AC filter group and foundation
of truss, which have high sedimentation requirement or large load; natural foundation or local
sand replacement processing will be adopted for other equipment foundation.
At Matiari station, Slurry-supported bored piles, friction pile, pile diameter 800mm, average
pile length 22m, totality about 2100. The elevation of Lahore station is 191.30m. However,
the 100 years flood level is 193.8m. This means the foundation of Lahore shall be treated to
increase 2.5m. The filling earth will be used for such propose. Since both the selected sites
fall in the flood plains of Indus and Ravi Rivers therefore 100 years reference flood
requirements will be adopted for all foundation design.
The distance between converter station and grounding electrode should be 40~50km
Low earth resistivity at grounding electrode, the earth resistivity should be lower than
100Ω·m.
The soil should have abundant water and topsoil should have good thermal
characteristics (high thermal conductivity and high thermal capacitivity)
Within 10km, there should be no complex and important underground metallic
facilities such as pipes, railway track and earth wire or transmission line with voltage
about 132kV.
Planar graph of Grounding electrodes is attached as Figure 4.8.
4.4 Construction Aspects
4.4.1 Contractor’s Arrangement
NTDC has planned to implement the Project on Built Own Operate and Transfer (BOOT)
basis. BOOT (build, own, operate, transfer) is a public-private partnership (PPP) project
model in which a private organization conducts a large development project under contract
to a public-sector partner, such as a government agency. A BOOT project is often seen as a
way to develop a large public infrastructure project with private funding. Chinese Company
―CET‖ will implement the Project on urgent basis.
The public-sector partner contracts with a private developer - typically a large corporation or
consortium of businesses with specific expertise - to design and implement a large project.
The public-sector partner may provide limited funding or some other benefit (such as tax
exempt status) but the private-sector partner assumes the risks associated with planning,
constructing, operating and maintaining the project for a specified time period. During that
time, the developer charges customers who use the infrastructure that's been built to realize
a profit. At the end of the specified period, the private-sector partner transfers ownership to
the funding organization, either freely or for an amount stipulated in the original contract.
Such contracts are typically long-term and may extend to 40 or more years.
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4.4.2 Construction Schedule
Proposed construction schedule of the T/L is attached as Figure 4-9. The total duration of
the T/L construction will take around 2 years. It is anticipated that construction will start from
Matiari and Lahore on urgent basis.
4.4.3 Construction Camps
Camp sites will be located keeping in view the availability of an adequate area for
establishing camps including parking areas for machinery, stores and workshops, access to
communication and local markets and an appropriate distance from the sensitive areas in
the vicinity. Final locations will be selected by the Contractor with the approval of site
Engineer in-charge. A construction camp will consist of about 5000m2 (1.2 acre) of land.
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HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
It is estimated to establish a worker camp every 50 km in average along the line, depending
upon the land conditions.
Since the average distance between Towers will be about 350 m and the average time to
erect a Tower would be of one complete days.
4.4.4 Work Force
The Project involves many construction activities. For the purpose of ease, these are lumped
into three main groups of activities, namely foundation laying, Tower erection and conductor,
OHSW and OPGW stringing including fixing of hardware and accessories. Accordingly, three
types of construction crews are deployed for the work. The estimated work force required for
each group of activities for one (01) Construction Camp is shown in Table 4-7 below.
Table 4-7: Estimated Work Force Requirement for Proposed Bipole ± 600 KV HVDC
T/L Project
Foundation Tower Erection Conductor
Sr. No. Staff
Crew Crew Stringing Crew
1 Site In-charge 1 1 1
2 Site Engineer 1 1 2
3 Supervisor 1 - 4
4 Foreman 1 1 2
5 Assistant Foreman 1 1 2
6 Surveyors 1 - 1
7 Skilled Workers 12 8 14
8 Semi-skilled Workers - 8 14
9 Unskilled / Helpers 22 21 49
10 Drivers 2 3 4
Total 42 44 93
The total number of crew, skilled and unskilled labour to be employed will depend on the
Contractor‘s activity schedule at the time when the contract is awarded. The Contractor will
be advised to hire unskilled labour from the local communities. A training programme will be
conducted for unskilled workers (refer Section 9.12).
4.4.5 Construction Materials and Transport
The materials used for the construction of T/L include cement, coarse aggregates, fine
aggregates (sand) and steel. Tentative quantities of various materials required for single
Tower are provided in Table 4-8.
Table 4-8: Estimated Construction Materials for Single Tower
Sr. No. Type of Material Quantity/Tower Source
Local Materials
1. Cement 300 bags From nearby Cities
2. Sand 20 cu.m Locally
3. Crush 30 cu.m Locally
Imported Material
1. Steel Towers 12-19 Tonnes Imported and shifted from
Conductor, OHSW and Karachi Port to Site Stores.
2. 10,500 kg In case of domestic goods,
OPGW
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HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
Transportation of the material will be provided by contractors and suppliers and the number
of trucks moving on the roads should not exceed 5 to 8 days.
Construction Procedures: This section describe all the stages of the T/L construction that
may cause a potential impact on the bio-physical and social environments, i.e. preparatory
works that include access roads and the clearance of the ROW, construction of foundations,
erection of Towers and laying of cable. Furthermore, the labour camps and an anticipated
duration of the work are presented as an anticipated number of workers needed.
4.4.6 Access to the Construction Sties
The most of the length of the proposed T/L is approachable through National Highway (N-5),
Thar Road, Nara Canal Road, DesrtRaod and tother local roads and Railway Tracks. There
may be, however, certain areas where the Contractor has to develop a few new tracks.
Neverless on the sandy areas of Cholistan (Bahawalpur, Sadiqabad and Rahim Yar Khan for
Punjab) and Thar (Sanghar and Ghotki), the access could be more difficult and would
require possibly tractors mounted blades having normal width of about four (04) to five (05)
m.
According to usual terms and conditions, laid down by NTDC, the Contractor will be bound
not to cause any damage to the existing roads and village tracks during construction works
and due to movement of heavy vehicles. However, in case of any damage, the Contractor
will be responsible for its repair. In this regard, NTDC bounds the Construction Contractor by
withholding a 10% amount from the Contractors‘ interim bills submitted to the Engineer for
payments to exert the Contractor to complete his pending works.
4.4.7 Clearing of ROW
To minimize the environmental impacts, NTDC normally imposes restrictions on the clearing
of natural vegetation from ROW. This is allowed to the extent that is necessary for the safe
construction and operation of the lines. For this, the area required for the placement of
Tower footings will be completely cleared of vegetation, crops and trees. In the rest of the
ROW, selective clearing will be carried out. Trees more than 2.5 m high, which may obstruct
stringing or create hazard/danger to the T/L, will be removed. On the other hand, the
clearing of desert vegetation is restricted to what is required for placement of footings and for
the assembly and erection of Towers and wire pulling at site. While no such clearance is
allowed in orchards or other areas having fruit bearing trees, except as specifically approved
by the Engineer in the case of having no other alternative. NTDC allows that the cleared
materials such as trees, crops etc., will be the property of landowners. While other materials
such as fossils, coins and antiquities discovered on the site of the work will be deemed as
the property of GOP. The clearance of ROW from the vegetation is normally done by
mechanical means.
4.4.8 Tower Foundations and Erection
(a) Sitting of Towers
Since the Project is at the feasibility stage and detailed survey and design will be carried out
by the turnkey Contractor, the spotting of Tower locations has not been indicated at this
stage of the Project. If the subsoil conditions do not allow for any type of foundation specified
by the Designer, the location of the Tower is changed along the centerline in consultation
with the Engineer, without affecting the overall alignment of the T/L.
(b) Excavation, Concreting and Backfilling of Foundation
Depending upon the type of Tower and subsoil condition, the Tower footings have variable
dimensions. However, on an average 400 m2 working area is required for the excavation of
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HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
2
normal foundation and 500 m for pile foundation. The depth of excavation for the normal
foundation varies from about 2.5 to 5 m. The excavation for Tower footing is carried out
either manually or by mechanical excavator as per site requirements.
After fixing steel re-bars and concreting, the ditch is refilled with excavated material and the
site is brought to the original ground level. As such, only four Tower pedestals protrude
above the ground level by about 0.45 m for normal foundations and about 1.8 m for pile
foundations.
(c) Tower Erection
Tower erection will be carried out on the concreted locations with the help of Derrick Poles or
crane. The required working area for this activity will be about 900 m 2 for each Tower. The
Tower will be erected in panels of 2 m to 3 m height. The panels will be assembled on the
ground, lifted in parts with the help of Derrick Poles/crane and then joined together with nuts
and bolts, which are tightened at the specified torque.
4.4.9 Stringing of Conductors and Overhead Ground Wire
After Tower erection is accomplished, stringing activity will be started. This involves
preparing the Tower to access for tractor movement by clearing a strip of about 10 m wide
from all the obstacles. Positioning of tensioner and puller will be temporarily anchored on
both ends of the stringing stretch, which will be normally 3 to 6 km. At road, railway and
telephone line crossings, rider poles will be provided during stringing to avoid any
interruption to traffic or shutdown of the Power in the existing line. Shutdown will be arranged
for Power lines crossing transmission route and temporary delinked and un-dipped from the
Towers.
4.5 Operation and Maintenance (O&M)
The+ 600KV HVDC T/L will become a vital link in the transmission grid system of Pakistan.
Any outage on the line would seriously disrupt the Power supply to major load centers,
possibly causing extensive damage and losses. Grid Station Operation (GSO) Division of
NTDC (WAPDA) maintains regular patrolling/ inspection staff for patrolling and inspection of
the lines.
NTDC‘s patrolling crews will be required to carry out a general inspection of the T/L every
three (3) months, while a comprehensive inspection will be carried out every 3 years. Based
on PEPCO maintenance manuals, following paragraph lists the items to be checked by the
NTDC Inspection Crew during patrolling.
The O&M activities for different components are given below:
4.5.1 Foundations
Check for any soil settlement around the foundation chimney, any unusual cracks
between the stub angle and concrete and/or cracks in the concrete chimney;
Check for erosion in and around the Tower foundations. Where erosion exists, locations
and extent is noted on the inspection form, take measurement from the centerline. Note
if a stream (Nullah) or dry wash is causing the erosion. Also, note any damage done by
farming operations near or under the Tower. Towers located in the active hill-torrent
zone will require inspection on a continual basis; and
In areas where the line crosses hills/lowest slopes, very careful checking of the ground
clearance and the amount of foundation chimney that is exposed must be done. It is
anticipated that during different times of the year, either soil may be drifted up on the
Tower legs or chimney may be exposed. These should be noted and immediate
corrective measure taken to ensure uplift capability by replacing backfill or re-
establishing minimum ground clearance.
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HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
4.5.2 Steel Works
Look for bent or missing steel members, missing or loose bolts. An excellent test in addition
to visual inspection is to strike the Tower leg angle sharply with a stick of wood or rubber
hammer. Any loose bolts or members will produce a rattling sound.
4.5.3 Conductor, Overhead Ground Wire, Hardware and Insulators
Conductor is the most important part of the line. A very thorough visual inspection will be
made. The checklist for this component includes the followings:
Check every bolt, nut, pin and cotter pin on the conductor shoe, shackles connecting
links and other hardware fittings for looseness or missing;
Check for chips, dirt and/or lightning ―Tracks or marks‖ on the insulators. This lightning
mark will especially show up on the first few insulators nearest the Tower attachment
point;
There will not be cracks of any size in the insulators because before porcelain cracks, a
piece of the insulator will break off. Always look around the base of every Tower for
pieces of insulators, pins, bolts, nuts etc.;
Check every ball in the insulator strings for missing cotter pins. Note that ball can work
itself half way out and still holds. First, the cotter pin falls out, next with the continual
vibration the ball can very slowly work itself out to a point where the ball is only held by
half of the socket. One can spot this condition by a slight tilting of the insulator below or
beyond the loose ball. This also applies to shackle or hardware pins and is a very
serious condition. Report it immediately;
Check the stock-bridge dampers on the conductor and OPGW to make sure these are
in the proper position;
On dead end Towers, check the jumpers to see that all the bolts are tight in the jumper
pads. Also there should be no missing or loose slots; and
Along the line, check the conductors for frayed or broken strands.
Spot-check ground clearance and observe if any building or structure is being constructed
under the line. Also, check for any tree growing near or under the line. Report these
conditions immediately.
4.6 Principle for Clearing of Route
When HVDC transmission line is adjacent to private house, the undistorted synthetic electric
field on the ground surface in the location of private house under circumstance of wet
conductor shall not exceed 15kV/m. The scope of house demolition in the line corridor shall
be as follows in principle:
It shall be demolished without exception when it is located at and within 6.5m from the
ground projection of side conductor.
For houses outside 6.5m, the clear distance shall be guaranteed to be 14m at the time
of maximum wind deflection, and they can be left unremoved when the synthetic electric
field of house ground 7m outside the side conductor is less than the restricted value of
15kV/m, otherwise, the all houses within the line corridor shall be removed.
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HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
5.1 General
This Chapter describes the environmental baseline condition along the proposed T/L route
within a COI of 500m i.e. 250m from centerline on either side for the proposed T/L Project.
The data is based on the baseline surveys and secondary data such as DCRs, Google
satellite imagery (refer Index Map Figure 5-1).Landuse map of the proposed T/L and
Converter Station sites was prepared based on the collected and available information
utilizing Arc GIS and AUTOCAD. Landuse maps of proposed T/L and Converter Stations are
attached as Figure 5-2 (Sheet 1 to 47) & 5-3 (Sheet 1 & 2) in Volume 2.
Information on Soils, Topography, Climate, Hydrology, Land-use, Physical infrastructure,
Drainage, Water resources, Ambient air quality, Noise level, Flora, Fauna, Aquatic life,
Socio-economic indicators i.e. Demographic aspects, Occupations, Housing conditions,
Livelihoods, Indigenous people, Social settings, Women issues, Cultural assets, Historical
and Archaeological monuments and other relevant Environmental and Social parameters
was collected in the field through primary sources. Based on the collected information an
environmental profile containing physical, ecological and socio-economic parameters in the
form of a table was generated. Brief description of the baseline is given below. AM wise
environmental details are provided in the baseline environmental profile (Annex-IV)
presented in Volume II.
Principally the whole T/L has been divided into two (02) sections namely Section I&II.
Section-I lies in the Sindh Province i.e. from AM #1 to AM # 49 while Section-II lies in Punjab
Province i.e. from AM # 50 to AM #169.
5.2 Physical Environment
The following section provides an overview of the information on physical environment of the
COI collected from primary as well as secondary sources. The major parameters covered
include Physiography and Topography, Climate, Soil, Seismicity, Geology, Water
Resources, Ambient air, Noise, Landuse etc.
5.2.1 Physiography and Topography
Following is the description of Physiographic and Topographic conditions of the districts
through which the proposed T/L route is passing:
5.2.1.1 Section-I
T/L starts at the Samoo village in Matiarir district. Coverter station is also located in Matiari
distrirct. From AM # 1 to 7 the T/L crosses over higly fertile lands of Matiria districts.
Topography is flat. Orchards of Guava, Mangos etc. can be seen. This is a higly fertile land.
At AM# 8 to 27 the proposed T/L enters the Sanghar district. The district does not have any
mountain or hill. The T/L passes through eastern desert area and cultivated areas a portion
of Sanghar Taluka. Some of the area consists of barren tracks of sand dunes covered by
thorny bushes while most of the area is the cultivated lands.
At AM# 28 to 35 district Khairpur starts. The portion where T/L enters the district consists of
hills of windblown sand running in parallel rows from north-east to south-east. This is known
as Rajistan and is part of the Thar Desert.
From Khairpur T/L enter the Sukkur district near AM# 36. The T/L passes through desert
portion of the Salehput sub-division.
T/L passes through the Ghotki district from AM# 41 to AM# 49. T/L passes through the
desert area of the district i.e. Mirpur Mathelo and sub-division Khan Garh which consists of
hills of windblown sand and known as Rajistan and is part of Thar desert.
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HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
5.2.1.2 Section-II
T/L enters the Sadiqabad at AM # 49 district Rahim Yar Khan. T/L passes through the desert
area known as Cholistan. The surface of the desert consists of a succession of sand dunes
and covered with the vegetation peculiar to sandy tracts.
Bahawalpur district starts at AM# 63. T/L continues on the desert area known as Cholistan. It
extends along the entire eastern boundary of Bahawalnagar district in the north and Rahim
Yar Khan district in the south. The surface of the desert consists of a succession of sand
dunes. It is covered with the vegetation peculiar to the sandy tracks.
T/L enters Bahawalnager district at AM # 75. The line passes through the irrigated
agriculture area. This area is known as Uttar (Nehri) and lies between the railway line and
the Cholistan. The main source of irrigation in this area is semi-perennial and perennial
canals which debouche from Sulemanki Head Works. T/L crosses the Sutlej.
T/L enters Pakpattan district at AM# 95. The area is a flat plain, covered on the north by the
old bed of the Bias River. The major means of irrigation in the COI are canal and tubewells.
Pakpattan canal takes off from Sulemanki Headwork‘s also cross by the T/L. This canal and
its branch namely Khadir branch irrigate a vast area of the district.
T/L enters Okara after AM # 125. T/L is crossed by Depalur canal. T/L crosses the semi-
urban area which is rich in agriculture.
T/L enters Kasur district at AM # 151 near village Kitan Kalan and passes through the upland
area where T/L also crosses the old bed of Bias River. The soil is sandy. The upland is flat
plain sloping from north-east to south-west. T/L enters the district Nankana Sahib and ends
near Lahore
5.2.2 Climate
This section presents the climate details of the meteorological gauging stations situated near
the T/L starting from Matiari to Converter Station near Lahore. Figure 5-4 shows the location
of Meteorological Gauging Stations existing near the proposed T/L route. Detailed report
related to the Climate is attached as Annex-V.
5.2.2.1 Section-I
Temperature
Table 5-1 describes the mean daily maximum and minimum temperatures in Summer and
Winter seasons of the Meteorological Gauging Stations which represents the climate of
Section-I:
Table 5–1 (a): Mean Daily Temperatures at Meteorological Gauging Stations (1981-
2010)
Mean Daily Mean Daily
Meteorological Temperature Temperature
Sr.
Gauging District 0
(Summer) C
0
(Winter) C
No.
Station
Minimum Maximum Minimum Maximum
1 Sukkur Sukkur 34.6 35.6 14.8 16.5
2 Nawabshah Benazirabad 33.8 35.7 15.4 16.9
3 Hyderabad Hyderabad 32.4 34.0 18.0 19.6
Source: 1. Pakistan Meteorological Services; and
2. Surface Water Hydrology Project, WAPDA.
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HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
Graphical representations of monthwise temperature data of above mentioned
Meteorological Gauging Station are given below in Figure 5-5 to 5-7.
50.0
Monthly Min. Temp Monthly Max. Temp Mean Monthly Temp
45.0
40.0
35.0
Temperature ( 0C)
30.0
25.0
20.0
15.0
10.0
5.0
0.0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
The climate of Sukkur can be classified as hot and arid. The mean daily temperature ranges
from 34.6 0C to 35.6 0C in the summer season (May to July) and 14.8 0C to 16.5 0C in winter
season (December to January).
50.0
Monthly Min. Temp Monthly Max. Temp Mean Monthly Temp
45.0
40.0
35.0
Temperature ( 0C)
30.0
25.0
20.0
15.0
10.0
5.0
0.0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
The climate of Nawabshah can be classified as hot and arid. The mean daily temperature
ranges from 33.8 0C to 35.7 0C in the summer season (May to July) and 15.4˚ to 16.9 0C in
winter season (December to January).
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HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
Figure 5–7: Mean Monthly Temperature of Hyderabad Meteorological Gauging Station
(1981-2010)
50.0
Monthly Min. Temp Monthly Max. Temp Mean Monthly Temp
45.0
40.0
35.0
Temperature ( 0C)
30.0
25.0
20.0
15.0
10.0
5.0
0.0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
The climate of Hyderabad can be classified as hot and arid. The mean daily temperature
ranges from 32.4 0C to 34.0 0C in the summer season (May to July) and 18.0˚ to 19.6 0C in
winter season (December to January).
Relative Humidity
Variation in mean monthly relative humidity over a year for the above Meteorological
Gauging Stations which represents the climate of Section-I is given in Table 5-1(b).
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HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
Precipitation
The mean monthly rainfall over the year for Meteorological Gauging Stations which
represents the climate of Section-I is given in Table 5-1(c).
Wind Speed
Wind speed data at 3 hours interval for Meteorological Gauging Stations of Section-I is given
in Table 5-1(d).
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5.2.2.2 Section-II
Table 5-2 (a) shows the mean daily maximum and minimum temperatures in Summer and
Winter seasons of the Meteorological Gauging Stations which represents the T/L Section-II
from AM # 50 to 74.
Temperature
50.0
Monthly Min. Temp Monthly Max. Temp Mean Monthly Temp
45.0
40.0
35.0
Temperature ( 0C)
30.0
25.0
20.0
15.0
10.0
5.0
0.0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
The climate of Khanpur can be classified as hot and arid. The mean daily temperature
ranges from 33.1 0C to 34.8 0C in the summer season (May to July) and 13.3 0C to 15.1 0C in
winter season (December to January).
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HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
Figure 5–9: Mean Monthly Temperature of Bahawalpur Meteorological Gauging
Station (1981-2010)
50.0
Monthly Min. Temp Monthly Max. Temp Mean Monthly Temp
45.0
40.0
35.0
Temperature ( 0C)
30.0
25.0
20.0
15.0
10.0
5.0
0.0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
The climate of Bahawalpur can be classified as hot and arid. The mean daily temperature
ranges from 33.2 0C to 35.0 0C in the summer season (May to July) and 13.5 0C to 15.5 0C in
winter season (December to January).
Relative Humidity
Variation in mean monthly relative humidity over a year Seasons of the Meteorological
Gauging Stations which represents the climate of Section-II is given in Table 5-2(b).
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HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
Precipitation
The mean monthly rainfall over the year for Meteorological Gauging Stations which
represents the climate of Section-II is given in Table 5-2(c).
Wind Speed
Wind speed data at 3 hours interval for Meteorological Gauging Stations of Section-II is
given in Table 5-2(d).
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HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
Table 5-3 (a) shows the mean daily maximum and minimum temperatures in Summer and
Winter Seasons of the Meteorological Gauging Stations which represents the T/L Section-II
from AM #75 to 169.
Temperature
50.0
Monthly Min. Temp Monthly Max. Temp Mean Monthly Temp
45.0
40.0
35.0
Temperature ( 0C)
30.0
25.0
20.0
15.0
10.0
5.0
0.0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
The climate of Bahawalnagar can be classified as hot and arid. The mean daily temperature
ranges from 33.4 0C to 35.0 0C in the summer season (May to July) and 13.3 0C to 15.4 0C in
winter season (December to January).
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HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
Figure 5–11: Mean Monthly Temperature of Faisalabad Meteorological Gauging
Station (1981-2010)
50.0
Monthly Min. Temp Monthly Max. Temp Mean Monthly Temp
45.0
40.0
35.0
Temperature ( 0C)
30.0
25.0
20.0
15.0
10.0
5.0
0.0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
The climate of Faisalabad can be classified as hot and semi arid. The mean daily
temperature ranges from 31.4 0C to 33.5 0C in the summer season (May to July) and 11.80C
to 13.7 0C in winter season (December to January).
50.0
Monthly Min. Temp Monthly Max. Temp Mean Monthly Temp
45.0
40.0
35.0
Temperature ( 0C)
30.0
25.0
20.0
15.0
10.0
5.0
0.0
Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
The climate of Lahore can be classified as hot and semi-arid. The mean daily temperature
ranges from 31.3 0C to 33.6 0C in the summer season (May to July) and 13.2 0C to 14.8 0C in
winter season (December to January).
Relative Humidity
Variation in mean monthly relative humidity over a year Seasons of the Meteorological
Gauging Stations which represents the climate of Section-II is given in Table 5-3(b).
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Table 5–3(b): Relative Humidity (1981-2010)
Relative Humidity (%)
Bahawalnagar Faisalabad Lahore
Month
00:00 03:00 12:00 00:00 03:00 12:00 00:00 03:00 12:00
hr hr hr hr hr hr hr hr hr
January 88.6 85.8 49.5 89.9 87.8 51.9 86.0 84.2 51.5
February 84.7 79.4 43.0 87.3 81.8 44.4 79.9 76.4 44.8
March 79.2 70.6 36.7 82.7 74.1 40.1 74.7 68.0 40.2
April 62.2 49.8 23.8 68.8 54.3 29.3 60.1 48.6 27.2
May 54.4 43.5 21.6 57.6 43.3 25.5 52.7 42.9 24.5
June 61.0 52.6 28.9 64.2 51.5 31.8 61.2 52.4 33.2
July 74.6 68.6 46.1 79.0 70.7 50.0 80.5 73.9 57.0
August 78.7 71.0 50.2 83.0 75.2 54.7 84.6 78.2 62.3
September 79.1 70.5 44.5 84.1 73.8 47.2 81.4 73.6 52.5
October 77.3 66.5 35.0 81.5 71.3 39.2 79.1 71.5 42.6
November 81.2 72.6 39.3 86.6 81.8 45.1 82.5 78.9 47.8
December 86.8 83.4 48.1 87.8 86.3 50.1 85.3 83.7 52.7
Time is according to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT): Pakistan Standard
Time is GMT + 05:00 hrs
Source (Pakistan Meteorological Department)
Precipitation
The mean monthly rainfall over the year for Meteorological Gauging Stations which
represents the climate of Section-II is given in Table 5-3(c).
Table 5–3(c): Mean Monthly Rainfall (1981-2010)
Mean Monthly Rainfall (mm)
Month
Bahawalnagar Faisalabad Lahore
January 11.4 11.1 23.2
February 17.3 19.1 35.3
March 15.7 23.8 36.0
April 10.8 23.7 21.6
May 13.2 14.9 22.4
June 39.2 43.8 55.1
July 70.8 100.8 190.9
August 34.2 87.0 179.4
September 14.9 42.5 60.4
October 7.9 4.7 15.3
November 2.5 2.0 6.8
December 3.6 7.1 9.8
Annual 241.5 380.5 656.7
Source (Pakistan Meteorological Department)
Wind Speed
Wind speed data at 3 hours interval for Meteorological Gauging Stations of Section-II is
given in Table 5-3(d).
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Table 5–3(d): Mean Wind Speed at Synoptic Hours (1981-2010)
Wind Speed (Knots)
Bahawalnagar Faisalabad Lahore
Month
00:00 03:00 12:00 00:00 03:00 12:00 00:00 03:00 12:00
hr hr hr hr hr hr hr hr hr
January 1.0 1.0 2.3 0.5 0.5 1.4 0.5 0.4 1.5
February 1.3 1.3 3.2 0.9 0.9 2.8 1.0 0.8 2.8
March 2.1 2.1 3.8 1.1 1.4 3.0 1.3 1.4 3.5
April 2.0 2.4 4.1 1.7 2.5 3.5 1.6 1.9 3.6
May 3.1 3.9 4.6 1.8 3.4 3.8 1.7 2.3 3.0
June 3.3 5.1 4.9 2.1 4.1 4.4 1.8 2.7 3.0
July 2.9 4.3 4.4 2.1 4.1 4.6 1.6 2.4 2.8
August 2.8 3.6 4.4 1.6 3.5 4.4 0.9 1.6 2.3
September 1.9 2.7 3.7 1.0 2.3 3.4 0.7 1.2 2.1
October 1.1 1.3 2.3 0.6 1.0 1.6 0.4 0.6 1.2
November 0.8 0.8 1.6 0.3 0.5 0.8 0.4 0.3 0.6
December 0.7 0.7 1.5 0.4 0.4 0.8 0.4 0.3 0.7
Time is according to Greenwich Mean Time (GMT): Pakistan Standard
Time is GMT + 05:00 hrs
Source (Pakistan Meteorological Department)
5.2.3 Soil
The soil is dependent on the geology of the area as the route of the proposed project passes
from various topographical locations dessert and plain green fields. Soil of the desert area is
composed of sand with no moisture and organic content having light brown appearance. The
soils of the Arid Zone are generally sandy to sandy-loam in texture. The consistency and
depth vary according to the topographical features. The low-lying loams are heavier and may
have a hard pan. Some of these soils contain a high percentage of soluble salts in the lower
horizons, turning water in the wells brackish.
5.2.3.1 Section-I
The Coverter Station and T/L starts in Matiari district, the soils formed here are sandy, silt
loam/fine sand and calcareous / fine textured respectively. The soils are calcareous alluvial
loam fine to medium textured homogenized and well drained. These are highly fertile and
productive. Moisture content in the soils is very high. The soil falls in erinaceous zone.
Suitability Criteria of Soils for the construction of Grid Station and T/L are given in the
following:
These include composition, structure, texture and susceptibility to frost, shrinkage, swell
potential, permeability drainage, depth of water table, moisture and bearing capacity.
Corrosiveness, sulphate content, electrical conductivity and salinity/alkalinity are the
common parameters considered for determination of soil suitability for the construction of
towers and transmission lines.
The soils of the District Sanghar is fertile and mixture of sand and clay having light brown
appearance. It is rich in organic content and making conditions suitable for farming and
irrigation.
There are seven (07) main groups of soils which are found in the desert portion of the
Sagnhar, Gotki and Sulkkur distriects. These are:
Desert soils;
Red desertic soils;
Sierozems (brownish grey soils);
Red and yellow spoils of the foothills;
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HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
The saline soild of the depressions;
The lithosols (shallow, weathered soils); and
Rigosols (soft loose soils) found in the hills.
All of these soils are generally coarse-textured, well drained and calcareous in nature. At
varying depths, a thick accumulation of lime may also be encountered. The soils of Thar
Desert are usually overblown with sand due to severe wind erosion. In general, these are
infertile soils except for the rainy period.
The fertile portion of the soil of District Sukkur and Ghotki which are found along the
proposed COI consists of loose sand forming domes due to wind action. Local nullahs and
tributaries form deltas, consist of sandy silt/silty sand at the surface and silty sandy gravel at
depth.
5.2.3.2 Section-II
The soil conditions of district Rahim Yar Khan is similar with district Sukkur and Ghotki which
is discussed in Section-I. The soil along the COI of T/L in district Bahawalpur consists of
sandy silt/silty sand that are all eolian land deposits, lower horizons of Bahawalpur area
have soluble salts, converting subsurface water brackish/saltish.
The Bahawalnagar, Pakpattan, Okara and Kasur district exist in the central Indus Basin,
forming wide spread terracos having the soil consisting dominantly silt with trace to little
amount of sand and clay. Soil is light brown in colour and it is very fertile.
Sutlej River is passing through this area establishing streamed and meandering bed
deposits. This soil also consists of silt with traced to little amount of sand and clay at the
surface and silty sandy gravel at depth.
5.2.4 Seismology
On the basis of Peak Ground Acceleration (PGA) values obtained through Probabilistic
Seismic Hazard Assessment (PSHA), Pakistan is divided into five (05) seismic zones in line
with the UBC (1997). The boundaries of these zones are defined on the basis as shown in
Table 5-4.
Table 5-4: Values of Seismic Zones of Pakistan
Sr. No. Zone PGA (g)
1 1 0.05 to 0.08
2 2A 0.08 to 0.16
3 2B 0.16 to 0.24
4 3 0.24 to 0.32
5 4 > 0.32 g
The proposed T/L route i.e. Section-I & II as per Building Code of Pakistan (BCP), 2007
(Seismic Provisions) falls entirely in the zone 2A which is the regions of moderate seismic
risk (refer to Figure 5-13). Hence all the applicable provisions of BCP, stated in Chapter 11
related to, Mechanical and Electrical System should be met during the design and
construction12 for safety against seismic hazards.
5.2.5 Geology
The proposed T/L route passes the Indus plain and lower Indus Basin in the Southern area
of Pakistan. It is bounded in the north by the central Indus Basin, North West by the
12
Building Code of Pakistan (Seismic Provisions – 2007), Ministry of Housing and Works
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HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
Sulaiman Fold Belt and Kirthar Fold Belt in the West (refer Figure 5-14). Following is the
description of geology of the area.
Tectonics
Pakistan geologically overlaps both with the Indian and the Eurasian tectonic plates where
its Sindh and Punjab provinces lie on the north-western corner of the Indian plate
while Balochistan and most of the Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa lie within the Eurasian plate which
mainly comprises the Iranian plateau, some parts of the Middle East and Central Asia.
Geomorphology
The alluvial deposits along the proposed T/L are mainly from the river Indus. These alluvial
landforms are distributed in an orderly pattern in relation to that amount of the deposits of the
river. The Indus has flown through a broad track of active flood plain. Flanking this landform
and lying parallel to it are broad almost unbroken belts of meander flood plains. These have
a general level somewhat higher than that of the river.
Route Lithology
As mentioned earlier that the proposed T/L will start from Matiari and end at Nankana Sahib
(near Lahore). There are different types of Quaternary deposits which exist along the
proposed T/L route (refer Figure 5-14). These Quaternary deposits are described section
wise below:
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HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
5.2.5.1 Section-I
Alluvial Deposits
The proposed T/L will starts from Matiari District. The area comprises of stream and
meander bed deposits consisting of unconsolidated silty sand/sandy silt intervened by
levelled flood plains formed by the River Indus. The depth of such deposits may vary up to
several hundreds of meter and belongs to Pleistocene to Recent age.
Alluvial and Eolian Sand Deposits
The area near Sanghar consists of Alluvial and Eolian deposits. The alluvial deposits
consists of stream bed and meander belts deposits of Indus River which on later stage
transported by the wind action forming low relief sand dunes.
Eolian Sand and Longitudinal Sand Dune Deposits
These are the loose sand deposited by the extinct streams with sandy silt/ silty sand as the
surface layer at places. The districts containing these deposits are Khairpur, Sukkur, Ghotki,
and a part of Rahimyar Khan.
5.2.5.2 Section-II
Eolian Sand Deposits
The districts containing these deposits are Rahim Yar Khan and Bahawalpur. These are the
loose sand deposited by the extinct streams with sandy silt as the surface layer at places.
Stream Bed and Meander Belt Deposits
These deposits are found in the district Bahawalpur along the proposed T/L route. These
deposits are stream bed and the meander bed deposits, consists mainly of silty sand /sandy
silt at the surface and silty sandy gravel at depth with lower relief deltas and uneven
surfaces ranging from 10 to 25 m.
Eolian Sand Deposits
These deposits are found in the Bahawalnagar districts along the proposed T/L route. These
are the loess and flood plain deposits of extinct streams with sandy silt as the surface layer
at places with uneven surfaces at places.
Loess and Flood Plain Deposits
It consists of flood plains deposits also forming the wide spread terraces. These deposits
consist of silt with trace to little amount of sand and clay. These deposits are found in the
district Pakpattan along the proposed T/L route.
Stream Bed and Meander Belt Deposits
These deposits are found in the district Okara along the proposed T/L route. These are the
streamed and meander bed deposits consist of silty sand with trace to little amount of clay at
the surface and silty sandy gravel at depth. It forms the alluvial fans of the river with the
relief ranging from 15-25 m.
Loess Deposits
It consists of alluvial deposits of the river Ravi forming terraces. It is mainly silt with sand and
small fraction of clay. These deposits are found in the district Kasur and Lahore along the
proposed T/L route.
5.2.6 Water Resources
In the COI water resources i.e. groundwater and surface water exist at various locations.
Surface water canals, streams, drains, rivers are of perennial and non-perennial nature.
Most of the proposed COI is located in fresh groundwater area however, at places brackish
groundwater also encoutered. Irrigation requirements are fulfilled through these resources
by installing tubewells, canals and rain (barani).
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HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
5.2.6.1 Surface Water
Section-I
Proposed T/L does not cross any river. However, some canals/distributroies/minors are
being crossed over in the Section-I. Table below shows the details of these crossings.
Table 5–5: Surface Water Resources falling in the COI of the proposed T/L (Section-I)
Section-II
Rivers
The Proposed T/L crosses the Sutlej River and River Ravi near AM # 92 and 93and AM #
166 and 167 respectively. The hydrology of the Sutlej and Ravi River is given below:
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HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
Hydrology
Sutlej River in Bahawalnagar district crosses the proposed T/L near AM # 92 and 93.
Proposed T/L also crosses the River Ravi near AM # 166 and 167. Last AMs of the
proposed T/L are located in the flood plains of Ravi River near Lahore. A brief description
about these rivers is given below:
Sutlej River
Sutlej River originates in western Tibet, south of the Kailas Mountain Range. In this area
Indus, Brahmaputra and Ganges also begin their long journey. The total length of the river
till the confluence with Chenab River is about 1,550 km. The river flows first in north-westerly
direction, crossing the Mansrowar and RakesLakes north of the Tibet-India-Nepal triple point
and drains the northern slopes of the GreatHimalayaRange with peaks upto 7,800 m. The
river reaches Pakistan about 10 km downstream of Ferozepur barrage, where the borderline
mingles with the river alignment. Below the Rohi nallah confluence till Ferozepur barrage,
the river again flows through Indian Punjab. Thereafter, it becomes border line for some
kilometres and only from Bakerke onward, some 15km downstream of Ferozepur, Sutlej
runs entirely in Pakistani territory.
Floods in the Sutlej occur particularly around August due to heavy rainfall during the
monsoon as a result of storm depressions originating from the Bay of Bengal.
Ravi River
The river drains a catchment area of over 40,000 km2. The river originates in the Lesser
Himalayan mountains in the centre of the Indian state of Himachal Pradesh. From its source
to the confluence with Chenab River downstream of Trimmu barrage it travels about 900 km.
The river enters Pakistan at Kot Naina, about 33 km upstream of the rim station Jassar
Bridge. Then for more than 100 km all the way down to Ravi syphon, the Ravi forms the
border between Pakistan and India. From Jassar Bridge, it traverses through 385 km before
joining Chenab River, about 75 km below Trimmu barrage. Sidhnai barrage is the last
structure on Ravi River, which is located 27 km upstream of its confluence with Chenab
River.
The upper area of Ravi basin is mountainous with elevations up to 5,000 to 6,000 m. Its
major part is covered with forest. Only the plains, about 25% of the upper area, are
cultivated. The river has wide flood plains, varying in width from 8 to 12 kms. This implies
extreme low flood wave celerities.
Floods in Ravi River are generated by monsoon rains from July through September and
most frequently in August. The magnitude of flood is considerable in the upper reaches,
which reduces due to the wide flood plains in the lower reaches.
Proposed T/L does crosses canals, distributories and minors in the Section-II. Distributaries
and minors are being crossed by the proposed T/L which are given below in the Table 5-4.
Table 5–6: Surface Water Resources falling in the COI of the proposed T/L (Section II)
Sr.
Sub-Section District Canal Name
No.
1 AM #50 to 51 Raheem Yar Khan Lakhi Canal and Water Ponds
2 AM #50 to 51 Raheem Yar Khan Maleer Canal
3 AM #53 to 54 Raheem Yar Khan Kander Minor
4 AM #54 to 55 Raheem Yar Khan Chaman Distributary
5 AM #57 to 58 Raheem Yar Khan Abe Hayat Distributary
6 AM #73 to 74 Bahawalpur Fateh Distributary
7 AM #74 to 75 Bahawalpur Fateh Distributary
8 AM #75 to 76 Bahawalnagar Faten Minor From Ford Canal and Same Nullah
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HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
Sr.
Sub-Section District Canal Name
No.
9 AM #78 to 79 Bahawalnagar Sher Freed Minor Canal From Ford Canal
10 AM #79 to 80 Bahawalnagar Soda Minor from Ford Canal
Soda Minor from Ford Canal (Passing near to COI) and
11 AM #81 to 82 Bahawalnagar Water Ponds
12 AM #83 to 84 Bahawalnagar Sher Freed Minor Canal From Ford Canal
13 AM #89 to 90 Bahawalnagar Sikandar Minor
14 AM #92 to 93 Bahawalnagar River Sutlej
15 AM #98 to 99 Pakpattan Buddan Shah Minor
16 AM #99 to 100 Pakpattan Buddan Shah Minor
17 AM # 100 to 101 Pakpattan Buddan Shah Minor
18 AM #102 to 103 Pakpattan Khadir Branch (Pakpatan Canal)
19 AM #102 to 103 Pakpattan Hazara Distributary
20 AM # 106 to 107 Pakpattan Pakpattan Distributary from Khadar Canal
Pakpattan Distributary from Khadar Canal (passing
21 AM # 107 to 108 Pakpattan near to COI)
22 AM # 109 to 110 Pakpattan Khama Dogar Minor from Khadar Canal
23 AM # 110 to 111 Pakpattan Moga Minor from Khadar Canal
24 AM # 111 to 112 Pakpattan Taber Minor from Khadar Canal
25 AM #117 to 118 Pakpattan Malka Hans Distributry
26 AM #118 to 119 Pakpattan Nur pur Distributry
27 AM # 124 to 125 Pakpattan Nahran Wala Distributry
28 AM # 125 to 126 Okara Same Nullah
29 AM # 127 to 128 Okara 50-B Minor from Okara Canal
30 AM # 128 to 129 Okara Dastagir Canal
31 AM # 129 to 130 Okara Minor from Dastagir Canal
32 AM # 134 to 135 Okara Qila Javed Singh Canal
33 AM # 139 to 140 Okara Fauji 1L Minor from Khokhar Canal
5.2.6.2 Groundwater
Section-I
Groundwater is generally sweet and at some locations it is brackish in this section of the
proposed T/L COI. Almost all the settlements in the COI utilize ground water for drinking
purpose through hand pumps and for irrigation purpose through tubewells.
Section-II
Groundwater conditions in the COI of Section-II are somewhat similar to Section-I due to the
presence of distributaries and minors in the surroundings areas. Groundwater in the COI is
generally fresh and potable near canals and distributaries but at somelocationsit is reported
as brackish. Settlements of the COI use the groundwater for drinking and irrigation purpose
through tubewells and hand pumps. In general the depth of the ground water varies
between 10 to 15 m.
Groundwater in the COI is generally fresh and potable. The water table depth decreases as
we move away from the main canals. The settlements near the COI utilize the groundwater
for drinking purpose through hand pumps and motor pumps. The groundwater is also
utilized for irrigation purposes through the tubewells especially in the tail areas of the canals
(minor), where the water supply through the canal stream is reduced.
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HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
5.2.7 Environmental Monitoring, Sampling and Testing for Proposed T/L
To determine the existing ambient air quality, background noise levels, water and
wastewater characteristics of the COI, external monitoring and testing was carried out at
about 80 locations. The work for external monitoring and testing was awarded to M/S
Solution Environmental & Analytical Laboratory (SEAL, EPA certified). The work was
awarded as per Public Procurement Regulatory Authority (PPRA) regulations through a
competitive bidding. Monitoring was carried out from 03 July, 2015 to 15 July, 2015 in the
supervision of NESPAK experts. All the details are in the Environmental Monitoring Report
(refer Annex-VI). The sampling locations selected for the Environmental Monitoring of
ambient air, noise and water for Proposed T/L Section-I and II are shown in Table 5-7 a &b
below.
5.2.7.1 Section-I
WW-02
GW-07
Open AA-07
Hand Pump
7 41-51 Ghotki Sewage Mast Wari --
Khobur
-- Kobhur Bhit
Muhalla
Muhulla
Grand Total 04 07 02 07 06
Ambient air monitoring results of all districts are within limits of NEQS;
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HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
Background noise levels measured on section-I are in comliance with NEQS except
two locations i.e Sekhat Road and Shahdadpur Road which are not in compliance
because of road side traffic.
Groundwater results for all district except Sanghar and Sukkur are not within the
limits of WHO Water Quality Standards; and
Surface water and wastewater results are within limits of NEQS.
5.2.7.2 Section-II
WW-01
GW-07 Hamarath AA-07 NL-07
SW-06
7 95-124 Pakpattan Hand Pump Open Chak 33 Arifwala Sahiwal
Pakpattan Canal
Garnaj Sewage SP Road
GW-08
SW-07 NL-08
Tube Well AA-08
8 95-124 Pakpattan Malika Hans -- Pakpattan Arifwala
Tibbi Kalu Chak 68 D
Distributary Road
Wali
SW- 11
SW-08 GW-09 NL-09
Sher AA-09
9 125-150 Okara Alward Hand Pump -- Piplipahar Depalpur
Garh Chak 50 D
Minor Chak 7/1-L Road
Feeder
NL-10 NL-14
WW-02
GW-10 Depalpur Near
Open AA-10
10 125-150 Okara -- Hand Pump Renala chak
Sewage Chak 7/1-L
Chak 6/1-AL Khurd 6/1-AL
Chak 6/1-AL
Road
GW-11 WW-03
NL-11
Hand Pump Open AA-11
11 151-161 Kasur Shahrah-e-Quaid e
-- Shaikhum Sewage Chak 41
Azam Road
Khurd Gopi Rai
GW-12 AA-12
SW-09
Hand Pump Chah NL-12
12 Kasur Niaz Baig --
151-161 Near Bharianwal Balloki Hala Road
Distributary
Qasaiwala a
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Ambient
Sr. Stretch
District Surface water Groundwater Wastewater Air Noise Level
No A.M
Monitoring
GW-13 AA-13 NL-13
Nankana SW-10
13 167-169 Tube Well -- Bunga Lower Bari Doab
Sahib River Ravi
Bunga Malan Malan Road
Grand Total 11 13 03 13 14
Ambient air monitoring results of all districts are within limits of NEQS;
Background noise levels monitoring results of all districts are within limits of NEQs;
Groundwater results for all district are exceeding limits of WHO Water Quality
Standards except Nankana Sahib, Bahawalnagar, Pakpattan; and
Surface water and wastewater results for all districts are within limits of NEQS.
The groundwater samples were tested for 20 selected parameters as per requirements of
World Health Organization (WHO) and wastewater samples for 37 parameters including 32
parameters of NEQS. Surface water samples were tested for 37 parameters. Ambient air
quality and background noise levels were monitored according to the guidelines of NEQS.
All the details are in the Environmental Monitoring Report (refer Annex-VI).
5.2.8 Landuse
There are different classes of landuse i.e. utilizing the canal water, tubewells and lift pumps,
irrigated agricultural land rain fed (barani) agricultural land and uncultivable land. Landuse
maps of the proposed T/L Project are presented as Figure 5-2 & 5-3 in Volume-II of EIA
Report. A brief of landuse is given below.
5.2.8.1 Section-I
The COI in Section-I is rich in source of irrigation (i.e. canals/minors). In some portion of the
Sanghar district although irrigation water is available at few places water comes from natural
precipitation or the runoff water coming down from the surrounding area during floods so
rain fed (barani) agriculture is practiced in these parts of COI. Landuse of the Section-I
based on the GIS landuse map in the COI and ROW is given in Table 5-8 a and b below.
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HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
Section-I
1 AM # 1 to 6 Matiari 830.54 85.11 546.10 39.27 42.13 15.19 3.12 1561.46
2 AM# 7 to 26 Sanghar 6747.10 91.52 3214.24 195.64 277.98 110.06 442.98 11,079.52
3 AM# 27 to 34 Khairpur 1276.21 9.60 8967.11 103.95 23.56 6.73 197.20 10,584.35
4 AM # 35 to 39 Sukkur 2517.77 90.60 4727.55 123.16 42.00 48.39 76.72 7,626.20
5 AM # 40 to 49 Ghotki 3799.68 13.78 3915.26 150.96 88.07 96.82 205.89 8,270.46
Total 15171.31 290.60 21370.26 612.98 473.75 277.20 925.90 39121.99
Percentage 39% 1% 55% 2% 1% 1% 2%
Sr.
No. Sub-Section District Agriculture Tree Cover Barren Land Residential Roads Water Course Water Pond Total
Section-I
1 AM # 1 to 6 Matiari 150.16 18.12 119.82 2.51 6.51 2.99 0.00 300.11
2 AM# 7 to 26 Sanghar 1357.99 15.59 672.76 9.12 55.60 21.74 73.35 2,206.16
3 AM# 27 to 34 Khairpur 214.98 0.96 1854.58 12.61 4.89 1.34 24.81 2,114.17
4 AM # 35 to 39 Sukkur 512.48 21.12 940.81 18.99 8.55 9.63 14.37 1,525.95
5 AM # 40 to 49 Ghotki 766.65 0.61 788.63 18.41 15.52 19.09 45.20 1,654.10
3002.26 56.39 4376.60 61.63 91.08 54.79 157.74 7800.49
Total
Percentage 38% 1% 56% 1% 1% 1% 2%
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HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
5.2.8.2 Section-II
Project Area of Section-II is mostly irrigated agricultural land where the main source of
irrigation is distributaries and minors even in the deset areas only a few places irrigation
water is not available. The source of surface water in the COI of Section-II is Kandera Minor,
Khamman-IL Minor, Chaman Distributary, Ab-i-Hayat Distributary, Nathal Minor, Hasilpur
Distributary and Fateh Distributary.
The cropping pattern followed in the Project Area in general is the Rabi Crop, which is sown
during the month of November to December and is harvested during May to June and the
Kharif crop sown during June, July and harvested in the month of October to November. The
main Kharif crops are rice, maize, cotton and sugarcane, and the major Rabi crops are
wheat Vegetables, pulses. Fodder is also grown in the area by the farmers to supplement
their income in both Kharif and Rabi seasons.
Table 5-9 a and b provides the information collected through GIS Satellite imagery regarding
the landuse in COI and ROW of Section-II.
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HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
Section-II
1 AM # 50 to 62 Rahimyar Khan 3049.15 49.69 11177.34 113.34 52.82 47.97 10.16 14,500.47
2 Am # 63 to 74 Bahawalpur 8364.37 53.81 48.12 2146.93 60.01 9.11 4.34 10,686.70
3 AM # 75 to 94 Bahawalnagar 13764.84 22.78 344.19 9398.55 127.91 91.52 33.14 23,782.94
4 AM # 95 to 124 Pakpattan 71.18 3.48 236.67 6906.54 127.92 41.17 5.16 7,392.13
5 AM # 125 to 150 Okara 305.33 343.22 172.98 4830.22 119.88 21.60 20.04 5,813.27
6 AM # 151 to 166 Kasur 18.20 156.21 78.18 2581.94 56.98 16.72 0.84 2,909.07
7 AM # 167 to 169 Nankana Sahib 16.33 27.59 11.25 489.47 3.94 91.45 4.54 644.56
25589.39 656.79 12068.72 26467.01 549.47 319.55 78.22 65729.14
39% 1% 18% 40% 1% 0% 0%
Section-II
1 AM # 50 to 62 Rahimyar Khan 634.71 12.61 2179.55 8.61 9.77 11.67 2.06 2,858.98
2 Am # 63 to 74 Bahawalpur 1072.32 15.32 4159.84 11.30 18.05 8.87 0.94 5,286.64
3 AM # 75 to 94 Bahawalnagar 1249.64 7.51 149.59 28.05 18.37 11.28 3.94 1,468.38
4 AM # 95 to 124 Pakpattan 1417.56 0.15 14.23 8.00 24.31 7.19 0.71 1,472.14
5 AM # 125 to 150 Okara 984.13 77.08 67.30 8.48 24.53 4.23 4.42 1,170.17
6 AM # 151 to 166 Kasur 564.31 35.39 3.37 3.04 10.99 3.02 - 620.11
7 AM # 167 to 169 Nankana Sahib 99.09 6.29 3.36 0.85 0.60 14.83 0.75 125.78
6021.76 154.35 6577.25 68.33 106.61 61.08 12.83 13002.21
Total 46% 1% 51% 1% 1% 0% 0% 28,603.19
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HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
5.3 Ecological Environment
5.3.1 Major Habitats Bio Diversity Features
The proposed Transmission Line (TL) from Matiari to Lahore passes through two main eco-
regions i.e. Desert-Xeric Shrublands and Sub-Tropical Thorn area. The Desert-Xeric
shrubland category includes districts of Sanghar, Khairpur, Sukkur, Ghotki, Rahim Yar Khan,
Bahawalpur and Bahawalnagar, and consists of Angle Marks No. 8 to 94. The eco-region of
Sub-Tropical Thorn area includes rest of the districts i.e. Matiari, Pakpattan, Okara, Kasur,
and Nankana Sahib and stretches over AM-1 to AM-7 and AM-95 to AM-169. However, for
the purpose of collection of field data, the proposed T/L route has been split up into two
Sections i.e. Section-I (districts falling in Sindh) and Section II (districts falling in the Punjab).
5.3.1.1 Dersert-Xeric Shrublands
The habitat is typically influenced by extreme climate, mainly stretching over desert
conditions. Because of low biomass productivity, the litter layer is almost non-existent with
very low organic content of soil surface. The land is highly sensitive to grazing, burning, soil
disturbance and other cover alteration. Soil restoration potential is very low with very slow
regeneration capabilities. Temperatures range from freezing in winter to extremely hot (more
than 460C) in summer. The desert vegetation is quite varied due to range of temperature
with Prosopis shrubs being the characteristic species alongwith cacti species with
specialized photosynthesis mechanism to store more water. The animals found in desert
ecosystem (called xerocoles) evolved to survive in this unique environment because they do
not sweat and can retain water in their bodies. Most animals found in hot desert are much
smaller in size such as rodents, rabbits and lizards.
5.3.1.2 Sub-Tropical Thorn Area
This type of habitat includes low, open and pronouncedly xerophytic species in which thorny
leguminous species predominate. It occupies almost whole of the Indus plain except the
driest parts. The climax tree species are Capparis, Salvadora, Tamarix, Prosopis and
Zizyphus. The soils range from flat alluvial to heavy clays, loams and sandy loams. The
climate varies from semi-arid (250 to 750 mm rainfall) to arid (less than 250 mm rainfall). The
summer temperature in the tract is as high as 480 C. This tract provides an ideal habitat to
the wildlife of the area which seasonally migrate according to their needs. Avifauna migration
is from the lower hills towards the plains during cold winter in search of food and shelter, and
from the flood plains towards the dry areas during floods and towards the rivers during the
summer drought.
5.3.2 General Flora and Fauna of the T/L Route
The Project Area being part of the Indus basin the climate of the tract is arid, sub tropical,
the original flora of the area consists of tropical thorn forest type vegetation, in which thorny
usually hard wooded species predominate, acacia species being particularly characteristic.
The trees have usually short boles and low branching crowns, which rarely meet except on
exceptionally favourable spots. The usual height of tree is 6-10 m.
Following is the baseline of flora and fauna found in the COI. AM wise details are provided in
the Annex-IV.
5.3.2.1 Flora
In order to collect baseline data, field survey was conducted in the COI. On-site observation
as well as local information was recorded for the floral species in the area, which is given in
Table 5-10 and 5-11 below.
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a) Section-I
Table 5-10: Major Floral Species Found along the Project Route Alignment in Sindh
Tree Herb Shrub
Sr.
Sub- English/ English/ English/
No District Scientific Scientific Scientific
Section Local Local Local
. Name Name Name
Name Name Name
Prosopis Alhaji Calatropis
Kandi Kander Akk
cineraria camelorum procera
Leptadenia Tamarix
Kikar Acacia nitolica Khip Lai
AM-1 to spartum dioica
1 Matiari
AM-7 Salvadora Aerva Zizyphus
San Booi Mallah
oleoides javanica nummularia
Salvadora Rhazia
Khabar - - Sehwar
oleoides stricta
Alhaji Calatropis
Kikar Acacia nitolica Kander Akk
camelorum procera
Prosopis Kandi/ Prosopis Zizyphus
Kandi Mallah
cineraria Sangri cineraria nummularia
Dalbergia
Shisham - -
sissoo
AM-8 to Azadirachta
2 Sanghar Neem - - - -
AM-27 indica
Salvadora
Khabar - - - -
oleoides
Eucalyptus
Sufaida - - - -
camal dulensis
Zizyphus
Ber - - - -
jujuba
Kandi/ Prosopis Leptadenia Tamarix
Khip Lai
Sangri cineraria spartum dioica
Calatropis
AM-28 Kikar Acacia nitolica - - Akk
procera
3 to AM- Khairpur
35 Azadirachta
Neem - - - -
Indica
Salvadora
Khabar - - - -
oleoides
Kandi/ Prosopis Aerva Zizyphus
Booi Mallah
Sangri cineraria javanica nummularia
Azadirachta Leptadenia Calatropis
AM-36 to Neem Khip Akk
4 Sukkur indica spartum procera
AM-40
Kikar Acacia nitolica - - - -
Zizyphus
Ber - - - -
jujuba
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b) Section-II
Table 5-11: Major Floral Species Found along the Project Route Alignment in Punjab
Tree Herb Shrub
Sr.
Sub- English/ English English/
No District Scientific Scientific Scientific
Section Local / Local Local
. Name Name Name
Names Names Names
Eucalptus
Leptadenia Zizyphus
Sufaida camal Khip Mallah
spartum nummularia
dulensis
Dalbergia Kandi/ Prosopis Tamarix
Shisham Lai
sissoo Sangri cineraria dioica
AM-52 Azadirachta Calatropis
Rahim Yar Neem - - Akk
1 to indica procera
Khan
AM-62 Acacia
Kikar - - - -
nitolica
Zizyphus
Ber - - - -
jujuba
Salvadora
Khabar - - - -
oleoides
Acacia Arundo Tamarix
Kikar Arind Lai
nitolica donax dioica
Salvadora Leptadenia Calatropis
Khabar Khip Akk
oleoides spartum procera
AM-63 Dalbergia
Shisham - - - -
2 to Bahawalpur sissoo
AM-75 Zizyphus
Ber - - - -
jujube
Eucalptus
Sufaida camal - -
dulensis
Acacia Leptadenia Cappris
Kikar Khip Kanir
nitolica spartum decidua
Dalbergia Prosopis
Shisham - - Mesquite
sissoo glandulosa
Azadirachta Alhaji
Neem Kandir - -
AM-76 indica camelorum
Bahawal-
3 to Eucalptus
nagar
AM-94 Sufaida camal - - - -
dulensis
Date Phoenix
- - - -
palm dactylifera
Prosopis
Kandi - - - -
cineraria
Azadirachta Alhaji Calatropis
Neem Kandir Akk
indica camelorum procera
Acacia Zizyphus
Kikar - - Mallah
nitolica nummularia
Dalbergia Prosopis
Shisham - - Mesquite
AM-95 sissoo glandulosa
4 to Pakpattan Zizyphus
AM-124 Ber - - - -
jujuba
Salmalia
Simal - - - -
malabarica
Eucalyptus
Sufaida camaldu - - - -
lensis
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5.3.2.2 Fauna
i) Mammals
Mammals found in the Project Area are mainly jackal (Canis aureus), rabbit (Lepus
nigricollis).
Porcupine (Hystrix indica) and wild boar (Sus scrofa) are common in the plains of Sindh and
Punjab. Domestic animals include cows, buffaloes, sheeps, goats, cats and camels. Another
important domestic animal of the area is donkey, which is used for cart pulling.
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ii) Reptiles
Reptiles include snakes and small sized lizards which are a common sight in the area.
iii) Rodents
Squirrel (Funambulus layardi) and Mouse (Mus musculus) are the basic rodents found in the
Project Area.
iv) Amphibian
Toad (Bufo bufo) and Frog (Rana tigrina) are commonly found in the Project Area. The
sighting of various species of fauna (mammals and avifauna) was carried out during field
survey as well as information from locals was obtained which is tabulated in the Table 5-12
and 5-13 given below
a) Section-I
Table 5-12: Major Fauna Species Found along the Project Route Alignment in Sindh
Fauna
Sr. Sub-
District English/Local
No. Section Scientific Name
Names
Jackal Canis aureus
Rabbit Lepus nigricollis
Porcupine Hystrix indica
1 AM-1 to AM-7 Matiari
Snake Elapidae bungaris
Lizard Cnemidophorus spp.
Toad Bufo bufo
Rabbit Lepus nigricollis
Jackal Canis aureus
Indian Mongoose Herpestes javanicus
Snake Elapidae bungaris
2 AM-8 to AM-27 Sanghar
Frog Rana tigrina
Lizard Cnemidophorus spp.
Mouse Mus musculus
Indian Gerbil Tatera indica
Jackal Canis aureus
Rabbit Lepus nigricollis
Pig Sus scrofa
3 AM-28 to AM-35 Khairpur Porcupine Hystrix indica
Snake Elapidae bungaris
Frog Rana tigrina
Mouse Mus musculus
Jackal Canis aureus
Pig Sus scrofa
Indian Mongoose Herpestes javanicus
Snake Elapidae bungaris
4 AM-36 to AM-40 Sukkur
Mouse Mus musculus
Toad Bufo bufo
lizard Cnemidophorus spp.
Frog Rana tigrina
Jackal Canis aureus
5 AM-41 to AM-51 Ghotki
Porcupine Hystrix indica
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Fauna
Sr. Sub-
District English/Local
No. Section Scientific Name
Names
Pig Sus scrofa
lizard Cnemidophorus spp.
Snake Elapidae bungaris
Mouse Mus musculus
Squirrel Dicentra Canadensis
Toad Bufo bufo
b) Section-II
Table 5-13: Major Fauna Species Found along the Project Route Alignment in Punjab
Fauna
Sr.
Sub-Section District English/Local
No. Scientific Name
Names
Jackal Canis aureus
Pig Sus scrofa
Porcupine Hystrix indica
Rabbit Lepus nigricollis
AM-52 to Indian Mongoose Herpestes javanicus
1 Rahim Yar Khan
AM-62 Snake Elapidae bungaris
lizard Cnemidophorus spp.
Mouse Mus musculus
Toad Bufo bufo
Frog Rana tigrina
Fox Vulpus vulpus
Squirrel Dicentra canadensis
Mouse Mus musculus
Jackal Canis aureus
AM-63 to Toad Bufo bufo
2 Bahawalpur
AM-75 Snake Elapidae bungaris
Pig Sus scrofa
Frog Rana tigrina
Porcupine Hystrix indica
Rabbit Lepus nigricollis
Jackal Canis aureus
Toad Bufo bufo
Snake Elapidae bungaris
AM-76 to
3 Bahawalnagar Pig Sus scrofa
AM-94
Frog Rana tigrina
Porcupine Hystrix indica
Rabbit Lepus nigricollis
Mouse Mus musculus
AM-95 to Jackal Canis aureus
4 Pakpattan
AM-124 Snake Elapidae bungaris
Pig Sus scrofa
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Fauna
Sr.
Sub-Section District English/Local
No. Scientific Name
Names
Frog Rana tigrina
Porcupine Hystrix indica
Rabbit Lepus nigricollis
Jackal Canis aureus
Snake Elapidae bungaris
AM-125 to
5 Okara Pig Sus scrofa
AM-150
Frog Rana tigrina
Porcupine Hystrix indica
Mouse Mus musculus
Jackal Canis aureus
Snake Elapidae bungaris
AM-151 to
6 Kasur Pig Sus scrofa
AM-166
Frog Rana tigrina
Porcupine Hystrix indica
Rabbit Lepus nigricollis
Jackal Canis aureus
Pig Sus scrofa
AM-167 to Nankana Sahib Elapidae bungaris
7 Snake
AM-169
Frog Rana tigrina
v) Avifauna
Important resident bird species/avifauna found in Project Area of Sindh and Punjab are
house sparrow, common crow, kite, dove desert lark, cattle egret, etc. District-wise list of
avifauna is mentioned in Tables 5-14 and 5-15.
a) Section-I
Table 5-14: Major Avifauna found along the Project Route Alignment in Sindh
Birds
Sr.No. Sub-Section District English/Local
Biological Name
Names
Sparrow Passer domesticus
Crow Corvus splendons
Dove Streptopelia decaocto
AM-1 to Hoopoe Upupa epops
1 Matiari
AM-7 Grey Partridge Francolinus pondicerianus
Kite Elanus caeruleus
Quail Cortunix cortunix
Common Myna Acridotheres tristis
Dove Streptopelia decaocto
Kite Elanus caeruleus
AM-8 to
2 Sanghar Little Cormorant Phalacrocorax niger
AM-27
Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer
Crow Corvus splendons
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Birds
Sr.No. Sub-Section District English/Local
Biological Name
Names
Sparrow Passer domesticus
Peddy Bird Ardeola grayii
Grey Partridge Francolinus pondicerianus
Sparrow Passer domesticus
Crow Corvus splendons
AM-28 to Kite Elanus caeruleus
4 Khairpur
AM-35 Quail Cortunix cortunix
Black Partridge Francolinus francolinus
Dove Streptopelia decaocto
Sparrow Passer domesticus
Crow Corvus splendons
Quail Cortunix cortunix
5 AM-36 to Sukkur Grey Partridge Francolinus pondicerianus
AM-40 Peddy Bird Ardeola grayii
Common Myna Acridotheres tristis
Hoopoe Upupa epops
Sparrow Passer domesticus
Crow Corvus splendons
Dove Streptopelia decaocto
Indian Moorhen Gallinula chloropus
AM-41 to
6 Ghotki Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer
AM-51
Cattle Egret Bubulcus ibis
Kite Elanus caeruleus
Hoopoe Upupa epops
Grey Partridge Francolinus pondicerianus
b) Section-II
Table 5-15: Major Avifauna Found along the Project Route Alignment in Punjab
Birds
Sr.No. Sub-Section District English/Local
Biological Name
Names
Sparrow Passer domesticus
Crow Corvus splendons
AM-52 to Dove Streptopelia decaocto
1 Rahim Yar Khan
AM-62 Hoopoe Upupa epops
Bulbul Pycnonotus cafer
Kite Elanus caeruleus
Sparrow Passer domesticus
Common Myna Acridotheres tristis
AM-63 to
2 Bahawalpur Dove Streptopelia decaocto
AM-75
Crow Corvus splendons
Desert Lark Ammomanes deserti
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Birds
Sr.No. Sub-Section District English/Local
Biological Name
Names
Blue Kingfisher Alcedo atthis
Dove Streptopelia decaocto
Crow Corvus splendons
AM-76 to Sparrow Passer domesticus
3 Bahawalnagar
AM-94 Common Myna Acridotheres tristis
Hoopoe Upupa epops
Little Cormorant Phalacrocorax niger
Sparrow Passer domesticus
Crow Corvus splendons
AM-95 to
4 Pakpattan Quail Cortunix cortunix
AM-124
Black Partridge Francolinus francolinus
Grey Partridge Francolinus pondicerianus
Sparrow Passer domesticus
Crow Corvus splendons
AM-125 to
5 Okara Quail Coturnix coturnix
AM-150
Grey Partridge Francolinus pondicerianus
Parrot Psittacula krameri
7
Sparrow Passer domesticus
AM-167 to
Nankan Sahib Crow Corvus splendons
AM-169
Dove Streptopelia decaocto
Peddy Bird Ardeola grayii
Kite Elanus caeruleus
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quality and tasty meat or their commercial value as a prey bird thus falling in the category of
Endangered or Vulnerable species.
5.3.2.4 Wetlands in the COI
No wetlands which are notified by the GOP lie within the COI of the Project alignment in any
Angle Marking of Matiari-Lahore Project, thus there will be no impact on any wetland
biodiversity.
5.3.2.5 Game Reserves, National Parks and Wildlife Sanctuaries
The proposed T/L will not pass through or cross any protected area i.e. Game Reserves,
National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries etc. However, proposed T/L passes at a distance of
about 12 kilometers from Changa Manga Reserve Forest (RF) at AM-160. Proposed Project,
therefore, will not cause any impact on the flora and fauna of the Reserved Forest.
5.3.2.6 Agriculture
The Project Area passes throough various types of land uses including agriculture, grass
land, desert, etc. The major agricultural crops in Sindh Province include Rice, Wheat,
Cotton, Sugarcane, Pea nut, Fodder crop and Vegetables. In Punjab Province, Maize is also
grown in addition to the crops mentioned above. The district-wise detail of agricultural crops
and yield is given in Socio-Economic Baseline part of the report.
5.3.2.7 Fisheries
Fishery activities were neither observed nor reported by the local inhabitants of the Project
Area during field survey. As such, fishery discipline is conspicuous by its absence in the
area; therefore, the Project will not pose any threat/impact to the Fishery Sector.
5.4 Socio-Economic Environment
Thecomponents of the human environment described in this section cover the socio-
economic characteristics of the population, both provincially and locally in the COI. These
components consider, among others, the political and administrative structures, the
dynamics of the demography, the ethnicity/casts, religion and languages, the dwellings,
education, health, landuse, land ownership, the socio-economic activities, the role of the
women and the existing and planed infrastructure and development orientations.
Baseline condition is described based on the surveys conducted on sample population
settled in the COI, i.e. of Section-I and Section-II.
To describe the baseline conditions and demographic characteristics of the population in the
COI, proposed T/L route is mainly divided into two (02) sections as already mentioned.
In Sindh and Punjab rural areas due to cultural norms, direct consultation with the local
women was not allowed by the locals. For the collection of baseline data, field visits were
carried out in June and July, 2015.
5.4.1 Political and Administrative Settings of Section-I (Sindh) and Section-II
(Punjab)
In both Sections potential administration system is more or less identical therefore, it is
described under this head. Union Council (UC) is the lowest tier of the local government.
A sherwan or village council in Pakistan is an elected local government body headed by
a nazim (which is equivalent to a mayor) and a naib nazim (deputy mayor). Union councils
are the fifth tier of government in Pakistan and are often known as "village councils" in rural
areas, the territory represented by a village council usually comprises a large village and
surrounding areas, often including nearby small villages. The term "union council" may be
used for localities that are part of cities.
Headed by a union nazim, each union council has 13 elected members or councilors. In
addition to four male and two female members elected directly, there are two male and two
female representatives of the labour, a minority member, a union council nazim and his
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deputy known as union council naib nazim. Beside elected members, there are several
government employees and functionaries in every union council, who report to the secretary
of the union council. The territory of a union council or village council is usually part of
a tehsil (a district subdivision).
Taluka/Tehsil Council is the next tier of local government. About 4 to 5 UCs fall in the
Taluka/Tehsil Council (TC). Taluka/Tehsil is a sub-unit of the district, which is the highest tier
of the local government system, dealing with the administrative matters at district level. In
Sindh Province it is called Taluka Council and in Punjab it is termed as Tehsil Council.
A district is composed of 3 to 5 Taluka/Tehsil‘s and is governed by the District Coordination
Officer (DCO). The local government system of Section-I and Section-II comprise UCs
consisting of members directly elected through an open competition, which is also from the
Electoral College for the selection of the members for the next higher tier. This reveals that
UCs have a sizable representation from the vulnerable groups belonging to the local
community including female members. Considering the social, geographical as well as the
traditional settings of the area in the COI from Matiari to Nankana Sahib (near Lahore), the
lives of the people in rural areas of Section-I are tribal, while the remaining rural areas have
―Bradari system‖ which determines the socio-economic pattern of the people‘s life.
Union Council Nazim is responsible to collect and maintain statistical information for socio-
economic surveys in the community and to consolidate village and neighbourhood
development needs and priorities them into union-wide development proposals with the
approval of the Union Council and make recommendations thereof to the District
Government or Tehsil Municipal Administration, as the case may be. Union council nazim
also manage O&M of public resources such as drinking water, including wells, water pumps,
tanks, ponds and other works for the supply of water. Union council nazim have access to
Tehsil Nazim and Tehsil Nazim have access to District Nazim. District Government take
funds from Provincial Government and District Nazim allocate fund with the coordination of
DCO to Tehsil Nazim and Tehsil Nazim allocate fund as per the need of the administrative
set up at District, Tehsil and Union Council level. The administrative setup of district, tehsil
and union council level is shown inFigure 5-15 a, b and c.
5.4.2 Approach and Methodology
Socio-economic and demographic characteristics of both provinces are assessed based on
primary and secondary information. Primary data was collected through field surveys and
secondary data obtained from relevant publish material such as DCRs of relevant districts.
Following approach and methodology was adopted to conduct the socio-economic survey in
the COI.
5.4.2.1 Sample Size
To document the socio-economic conditions of the population settled in the COI, socio-
economic surveys of the selected households were carried out. One of the major steps after
the identification of the villages and their estimated populations during the field visit was the
calculation of sample size. Total 164 villages were found within the T/L COI (i.e. 250 m from
either side in the centerline of the T/L) for Matiari to Nankana Saheb and socio-economic
survey was conducted in these villages. Based on the reconnaissance, approximate a
number of households and their population were estimated. Estimated population and
households are given in Table 5-16.
Section-I
Table 5–16 (a): District-wise No. of Villages and Households at Section-I along T/L COI
Sr. Villages located
Estimated
No AM No. Location/ along the Project Estimated No. of
Population
. Districts alignment
(Nos.) Households (Nos.)
1 1 to 7 Matiari 6 250 1,700
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Section-II
Table 5–16(b): District-wise No. of Villages and Households at Section-II along COI
Villages located Estiamted
Sr. AM No. Location/ along the Project Estimated Population
No. Districts alignment (Nos.) Households (Nos.)
Rahim Yar
1 50 to 62 9 3,000 24,000
Khan
2 63 to 74 Bahawalpur 12 3,500 26,250
3 75 to 94 Bahawalnagar 15 4,500 29,700
4 95 to 124 Pakpattan 20 3,820 26,740
5 125 to 150 Okara 22 6,200 46,500
6 151 to 166 Kasur 13 4,915 31,948
Nankana
7 167 to 169 4 1,700 11,050
Saheb
Sub-total 95 27,635 196,188
Grand Total (Section-I+ Section- 164 41,715 300,043
II)
From the total 41,715 households it was assumed that about 5% households (i.e. 8,343
nos.) may have some impact due to the implementation of the Project (i.e. digging,
concreting, erection of Towers, stringing activities).
For determining the sample size of potential affected persons, the variability or proportion
estimated based on the critical parameters under the study is essential to determine a
statistically valid and representative sample size from the target population. A representative
sample size is also important to derive meaningful results from the information collected in
the field consisting of individual interviews, community/ group consultations and village level
information.
In this context, of the total expected affected households of 83,43 nos. (5% of No. of total
H/H) from Matiari to Nankana Saheb, a Sample size13 of 450 households were determined
13
Consideration: population is given and the population proportion is known.
n = NZ2 P (1-P)_
Nd2 + Z2 P (1-P)
Where, n = Sample size of potential affected households
N = Total number of potential affected households (1,288 nos.)
P = Population proportion (the value P= 0.50)
Z = Level of reliability (the value of Z at 95% confidence level is 1.96)
D = Maximum acceptable error (value: 0.045)
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14
by using a statistical formula . Based on the number of household sample size was
proportionally divide in two sections Sindh and Punjab. In Section-I about 150 households
and Section-II 300 households were selected as a sample.
The sample households were selected randomly from different categories of potential
affected households, i.e., land owners, tenants, shopkeepers/ businessmen, labourers etc.
To ensure the reliability and validity of the information, every head of the household in the
COI was considered as a unit of analysis.
5.4.2.2 Data Collection
To maintain the quality of field data and representation, data collection tools/ techniques
such as interview schedule, participatory rapid appraisal, consultations with the local
community, cross-questioning and physical observations were utilized. The data was
collected using both structured and semi-structured questionnaires. The structured socio-
economic questionnaire was used for the collection of data from potential affected persons,
while the semi-structured format was used for conducting consultations/ group discussions
and village profile survey.
Five (05) teams were formed for the collection of baseline data. Each team was headed by
an experienced sociologist. Efforts were made to include local persons belonging to the
areas falling in the COI of the proposed T/L in the respective team. Two (02) teams were
assigned the task to conduct socio-economic surveys in the COI falling in Section-I.
Remaining three (03) teams were assigned the task to collect data in Section-II.
Data collection was started after four (04) days trainings of the survey teams, so that the
quality of data collection into a requisite format/ unit of measurement could be maintained
and accordingly the results could be derived. Baseline survey was carried out in the COI.
5.4.2.3 Public Consultation/Scoping Sessions
In order to ensure participatory development and to answer and clear out any
apprehensions, myths and misconceptions of the locals, number of scoping sessions were
conducted in the selected villages/settlements in the COI. Scoping sessions also provide
support to extract qualitative information related to the perceptions, apprehensions and
reactions of the local population and to build a sense of confidence and ownership of the
Project.
5.4.2.4 Data Entry and Analysis
After the completion of the field surveys, all the questionnaires were scrutinized properly.
Data collected on the basis of the above mentioned surveys were processed and analyzed
using the computer software Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). SPSS provides
a Powerful statistical analysis and data management system in a graphical environment,
using descriptive menus and simple dialog boxes to do the analysis.
5.4.2.5 Results
The results generated through the data entry and analyses on SPSS were expressed in the
form of tables and graphs. Analysis results are described in the form of frequency
distributions. Description of the tables was made, the results related to different social and
demographic parameters were analyzed and baselines established for the people in the
COI.
This section provides baseline information on socio-economic and cultural parameters of the
COI, which includes demographic parameters, settlement patterns, availability of basic
amenities, existence of religious and cultural sites, indigenous people and the condition of
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women. Moreover, the results were also presented through maps, graphic illustrations and
photographs. Following sections describe these baseline conditions.
5.4.3 Socio-Economic Conditions of Section-I
5.4.3.1 Demography of Section-I
T/L in Section-I passes through some semi urban and mostly rural areas. In this section, 69
villages are located. Baseline conditions, demographic characteristics and socio-economic
profile are described in below. AM wise detailed baseline profile is attached as Annex IV.
i. Population and Distribution
As per the last 1998 census, the estimated population of the districts where the T/L will pass
is shown in Table 5-17. Data shows that highest population is living in Khairpur district which
was 1,546,587persons and the lowest population was in Matiari district i.e. 253,747. As per
DCR and socio-economic survey population details along average household size are
shown in Table 5-17 below.
Table 5–17: District Wise Population and Average Household Size based on DCR and
Socio-economic Survey
Average
Average
Size of
Size of
Population Household Population
Sr. Household
AM No. Districts as Per (No.) as as Per
No. (No.) as
DCR, 1998 Per Survey
Per Survey
DCR,1998
(No.)
(No.)
1 1 to 7 Matiari 253,747 5.6 1,700 6.5
Above data shows that as per DCR total populations in the COI are 5,132,256persons. The
average household size was computed 5.8 members per household.
As per socio-economic survey highest population in this section is residing in Sanghar
district and lowest population in Ghotki district because in Ghotki district most of the T/L
route is in desert area. 2nd highest population is living in Khairpur district which is 41,600
persons. Total population in the COI of Section-I is 103,855 persons.
Family/Household Size
As per DCR the highest average household size is 6.5 for Sukkur district and the lowest
average household size is for Ghotki district which is 5.5. Because Sukkur is the main city of
Sindh and there are lot of job or business opportunities available therefore, people of the
other areas are settled there. Due to the availability of facilities such as health, education
etc. while migration ratio from Sukkur to other cities are less as compared to other districts
falling in the COI, which is a main cause of higher family size in Sukkur district. Based on the
socio-economic survey highest average household size of Khairpur district (8) and lowest is
in Ghotki district (6.5). Highest family size of Khairpur district shows that the joint family
system is strong in this district. Variation in household size of districts DCR is due to the fact
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that DCR covers whole district including urban and rural areas. While T/L route is pass
through mostly rural areas. Comparison of average household size in Section-I is also
shown in Figure 5-16.
Figure 5-16: Comparison of Average Household Size
Average Size of Household as Per DCR,1998 (No.)
Average Size of Household as Per Survey (No.)
As per social survey maximum household size is for Khairpur and Sukkur districts which are
8 and 7.5 respectively. Result shows that joint family system is common throughout the COI,
whereas only small percentage of families is living as a single family (called nuclear family
system). In Khairpur and Sukkur districts, tribal system exists, therefore, people give
preference to live as joint family. During the discussions with the locals of Khairpur and
Sukkur, it was clarified that larger family size is treated as the strength of the family.
Based on social survey, overall average household size is concluded as 7 which is higher
than DCRs average family size. The higher values of household size are based as most of
the part of the proposed T/L will cross the rural area while in DCRs average household size
is given of the whole district.
Sex Ratio
As per socio-economic surveys, the average sex ratio (males per 100 females) for Section-I
was worked out as 114 which is higher as compare to average sex ratio based on the DCRs
of 1998 where the sex ratio is 110.8. Details are given Figure 5-17.
Above figure shows that as per DCR the maximum sex ratio is in Sukkur district (114) and
the lowest sex ratio is in Matiari district (109.4). As per social survey, maximum sex ratio in
the COI of Khairpur district which is 113.
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Based on the socio-economic survey, the lowest sex ratio in the COI is 109 and 112 which is
for the Sanghar and Matiari districts. Socio-economic conditions of the rural areas of
Sanghar and Matriari districts are not as good as compared to urban areas. Most of the
earning male members of the families are not living there, they are outside from their houses
and working in different cities and come back during the harvesting seasons. Majority of the
people are employed or doing business in Sukkur, Hyderabad and Karachi cities. Hence the
sex ratio in these areas are lower than others areas.
ii. Ethnicity/ Caste Groups
The core unit of social organization is the biraderi/caste group which is either defined on the
basis of specific occupation or lineage. Occupationally defined caste groups are considered
as lower status in the social setup which they are living. For instance occupationally defined
biraderi/caste groups are Mochi (Cobbler), Machi (Fisherman), Nai (Barbar), Gujjar (Dairy
and Livestock), Julahay (Weavers) while linage based biraderi/caste groups are Laghari,
Baloch, Watoo, Chatha, Malik, Bhatti, Rajput etc.
There are number of tribes and caste group located in the Section-I. The social life of the
population is traditionally on tribal lines. Many local and other tribes from Muslim and non-
Muslim communities are settled in the COI of Section-I.
Based on the social survey, the population in Matiari district found lot of tribes which have
strong caste system. The major caste/ethnic groups settled in the Section-I are Sommo, Jatt,
Khusk, Khosa, Burdi, Machhi, Khaskali, Kohli, Beer, Dogar, Brohi, Bagrani, Lund, Kori, Rind,
Kerio, Baloch, Awan, Mahar, Arain, Rajput, Jutt, Bhatti, Shar, Junejo, Sammats, Samas,
Mahers, Mohris, Samejas, Raja, Bajeer, Sheikh, Memon, Soomro, Qureshi, Syed, Kalhora,
Lakhah, Kolachi, Channa, Lund, Laghari, Chandio, Khosa, Bhutta, Talpur and Unnar among
others. Summary of major casts existing in the COI are given in Table 5-18.
It is worth mentioning here that the major castes/ tribes were important because they have a
key role in decision making regarding the resolution of social issues of family matters. For
instance, in Section-I, Landlord (locally named as Vadaira/Raise) and Shah as well as the
head/ or elder of the respective tribe generally make decisions related to the social issues at
village level as well as the social development works in their areas. It was assessed that
prior to the initiation of any Project/ program, it is essential to involve these effective groups/
tribes at each stage from design, implementation and operation of the Project for the
success of the Project.
iii. Languages Spoken in Section-I
Sindhi as a mother tongue is spoken in the COI, however, Punjabi, Saraiki, Balochi and
Pashto are also spoken in the areas near to the Punjab boundary i.e. Ghotki and
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Sukkur.Large number of Punjabi families is living in Sanghar district due to in Sanghar
Punjabi language is common speaking.
iv. Dwellings
Housing condition is also an important parameter for the assessment of the living standard /
household well-being of the locals. Information collected from primary as well as secondary
sources shows that settlement pattern of the houses in all the district of Sindh Province is
very simple.
In Section-I poor people are living in a hut consisting of mud or cattle walls and a roof of
thatch with a hedge round it. It consists of living rooms, kitchen, store room, bathroom etc.
The houses of Zamindar (Landlord) and well off people are built of sun dried bricks with a flat
roof. It consists of a living room, with one or two side rooms which serves as box-rooms. The
houses of the rich people are distinguished by ample accommodation and more grandeur
along the same lines. In the big towns such as Matiari, Khairpur, Sanghar, Sukkur and
Ghotki houses are usually made of burnt bricks and provided with necessary furniture and
other luxury items. As per socio-economic survey details of different types of housing
structures are shown in below Figure 5-18. Results shows that in the COI, poor people are
living in Katcha houses made from baked bricks and wood or bushes while the houses of
well off people are usually built of sun dried bricks with a flat roof. As per baseline survey,
occupancy in different types of houses is shown in Figure 5-18.
Pacca
Katcha
Total
Nature of Tenure
As per DCRs nature of tenure of the houses of the districts shows that the majority of people
have their own houses and the only few percent people are living in rented houses.
However, during the social survey It was observed that about 99% respondents had their
own houses. While remaining 1% are tenents or labours who are working as employ under
the landlord.
Decision Methods adopted in the Villages of the COI
The methods of the decision for social conflicts in the COI are panchayat, court, jerga, caste
groups and others (method constituted at the spot considering major and scope of the
conflicts). According to the collected information, panchayat is most commonly accepted
method of decision in the COI. At some places such as Sanghar and Ghotki districts, the old
traditional decision and conflict resolution method exist.
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In the ―Panchayat‖ system, team lead by village leader Vadaira, Raise and religious scholar
make decisions based on investigations and witnesses. Details of decision making method
in the COI are given in table 5-19 below:
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In the rural set-up women are kept under-educated or uneducated. They are mainly
dependent on male members of the family for economic reasons and cannot take decisions
regarding their own lives. Indeed, women cannot use their rights to caste vote during general
elections, they have no say in the family matters and are not asked about their preference
for marriage. Yet for the paucity of rights, women play a vital part in the society fetching
water and firewood from distant places, nurturing children and cooking and cleaning for the
family. Nonetheless, these conditions make communication with women within the tribal
regions more difficult and there are numerous aspects of women lives in the region which
need to be explored.
Major Issues faced by Women in the COI
Information which is collected through secondary sources and group discussion with locals
shows that major problems faced by women in the area are lack of primary health care, the
lack of education opportunities and the lack of access to clean water. Other problems faced
by women included very labourious work such as woods collection for cooking and heating,
working in agricultural fields and fetching and carrying water from distant places. These
tasks not only affect their health but also take up a major portion of their time, which they
could use in some other productive work.
5.4.3.2 Main socio-economic Activities in Section-I
Farm income can be classified as the income generated through selling of farm products
such as crops, fodder and dairy products from livestock. The main source of income and
livelihood of the locals falling in the COI is agriculture. Along agriculture, locals perform other
work as a secondary source of income. The households earn income by doing farm activities
i.e. by dong permanent job in public sector or private sector, business and other daily wage
works. By adding both the incomes, total earned income of the households is estimated
which is available with the members of the households for consumption or saving purpose.
In rural areas, the main asset considered is livestock, since the farmers can sell an animal to
have money to fulfil their urgent needs. Livestock also partially fulfills portion requirements of
locals especially children and women. Details are given in Figure 5-19.
i. Structure of Occupation and Employment
Based on the field survey major occupations in the COI are agriculture / farming, Labour
(Unskilled workers), service (government or private employ), business (small shop keeper)
and livestock rearing (sale and purchase of livestock and dairy products). As per data
collected for the baseline, it was noticed that agriculture/farming and unskilled labour is the
main source of income for the locals. As discussed above, major part of the T/L passes
through rural areas and majority of people are involved in agriculture activities or labour
related to the field of agriculture. Details of occupations in the COI are given below:
Figure 5–19: Main Occupations in COI
Agriculture
Govt/Private Service
Business
Labour
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Figure reveals that, in the COI, maximum number of people more than 70 percent of the all
the districts are attached to the field of Agriculture, while 2 nd highest percentage of
respondent are involved in daily wage labour and the lowest percentage are employed in
Govt. and private sectors and remaining are doing business or fall in others sectors.
Another important thing is that majority of the locals are involved in multiple occupations as
all are farmers but also are labourer and do some other business.
ii. Agriculture
Landuse Pattern
The optimum cropping pattern refers to the allocation of the cropped area under different
crops during the year in order to attain maximum output within the existing resources. In
general, there are four (04) main crops (i.e. wheat, cotton, Maize, sugarcane) being grown in
the COI from Matiari to Ghotki. (Refer Crop Calendar Annex-VII).In addition vegetables,
some fodder, sunflower, rose and orchards (Mango, Plump, Guava etc.) were also found
under the cropping pattern in the COI. Details regarding the cropping pattern in the COI are
presented in Figure 5-20.
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Figure 5–21: Average Income in the COI
Annual Income
Monthly Income
Household Expenditure
The annual expenditure and pattern of the expenditure provides an indication for assessing
the standard of living of a household. The expenditure on food items includes cereals,
pulses, flour, sugar, cooking oil/ ghee, milk etc., while the non-food items consist expenditure
on education, medical treatment, clothes, shoes, cosmetics etc.
The survey indicates that on overall basis, the average annual household expenditure on
both food and non-food items is computed to be Rs. 82,972/-. In case of food and non-food
items, such proportion is to the extent of Rs. 64,050/- (77.2%) and Rs.18,922/- (22.8%)
respectively.
Extent of Credit Utilization
Generally, the credit is obtained to supplement the income to meet the routine and some
extra expenditure of the household including investment, social needs and other unforeseen
situations. Credit is obtained from both the formal (banks) and informal sources (friends,
relatives, land owner etc.)
As per the socio-economic surveys, majority of the respondents did not take loan during the
last year and only 1 percent take loan for household matters such as for diseases or
marriages etc.
5.4.3.3 Social Amenities and Infrastructure in Section-I
Considering the objective of the study, the profile of the villages has been interpreted in
detail focusing on social and societal aspiration of the present time and the development of
infrastructure demonstrates availability of social amenities at village level. These include
road, electricity, dispensary/ basic health unit (BHU), school, Sui gas, drinking water facility,
telephone and others.
The availability of the basic infrastructure and social amenities measures the development of
the area and living standard of the people. During the social survey, data regarding the
availability of village infrastructure including electricity, road, BHU, school, drinking
water/water supply scheme, telephone, sewerage/drainage, fuel wood and sui gas were
collected in order to identify the pressing infrastructural development needs of the villages
located in the COI.
The survey results derived based on the ‗village profile‘ summarized in Figure 5-24 shows
that out of 10 villages / Goths, 60 to 80 percent population in the COI had access to roads,
electricity, fuel wood and schools especially for boys, while the other facilities like health, sui-
gas, drinking water and telephones were found at 12 percent population. Drinking water/
water supply schemes were also not available in most of the villages. In the COI from
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Matiari to Ghotki districts, drinking water is a major issue for the people especially in desert
areas of Sanghar and Ghotki where people are forced to use pond water for drinking. The
major sources of drinking water in the COI are streams, nullahs, pumps and tubewell etc. In
some areas women have to fetch water from far away ponds and dug wells from their
houses. Details of the availability of infrastructure in different villages are given in below
Figure 5-24.
Education Facilities
During the field visit, it was observed that in the COI, educational buildings are available.
Educational institutions were found but in poor condition. Due to the non-availability of
students as well as teachers, most of the school buildings have collapsed or in a poor
condition.
In the COI, most of the schools for girls and boys are of primary and middle level and in
many areas children have to go at taluka headquarter for higher secondary education, which
are not easy to travel for the vast majority of students especially girls.
Educational facilities are better in Matiari and Khairpur districts while other districts of the
COI are considered educationally backward especially with respect to the female. The poor
class may get education upto primary standard but they rarely go any further studies. The
teaching staff of the schools of all the districts is mostly trained and medium of instruction at
present is Sindhi and Urdu languages. Based on the socio-economic survey, details of
education facilities in the COI are given below in Figure 5-24.
Literacy Rate
According to Pakistan‘s National Literacy Policy, ―a person is literate if he/she can read and
write a paragraph of at least three lines in any regional or national language along with
comprehension”.
According to DCRs the literacy rate of Sukkur district is highest (i.e. 46.6) among all districts
(Figure 5-22). In Sukkur city, there are number of educational institutions. However, like
other districts of Section-I, literacy ratio among women is not so good due to cultural
restriction of women education.
In the COI, the lowest literacy ratio is in Khairpur district which is 21.7 percent. Based on
DCRs, district wise literacy rate are shown in Figure 5-22.
Figure 5–22: Literacy Rate as per DCR
Literacy Literacy Rate,
Rate, Matiari, 44.3, Percent
Average, 21%
34.5, 17% Matiari
Literacy Rate, Sanghar
Ghotki, 29.1,
14% Literacy Rate, Khairpur
Sanghar, 30.9, Sukkur
15%
Ghotki
Average
Literacy Rate, Literacy Rate,
Sukkur, 46.6, Khairpur, 21.7,
23% 10%
As per socio-economic survey, highest literacy ratio was of Matiari and Sukkur district i.e.
30.5 percent as compared to other areas in the COI. Figure 5-23 shows the results of survey
carried out in the COI.
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Figure 5–23: Literacy Ratio as per Survey
Literacy Rate, Literacy Rate,
Average, 25.8, Matiari, 30.5, Percent
17% 20%
Matiari
Literacy Sanghar
Rate, Khairpur
Ghotki, Literacy Rate,
Sanghar, Sukkur
22.5, 14%
20.6, 13% Ghotki
Literacy Average
Rate, Literacy Rate,
Sukkur, Khairpur,
30.5, 20% 25.3, 16%
Based on the field survey, average literacy rate of the sample population is 14 percent, i.e.
lower as compare to average literacy rate 28.6 percent based on DCRs. This variation is due
to the fact that T/L mostly crosses the rural areas of Section-I.
Health Infrastructure
Health facilities are inadequate in the COI. The people in the COI have a tendency to get
treatment from Indigenous Healers, due to the lack of suitable and sufficient health facilities.
Bad sanitary conditions, insufficient medical facilities and meagre parental care, all
contribute to the prevalence of ill health and high rate of mortality in the COI.
As per socio-economic survey, although health facilities area exist few villages of the COI
but not so good. Buildings are available but without any health facility. In few villages of
Matiari and Sanghar district BHUs are working to some extent. While in reaming district
people have to cover long distance to gain health facility. This situation is much poor for
women in delivery cases. Although majority respondent said that for delivery case they go to
Lady doctor in nearby city but due to lack of proper facilities of transportation and road
infrastructure it is not easy task. In the COI, private clinics exists which are run by dispensers
and compounders. Based on field survey, health facilities available in the COI are described
in Figure 5-24.
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Same is the case with solid waste there is no proper arrangement for disposed of solid
waste.
5.4.3.4 Migration in Section-I
The process of migration especially internal migration in Pakistan is an old phenomena. It
not only provides opportunities for employment but also improves the socio-economic
conditions of migrant households. Lack of employment opportunities coupled with
inadequate income from farming are considered the leading cause of migration.
Same is the case with the population residing in the COI. Locals in the COI are migrated to
other cities of Pakistan or abroad due to the unavailability of economic resources. In
Section-I, migration rate is high as compare to Section-II. There are four (04) main reasons
of migration in the COI:
Lack of job opportunities;
Limited business opportunities;
Economic Development; and
Un-satisfaction from Agriculture production.
During the field visit, locals informed that they are forced to migrate due to lack of job and
business opportunities. In the majority of cases, male members usually migrate. Some times
whole families migrate to other areas. Although, if a person has moved to the city in practice,
he retains his ties with his village and his rights there are acknowledged long after his
departure. Typically, the migrant sends part of his earnings to the family he left behind and
returns to the village to work at peak agricultural seasons. Even married migrants usually
leave their families in the village when they first migrate. The decision to bring wife and
children to the city is thus a milestone in the migration process.
Although this migration has had little effect, it has affected social fabric. While a man is away
from his family, his wife often assumes responsibility for many day-to-day business
transactions that are considered the responsibility of men.
5.4.3.5 Religious Archaeological and Historical Sites in Section-I
Religious Sites
Religious sites include mosques, shrines and graveyards. These are socially sensitive areas
to deal with. The survey has exposed that the people of the Project Area are strongly
attached to their religion and culture. Shrines and graveyards are regarded as sacred
heritage and receive devoted attention from the people. As per social survey, it was
observed that number of religious sites exists in the COI from Matiari to Ghotki. But all the
sites are from the out side of the COI. Due to no impact is considered on these sites.
Archaeological Sites
No archaeological and any historical site was observed to exist within the COI, during the
field visit.
Indigenous People
As per social survey no indigenous people are found in the COI.
5.4.4 Socio-economic Conditions of Section-II
5.4.4.1 Demography of Section-II
Socio-economic survey were carried out in the COI to establish the socio-economic baseline
conditions, which will provide the basis for the estimation of potential impacts, monitoring
and evaluation against which to appraise the mitigation measures.
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i. Population and Distribution
As per 1998 census, the estimated population of the districts in Section-II where the T/L will
pass is shown in Table 5-21. Data shows that maximum population is living in Rahim Yar
Khan district which is 3,141,053 persons and the minimum population is in Nankana Saheb
district i.e. 683,963. As per DCR and socio-economic survey, population details along
average household size are shown in Table 5-21.
Above data shows that as per DCR total population of the districts along COI are
14,215,101persons. The average household was computed 6.8 members per household.
As per socio-economic survey, highest population in the COI is calculated as 95,000
persons of Okara district. Due to urban or semi urban area population density is high in
Okara. The lowest population is 11,400 persons in Bahawalpur district due to the most of the
part of TL pass through the rural in this district. Total population falling in the COI from
Rahim Yar Khan to Nankana Saheb is 297,400.
Family/Household Size
As per DCR, the highest average household size is 7.5 for Rahim Yar Khan district and the
lowest average household size for Pakpattan district which is 6.4. While based on socio-
economic survey, highest average household size is 8 of Rahim Yar Khan district and lowest
is 6 of Nankana Saheb district. Highest average household size is because Rahim Yar Khan
is an important city of South Punjab. Rahim Yar Khan is a commercial and industrial center;
it is connected to the rest of the country through Railway Transport and Air Traffic including
the other industrial hubs such as Lahore, Karachi, Islamabad, Quetta and Faisalabad.
Industries include fertilizer Such as Fauji Fertilizer Company, Fatima Fertilizer Company,
cosmetics, glass manufacturing, cotton production and processing, large textile units, flour
mills, sugar and oil mills and large-scale Power generation projects. There is also large
number of educational institution as people of the other areas come for different purposes
such as job or business opportunities and settled there. Based on social survey overall
average household size is concluded 7 which is higher the DCRs 6.8. Comparison of
household size is given in below Figure 5-25.
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Figure 5–25: Comparison of Average Household Size
Average. Size of Household (No.)
Average. Size of Household (No.)
Most of the families in these districts where the T/L will pass are living in joint family system
comprising grandparents, uncles, aunties and lot of cousins, whereas only small percentage
of families are living as a single family (called nuclear family system). Nuclear family only
exists near urban or semi urban areas. Although joint family system is undergoing a radical
change with a greater influence of media and education but people of the COI do not feel
good about this change. Because while living in a joint family system a lot of emotional
attachments are enhanced and they feel that by separating in nuclear family system, their
relations will damaged and family ties will be weakened.
As per the locals, joint family system is basically a form of organization. In this organization
there are defined norms and values to follow strictly by all the members. All the members
have their defined tasks and responsibilities to perform. There is equal share of each and
every member of the family in the available resources in the form of money, food and other
requirements and locals feels better in joint family system as compare to nuclear family.
During the discussion with the locals, it was clarified that larger family size is also treated as
the strength of the family.
Sex Ratio
As per DCR the sex ratio (males per 100 females) for these districts is shown in Figure 5-26.
Maximum sex ratio is for Kasur and Okara districts which is 110 and the lowest sex ratio is
108 for Rahim Yar Khan and Pakpattan districts. While as per socio-economic survey,
maximum sex ratio is calculated as 114 for Bahawalpur district which is higher as compare
to 1998 DCR. Based on social survey, average sex ratio is high 111 percent as compare to
DCRs 109 percent. District wise and socio-economic survey sex ratio details are given
Figure 5-26.
Figure 5–26: Sex Ratio as per DCR and Socio-Economic Survey
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Causes of Higher Sex Ratio in the COI
Above figure shows that sex ratio in the COI is higher as compared to female. Above figures
for sex ratio are taken from census data and socio-economic survey carried out in the COI.
The sex ratio depends on the factors such as the sex ratio at birth, differential mortality rates
between the sexes at different ages and losses and gains through migration. As in other
areas of Pakistan in the COI, sons are preferred because (i) they have a higher wage-
earning capacity, (ii) they continue the family line; and (iii) they are generally recipients of
inheritance. Girls are often considered an economic burden because of the dowry system,
after marriage they typically become members of the husband's family, ceasing to have
responsibility for their parents in illness and old age. The impact of son preference on the
population sex ratio can be seen in above Figure 5-27.
ii. Ethnicity/ Caste Groups
Number of castes/tribes exists in the COI from Rahim Yar Khan to Nankana Saheb. Major
castes in the colony area of Rahim Yar Khan are the Arain, Jat, Rajput and Gujjar. They
have all come from the adjoining districts of East and West Punjab. The old settlers are The
Joya, Wattoo, Daudpota, Baloch and Pathan. While in cholistan area of the district Dahar,
Joya, Mehra and Kakar are inhabited. Summary of major casts in the COI are given below in
Table 5-22:
Table 5–22: Major Caste Groups/ Tribes Settled in the COI
Sr. AM District Castes
No. No.
Panwar, Paracha, Lodhi, Phularwan, Sukhera, Laleka,
49 to Rahim Yar
1 62
Mohal, Rajput, Arain, Jatts, Chishtis,Sial, Khakwanis,
Khan
Cheema, Arain, Jat, Rajput and Gujjar
2 63 to Syed, Qureshi, Baloch, Pathans, Rajput, Jat, Arain, Gujjar
Bahawalpur
74
75 to
3
94
Bahawalnagar Mashadi, Kirmani, Bukhari, Abbasi,Qureshi, Rajpur,Jat
4 95 to Arain, Jat, Rajput, Watto, Hans, Bhattis, Chishties
124
Pakpattan
During the field survey, it was also observed that these major castes/ tribes were important
because they have a key role in decision making regarding the resolution of social issues of
family matters. For instance, Landlord (locally named as Sardar/Vadaira) as well as the
head/ or elder of the respective tribe generally make decisions related to the social issues at
village level as well as the social development works in their areas. It was assessed that
prior to initiate any project/ program, it is essential to involve these effective groups/ tribes at
all levels of the project starting from design, implementation and operation of the project for
the success of the project.
iii. Languages Spoken
Saraiki and Punjabi as a mother tongue are spoken in the COI of Section-II, however,
Balochi and Pashto are also spoken in the few areas.From Rahim Yar Khan to
Bahawalnagar Saraiki is dominant language in the area while from Bahawalnagar to
Nankana Saheb Punjabi and Urdu are spoken.
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iv. Dwellings
Houses in the rural areas of Rahim Yar Khan to Bahawalpur can be classified into three (3)
types; Katcha (made from wood and tree branches), Semi Katcha (made from unbaked
bricks or few portion made from burnt bricks) and Cemented (made from burnt bricks or
stones). Houses in the rural areas usually lack a kitchen and are even without a toilet facility.
Houses made with wood and branches, are being replaced by semi-katcha to cement as
their occupants gain economic prosperity. In rural areas, houses usually comprise one or
two rooms, a veranda and animal penning area, which is fenced with tree branches. In the
urban areas such as Rahim Yar Khan and Bahawalpur people live in cemented well
designed houses.
As other areas of Punjab, housing structure from Bahawalnagar to Nankana Saheb usually
are made of mud, wooden beams and bricks. There is one big room, which is used as living
room and one or two smaller ones at the back used as store. People of the area generally
live in villages rather than on the farms. There are usually a few wooden with a few chairs
and occasionally sofa and tables in the houses of well to do Zamidars. In towns and cities,
houses are built of bricks, cement and steel which is furnished with marble tiles and wood.
As per DCRs, details of different types of housing structures are given below in Figure 5-27:
Figure 5-27: Different Types of Houses as per DCR
Figure 5-28 shows that in the COI large number of respondents 62.8 percent are living in
Pacca houses which are made from bricks and blocks. While 27.2 percent are living in Semi
Katcha houses made with mud and unbaked bricks. Theses category mostly exists in district
Rahim Yar, Bahawalpur and Bahawalnagar. In last, only 10 percent respondent are living in
Katcha house made with wood or bushes. This type exists in rural areas in the COI from
Rahim Yar Khan to Bahawalpur. As per baseline survey, different types of houses are given
below Figure 5-28:
Figure 5–28: Different Types of Houses as per Social Survey
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Nature of Tenure
As per DCRs nature of tenure of the houses of the districts shows that the majority people
98 percent have their own houses and the only 2 percent people are living in rented houses.
It was observed during the field survey 100 percent respondents have their houses, there is
no house on rent in the COI.
v. Decision Methods in the Villages
The methods of the decision for social conflicts in the COI are panchayat, court, jerga, caste
groups and others (method constituted at the spot considering major and scope of the
conflicts). According to the data collected during social survey in Section-II, panchayat is
also most commonly accepted method of decision making in the COI.
The survey results presented in Table 5-23 reveals that in the COI informal and traditional
methods were adopted by the villagers to resolve the social disputes amongst the caste
groups, relatives and neighbours and other villagers.
In majority of the villages, 93.4 percent in the COI, social disputes are settled through the
―Panchayat‖ system lead by village leader Vadaira and religious scholar. Details of decision
method in the COI are given in below table 5-23:
Table 5-21 indicates that in the COI, people prefer panchayat as compare to court or other
legal system because this method is more effective. As per the locals, Panchayat provide
timely justice while other methods are complex and require time as well as money.
vi. Existence of Associations
The strong and effective village societies/associations and other community based
organizations can play an important role in the designing, implementation and operation of
community/ social and development projects. Based on the village profile, only few villages
NGOs are working in the field of microcredit.
vii. Cooking Method
As per DCR, different sources are being used for cooking purpose in the COI. Data reveals
that majority of people 79.6 percent population are using wood for cooking purpose in these
districts while Gas is second highest source for cooking. As per DCR, different sources of
cooking are shown in Figure 5-29.
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Figure 5–29: Source of Cooking in the COI
Baseline survey also verifies the DCRs data. As per survey it was observed that majority
58.1 percent of the locals in the COI use wood for cooking while 34.2 percent used other
sources such as bushes or Dunk as a major source of cooking (refer Figure 5-30). Due to
high price only 3.2 percent people use Kerosene. Details of the sources of cooking in the
COI are given below Figure 5-30.
Figure 5–30: Main Source of Cooking in the COI as per Social Survey
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5.4.4.2 Main Socio-economic Activities in Section-II
i. Structure of Occupation and Employment
Based on the field survey, major occupations in the COI are agriculture / farming, unskilled
labour, service, business, shops and livestock rearing. As per data collected for the baseline,
it was noticed that agriculture/farming and unskilled labour is the main source of the income
for the locals. As discussed above, major part of the T/L passes through rural areas and
majority people are involved in agriculture activities. Details of occupation in the COI are
given below in Figure 5-31.
Figure 5–31: Main Occupation in the COI
Figure 5-31 reveals that on overall basis, in the COI, 34.5 percent respondent are involved in
agriculture, 32.1 percent are related to daily wage labour, while 7.4 percent are employed in
Govt. and private sectors, remaining are doing business or activities in others sectors.
Another important thing is that majority of the locals are involved in multiple occupations as
all are farmers but also are labourer and do other businesses.
ii. Agriculture
Landuse Pattern
The optimum cropping pattern refers to the allocation of the cropped area under different
crops during the year in order to attain maximum output within the existing resources. In
general, there are four (04) main crops (i.e. wheat, cotton, Maize, sugarcane,) being grown
in the COI from Rahim Yar Khan to Kasur (Refer Crop Calendar as Annex-VIII). In addition
vegetables, some fodder, sunflower, rose and orchards (Mango, Plump, Guava) were also
found under the cropping pattern in the COI (Refer Fruit Calendar As Annex-IX) .Details
regarding the cropping pattern in the COI are presented in below Figure 5-32.
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Cropping Intensity
The cropping intensity15 refers to the proportion of cultivated area being cropped during the
year. In the survey, it was observed that average cropping intensity is estimated as 124.2 in
the COI.
Crop Yield
Crop yield is one of the key performance indicators to assess the productivity of land. As
discussed above, wheat, sugarcane, cotton and maize are being grown. Based on the
results of the field survey, it was noted that overall basis, the average yield of sugarcane per
acre is 1503.5 kg, wheat 36 kg, maize 63.3 kg and cotton34.2 kg. District wise details are
shown in Figure 5-33.
Figure 5–33: Distribution of Average Yield of Major Crops in the COI
15
Cropping intensity is computed by dividing the cropped area by cultivated area and multiplying by 100 and
expressed in terms of percentage. This reveals the extent of cultivated area being cropped during the year.
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iv. Household Expenditure
The annual expenditure and pattern of the expenditure provides an indication for assessing
the standard of living of a household. The expenditure on food items includes cereals,
pulses, flour, sugar, cooking oil/ ghee, milk etc., while the non-food items consist expenditure
on education, medical treatment, clothes, shoes, cosmetics etc. In this respect, survey
results are presented in Figure 5-35.
The survey indicates that on overall basis, the average annual household expenditure on
both food and non-food items is computed to be Rs. 139,010/-. In case of food and non-food
items, such proportion is to the extent of Rs.101,081/- (73.3%) and Rs.37,929/- (26.8%)
respectively (refer Figure 5-35).
Figure 5–35: Distribution of Monthly Expenditure
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students as well as teachers, most of the school buildings have collapsed or in a poor
condition.
People of the COI get basic education at local level after that go to nearby city for higher
education. All types of educational facilities are available in the district level. All the districts
in the COI from Rahim Yar Khan to Nankana Saheb have number of education intuitions.
Education facilities are better in Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur and Pakpattan as compared
to other districts, however, people of the COI give preference to Lahore for better education.
Lahore is a first class place of learning in Pakistan. The world famous and the oldest
university of Pakistan i.e. University of the Punjab located in this city. Besides these other
famous institutions are Govt. College University, Lahore College for Women University,
University of Engineering and Technology etc.
In the COI, most of the schools for girls and boys are primary and to middle level. While in
most of the area for higher secondary education, children have to go Tehsil headquarter,
which are not easy to travel for the vast majority of students especially girls.
v. Literacy Rate
As per DCRs, the literacy rate of Okara district is highest i.e. 37.8 among all districts. There
are two main reasons of higher literacy rate in Okara, first one is that in Okara number of
educational institutions exists for both male and female and second reason is that Okara is
just about 150 Km from Lahore. Due to the availability better education facilities in Lahore,
locals residing in the COI of Okara districts prefer Lahore for education being nearest. In the
COI the lowest literacy rate is Rahim Yar Khan district which is 33.1 percent. Based on
DCRs district wise literacy ratio is shown in Figure 5-36.
Figure 5–36: Distribution of Literacy Ratio as per DCR
As per socio-economic survey of the COI, literacy rate of the Kasur district is the highest i.e.
42.4 percent as compared to other districts in the COI (refer Figure 5-37). Lowest literacy
rate is Bahawalpur district i.e. 30.4 percent in which 22.6 percent in male and 7.8 percent in
female. Below figure shows the results of survey carried out in the COI.
Figure 5–37: Distribution of Literacy Ratio as per Social Survey
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Based on the field survey, average literacy rate of the sample population is 34.8 percent. It is
important to disuses here that female literacy ratio among all districts of the COI is lower as
compare to men. There are many cause of low literacy rate among women in which few is
discussed below:
Causes of Low Literacy Rate among Women
Data shows that female literacy rate in all districts are lower as compare to male. There are
many reasons of lower literacy rate among women such as first cause of women illiteracy is
the increase in population, which is playing a negative role in this deprivation of female
education. A family having more number of children and less income will prefer to educate
the boys of the family, while the girls will be given embroidery or sewing skills. Secondly,
there is also a misconception that females merely have to manage a home after being
married where as males have to earn so education matters only for males but not for
females. Thirdly, it have been observed that traditionally, women are considered as the
asset of males of the family. So these males are responsible for taking decisions of their
lives. In most cases, males do not allow their sisters or daughters to go to schools or
universities. Additionally, some families do not like their daughters to study in co-education
institutes thus depriving them of higher education. Fourthly, the social setup is a male
dominated one. Girls cannot move freely thus any male of the family has to take
responsibility of her care. This sometimes seems difficult to them. There is also a sharp
division between female oriented work and male oriented work. Females are not allowed to
work in all spheres of life therefore their education is not considered valuable. Fifthly, the
number of schools and colleges for females are very less. Girls have to travel a long
distance to reach the schools or colleges. For this reason most of the parents prefer to give
them religious education. Lastly, every government talks about the importance of female
education but none of them has given attention to it.
Health
Health facilities are inadequate in the COI. The people in the COI have a tendency to get
treatment from Indigenous Healers, due to the lack of suitable and sufficient health facilities.
Bad sanitary conditions, insufficient medical facilities and meagre parental care, all
contribute to the prevalence of ill health and high rate of mortality in the COI.
Being district headquarters, Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Pakpattan, Kasur and Nankana
Saheb are also well equipped with a network of hospitals and dispensaries established by
the government and private sectors.
The Government of Punjab has maintained a number of hospitals and medical centers within
the district in order to provide medical facilities to all. The government hospitals are
reasonable in price and offer the best medical facilities. People of the districts of
Bahawalnagar, Pakpattan, Okara, Kasur and Nankana Saheb give preference to Lahore for
better medical facilities. Hospitals in Lahore are well equipped with all modern medical
equipments and technology. Government hospitals of Lahore have been serving the
province several decades. The provincial government is the administrative authority of these
hospitals and takes care of the maintenance of medical aid within these hospitals. Some of
the major hospitals of the city of Lahore are Lahore General Hospital, Jinnah Hospital,
Fatima Memorial Hospital, Gulaab Devi Hospital, Lady Wallington Hospital and Mayo
Hospital.
There are a number of private hospitals in Lahore. People from other district come to Lahore
to get better medical facilities.
As per socio-economic survey, there is not a single Govt. health facility available in the COI
from Rahim Yar Khan to Kasur. Based on field survey, health facilities available in the COI
are described in Figure 5-38.
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Figure 5–38: Availability of Infrastructure in the villages of the COI
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6 STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATIONS
6.1 General
Stakeholders, especially the local population, involvement is an important feature of the
environmental assessment and can lead to a better and more acceptable decision-making
regarding the Project design and implementation. Public involvement, undertaken in a
positive manner and supported by a real desire to use the information gained to improve the
Project design, will lead to better outcomes and lay the basis for on-going positive
relationships between the stakeholders. Public involvement is necessary for smooth
implementation of the Project. The local community support is also required for the success
of the Project.
Given the dimension and nature of the Project, T/L Project management are committed for
undertaking public consultation at local level as a part of Project planning/design, getting
necessary environmental permissions/NOCs, land acquisition, compensation for land and
other assets and management of infrastructures.
Under the proposed Project of T/L, public consultation was carried out for all accessible
villages of COI. These consultations were conducted during the baseline survey carried out
during the month of May, June 2015. The major categories participated in public consultation
were local population, community groups, landowners, businessmen, tenants, women,
vulnerable groups and potential Project affected persons (PAPs) belonging to the COI. The
feedbacks and issues raised during the consultation were recorded and documented for
developing the strategy.
6.2 Objective
As per Pak-EPA Guidelines for public consultations, consultations for EIA were carried out
keeping in view the following major objectives:
Sharing of information with government authorities and local communities on the
proposed Project activities and expected impacts on the physical, ecological and socio-
economic conditions of the COI;
Understanding the stakeholders concerns regarding various aspects of the Project,
including the existing situation, route alignment, land acquisition, compensation and the
potential impacts of the construction-related activities and operation of the Project; and
Recording the feedback of public, in order to develop a mechanism to address their
issues and other local level concerns and incorporation of the outcomes in final decision
making.
6.3 Identification of Stakeholders
Stakeholders were identified before the starting consultation. The major stakeholders related
to the proposed Project are as under:
NTDC;
Agriculture Department Punjab;
Agriculture Department Sindh;
Forest, Wildlife and Fisheries Departments Punjab;
Forest, Wildlife and Fisheries Departments Sindh;
District and Local Governments of Punjab and Sindh;
NGOs;
Farmers;
PAPs (men);
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PAPs (Women);
General user of the Project Area (Like Nomad People, Drivers, Labourers etc.);
SEPA;
EPA Punjab; and
Pak-EPA.
Details regarding roles and responsibilities of the concerned agencies and departments are
given below Table 6-1.
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Project
Name Roles
Stakeholder
Promoting export of high value agricultural products
Promoting efficient use of water and other inputs
Improving soil health
Development of culturable waste lands
Ensuring fair returns for the growers in marketing of
their produce
Forest Protection, improvement and maintenance of existing
Department forests
Increase forests by planting new trees
Extension and advisory services to the general public
about tree plantation
Wildlife To save and protect wildlife
Department
Fisheries Conservation of fisheries reservoirs
Department Management and development of resources on
scientific lines
Extension services to private sector
Under the proposed Project, public consultation was carried out in the villages of district
Matiari (Sindh) to Nankana Saheb (Punjab). Total 67 consultative meetings were held with
320 participants and the major categories participated in these meeting were local
population, community groups, landowners, businessmen, tenants, vulnerable groups and
potential project affected persons. Majority of the people who participated in these
consultations are mature/elderly persons because as per the local culture, elders have the
right regarding any decision. Although, young people were also present during consultations,
but their participation was little. Details of public consultations carried out with the PAPs/local
community and other stakeholders are attached as Annex-X.
6.4 Public Consultation
A series of public consultations was required to get the feedback/ concerns of the different
category of stakeholders including potentially affected persons, local community and other
general public located in the COI and concerned officials. Thus, total 67 consultations/ group
discussions were made with the PAPs/local community & general public. District-wise
summary of consultations/ consultative meetings is presented in Table 6-2.
Table 6–2: List of Consultations with the Stakeholders
No. of
Sr. No. Date Venue
Participants
1 June 08, 2015 Siakhart/Matiari 5
Wali Muhammad Jatt, Allah Baksh
2 June 08, 2015 Khasal, Rasheed 12
Khyber/Siakhart/Matiari
Goth Shah Nawaz, Haji Khuda Baksh
3 June 09, 2015 13
Khoso/Mitha Khora/Matiari
Matho Dehro/Pur Fogar
4 June 10, 2015 10
Shoro/Tandoadam/ Sanghar
Haji Khan. M. Der, Haji Zagir Dero/
5 June 10, 2015 9
Kund Dero/Tandoadam/ Sanghar
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No. of
Sr. No. Date Venue
Participants
Pir Baksh Brohi, Chono Bhamboro,
6 June 11, 2015 11
Wali Bagrani/ Asgharabad/Sanghar
Haji Phetto Dhehyo, 25-B Jhamro, Dr.
7 June 11, 2015 Manzoor, Jhamroi, Habib Mahar/ 16
Khadro/Singhoro/ Sanghar
Faqer Pur Bakash Goth,
Peer Bux Ghaho Deeh (Peer) Bux,
8 June 12, 2015 Allahabayo Rajper, 14
Karim Bux Aaradio/
Khenwari/Naro/Khairpur
M. Ali khan Bhambhro/ Sakandarabad/
9 June 13, 2015 11
Saleh Pet/Khairpur
Thikratto/Mubarakpur/Pano
10 June 14, 2015 7
Aqal/Sukkur
Goth M. Murad, Mareagro/
11 June 15, 2015 7
Barota/Dharki/Ghotki
Chak No. 262/ P/Tehsil Sadiq Abad/
8 June 17, 2015 6
District Rahim Yar Khan
Chak No. 237, Chak No. 229/ Tehsil
9 June 18, 2015 21
Sadiq Abad/ District Rahim Yar Khan
Chak 94,95 P, Tehsil Sadiq Abad/
10 June 18, 2015 13
District Rahim Yar Khan
Kahnewala Pul/ Drawar/ Yazman/
11 June 26, 2015 16
Bahawalpur
12 June 26, 2015 14 DRB/Yazman/ Bahawalpur 15
Chak No. 79/Chanan Pir/Yazman/
13 June 26, 2015 7
Bahawalpur
14 June 27, 2015 Chak 68,73, 74 /Yazman/ Bahawalpur 11
Chak 73-F, 85-Fateh,86,
15 June 27, 2015 87/Hasilpur/Bahawalpur 12
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No. of
Sr. No. Date Venue
Participants
Sharif Kot/ Tehsil Bahawalnagar/
33 June 29, 2015 1
District Bahawalnagar
Mari Mian Sahib/Tehsil
34 June 29, 2015 Bahawalpurnagar/ District 4
Bahawalnagar
Kot Lamphar/Tehsil Bahawalnagar/
35 June 29, 2015 2
District Bahawalnagar
Kond Qadir, Tehsil Arif Wala, District
36 June 29, 2015 3
Pakpattan
Ali Shah, Tehsil Arif Wala, District
37 June 30, 2015 4
Pakpattan
Mari Habit, Tehsil Arif Wala, District
38 June 30, 2015 4
Pakpattan
Chak Hota, Tehsil Pakpattan, District
39 June 30, 2015 8
Pakpattan
Basti Bittian Chakgan, Col Shah,
Heman Maruka, Chak Joya, Mouza
40 June 30, 2015 15
Kala Pathan (Goan Kot Ahmed
Hussain)/Arifwala/Pakpattan
Moaza Jhan, Taie Chak Jawandar, Kot
41 June 30, 2015 Radha Kishan, Chak Khamma 10
Dogar/Pakpattan/Pakpattan
33 SP, Natho wala Kho-32 SP, Moza
Bonga Sharif, Chak 55P, Nosher Kot,
42 June 30, 2015 14
60-D
Khokharwala/Pakpattan/Pakpattan
40-D, 42-D, 43-D,
43 June 30, 2015 11
Narranwala/Depalpur/Okara
44 July 01, 2015 7/1L, 2/1-L, 15-1-L/Renala khurd/Okara 12
Bopawala Chak 23, Jasherb Chack 24,
45 July 01, 2015 8
Chak Khodian-41/ Pattoki/ Kasur
46 July 01, 2015 Chitti/Nankana Saheb 4
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Land owners suggested that local govenment should consider nearby land which not
fertile;
If this land has been finalized for proposed converter station than compensation should
be as per existing market prices;
The land being considered is located on the N-5 and have sweet ground water, hence
the prices are very high;
Initially 300 acre land was selected for converter station and now it has been reduced to
about 210 acre;
Affectees requested that proposed converter station land have orchards of banana,
mangoes and dates that provide good income and this is the major source of income;
Affectees demanded good compensation of fruit and ornamental trees;
As per the locals they earn more than 3 lacs/acre per year from falsa and banana trees;
Due to the acquisition of land their livelihood will be lost forever;
Afectees demanded good compensation should be provided so that we can purchase
alternative land easily;
The major source of irrigation water is Matiari Minor that originates from Rohri Canal and
water is almost available for 12 months;
Tube-wells are also installed to supply water to the orchads during the shortage of the
canal water;
Owners also sell soil form the barren lands in the site proposed for the converter
stations;
Approximately 350 acres alternative land for converter station is also available near
(Chandan Mori, Matiari) about 3 to 4 Km away from this site, that is less costly and the
owners are willing to sell on account of receiving the handsome compensation that is of
course will be less as compare to the actual land to be acquired;
Some locals demanded that alternate land in nearby areas instead of market price will be
acceptable to them. Some showed concerns that cash compensation should be given to
the PAPs directly and political interference should be avoided;
Affectees pleased that the agricultural land is their sole source of income and we do not
possess any technical and vocational skills. Therefore by selling this land, we will
become idle and will not be able to fulfil the basic needs of our family. People are very
worried and most of the people are on bed due to depression;
Affectees demanded that subsides electricity should be provided to the affected people
of converter station;
A few people said that their skilled children should be given employment opportunities
during the construction stage of the proposed plan;
Affectee told that market price of this land is about 40 to 50 lac per acre; and
Affectee said that compensation should be paid of all effected structures, trees and tube-
wells.
Compensation for loss of crops due to the project activities should be provided;
Crops compensation should be provided in case of affected crops ;
Compensation of trees should also be given;
Project should provide the cheap electricity to the local people especially affected
persons;
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A. Project Related Concerns/Feedback
i. People’s willingness
The whole country is suffering from energy crisis. Continuous Power shutdown is badly
affecting daily life of the people. People in the COI are quite happy with this Project. Most of
the people along Section-I promised their cooperation and support for the proposed Project.
According to respondent, such projects are important for the prosperity of people and
country. People even demanded that this Project should be implemented as soon as
possible. For the consulted communities this Project is more attractive than adverse impacts.
Few respondents are even willing to bear minor losses due to this Project.
Very few people have negative views about government Projects, as according to them land
value would be reduced due to the construction of T/L in the Project Area. Development
Project in Area would be ceased due to the construction of Towers.
ii. Livelihood
In the COI, farming, labour and small businesses are the main sources of livelihood. Majority
of the respondents are poor and they told that there are very few employment opportunities.
Therefore, economic conditions are not so good. Pakistan is an agricultural country and
about 90 percent population in rural areas are using tube-well for irrigation purposes as
canal water is not enough. People of the Matiari, Sanghar, Khairpur, Sukkur in Sindh and
Rahim Yar Khan, Bahawalpur and Bahawalnagar in Punjab told during consultation that due
to shortage of canal water in the area, they are forced to use lift irrigation which is based on
electricity. Load shedding has badly affected agriculture activities in these areas. Locals told
that thousand of labourers are becoming jobless as small cottage industries are shutting
down due to load shedding and locals have to close down their private businesses.
Electricity shortage has severely affected the livelihoods of thousands of families along the
COI. As per respondents in the COI, proposed Project implementation will have positive
impact on livelihood as it will trigger income generating activities and crop production will
also increase as it depends upon the availability of water. People in the COI said that
employment opportunities during implementation phase of the Project should be given to
them and government should provide jobs opportunities to poor people residing in the
Project Area, on priority.
iii. Compensation/Relocation/Resettlement
In case, crops and trees are damaged due to T/L Project, proper compensation should be
paid. If any community or private structures are affected, it should be relocated and
compensated properly. Locals demanded that the T/L should be kept away from residential
areas so that resettlement issues are avoided.
iv. Electricity
Electricity is not available in most of the villages of Khairpur, Sukkur and Ghotki. It was
suggested that electricity should be provided to all the villages in the route alignment of T/L.
According to locals, provision of electricity will reduce many constraints of daily life. It will
initiate development in the area and increase the living standard of locals.
B. Other Concerns/Feedback
Basic amenities of life are not available in most of the villages in COI from Matiari to Lahore
section. Medical facilities, proper education system, road infrastructure and electricity are not
present in many areas along Project corridor.
i. Water Supply/Drinking Water/Irrigation Water
Locals of the southern Punjab informed that water scarcity is a big issue in most of the
settlements, accessible ground‘s water is neither good for drinking nor for irrigation of crops.
In some areas such as Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar and Pakpattan, drinking water is
brackish which cause water borne diseases. Locals demanded that clean and safe drinking
water should be provided through water supply system or water filtration plants.
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People told that irrigation water disputes are common in COI. Water distribution is not
transparent due to influential people of area. People residing at canal tail do not receive
sufficient water for irrigation.
ii. Sewerage System
There is no proper sewerage system in most of the villages in the COI. Absence of proper
sewerage system results in epidemic health problems. Locals demanded that sewerage
system should be installed to improve sanitation condition of rural areas.
iii. Health/Medical Facilities
Water borne diseases are common in most of the villages along route alignment. Diseases
such as jaundice, hepatitis, fever, tuberculosis and stomach disorders etc. are common in
these areas. Hospitals are mostly far away while dispensaries are not fully equipped.
Maternity homes are not available. Due to inadequate health facilities, majority of the
patients couldn‘t get proper treatment. People have to travel long distances to get health
facility. In Section-I, more than 90 percent villages have no health facility. People demanded
that health facility should be provided to the locals.
Livestock rearing is main source of income in many areas in the COI. There are no
veterinary hospitals near settlement. Any disease outbreak among livestock directly affects
the households. So veterinary centers should be provided in areas where livestock rearing is
common.
iv. Public Infrastructures/ Roads
Transportation and road infrastructure is very poor in the COI. Most of the settlements have
Katcha tracks. People have to travel longer distances by foot. During rainy season, travelling
on Katcha tracks become difficult. It was demanded that roads should be constructed and
public transport should be provided to facilitate the local people.
v. Education
Education facilities are very poor in the COI. Schools are not present in villages and boys
and girls have to travel long distances for education. Schools are devoid of proper
infrastructure and learning aids. Many students could not join the college. It was suggested
by locals that proper education system should be introduced along the COI especially for
girls.
6.4.2 Concerns/ Feedback of Focus Group Discussions
Project related concerns and feedback by the women in the COI is presented below:
A. Project Related Concerns/Feedback
i. Willingness
Women have also shown positive approach towards the proposed Project, as it will help in
the development of country by providing more electricity.
ii. Privacy
Women have discussed their privacy issues, as according to them when outsiders will come
into their area during construction phase they will have to restrict their mobility. Project
should not be implemented during the harvesting season as during that season they have to
go out to help male members in the fields.
iii. Employment
It was demanded by the locals that Govt. should provide job opportunities of literate women
in education and health sectors. Women demanded that if possible during construction stage
of the project their male member should be provided skilled and unskilled job opportunities.
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B. Other Concerns/Feedback
i. Awareness
Most of the women expressed a desire to expand the magnitude of their work and
responsibilities; due to lack of opportunities, mobility, illiteracy and poverty. Though they
have access to information and agricultural knowledge about farming and livestock activities
which has come to them through word of mouth and over time, their main obstacle is their
exclusion from using their knowledge and information
ii. Education
Lack of income and mobility is the main hurdle in sending the girls to school. High schools
and collages were also not available which has also reduced the women literacy status.
Males get preferential treatment regarding formal education as compare to females.
iii. Income
Women have complained that usually they receive no wages at all, sometimes only food for
work and men and women are not paid equally for their services. They have seen
agricultural work opportunities squeezed year by year and because they have no alternative
but to suffer continuing impoverishment.
Women unanimously complain of restricted earning opportunities outside agriculture due to
cultural and social pressure. They go in groups or are accompanied by a male family
member.
Women of Project Area repeatedly complained of lack of alternate working opportunities to
agriculture, as well as lack of social and professional mobility. Social norms leading to
restricted mobility in search of other work is one of the stumbling blocks to women‘s
employment.
iv. Health
Women along Project corridor were facing major health problems. Most of women are facing
maternity problem. In most of the cases medical facilities are far away. Women access to
these health facilities is not possible because they couldn‘t travel long distance.
Majority of the area, crossed by the T/L is poor; people have great expectations towards the
Project. Moreover, having the opportunity to express them has enabled the people to
communicate all the frustrations they are living day by day.
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7.1 General
This Chapter identifies the potential environmental and social impacts due to the
implementation of the proposed Project on the physical, ecological and socio-economic
environment. This Chapter also suggest/propose the mitigation measures that will help to
avoid, reduce and mitigate the Project‘s adverse environmental and social impacts due to
the proposed T/L Project.
The impacts of the proposed Project are divided into two (02) major components which are
given below:
Transmission Line (T/L); and
Converter Stations.
7.2 Tools used for Impact Assessment
The methodology has been described in Chapter-1. Following tools were used for the
identification of the Project potential environmental and social impacts:
7.2.1 Project Screening Checklist
The first step in the identification of potential environmental and social impact is to classify
the significant and insignificant potential adverse impacts. The insignificant potential adverse
impacts are screened out using the impact screening checklist.
The Project has been broadly classified into two major components i.e. proposed T/L and
proposed Converter Stations. The potential impacts and their mitigations measures are also
described separately. Other components such as Contractor Camps, Vehicle/Storage areas,
Quarry areas etc. are considered as a part of T/L.
Based on the findings of desk studies, processed satellite imageries, previous studies,
screening checklist for the impacts were prepared to screen out the significant and
insignificant impacts of the proposed Project on physical, ecological and socio-economic
environment. After the completion of field visits, compilation of baseline information,
processing of available Google Earth Satellite Imagery, the screening checklist was filled to
screen out the impacts of the proposed Project during the construction and operation stage
with and without mitigation. The filled screening checklist is given as Annex-XI.
7.2.2 Project Impact Matrix
A Project impact matrix helps in identifying the potential temporal impact and screens the
Project for environmental and social soundness. Spatial based impacts are identified using
Overlays discussed in the next head. Each Project activity is screened separately with
regard to its construction and operation phases and according to the various physical,
ecological and social parameters. Matrices are used to identify temporal impacts. These
impacts are categorized on the basis of nature, magnitude /severity, extent, timing, duration,
uncertainty and reversibility. Table 7-1 shows the categorization of impacts.
Sr. Magnitude
Nature Extent Timing Duration Uncertainty Reversibility
/Severity
No. Category Category Category Category Category Category
Category
1 Indirect Low Site-specific Short Term Temporary Low Probability Reversible
Medium Medium
2 Direct Moderate National Permanent Irreversible
Term Probability
3 Cumulative High Local Long Term High Probability
4 Residual Regional
5 Synergistic Trans-boundary
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Annex-XII provides the Project Impact Matrix. The classification criteria used in the Project
Impact Matrix for the environmental impacts of the proposed Project activities is given below
in Table 7-2.
Low x
Medium x
High x
7.2.3 Overlays
In order to identify the spatial based (location based) impacts, overlays are used. An overlay
is based on a set of transparent maps each of which represents the spatial distribution of
environmental characteristics (for example susceptibility to erosion). Information for an array
of variables is collected for the standard geographical units within the COI and recorded in a
series of maps typically one for each parameter. These maps are overlaid to produce a
composite map. The resulting composite maps characterize the area‘s physical, ecological,
socio-economic and other relevant characteristics relative to the location of the proposed
Project. Software used for the overlays are Arc View and AUTOCAD. For the subject Project
digitized available Google Earth Imageries and ARC GIS was used to prepared overlay
maps. Land-use map prepared for overlays of the COI and Converter Stations are attached
as Figure 5-1 and 5-2.
7.2.4 Delineation of Project Corridor of Impact (COI)
Before proceeding to the environmental analysis of the Project, it is imperative to delineate
the COI. The COI has already been described in Chapter-1. There are two (02) types of
Project corridors which have been used for the environmental baseline information, impacts
assessment and mitigation purposes and is described briefly as under:
7.2.4.1 Corridor of Impact (COI)/ Area of Influence
COI is a limit which identifies the area where direct and indirect impacts of the Project
activities are envisaged like existence of forests, game reserves, wetlands, archaeological
sites etc. COI also includes the ROW. This limit varies from a 200 m wide strip to 1 km or
even more for collection of baseline information, impacts assessment and mitigation
measures of physical, ecological as well as social resources.
Apart from the COI, which is along the centerline, area identified for the
Construction/Contractor camps, vehicle, equipment yard, material quarry areas and access
tracks are also considered for the study and termed as Project Area. Therefore, in this report
COI also means the Study Area or Area of Influence.
Study Area for the Converter Stations is the area to be acquired for the construction as well
as the adjoining area where the Project activities may have impact on the environment.
As the location of Construction/Contractor camps, vehicle, equipment yard, material quarry
areas and access tracks have not been defined yet, so impacts evaluated due to these
facilities in this section will be of generic nature. Converter Station Site Selection Criteria is
provided in Section 3.6.
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7.2.4.2 Right of Way (ROW) / Project Area
ROW is the corridor where direct impacts of the proposed T/L due to the construction of
Towers are envisaged. In the ROW there will be direct impact on the environment like
relocation of the physical infrastructure, clearing of vegetation, cutting of trees, loss of crops
due to the installation of Towers and some indirect impacts on shrubs, ornamental trees etc.
are also envisaged. ROW is taken as 100 m wide strip through which the T/L will pass.
Similarly, Project Area is the area to be acquired for the construction of Converter Stations.
7.3 Positive Impacts
With the implementation of the proposed Project, the following major positive impacts are
foreseen:
7.3.1 Availability of Electricity and Reduction in Load Shedding
Construction of new T/L will indirectly increase the supply of electricity by despatching Power
from Thar to the major load distribution centers i.e. Lahore. This will increase the electricity
in the national grid and will help to reduce the load shedding thereby improving the overall
electricity situation in the country.
7.3.2 Employment Opportunities
During construction phase and operation phase, jobs will be created for the unskilled and
skilled labour. Locals will be employed in these jobs to fulfill skilled and unskilled labour
requirements. This will bring prosperity among locals and help in increasing the confidence
of locals towards development Project.
During the construction phase, the locals can also open small shops, workshops etc., to
provide daily needed bread and butter for the workers, hence business opportunities will be
generated along the COI.
Development of quarry areas will also create jobs and business opportunities for the locals.
This will also be a positive impact for the locals.
7.3.3 Infrastructure Development
The construction of the Converter Stations will help towards the development of
infrastructure, business and routine life in these regions especially the Tharparkar area
which is an under developed and remote area. Locals will be benefited by this, as this will
contribute to their livelihoods. Moreover, access roads/tracks developed for the
construction/installation of Tower will also be utilized by the locals.
7.3.4 Increase in Land Value
Construction of new T/L and Converter Stations is expected to increase the land value, due
to the increased accessibility, especially in villages where little or no road infrastructure is
present. Land owners will have an opportunity to sell their land at increased prices and start
new businesses.
7.3.5 Socio-Economic Uplift
Development of business during the construction stage will cause socio-economic uplift of
the locals along the COI. The socio-economic impacts like employment, education, living
standard and cultural uplift during the interaction with locals are the indirect benefits due to
the Project implementation. T/L will create new job opportunities for local residents during
the construction stage of the Project. This will uplift the socio-economic situation of the area
hence living standard of the local population will improve.
7.3.6 Indirect Benefits
There are many indirect benefits associated with the proposed Project. The benefit of
decrease in electricity load shedding will facilitate other services, such as health facilities,
schools, water supply etc., which are dependent on electricity. This will also result in the
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improvement of the socio-economic conditions of the locals. Expansion of the industrial base
is also expected.
Indirect positive impacts of the proposed Project on environment and social settings of the
Project Area are as under:
Due to the implementation of the Project, availability of electricity will be increased;
Due to increased electricity availability opportunities will be available to develop a large
area of barren land into agriculture land by installation of tubewells. This will not have
any significant adverse impact on the biodiversity of the area;
Expansion of the industrial base is expected due to the availability of electricity;
Better quality of life will be available for the residents of the Study Area; and
Electrification of a number of villages where the present day basic necessities are not
available, will result in the spread of knowledge, education and provide recreation
through mass media communication by television in the rural areas of the country.
7.4 Potential Adverse Impacts of Transmission Line
Apart from positive impacts of the T/L on the environment, there are some potential
significant adverse environmental and social impacts on the local environment. The
proposed Project broadly can be divided into three (03) stages i.e. Pre-construction/
Planning and Design Stage, Construction Stage and Operational Stage. The Pre-
construction Stage includes all stages before the construction Stage (i.e. land acquisition,
site investigation work i.e. topographical, geotechnical, seismic studies etc.); Construction
Stage includes all stages from mobilization of Contractor to the completion of Project; and
Operation Stage starts after the Construction Stage which includes the inspection and repair
works.
Adverse impacts envisaged at these three (03) stages of the proposed T/L Project Section-I,
II along with their proposed remedial or mitigation measures are detailed below.
7.4.1 Adverse Impacts during Planning and Design Phase
Potential adverse impacts during the planning and design stage of the Project are given
below:
7.4.1.1 Physical Environment
i. Permanent Land Acquisition
Permanent land acquisition by NTDC will be required for the proposed Coverter Stations.
About 215 acres of land will be requied for the Converter Station at Matiari. Land has been
selected and Section 4 has been notified. Land is partially owned by the Privately and by the
Government. As per information available so far about 88 acres of this piece of land is
privately owned rest is owned by the Government.
The proposed T/L will not involve the permanent land acquisition as per NTDC practice in
the light of LAA and Telegraph Act, 1910. No permanent land acquisition will be made for the
land at the Tower footings as the landowner will be allowed to use the area under the
Towers after the installation. T/L Section II is mostly passing over the agriculture land.
During the previous studies on the other similar Projects, it was particularly observed that
people are using the land under the Towers for agriculture purposes.
Mitigation
During the route identification and optimization studies, efforts were made to avoid the
spotting of Towers as well as T/L alignment over houses and populated areas. No specific
mitigation measures can be suggested as no land will be acquired on permanent basis.
Impacts and mitigation due to temporary acquisition of land is given below.
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ii. Temporary Acquisition of Land
The Contractors will require temporary land acquisition for:
The development of Contractor camps and facilities i.e. storage, workshops, equipment
parking and washing areas;
Aggregate quarries; and
Access roads/tracks for haulage, transportation etc.
The approximate area required for the establishment of one Contractor‘s camp facilities will
be 5000m2 (refer Section 4.4.3)at the different locations. Land utilization for Project activities
and subsequent operation of Project may induce temporary as well as permanent changes
in the existing landuse pattern. This impact can be categorized as direct, low, site-specific,
short term, temporary, medium probability and reversible.
Mitigation
The land for above mentioned facilities should be selected and leased prior to the start of
construction phase. Land for above mentioned facilities will be directly rented from the
private landowners by the Contractors. The provisions of the Land Acquisition Act (LAA),
1894 will not be involved as the acquisition of the land will be temporary and will be covered
by short-term lease agreements between the landowners and Contractor. Rental terms
should be negotiated to the satisfaction of the concerned landowners and the agreement
should be in local language to make the process clear.
NTDC staff will monitor the process of site restoration of the land after the construction
phase and will ensure through the terms of the Construction Contracts that landowners are
compensated according the terms of the lease agreements and the site restoration plans
agreed upon by the Contractors are duly carried out. Photographic documentation of the
existing land prior to the temporary acquisition should be available which will be beneficial to
resolve the restoration conflicts between the landowner and the Contractor. A mechanism for
Redress of Grievance is also provided in the Section 8.11 to resolve the conflicts between
the landowner and the Contractor. This record should be available at the office of NTDC
Environmental & Social Expert Project office.
In addition, the following general guidelines should be followed to minimize the impacts on
the landuse:
Project facilities should be located at a minimum distance of 500 m from the existing
settlements, built-up areas, wildlife habitats, archaeological and cultural monuments as
the case may be.
Prior to the commencement of the construction activities, the Contractor should submit a
development plan to the Engineer-incharge and the concerned EPA (if required) for its
scrutiny and approval; and
As far as possible, waste/barren land i.e. areas not under agricultural or residential use
and natural areas located at high elevation should be used for setting up the Contractor
camps.
7.4.1.2 Ecological Environment
i. Vegetation Cover and Fauna
During the planning and design phase of the Project, limited vegetation cover will be
removed and some shrubs/trees/fruit trees will be removed for setting up the temporary
camps, material storage areas and for the development of the temporary tracks. This may
affect the existing vegetation to some extent in Section II of the proposed T/L.
During the site investigation work i.e. topographical, geotechnical, seismic studies etc. the
fauna may be affected insignificantly in Section II and some parts of Section II. Clearing of
vegetation cover might affect the habitat of animals residing in the bushes and scattered
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grass.This impact can be categorized as direct, low, site-specific, short term, temporary, low
probability and reversible.
No specific measures are required for the insignificant impact; however, use of good
engineering practices such as use of equipments to cause minimum noise and damage to
the vegetation will further minimize the impact.
7.4.1.3 Socio-Economic Environment
During the planning and design phase of the Project it is anticipated that there will not be any
potentially significant adverse impact on the socio-economic environment. Locals may be
temporarily disturbed due to the field investigations and drilling activities. This impact can be
categorized as indirect, low, site-specific, short term, temporary, medium probability and
reversible.
No mitigations measures are required. Good engineering practices along with above
suggested mitigation are required to avoid and reduce these low adverse impacts.
7.4.2 Adverse Impacts during Construction Stage
7.4.2.1 Physical Environment
i. Ambient Air Quality
Ambient air quality will be affected by the fugitive dust and emissions from the construction
machinery and vehicular traffic during the construction phase. These impacts are envisaged
mainly for Section I and Section II. Emissions may be carried over long distances depending
on the wind speed, wind direction, temperature of the surrounding atmosphere, atmospheric
stability, topography, occurrence of any significant obstruction such as buildings and type of
terrain. The critical sources of air pollution during the construction phase are:
Quarry areas that generate fugitive dust during the excavation; and
Construction material haulage trucks that generate dust, particularly during the loading
and unloading processes.
This impact can be categorized as direct, moderate, local, medium term, temporary, high
probability and reversible.
Mitigation
The following effective measures need to be adopted for controlling the potential adverse
impacts on ambient air quality:
The existing quarries should be used to borrow the aggregate materials;
Concrete batching plants should be equipped with dust control equipment such as fabric
filters or wet scrubbers to reduce the level of dust emissions;
Ensure the proper and periodic tuning of the vehicles;
Dust emissions from trucks will be reduced by a regular sprinkling of water for keeping
the dust settled at least twice a day;
Haul-trucks carrying sand aggregate and other materials will be kept covered with
tarpaulin to reduce the dust pollution;
NTDC should set up a system to monitor the air quality along the Project corridor in
accordance with the accepted local and international standards. The system will cover
protocols for sampling and analysis, assessment of air quality at sensitive locations,
reporting and information sharing. NTDC will coordinate all the efforts in this area with
the concerned EPAs and the local authorities; and
NEQS provisions for ambient air quality, stack emission, noise levels and vehicular
exhaust should be used for reference during the construction works.
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ii. Noise Level
Noise generated by the construction machinery during the construction stage is likely to
affect the COI particularly the sensitive receptors like nearby schools, hospital etc. This
impact will be more pronounced in Section I and Section II.
This is a potentially significant adverse environmental and social impact of temporary nature.
This impact can be categorized as direct, moderate, local, short term, temporary, high
probability and reversible.
Mitigation
As the proposed T/L route some sections are passing near houses, so special care must be
taken for noise producing activity by providing casing to the noise generating part of the
machinery or use of noise absorbing materials. Properly tuned vehicles and oiling of moving
part of equipment may also reduce the noise levels. Construction timing should be
coordinated with locals. Normally noise generating activities are allowed from 9 AM to 5 PM
during day time to avoid disturbance to humans as well as fauna.
NTDC will also set up a system to monitor the noise levels in the COI near the construction
activities to facilitate the concerned EPAs in enforcing the noise standards as prescribed in
the NEQS.
iii. Liquid and Solid Waste from Construction Camps
The total strength of labor for transmission line construction is about 4,500 persons (about
1,000 Chinese engineers and skilled workers). About 14 camps are to be established during
construction period. Approximate proposed strength of the labour in each camp is 322
persons for the T/L, Towers and stringing of conductors. (Refer Section 4.4.4). These
persons will be involved during hauling and installation stage. As a general rule the water
consumption will be about 20 gallon/capita/day (75.7 liter/capita/day) and will subsequently
generate about 70 to 80% of this water as sewage.
Total amount of water required for the camps domestic and drinking water requirements are
not much. However, a proper planning should be done for the source of water to be used to
provide water for the camp area. Groundwater should be the first priority after Pumpout Test
and resistivity survey if it is available at reasonable depth, quantity and quality. Similarly if
the sources are far apart then option of Bowser trucks should be considered. Regular
sampling and testing of water against the drinking water quality guidelines are
recommended.
Disposal of wastewater without treatment will pollute the soil and groundwater. Hence water
demand will be 13.5 m3/day and estimated generated wastewater will be about 10.16
m3/day.
Based on the rough estimate, labour camps will generate 0.5 kg/person/day solid waste of
domestic nature comprising kitchen waste, garbage, putrescible waste, rubbish and small
portion of ashes and residues. Estimated quantity of solid waste will be about 89.5kg/day.
Improper waste management activities can increase disease transmission, contaminate
ground and surface water and ultimate damage to the ecosystem.
This impact can be categorized as direct, moderate, site-specific, short term, temporary, high
probability and reversible.
Mitigation
To dispose the liquid and solid waste generated from the construction activities, the following
steps should be taken by the Contractor:
Domestic and chemical effluents from the construction camp should be disposed by the
development of on-site sanitation systems i.e. septic tanks along with soakage pits.
Proper monitoring to check the compliance of NEQS will be carried out;
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Sewage from construction camps will be disposed of after proper pre-treatment and
processes such as soakage pit;
All the solid waste from the camps should be properly collected at source by placing
containers and disposed of through proper solid waste management system. The
Contractor will coordinate with local representatives and administration concerned
department for the disposal of solid waste;
The concerned department must develop a plan of action for transporting the waste to
the disposal site for final disposal. It is the responsibility of the concerned department to
ensure that the disposal site is properly lined to prevent the leachate from contaminating
the groundwater;
Secondly, the disposal site must be located away as far as practical from populated
areas and regions that have a high density of Wildlife;
Toxic waste will be handled, stored, transported and disposed separately;
The waste will be properly sealed in containers with proper labels indicating the nature
of the waste; and
Solid waste will be segregated at source so that it can be re-used or recycled.
iv. Soil Erosion
Construction activities such as clearing and grubbing, excavation, filling, laying down
concrete foundation for Towers and setting up construction camps will affect the existing soil
condition in the COI. The clearing of vegetation can also loosen the soil and make it more
susceptible to erosion due to wind and rain. There is also a possibility of silt runoff during
rainy season causing soil erosion. During the rain, the eroded soil mix with stagnant water to
transform into slush, which can affect movement of vehicles and machinery and construction
work as well as limit the movements of local people.
Soil erosion may also occur in the workshop areas as a result of improper drainage system
of equipment washing-yards and improper management of construction activities. This
impact can be categorized as indirect, moderate, site-specific, long term, permanent, high
probability and irreversible.
Mitigation
Good engineering practices will help to control or minimize the soil erosion both at the
construction sites and in peripheral areas, particularly at the Tower foundations and along
the haul tracks. All the disturbed areas need to be protected against soil erosion by stripping
and stockpiling of all the available topsoil for later re-vegetation. Special slope protection
measures should be adopted in the sensitive areas i.e. desert or semi-desert areas Section-I
and Section-II. Site restoration plan for the Project should be strictly followed.
Siltation of Natural Streams and Irrigation Channels
Natural streams and irrigation channels mostly in SectionI and Section-II may be prone to
increase in sedimentation and silt due to excavated material (loose aggregate) with the
runoff from the construction area, workshops and equipment washing-yards.
The irrigation/drainage channels and natural streams running along the Project corridor in
the Project Area may also become silted, if unmanaged excavation is carried out for the
Tower foundations and other construction activities.
This impact can be categorized as indirect, moderate, site-specific, long term, permanent,
high probability and irreversible.
Mitigation
The excavated material will be managed by ensuring proper storage areas located far away
from the water bodies. It will not cause the siltation of the irrigation channels. All the areas
disturbed due to erosion need to be protected against soil erosion by stripping and
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stockpiling of all the available topsoil for later re-vegetation. At sand dunes, proper slope
protection should be provided to reduce the erosion of the slopes.
v. Soil Contamination
Land may be contaminated due to the spillage of chemicals, fuels, solvents, oils, paints,
concrete, solid waste generated at campsites etc. This normally happens when these
materials are transported in open or loosely capped containers.
The possible contamination of soil by oils and chemicals at camp sites, workshop area and
equipment washing-yards may limit the future use of land for agricultural purposes. This
impact can be categorized as direct, moderate, site-specific, long term, permanent, high
probability and irreversible.
Mitigation
The following practice will be adopted to minimize the risk of soil contamination:
The Contractors will be required to instruct and train their workforce in the storage
handling and management of materials and chemicals that can potentially cause soil
contamination;
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) should be strictly followed during handling and
storage of chemicals;
Soil contamination due to concrete transportation will be minimized by placing all
containers in casings; and
Solid waste generated at the camp sites will be properly treated and safely disposed
only in the demarcated waste disposal sites/areas.
vi. Public Infrastructure
Construction stage of the proposed Project may affect the existing infrastructure within the
ROW of the T/L where Towers are to be installed and stringing activities. List of
infrastructure falling with ROW (100 m) is given in Table 7-3 attached at the end of this
Chapter. Exact number will be identified after the finalizaiton of the spotting of Towers.
Road Crossings
Field surveys revealed that the proposed T/L will cross some roads, the details of road
crossings are provided in the Table7-3. At the time of stringing of proposed T/L, interference
to the traffic movement is expected. This will be a significant adverse physical and social
impact during the construction stage. This impact can be categorized as direct, moderate,
local, medium term, temporary, high probability and reversible.
Mitigation
SOPs for the clearing of existing infrastructure including buildings and their compensation
are provided in Section 8.9 of Chapter 8. During the detailed design stage, NTDC will
coordinate with NHA and local road department/authorities for the installation of the Towers
and during stringing of the conductors where the line is crossing the existing roads for the
provision of alternate traffic route and management. NTDC will provide adequate line
clearance from the road. Further, during the installation process, proper traffic management
plan will be prepared to avoid the traffic hazards and the construction should be carried out
in off peak hours.
Canals
The proposed T/L will also cross the canals at different locations (Refer Table 7-3). Crossing
of canal will not have any significant adverse impact on environment during the stringing
action stage.
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Mitigation
No specific mitigation measure can be suggested for this impact. Moreover, it is suggested
that no Tower footings are to be spotted in the canal or river beds. Some towers may be
required to be placed on river bed. In such case, the tower design shall be adopted keeping
in view design flood along with scouring depth etc. in order to avoid any adverse impact.
Power Transmission Lines
The selected route of the proposed T/L involves the crossings of the some existing T/L
(Refer Table 7-3 at the end of this chapter). Crossing may be dangerous during the stringing
action and operation stage, if proper clearance is not provided at the design stage of the
Project. This impact can be categorized as direct, low, site-specific, short term, temporary,
low probability and reversible.
Mitigation
Special care is required during the construction of Towers as well as stringing of conductors.
During the stringing of conductors, temporary shutdown of the existing T/Ls will be ensured
to safeguard the workers and the surroundings. A proactive coordination is required between
the construction staff and relevant Grid Station operation staff to ensure the shutdown
schedule.
vii. Impact on Water Resources
This section explains how COI will be affected in terms of the water resources use and water
body contamination. It also describes the mitigation measures to manage these impacts.
Contamination of Surface and Groundwater
Surface and groundwater resources may get contaminated by the fuel and chemical spills, or
by solid waste and effluents generated by the kitchens and toilets at the construction camp
sites. Moreover, runoff from the chemical storage areas may also contaminate the surface
water bodies. This impact can be categorized as direct, moderate, local, medium term,
temporary, high probability and reversible.
Mitigation
As a mandatory step, all the effluents should be disposed as per the requirements of NEQS.
Moreover, to reduce the risk of surface and groundwater contamination, good management
practices will be adopted to ensure that fuels, chemicals, raw sewage and wastewater
effluent are disposed of in a controlled manner. These measures are described below:
Construction camps should be established in areas with adequate natural drainage
channels in order to facilitate the flow of the treated effluents after ensuring that NEQs
are met; and
Wastewater effluent from the Contractors‘ workshops and equipment washing-yards
should be passed through gravel/sand beds to remove oil/grease contaminants before
discharging into the natural streams. According to the NEQS, the BOD concentration in
sewage must be brought down to less or equal to 80 mg/l before being discharged into
a natural stream having capacity to dilute the effluent. For wastewater apart from BOD,
COD of 150 mg/l should also be checked; and Similarly, if the sewage after treatment is
to be discharged on to the land it should meet the requirements of the NEQS for
disposal of wastewater.
7.4.2.2 Ecological Environment
The impacts on the flora and fauna and corresponding mitigation measures are given below:
i. Impacts on Flora
Trees and Shrubs
T/L section passing through agriculture land i.e. Section-I and Section-II, where trees have
been raised by the farmers along the boundaries of their agricultural fields or along the water
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channels. Some orchards (mostly Mangos, Banas, Guava and Citrus in Sindh and Punjab
etc.), also exist. Trees also exist along the highways and canals, where these trees have
been grown by the Government Departments. Sporadic growth of trees, coming within the
COI have to be removed if these are located within the Tower foundations during
construction. As these are small in number, their removal will cause no significant adverse
environmental impact. With the erection of T/L Towers, tree need to raised away from the
location of Towers.This impact can be categorized as direct, low, site-specific, long term,
permanent, high probability and irreversible.
Mitigation
Following mitigations are suggested:
Land holders should be paid reasonable compensation for the loss of their standing
trees, in accordance with the prevailing market rates. This will mitigate the financial
losses of Land holders. They should be encouraged to plant new trees, outside the
ROW of the T/L;
While making paths for carriage of equipment and material to the site of Towers, care
should be taken that minimum land is utilized and minimum area of crop is disturbed.
cutting of trees should be avoided by making diversions;
Areas for construction camps, established for labour and other personnel, should be
kept to the minimum. The camp sites should be located in plain areas, with minimum
vegetation cover. Clearing of land and cutting of trees and vegetation should be avoided
as far as possible;
Staff and labour should be strictly directed not to damage any vegetation such as trees
or bushes. They should use the existing roads for travel without damaging fields;
Special measures need to be adopted to minimize impacts on important resources,
such as activities during critical periods of migration, breeding and feeding;
While setting up construction camps, for the erection of Towers, stringing of conductors
or Converter Stations, care should be taken that no obstruction is placed in natural
streams nullah or natural drainage;
Vehicle speed should be controlled to avoid any damage to existing vegetation,
environment and to avoid accidental mortality of small mammals and reptiles; and
Shrubs and herbs existing within the COI will be subjected to a significant adverse
impact as these may be tangled and destroyed due to the movement of heavy vehicles.
These shrubs may also be subjected to cutting for use as firewood in the labour camps
to be set up along the proposed T/L route.
ii. Impact on Fauna
Mammals and Reptiles
During the construction phase, there are no significant adverse impacts on the big mammals
and reptiles of the area due to the activities involved in the construction of access roads,
Towers, stringing of conductors, movement of labour, carriage of goods and machinery to
various sites, within the COI of T/L route.
Mammals such as wild boar, jackal etc. will move away from these areas. Same will be the
case with reptiles; some reptiles might be killed during the digging and dragging operations.
Movements of the mammals and reptiles to the Project Area will be restricted during the
construction phase. This impact can be categorized as direct, moderate, local, medium term,
temporary, high probability and reversible.
Mitigation
Following measures are suggested:
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Hunting and harassing of wild animals will be strictly prohibited and the Contractors will
warn their labour not to indulge in any such activity;
Activities such as construction of Towers, stretching of conductors and carriage of
materials will not be allowed during the night in the Wildlife sensitive areas;
Lights used in the camps during the construction will be kept to the minimum. In the
Wildlife sensitive areas, upward scattering lights will preferably be used; and
Vehicle speed should be controlled to avoid incidental mortality of small mammals and
reptiles.
Avi Fauna
Birds like Tillor (Houbara bustard), Marbled Teal (Marmaronetta Angustirostris), Black
partridge (Francolinus francolinues), Jal Kookri (Fulica Atra) and Falcon (Falco peregrinus)
exist in and around the COI. These birds have been subjected to excessive hunting and
catching on account of their good quality and tasty meat or their commercial value as a prey
bird.
These birds will try to find shelter and food somewhere else and will tend to move away from
the route of T/L due to the activities mentioned above for fear of being hunted / trapped or
killed. This impact can be categorized as indirect, moderate, local, medium term, temporary,
high probability and reversible.
Mitigation
Trees having habitat of birds should not be allowed to cut;
Special mitigation measures needs to be adopted to minimize impacts on the birds,
such as avoiding construction activities during the critical periods of breeding and
feeding; and
Staff working on the Project should be given clear orders not to shoot, snare or trap any
bird.
Migratory Birds
Construction of the proposed T/L will not have any pronounced impact on the migratory birds
because their migration route (Green Flyway International) along River Indus is quite far
away. The proposed T/L route is also away from any major water bodies, therefore, no
impact on the migratory birds are foreseen.
Mitigation
As the proposed alignment of the T/L is far away from the established route of the migratory
birds from Siberia to the major wetlands in Sindh, which is normally along the River Indus,
no mitigation measures are foreseen at this stage.
iii. Impact on Reserve Forests
The proposed T/L will no cause any major impact on the flora and fauna of the any Reserve
Forest. So, no mitigation measures are foreseen at this stage.
7.4.2.3 Socio-economic Environment
This section describes the impacts of the proposed Project during construction stage on the
local communities, construction workers, indigenous and vulnerable people as well as on
structures or sites of cultural and religious significance.
i. Agriculture
Based on the Google images and field surveys, the total cultivated area, which will be
affected due to this Project, is nearly about 16,500 hectares, which forms about 38.8% of the
total area coming in the COI. The agriculture of the tract in Sindh and Punjab will receive
significant adverse impact due to various operations such as movement of heavy machinery,
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erection of Towers, dragging, stretching and stringing etc. This impact can be categorized as
direct, moderate, site-specific, medium term, temporary, high probability and reversible.
Mitigation
Land holders will be paid compensation for the loss of their standing agricultural crops in
accordance with the prevailing market rates as per LAA, Telegraph Act, NTDC practices,
Land Acquisition and Resettlement Framework (LARF) and Land Acquisition and
Resettlement Plan (LARP) specific to the Project. The landholders will also be allowed to
salvage the agricultural crops and other vegetation from the affected fields.
ii. Loss of Crops
The damages may occur to existing crops during the construction stage due to the following
activities:
Considerable vehicular movement for the transportation of materials/water and steel
work will be involved at the time of concreting of Tower foundations. This movement and
storage of materials will cause damage to the existing crops; and
The stringing of conductors involves movement of equipment and vehicles along the
corridor, which may involve the cutting of trees and considerable damage to the existing
crops.
Since the Project is at the feasibility stage and detailed design is to be carried including the
exact spotting of the Towers on ground. So in the absence of the availability of the spotting
of Tower (project foot print), it is very difficult to calculate the exact amount of the crop
losses. However, based on the route alignment, field visits, maps and experience of similar
Projects already implemented, it is estimated that about 16,500 hectare of crops of
agriculture land in the COI is required to be cleared due to construction of the footings, field
investigations, stringing of conductors, accessibility tracks/roads. Approximately 75% of the
proposed T/L is passing through desert while 25% is passing through plain area. It is also
estimated that the Project activities will continue round the year at each Tower from the start
of survey to the stringing of conductors. So the affectees will lose their crops and fruits may
be for two or more seasons i.e. Rabi (Spring Harvest) and Khraif (Autumn Harvest). The
major crops which are being sown in the Project Area are wheat, rice, cotton, maize and
vegetables apart from the Orchards of Banana, Mango, Citurs etc. This impact can be
categorized as direct, moderate, site-specific, medium term, temporary, high probability and
reversible.
Mitigation
The following measures are recommended to minimize the impact of crop losses.
Compensation for the loss of crops to the land owners and cultivators as the case may
be will be paid, in accordance with the prevailing market prices and uniformity in rates
will be ensured within the local areas;
The whole process of the payment to the farmers should be made transparent, judicious
and without any discrimination or favour;
Minimum possible area should be disturbed for the construction of new paths or roads
for carriage of machinery and materials; and
As far as possible, barren land without any crop should be selected for the camp sites
and disturbance to the crops and natural vegetation should be avoided as much as
possible.
Orchards compensation is a complex issue. However, efforts should be made to avoid
damage to fruit trees other wise compensation for the whole is required. Similarly,
banana plant/tree if damaged needs to be compensated on loss of tree basis.
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iii. Conflict over Resources
It is anticipated that local water resources will be utilized to meet the camp and construction
requirements, bringing its use into competition with the local use especially in the desert
areas of Sindh and Punjab province i.e. Section-I and Section-II where the water availability
is limited. This may cause conflicts between the locals and the Contractors. This impact can
be categorized as direct, low, local, short term, temporary, low probability and reversible.
Mitigation
The following measures will be carried out to mitigate the impacts of tapping local community
water resources, where required:
In areas of concern where the potable water is in short supply; the water will be
provided through vehicles from the nearby cities;
As already mentioned in the mitigation of temporary land acquisition impact, the camps
should be located at least 500 m away from the nearest local settlements to prevent the
contamination of community-owned water resources;
Approval from the local administration and representatives of the concerned irrigation
departments or other relevant authorities will be obtained before using the local surface
water resources;
The Contractors will be required to maintain close liaison with the local communities to
ensure that any potential conflicts relating to the common resource utilization are
resolved quickly; and
Guidelines will be established to minimize the wastage of water during the construction
activities and at campsites.
iv. Impacts on Local Communities/Workforce
Local communities will be affected during the construction phase as follows:
During the construction phase, the general mobility of the locals and their livestock in
and around the COI will be affected temporarily on specific locations. The movement of
the Towers and conductors from the stocking area to the construction site may cause
traffic problems on the road for the locals. This may affect their mobility at times. During
the stringing operations, interference to the traffic movement is also expected. This will
have low adverse impact on the locals on temporarily basis;
Community have to face the noise and dust problems during the construction activities,
which may have adverse impact on the health of the locals. However, these impacts are
of temporary nature;
Induction of outside workers by the Contractor may cause conflicts with the locals on the
cultural issues related to social and gender due to the unawareness of the local customs
and norms. These issues may adversely affect the construction phase of the Project.
This is a medium adverse social impact of temporary nature; and
Theft problems to the community by the Contractor‘s workers and vice versa may also
create social issues if outside labour is used by the Contractor.
Overall these impacts can be categorized as direct, moderate, local, medium term,
temporary, high probability and reversible.
Mitigation
Potential social conflict between the outside labour and local community may be avoided by
implementing the measures listed below:
During the construction phase, mobility of the workers in the nearby areas should be
strictly restricted by the Contractor to avoid any inconvenience to the local communities.
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The Contractor should select specific timings for stringing so as to cause least
disturbance to the local population considering their peak movement hours; and
To avoid pollution problems due to noise, smoke and fugitive dust following mitigation should
be followed:
Use of good engineering practices such as water sprinkling, encasement and provision
of silencer and mini stacks of generators etc. should be adopted to avoid inconvenience
to the locals due to noise, smoke and fugitive dust; and
To avoid conflicts between Contractor staff and locals, following mitigation should be
adopted:
Contractor will take care of the concerns of the local community and the sensitivity
towards the local customs;
Good relations with the local communities will be promoted by encouraging the
Contractor to provide opportunities for skilled and unskilled employment to the locals, as
well as on-job training for workers. Contractor will restrict his permanent staff to mix with
the locals to avoid any social issues;
Local vendors will be provided with regular business by purchase camp site goods and
getting services from them; and
The Contractor will warn the workers not to indulge in any theft activities and if anyone
gets involved in such activities, he will have to pay heavy penalty and would be handed
over to the police. Similarly at the time of employing, the Contractor has to take care
that the workers should be of good repute. The Contractor camp should be fenced
properly and main gate will be locked at night with a security guard at guard to avoid
any theft incidence.
v. Loss of Income
During the construction activities of the Tower foundations, erection and stringing of
conductor, people will suffer loss in their annual income due to the loss of crops, trees
etc.;
The land under the Towers during the operation stage may restrict the current landuse
for agriculture purposes;
The restriction of plantation of trees above 2.5 m height during the operation stage may
also cause the inconvenience to the locals; and
Due to the erection of Towers and the passing of T/L, the value of land may decrease
on the long term basis.
This impact can be categorized as indirect, moderate, local, medium term, permanent, high
probability and irreversible.
Mitigation
Fair, prompt and negotiated compensation for the crops and trees on private land will be
provided to the affectees. Generally, the area is devoid of forest and very few trees exist
along the Project corridor. However, orchards of Mango, Citrus, exist near Section-II (b),
need special provision for the compensation;
Affectees will be involved in the valuation process at all stages of the Project i.e. soil
investigations, Tower footings, Tower erection and stringing of conductors;
Orchards of Guava and Citrus (except mangoes) with height less than 2.5 m can be
grown. Similarly, cultivation of the crops can be carried out without any hindrance. In
case of mango trees (such as Section-II and change in alignment should be made to
avoid the cutting of mango trees or use of high Towers for mango trees; and
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Since the erection of Towers will involve very limited amount of land and the land under
the Towers and conductors can be easily used for crops, so not much depreciation in
the land value is foreseen. However, at certain locations where other T/Ls crossing land
value may depreciate. This is a residual impact.
vi. Gender Issues
As the Project route is passing through the rural areas of Okara, Pakpattan,
Bahawalnagar, Bahawalpur, Rahim Yar Khan and all district of Sindh from Ghotki to
Sanghar, Matiari, women activities in the field may become affected due to the
construction activities;
The rural women in these areas normally use the open field latrines and their privacy
may suffer due to the Project activities;
The induction of outside labour may create social and gender issues due to the
unawareness of local customs and norms. It will also cause hindrance to the mobility of
local women; and
Disturbance to the privacy of the local women will be due to outside workers working on
the erection of Towers and stringing of conductors.
This impact can be categorized as direct, moderate, local, medium term, temporary, high
probability and reversible.
Mitigation
The Contractor have to select the specific timings for the construction activities like
Tower footings, erection and stringing of conductors so as to cause least disturbance to
the local population particularly women considering their routine movement hours;
The Contractor have to carry out the construction activities in such a way that the open
field latrine usage timings by the local community particularly women, should not be
affected. The normal timings to use the toilet facilities by the rural women are early in
the morning and at evening so the Contractor will have to take care of these timings;
Contractor should warn the staff strictly not to involve in any un-ethical activities such as
theft, prostitution and to obey the local norms and cultural restrictions particularly with
reference to the women;
While working on the erection of Towers, if privacy of the nearby households is affected,
the Contractor will inform the house owner to make some arrangements;
vii. Indigenous, Vulnerable and Women Headed Households
During the social field survey of the Project, no indigenous group of people was
identified, which comes under the definition of the ―Indigenous People‖. So, no impact
on the indigenous people is envisaged due to the implementation of the Project;
During baseline survey it was identified that, T/L also crosses some houses of
vulnerable people in few areas of SectionI (Sanghar, Ghotkik and Sukkur) and Section-II
(Bahawalpur district, Bahawalnagar, Pakpattan and Okara districts). During the field visit
it was also identified that the owners of the affected structures fall below the poverty
line. Income of these vulnerable groups may be affected due to the implementation of
the Project like crossing of T/L upon their infrastructure, affect of any assets such as
houses, tubewells room etc. However, their livelihood will not be affected by the
implementation of the Project;
No women headed household was identified during the social survey of the Project,
therefore, no special measures are recommended.
This impact can be categorized as direct, moderate, local, medium term, temporary, high
probability and reversible.
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Mitigation
As referred earlier, no indigenous people have been identified in or along the Project
corridor, so no mitigation is required;
Assistance provisions for the vulnerable persons identified during baseline survey will
be covered under LARP. The vulnerable persons shall be provided with all possible
assistance and help for acquiring the skills and preference should be given to them for
employment. The persons having no land or a person who is going to lose over 50 % of
his land will be considered as vulnerable people and will be specially treated to provide
the maximum benefits;
As referred earlier, no women headed household has been identified during the social
field survey. So no mitigation is proposed due to the implementation of the Project on
women headed households; and
At some location efforts are being made to avoid the houses by adjusting Towers
locations.
viii. Safety Hazards
Occurrence of accidents/incidents during the construction stage is a common
phenomenon and workers as well as locals will be more prone to serious accidents; and
The COI falls in Sindh and Punjab in which area is sensitive from the law and order
point of view and the security of the Contractor and Consultant staff will be a major
issue.
This impact can be categorized as direct, moderate, site-specific, medium term, temporary,
medium probability and irreversible.
Mitigation
Following mitigation is given to avoid the accidental risks:
Complying with the safety precautions for the construction workers as per International
Labour Organization (ILO) Convention No. 62, as far as applicable to the Project
Contract;
Training of workers in construction safety procedures, environmental awareness,
equipping all construction workers with safety boots, helmets, gloves and protective
masks, goggles, shields and monitoring their proper and sustained usage.
Contractor will ensure the provision of medicines, first aid kits, ambulance etc. at the
camp site.
Contractors should instruct their staff to use Personnel Protective Equipments (PPEs)
(e.g., wire containment, displaying warning signs along the work site, communicating
advance warnings to mats) to enhance the safety.
Safety lookouts will be built to prevent people and vehicles from passing at the time of
hot or cold work.
In the security vulnerable areas, special measures should be adopted by the Contractor
as well as the Consultant staff with the consultation of the local responsible agencies to
control the law and order.
ix. Relocation of Private/Public Infrastructure
Removal of the infrastructure like buildings, huts, animal sheds, tubewells etc. will cause the
loss of community shelters and sources of income.
Although the number of public infrastructure fall into the proposed T/L route, no relocation is
expected as the Project has the flexibility to provide proper horizontal/vertical clearance for
safe passage over the existing infrastructure. This impact can be categorized as direct, low,
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site-specific, long term, temporary, low probabilityand reversible. Detail of affected structures
is given in Table 7-3.
Mitigation
In order to mitigate or compensate the impact of land acquisition and resettlement LARP
needs to be prepared;
Utmost efforts will be made to minimize the relocation/damage to infrastructure
especially houses. For this purpose, the route alignment will also be changed subject to
the site conditions;
No relocation of settlements (group of people) will be involved as the Project has
flexibility to change the alignment;
Compensation will be paid to the affectees for the built-up areas like buildings, huts,
animal sheds, peter engines/electric motor sheds etc. on replacement cost basis and
the land on existing agricultural land value;
Payment of three (03) months house-rent will be made to the affectees while they will
construct a new abode for their families;
Full market price of any equipment (not shiftable) and cost of reconstruction including
labour charges will be paid to the affectees;
Affectees will be allowed the salvaging of the demolished materials; and
All the provision of LARP should be followed.
x. Religious, Cultural and Historical Sites
There are no notified religious, cultural and historical sites exist in the proposed T/L COI and
ROW. T/L passes close to a number of religious structures like shrines, mosques and
graveyards, none of them is falling within the ROW limits except a katcha mosque (which is
not in use). This impact can be categorized as negligible.
Mitigation
During detail design, efforts will be made to avoid the crossing of mosque. Incase of
relocation, NTDC will compensate the owner (community/imam/caretaker) on
replacement value basis and will pay the land value on agricultural land basis;
No other religious and cultural sites like mazars/shrines, graveyards, community center
etc. will be affected due to the implementation of the proposed Project; and
Similarly, no known archaeological site is located within the Project corridor; therefore,
no impact on any archaeological site is envisaged. However, the Contractors will be
required to train the construction crews and the site supervisors in archaeological site
recognition, conservation procedures and temporary site protection. In case of a chance
archaeological find during excavation, the Contractors must halt work at the site
immediately and notify the Department of Archaeology and Museums through Project
Director, NTDC.
7.4.3 Adverse Impacts during Operation Stage
7.4.3.1 Physical Environment
i. Air Quality
The air quality during operation phase is not expected to be different than at planning and
design phase and will be better than the air quality during construction phase due to the
absence of large vehicular movements etc. However, the use of machinery and vehicles for
routine inspection may affect the air quality to some extent but it is expected to be
insignificant. This impact can be categorized as direct, low, site-specific, short term,
temporary, low probabilityand reversible.
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Good engineering practices such as use of properly tuned vehicles, use of silencers,
prohibition of pressure horns, scheduling of O&M at appropriate timing and compliance of
NEQS applicable for vehicles and ambient air quality is recommended.
ii. Excessive Noise Problem
During the operational stage some people may have to tolerate a higher noise level due to
the current flow in the conductors especially in the rainy season. Noise is generated during
the ionization of the ambient air due to the electromagnetic field (EMF) around the T/L. Such
a situation occurs with more severity in the rainy season when moisture in the air is relatively
high. The community residing under or along the T/L may feel discomfort due to the noise
generated through the passage of electric current. This impact can be categorized as direct,
low, local, long term, permanent, highprobabilityand reversible.
Mitigation
To overcome this problem, the route has been selected to pass through the least populated
areas. Construction of houses and building structure within the COI will be avoided and
NTDC will make sure to check noise level should not cross the permissible limit near the
sensitive receptor i.e. school, residential areas etc. in the COI. The surrounding sound
environment should meet the industrial zone (Industrial Area (C)) standard, which is less
than 75 dB (A) at daytime and less than 65 dB (A) at night. Recommended Monitoring
Protocol provided in Chapter 9 for the monitoring of noise in the COI should also be
followed.
For an area at an altitude above 1000m, the audible noise limit (L.50) caused by corona at
20m from the projection at the ground of the positive polarity conductor of DC overhead
transmission line in a sunny day shall not exceed 45dB (A); in the case of the above sea
level above 1000m and the line is passing through a non-residential area, it shall be
controlled below 50dB (A). Considering the availability and economic costs, noise barriers
will be provided between the living area and the AC filters and in the zone of converter
transformers.
iii. Electric Current
During the operational stage, electric current (induction) may travel into the Towers due to
short circuiting and may become a hazard to the public and livestock. This impact can be
categorized as indirect, low, site-specific, long term, permanent, low probabilityand
reversible.
Mitigation
It is recommended that NTDC at the planning stage of the Project would plan necessary
arrangements in the form of Earthling system of the Towers to avoid accidents. As exact
location of Towers spotting is not yet finalized at this stage. However, it is recommended that
at least two diagonal legs of the Towers should be properly grounded to avoid any such
incident.
iv. Effect of Electro Magnetic Field (EMF)
The EMF may have significant adverse impacts on the health of locals. If HVAC Line was
proposed, EMF due to extra high voltage (EHV) can cause the risk of leukaemia, which is a
disease in which white blood cells mutate and become cancerous before maturity. These
cells are important in fighting against infection in the body. Leukaemia also slows down the
production of red blood cells that are needed to carry oxygen in the blood. If HVDC Line was
proposed, DC magnetic induction intensity under the transmission line shall not exceed
10mT.
This impact can be categorized as indirect, low, local, long term, permanent, low probability
and reversible.
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Mitigation
Different studies were carried out in Britain to find out the effects of EMF due to EHV on
children particularly with reference to leukaemia. British study suggested that children who
live close to high voltage overhead Power lines may be at an increased risk of leukaemia.
Although the researchers have made efforts to identify the effects of EHV related to
leukaemia, but till now researchers cannot prove that the Power lines are the cause of
leukaemia. They have admitted that their findings could be due to some chance or other
factors.
Since the Project has been planned to pass through the least populated area and the T/L will
be kept at least 100 m from the populated areas, effects due to EMF are envisaged will be
minimal due to safe distance. Similarly a vertical clearance required as per international
standards will also be maintained especially near the populated areas.
There are no relevant standards available in Pakistan, so China‘s industry standard –
Technical Specification for Design of HVDC Overhead Transmission Line (Draft for approval)
will apply, which specifies that for residential areas, the synthetic field intensity shall be
limited at 30kV/m in rainy days and 25kV/m in sunny days and the ion flow density shall be
limited to 100nA/m2 in rainy days and 80nA/m2 in sunny days‖.
During operation stage check will be kept by the NTDC that no construction will be allowed
within 100 m of the proposed T/L.
v. Collapsing of Towers
Collapse of the Towers due to the high wind or earthquake will be dangerous for human as
well as animal life and can cause loss to property. This impact can be categorized as direct,
low, site-specific, long term, permanent, low probability and reversible.
Mitigation
The Towers are designed on the basis of proper subsoil investigations and climatic
conditions of the area including maximum wind velocity and earthquakes which are normally
based on last 50 years data. At the time of detailed survey for fixing the Tower positions
proper soil investigations will be carried out to check the presence of collapsible soils and if
detected, Engineer will be informed immediately for design change. It will be ensured that no
accident due to collapsing of Towers would occur during the life of the Project.
vi. Breaking of Conductors
Breaking of conductors due to any mishap will cause a safety hazard due to the current flow
in the fields and crossing over roads, canals, streams etc. This impact can be categorized as
indirect, low, site-specific, long term, permanent, low probability and reversible.
Mitigation
The conductors are selected on the basis of local climatic conditions including maximum
wind velocity, temperature and humidity conditions. So, there is almost no risk of breaking of
conductors. However, due to some unavoidable circumstances, if such a situation occurs,
NTDC has provided such an arrangement that the flow in the conductors will be
automatically tripped instantaneously. So, no risk to human or animal life is envisaged due
to the breaking of conductors.
vii. Working Failure of Electronic Devices/Equipment
The electronic devices/equipment class A, B, C and D may fail to work under the flux of EHV
T/L. This impact can be categorized as indirect, low, local, long term, permanent, low
probability and reversible.
Mitigation
The failure of electronic devices/equipment to work under the EHV T/L is a common
phenomena. The severity of this impact can be minimized by providing proper requisite
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clearance, for which observations should be made in the field under the existing EHV T/L
deliberately.
7.4.3.2 Ecological Environment
i. Danger to Bird Movements
The T/L may become a danger for the movement of indigenous birds and species and
fatalities may occur if the birds sit on the conductors especially in the wet conditions. Since
there is an EMF around the high voltage T/L and excessive noise, no birds sit over the
conductors. However, even if the birds sit over the conductors particularly in the wetland
areas, the danger will arise if two phases of the current meet, but as there is 4.75 m to 5.50
m distance between the two opposite phased conductors, no danger to the birds is
envisaged.This impact can be categorized as indirect, low, local, long term, permanent, low
probability and reversible.
Mitigation
Proper clearance between the two (02) conductors will be ensured.
ii. Danger to Aquatic Life
Passing of T/L from water bodies/wetland will be a continuous danger to the aquatic life due
to the erosion and chances of flow of current into the water due to short circuiting. This
impact can be categorized as indirect, low, local, long term, permanent, low probability and
reversible.
Mitigation
Buffer zones should be left on the banks to minimize erosion and habitat destruction;
and
Due to the provision of insulators at the junction of the conductors and Towers, no risk
of flow of current from the conductors to the wetland/water bodies is expected. No such
type of accident has been observed at the existing T/L passing through the rivers and
wetlands.
7.4.3.3 Social Environment
i. Safety
The flow of electric current in the T/L will have an impact on the safety of the locals. The
burning electrical equipment due to short circuiting can create a fire which can spread. This
will become a safety hazard for the locals. This impact can be categorized as direct, low,
local, long term, permanent, low probability and irreversible.
Mitigation
During the operational phase of the Project, a security plan should be employed and good
engineering practices will be used for carrying out operation and maintenance activities. An
effective communication system must be established so that the concerned authorities are
notified in case a conductor wire falls loose.
7.5 Potential Adverse Impacts of Converter Stations
7.5.1 Adverse Impacts during Planning and Design Stage
7.5.1.1 Physical Environment
i. Permanent Land Acquisition
Following are the two (02) convertor stations for which NTDC will have to acquire land on
permanent basis.
1. Matiari Convertor Station near N-5
2. Lahore Convertor Station
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A total of approximately 215 acres of land will be permanently acquired for the construction
of Matiari Convert Station and total land required by the Converter Station near Lahore is
being finalized.
The land of Matiari Converter Station is privately and Governemnt owned. Land is highly
fertile with agriculture fields and Orchards of furits such as Mango, Banana, Guava etc.
Based on Google Imageries, land use of the Matiari Converter Station is as follow:
Agriculture Land 153.76 Acres
Barran Land 90.15 Acres
Builtup Land 2.72 Acres
Orchard 1.36 Acres
Roads 0.047 Acres
Track 3.55 Acres
Water Channel 0.34 Acres
Pylon 0.034 Acres
Trees 41 No,
Pylon 02 No.
Moreover CET proposed NTDC to prepare the land budget based on the following
assumptions16:
02 Electrode Grouding 24682 m2 (12341 m2 each)
02 Converter Stations 700000 m2 (350000 m2 each)
PCL and OPGW Repeater Station 4500 m2
(Raheem Yar Khan)
Repeater OPGW Station 1200 m2
(Hasilpur)
The final design does not finished yet, so above information is just for the reference only.
The land for Lahore Converter Station.
This impact can be categorized as direct, high, site-specific, long term, permanent, high
probability and irreversible.
Mitigation
Permanent land will be acquired as per Land Acquisition Act (LAA), 1894 and local NTDC
and concerned departmental policy requirements. Involuntary Resettlement requirments will
also be fulfilled. It is recommended that existing market price of the land should be paid to
the landowner. In this regard proper LARP should be prepared and implemented prior to the
construction of the Converter Station and PLC and OPGW Repeater Stations.
ii. Temporary Acquisition of Land
As mention earlier, the Contractors will require temporary acquisition of land for Contractor
camps, aggregate quarries and access roads for haulage etc. About 5000m2 (1.2 acre)of
land will be acquired for the construction of camp for each Coverter Station which may
induce temporary as well as permanent changes in the existing landuse pattern.
16
The design is in process therefore above information is for the reference purpose only. (Reference Letter;
―Ref. No.: CET-NTDC-15-024” Dated: June29, 2015)
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HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
This impact can be categorized as direct, low, site-specific, medium term, temporary, low
probability and reversible.
Mitigation
Mitigations are already mentioned in the impact of Temporary Acquisition of Land for the
proposed T/L (Section 7.4.1.1 (a-ii)).
7.5.1.2 Ecological Environment
i. Impact on Avifauna
Movement of vehicles will produce noise and vibration in the area during topographical,
geotechnical and seismic studies which will scare away the birds, wildlife, rodents and
reptiles etc.This impact can be categorized as indirect, low, site-specific, short term,
temporary, low probability and reversible.
Mitigation
There will not be any major significant impact during this phase of the Project. Hence, no
mitigation measures are suggested. However, impact can be minimized by use of good
engineering practices.
7.5.1.3 Social Environment
No major impact on the social environment of the area is foreseen at this stage of Project. A
few huts of the tenants were observed in the land selected for the Matiari Coverter Stations.
These were contacted and it was confirmed that as the land will be acquired from the owners
they will move to the new place with the owners. Hence no issues were identified.
7.5.2 Adverse Impacts during Construction Stage
7.5.2.1 Physical Environment
i. Soil Erosion
Construction activities such as clearing, excavation, filling, development of access roads,
construction camps will cause the soil erosion in the Project Area and may have an adverse
impact on the environment. This impact can be categorized as indirect, moderate, site-
specific, long term, permanent, medium probability and irreversible.
Mitigation
All the disturbed areas need to be protected against severe erosion losses. The following
good engineering practices will be adopted to control the soil erosion:
Stripping and stockpiling of all the available topsoil for later re-vegetation;
Use of Proper drainage system above the works for significant protection; and
Planting of rapidly growing indigenous vegetation/grass in the Project Area to reduce
the impact of soil erosion.
ii. Air Quality and Noise
During the construction stage, heavy equipment and machinery will be used which will
generate noise and exhaust emissions. The anticipated equipment‘s to be used are:
Concrete Batching plants;
Concrete Paver;
Concrete Mixer;
Excavators;
Dump trucks;
Haul trucks; and
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HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
Transport vehicles.
The possibility of noise generation and exhaust emissions increases when old
vehicles/plants are utilized. Generally, construction activities will generate particulate matter
(PM10), smoke, dust, CO and NOx in the ambient air which will deteriorate the air quality
imparting adverse impacts on human health, flora and fauna. The movement of heavy
machinery and vehicles on the dirt tracks will also be causing fugitive dust emissions. Due to
the movement of trucks and other vehicles, noise and vibration will increase which will also
create disturbance for the residents of the nearby settlements.
This impact can be categorized as direct, moderate, site-specific, medium term, temporary,
medium probability and reversible.
Mitigation
The following effective measures need to be adopted for controlling the adverse impacts on
the ambient air quality:
Use of old vehicles should not be allowed during the construction phase of the Project
Proper tuning of the construction vehicles at appropriate intervals should also be
ensured;
Haul truck carrying concrete, coarse and fine aggregate such as crush, sand and other
fill materials should be kept covered with tarpaulin;
Batching plant should be sited at least 500m away from the villages and settlements so
that the dust generated by their operations does not have any adverse impact on the
locals;
Control of heavy machinery speed (dumpers, bulldozers, excavators etc.). Maximum
speed of 30 km/hr. should be practiced;
Concrete batching plant should be equipped with dust control equipment such as fabric
filters or wet scrubbers to reduce the level of dust emissions or at least water should be
used during crushing operations to avoid air pollution. This water should be recycled to
avoid generation of wastewater;
The existing quarries should be used to borrow the aggregate materials and each
quarry site should have a proper quarry management plan;
Where necessary, dust emissions will be reduced by regular sprinkling of water for
keeping the dust settled, at least twice a day depending on the availability of water and
nature of work;
The NEQS applicable to the gaseous emissions generated by the construction vehicles,
equipment, generators and machinery will be enforced during the construction works;
Compliance monitoring of vehicles, generators and machines emissions (air and noise)
should be regularly carried out;
Construction activities shall be avoided during the night time and silencers should be
provided in all the vehicles to minimize the emissions and noise. Noise complaints
should be logged and kept onsite by the Contractor;
Construction timings should be fixed after consultation with the residents of the nearby
villages preferably during the day. This will minimize the disturbance to the local
population; and
If the proposed Project Area is near the school, college etc. the area where noise
producing activity is to be undertaken should be screened with noise absorbing material
or casing.
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HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
iii. Liquid and Solid Waste from Construction Camps
Approximate proposed strength of the labour in each camp for Converter Station will be
about 1,200 persons (in total 2×1,200 persons). Among them, about 400 persons are
Chinese engineers and skilled workers which will generate about 1.9 m3/day of wastewater
and about 12.5 kg/day of solid waste. Improper wastewater and solid waste management
activities can increase disease transmission, contaminate ground and surface water and
ultimate damage to the ecosystem.
This impact can be categorized as direct, moderate, site-specific, short term, temporary, high
probability and reversible.
Mitigation
Please refer the mitigation measures discussed in Section 7.4.2 (iii).
iv. Surface and Groundwater Quality
Surface water quality of the natural ponds/mullahs and the other water bodies may be
impacted due to the construction activities and wastewater from labour camps. The
movement of heavy vehicles on jeepable weathered (katcha) tracks, excavation activities;
oil, lubricants, bitumen/coal tar and other liquid and chemical spills may deteriorate the
quality of surface and groundwater resources. This impact can be categorized as direct,
moderate, local, medium term, temporary, mediumprobability and reversible.
Mitigation
Mitigation regarding surface and groundwater quality as mentioned in impact of ―Surface and
Groundwater Quality‖ during construction stage of proposed T/L will be applicable for
Converter Station.
7.5.2.2 Ecological Environment
Impact on Flora
During the construction stage, clearing and grubbing activities, construction of access road,
installation of batching plants and worker‘s camps, natural vegetation and flora such as
shrubs and herbs, including some species of medicinal plants, fuel wood plants and trees
will be removed. This will be a potential adverse impact on the natural vegetation of the
Study Area.This impact can be categorized as direct, low, site-specific, long term,
permanent, high probability and irreversible.
Mitigation
The following measures will be carried out to mitigate the impacts on flora:
While making paths for the carriage of construction materials, care will be taken that
minimum land is utilized and minimum vegetation is disturbed;
Plantation is required in the areas, where trees or bushes have been cut to make path
for construction of new T/L;
The camps and workshop facilities will be established on the barren land; however, if
such type of land is not available, it will be ensured that minimum clearing of the
vegetation occurs and minimum damage to the trees and undergrowth is ensured;
The Contractor‘s staff and labour will be strictly directed not to damage any vegetation
such as bushes; and
Contractor will provide the fuel wood/gas cylinders at the camps for cooking purposes
and cutting the trees/bushes for fuel will not be allowed.
Impact on Fauna
During construction activities lot of noise and noxious gases will be produced from the heavy
vehicle, construction machinery and other activities which will scare away birds, wildlife,
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HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
rodents and reptiles. Some of the avifauna may also get killed during construction works.
This will be a potential adverse environmental impact and needs to be encountered on
priority basis. This impact can be categorized as direct, low, site-specific, medium term,
permanent, mediumprobability and reversible.
Mitigation
Please refer the mitigation for ―Impact on Fauna‖ during construction stage of T/L.
7.5.2.3 Socio-Economic Environment
i. Mobility of Locals
During the construction phase, the general mobility of the locals and their livestock in and
around the Project Area will be affected. The movement of the heavy equipment i.e. poles,
transformers, conductors etc. from the storage area to the Convertor Stations will cause
traffic problems on the road for the locals and affect their mobility. This impact can be
categorized as direct, moderate, local, medium term, temporary, medium probability and
reversible.
Mitigation
During the construction phase, mobility of the Contractor‘s staff through the nearby
residential areas should also be strictly prohibited by the Contractor to avoid any
inconvenience or any risk.
Temporarily and for short duration, the Contractor has to select specific timings for
construction work so as to cause least disturbance to the local population considering their
peak movement hours.
ii. Conflict over Resources
Local water supplies will be utilized to meet the camp site and construction requirements,
bringing its use into competition with the local use. This may cause conflicts between the
locals and the Contractors.This impact can be categorized as indirect, low, local, medium
term, temporary, high probability and reversible.
Mitigation
Please refer to the mitigation for ―Conflict over Resources‖ during construction stage of the
proposed T/L.
iii. Cultural Issues
Induction of outside workers by the Contractor may cause conflicts with the local people on
the cultural issues related to social and gender due to the unawareness of the local customs
and norms. These issues may adversely affect the construction phase of the Project. This
impact can be categorized as indirect, low, local, medium term, temporary, medium
probability and reversible.
Mitigation
Following measures should be adopted in order to minimize the impacts related to the
cultural issues.
The Contractor will be required to maintain close liaison with the local communities to
ensure that any potential conflicts related to the use of common resource utilization for
the Project purposes are resolved quickly;
Contractor will take care of the concerns of the local community and the sensitivity
towards the local customs and traditions;
Good relations with the local communities will be promoted by encouraging the
Contractor to provide opportunities for skilled and unskilled employment to the locals on
priority basis, as well as on-job training in construction for young people. Contractor
should restrict the staff to mix with the locals to avoid any social problems; and
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HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
Local vendors will be promoted for routine regular business by purchase of the camp
site goods and services from them.
iv. Gender Issues
With the influx of labour force and other staff related to the construction activities, daily
activities of the female population are likely to be affected. However, this impact will be of
temporary nature.
Impact may also occur on the privacy of the local women during the construction activities as
mostly the houses are without boundary walls. This impact can be categorized as indirect,
low, local, medium term, temporary, medium probability and reversible.
Mitigation
Please refer the mitigation for ―Gender Issues‖ during construction stage of proposed T/L
which will be applicable to the Converter Station.
v. Health & Safety
Workers and the local community will be prone to accidents/incidents during the construction
phase. They will be susceptible to accidents especially when the forklifts and cranes are
being used for lifting the heavy equipments i.e. poles, transformers, conductors etc.
Unmonitored construction activities, e.g. blasting may create an accident risk for the local
residents particularly their children. This impact can be categorized as indirect, low, local,
medium term, temporary, low probability and reversible.
Mitigation
Please refer to the mitigation for ―Safety Hazardous‖ during construction stage of proposed
T/L.
vi. Aesthetics
During the construction phase, excavation of land and drilling activities, storage of material
and construction of workers camps at Project site, solid waste disposal by the workers and
leakage and spillage of oil will have adverse impacts on the aesthetics of the area.
Community have to face the noise and dust problems during the construction activities. This
impact can be categorized as indirect, low, local, medium term, temporary, medium
probability and reversible.
Mitigation
Proper disposal of excavated material and back filling of land after construction activities will
minimize the impact on the aesthetics of the Project Area.
vii. Security Situation
Due to the vulnerable security situation in Section-I (AM # 41-49) Ghotki district there are
potential risks for Contractor and other persons working during the construction stage.
Therefore, these are potentially at risk. This impact can be categorized as indirect, low, local,
medium term, temporary, low probability and reversible.
Mitigation
Due to the vulnerable security situations in the area special arrangements should be taken
with the help of local heads for the Contractor staff to avoid any unpleasant incident.
Local heads should be involved in development works to gain confidence for local
community.
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HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
7.5.3 Adverse Impacts during Operation Phase
7.5.3.1 Physical Environment
i. Air Quality
As mention earlier, the air quality during operation phase is not expected to be any different
than that at planning and design phase and will be better than the air quality during
construction phase due to the absence of large vehicular movements etc.
However, the heating of the oil in the transformers at Converter Stations and the heat
generated due to current flowing through the supply lines will result in the emission of
pollutants into the air, thus deteriorating air quality. These emissions can adversely affect
human health. These emissions affect human life through the following process:
Emission;
Dispersion; and
Reception.
Once these pollutants are dispersed into air they are inhaled by humans and intercepted by
buildings. These emissions can be washed out of air through rain in the form of acid
precipitation with significant adverse impacts on humans.
This impact can be categorized as direct, low, site-specific, short term, temporary,
highprobability and reversible.
Mitigation
To mitigate the pollutants emissions, following measures should be adopted:
Transformers should be equipped with silica gel; and
Use of low sulfur oil should be ensured.
ii. Noise
During the operational stage, the anticipated estimated noise levels from various
components are shown in Table 7-4.
Table 7-4: Noise Levels from Various Components
Sr. No. Source Noise Level (dB(A))
1 Converter Transformer 99.6
2 Cooling Tower 96
3 Smoothing Reactor 91
4 AC Filter Capacitor 85
5 AC Filter Reactor 85
6 DC Filter Capacitor 80
7 DC Filter Reactor 80
Source: CET
However, noise levels are expected to decrease at this phase due to the absence of
construction workers and vehicles but it will be lower than the construction phase. However,
during routine inspections, some noise may be generated during operational stage; however
it will be of temporary in nature and insignificant.
This impact can be categorized as direct, low, site-specific, short term, temporary, medium
probability and reversible.
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HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
Mitigation
Noise levels from above mentioned equipments will be mitigated by providing encasement,
barrier wall and sound absorbing materials within the converter stations. The worker/staff will
be required to use ear muff during the close working. These levels will be ensured to be well
within the NEQs limits after the installation of above mentioned mitigations.
iii. Soil
It is not expected that soil quality and texture will be adversely affected during the operation
phase, however during routine inspection, if repair work is required involving oil leakage from
the transformers and other electric equipments, the soil can be affected but this will be a
minor impact and temporary in nature. This impact can be categorized as direct, low, site-
specific, short term, temporary, low probability and reversible.
Mitigation
Impact on soil during operation phase will be insignificant. Good engineering practices will
have to be adopted by the O&M staff of NTDC during the repair and replacement activities.
7.5.3.2 Ecological Environment
i. Flora
No major impact is foreseen on the flora during the operation phase of the Project.
ii. Fauna
During the operation phase of the Project no major impacts on the fauna are anticipated.
7.5.3.3 Socio-Economic Environment
i. Safety
The flow of electric current in the conductors will have an impact on the safety of the locals.
The burning of the transformer or other electrical equipment due to short circuiting can
create a fire which can spread. This will become a safety hazard for the locals. This impact
can be categorized as direct, low, local, long term, permanent, low probability and
irreversible.
Mitigation
During the operational phase of the Project, a security plan should be employed to ensure
the safety of the employees working at the Converter Station. An effective communication
system must be established so that the proper authorities are notified in case there is a fire
in the Converter Station.
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HVDCTransmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
Road Fish
Sr. Angle Length Shrine/ Tube Residential Pond/ Railway Brick Reference
Type of Area Canal River Nullah T/L Forest Airport Orchard Mosque
No. Marker (KM) Graveyard Well Areas Water Line Kiln Sheet #
Katcha Pacca Pond
Converter
1 Yes Yes Agriculture Yes Banana Sheet # 1
Station
Banana,
6 4--5 Yes Yes Agriculture Yes Yes Sheet # 1
Mango
Banana,
7 5 6.9 Yes Yes Agriculture Yes Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 1
Mango
Banana
8 5--6 Yes Yes Agriculture Yes Yes Yes and Yes Sheet # 1
Mango
Agriculture
9 6 10.29 Yes with some Yes Yes Sheet # 1
Barren land
10 6 10.29 Yes Yes Agriculture Yes Yes Yes Banana Yes Sheet # 1
Banana,
12 7--8 Yes Yes Agriculture Yes Sheet # 2
Mango
Tando
Adam
15 8--9 Yes Agriculture Yes Sheet # 2
Branch
Canal
Tando
Adam
16 8--9 Yes Agriculture Yes Yes Yes Banana Sheet # 2
Branch
Canal
Jam
19 10 29.46 Yes Yes Agriculture Yes Yes Sheet # 2
Branch
i
HVDCTransmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
Road Fish
Sr. Angle Length Shrine/ Tube Residential Pond/ Railway Brick Reference
Type of Area Canal River Nullah T/L Forest Airport Orchard Mosque
No. Marker (KM) Graveyard Well Areas Water Line Kiln Sheet #
Katcha Pacca Pond
Canal
Jam
20 10--11 Yes Yes Agriculture Branch Sheet # 2
Canal
DargahSay
22 12 36.15 Yes Agriculture edMalok Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 2
Shah Baba
Jamrao
24 14 46.37 Yes Agriculture Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 3
Canal
Dim
27 17 61.96 Yes Agriculture Branch Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 4
Canal
Dim
28 18 67.07 Yes Agriculture Branch Yes Yes Sheet # 4
Canal
Barren
Landsurround
29 19 68.61 Yes ed by Yes Yes Sheet # 4
Agriculture
Area
Barren Land
Most and
30 20 72.04 Yes Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 4
LessAgricultur
e
10 to 20 %
Agriculture
31 21 82.3 Yes Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 5
and 80 %
Barren
50% banana,
Agriculture Lemon,
32 21 82.3 Yes Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 5
and 50% Mango,
Barren Oranges
Agriculture
33 22 87.78 Yes Yes with less Yes Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 5
Barren
60 %
Agriculture
34 23 89.03 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 5
and 40 %
Barren
Agriculture
35 24 90.51 Yes Yes with less Yes Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 5
Barren
ii
HVDCTransmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
Road Fish
Sr. Angle Length Shrine/ Tube Residential Pond/ Railway Brick Reference
Type of Area Canal River Nullah T/L Forest Airport Orchard Mosque
No. Marker (KM) Graveyard Well Areas Water Line Kiln Sheet #
Katcha Pacca Pond
Les
Agriculture
36 25 96.52 Yes Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 5
and more
Barren
Barren and
Desert type
37 26 102.95 Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 6
with less
Agriculture
Barren and
Desert type
38 26-27 Yes Yes Sheet # 6
with less
Agriculture
Barren more
40 28 126.69 Yes with less Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 7
agriculture
Barren (Near
Agriculture
41 29 153.19 Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 8
Area inside
COI)
Barren Land
With Less
45 33 183.46 Yes Yes Sheet # 10
Agriculture
Area
Agriculture
46 34 186.83 Yes Yes with less Yes Yes Mango Sheet # 10
Barren area
Mostly Barren
/ Desert area
Mango
47 35 197.56 Yes Yes with less Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 11
Dates
Agriculture
area
Mostly Barren
/ Desert area
48 36 201.48 Yes with less Yes Khumbri Yes Sheet # 11
Agriculture
area
Almost 60%
Barren and
49 37 210.71 Yes Yes Yes Yes Dates Yes Sheet # 11
40%
Agriculture
Mostly Barren
/ Desert area
50 38 217.68 Yes Yes Ues Khumbri Yes Sheet # 11
with less
Agriculture
iii
HVDCTransmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
Road Fish
Sr. Angle Length Shrine/ Tube Residential Pond/ Railway Brick Reference
Type of Area Canal River Nullah T/L Forest Airport Orchard Mosque
No. Marker (KM) Graveyard Well Areas Water Line Kiln Sheet #
Katcha Pacca Pond
area
Near A.M
51 217.68 Yes Agriculture Yes Yes Dates Sheet # 12
38
Dates
Near A.M
52 217.68 Yes Agriculture Yes and Sheet # 12
38
Lemon
Near A.M
53 217.68 Yes Agriculture Sheet # 12
38
Near A.M
54 259.52 Yes Agriculture Yes Yes Sheet # 14
39
Near A.M
55 259.52 Yes Agriculture Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 14
39
Agriculture
with Few
57 Near 41 266.49 Yes Yes Sheet # 14
patches of
Sand Dunes
60 44 279.67 Sheet # 15
61 45 285.74 Sheet # 15
62 46 290.75 Sheet # 16
63 47 298.77 Sheet # 16
Agriculture
64 48 301.38 Yes with less Yes Yes Yes Lemon Sheet # 16
desert area
Agriculture
(mostly trees)
65 49 313.37 Yes Yes Yes Lemon Sheet # 17
with 70%
desert area
iv
HVDCTransmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
Road Fish
Sr. Angle Length Shrine/ Tube Residential Pond/ Railway Brick Reference
Type of Area Canal River Nullah T/L Forest Airport Orchard Mosque
No. Marker (KM) Graveyard Well Areas Water Line Kiln Sheet #
Katcha Pacca Pond
Agriculture with
1 50 342.08 Yes Yes less desert Yes Yes Lemon Yes Sheet # 17
area
Agriculture with
2 51 340.75 Yes Yes less desert Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 18
area
Agriculture with
3 52 344.46 Yes less desert Yes Yes Lemon Sheet # 19
area
Mango
Agriculture
4 53 348.55 Yes Yes Yes Yes (Few Yes Sheet # 19
Area
Trees)
Agriculture
Area and
5 54 354.84 Yes Yes surrounded by Yes Yes Sheet # 19
some Sand
Dunes
Agriculture Chaman
6 55 356.55 Yes Yes Sheet # 19
Area Canal
Agriculture
7 56 364.5 Yes Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 20
Area
Agriculture
Area and Abe
8 57 369.59 Yes surrounded by Hayat Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 20
some Sand Canal
Dunes
Agriculture
Area and Abe Lemon
9 58 372.85 Yes surrounded by Hayat Yes Yes and Sheet # 20
some Sand Canal Orange
Dunes
Agriculture with
12 60-61 Yes Yes less desert Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 23
area
Agriculture with
13 61 451.12 Yes Yes less desert Yes Sheet # 24
area
Agriculture
Area and
15 Near 63 499.9 Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 27
surrounded by
Sand Dunes
Barren Area
16 64 519.59 Yes ChananPir Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 28
and surrounded
v
HVDCTransmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
Road Fish
Sr. Angle Length Shrine/ Tube Residential Pond/ Railway Brick Reference
Type of Area Canal River Nullah T/L Forest Airport Orchard Mosque
No. Marker (KM) Graveyard Well Areas Water Line Kiln Sheet #
Katcha Pacca Pond
Area is
Agriculture
Agriculture with
17 65 534.5 Yes Yes less desert Yes Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 29
area
More Desert
18 66 540.4 Yes and Less Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 29
Agriculture
50% Mango,
19 67 542.1 Yes Agriculture and Yes Yes Yes Oranges Yes Sheet # 29
50% Desert , Dates
Agriculture
22 Near 70 614.2 Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 33
Area
Agriculture
24 72 633.1 Yes Yes Sheet # 34
Area
Agriculture
Area alongwith
25 73 637.5 Yes Yes Mango Yes Sheet # 35
some barren
patches
Agriculture
Area alongwith
26 74 645.4 Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 35
some barren
patches
Agriculture
27 75 650.6 Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 35
Area
Yes
Same
28 75 650.6 Yes Yes Agriculture Yes Yes (Large Yes Sheet # 35
Nullah
T/L)
77
30 - 661.5 Yes Agriculture Yes Yes Sheet # 36
78
31 Near 79 667.1 Yes Agriculture Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 36
33 81 671.7 Yes Yes Agriculture Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 37
vi
HVDCTransmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
Road Fish
Sr. Angle Length Shrine/ Tube Residential Pond/ Railway Brick Reference
Type of Area Canal River Nullah T/L Forest Airport Orchard Mosque
No. Marker (KM) Graveyard Well Areas Water Line Kiln Sheet #
Katcha Pacca Pond
37 85 685 Yes Yes Agriculture Yes Yes Yes Yes Dates Yes Yes Sheet # 37
Agriculture
41 88 697.8 Yes Yes Yes Yes Guava Yes Sheet # 38
Area
Agriculture
Area alongwith
42 89 700.6 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 38
some barren
patches
Agriculture Sikanda
43 90 705.9 Yes Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 38
Area rWah
Agriculture
44 91 708.7 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 39
Area
Yes
Agriculture
45 92 709.6 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes (Inside Sheet # 39
Area
Village)
Agriculture
46 93 711.2 Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 39
Area
Agriculture
47 94 713.3 Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 39
Area
Agriculture
48 95 714.6 Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 39
Area
Agriculture
Area alongwith
49 96 716.4 Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 39
some barren
patches
Agriculture
50 97 718.1 Yes Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 39
Area
Agriculture
51 98 719.9 Yes Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 39
Area
Agriculture
52 99 721.3 Yes Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 39
Area
Agriculture
53 100 722.1 Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 40
Area
Agriculture
54 101 723.5 Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 40
Area
vii
HVDCTransmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
Road Fish
Sr. Angle Length Shrine/ Tube Residential Pond/ Railway Brick Reference
Type of Area Canal River Nullah T/L Forest Airport Orchard Mosque
No. Marker (KM) Graveyard Well Areas Water Line Kiln Sheet #
Katcha Pacca Pond
Agriculture Khadir
55 102 724.8 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 40
Area Branch
Agriculture
56 103 728.6 Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 40
Area
Agriculture
57 104 730.7 Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 40
Area
Agriculture
58 105 732.6 Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 40
Area
61 108 741.9 Yes Yes Agriculture Yes Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 41
62 109 744.27 Yes Yes Agriculture Yes Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 41
64 111 748.8 Yes Yes Agriculture Yes Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 41
65 112 750.4 Yes Yes Agriculture Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 41
Yes
67 114 753.9 Yes Agriculture Yes (Large Yes Sheet # 41
T/L)
68 115 755.3 Yes Agriculture Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 41
Agriculture
69 116 760.9 Yes Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 41
Area
Agriculture
70 117 763.2 Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 42
Area
Agriculture
71 118 765.02 Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 42
Area
Agriculture
72 119 767.7 Yes Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 42
Area
Agriculture
73 120 770.2 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 42
Area
Agriculture
74 121 773.5 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 42
Area
Agriculture
75 122 774.6 Yes Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 42
Area
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Road Fish
Sr. Angle Length Shrine/ Tube Residential Pond/ Railway Brick Reference
Type of Area Canal River Nullah T/L Forest Airport Orchard Mosque
No. Marker (KM) Graveyard Well Areas Water Line Kiln Sheet #
Katcha Pacca Pond
Agriculture
76 123 777.2 Yes Yes Yes Guava Sheet # 42
Area
Agriculture
77 124 779.3 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 42
Area
Agriculture
78 125 781.01 Yes Yes Yes Dates Yes Sheet # 42
Area
81 128 789.7 Yes Yes Agriculture Yes Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 43
Gambee
86 133 796.3 Yes Yes Agriculture Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 43
r Canal
Same
87 134 798.6 Yes Yes Agriculture Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 43
Nullah
Yes
88 135 799.9 Yes Yes Agriculture Yes Yes (Large Yes Sheet # 43
T/L)
90 137 801.4 Yes Yes Agriculture Yes Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 44
94 141 814.7 Yes Yes Agriculture Yes Yes Jambul Yes Yes Sheet # 44
Yes
95 142 817.4 Yes Yes Agriculture Yes (Large Jambul Yes Sheet # 44
T/L)
Yes
96 143 820.1 Yes Agriculture Yes (Large Jambul Yes Sheet # 44
T/L)
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Road Fish
Sr. Angle Length Shrine/ Tube Residential Pond/ Railway Brick Reference
Type of Area Canal River Nullah T/L Forest Airport Orchard Mosque
No. Marker (KM) Graveyard Well Areas Water Line Kiln Sheet #
Katcha Pacca Pond
Yes
Sheet # 44 &
97 144 821.05 Yes Agriculture Yes (Large Jambul Yes
45
T/L)
98 145 822.8 Yes Yes Agriculture Yes Yes Yes Jambul Yes Sheet # 45
100 147 824 Yes Agriculture Yes Yes Jambul Yes Sheet # 45
Yes
101 148 826.4 Yes Yes Agriculture Yes (Large Yes Sheet # 45
T/L)
Yes
102 149 827.4 Yes Yes Agriculture Yes Yes (Large Janbul Yes Sheet # 45
T/L)
Agriculture
103 150 835 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 45
Area
Agriculture
104 151 836.8 Yes Yes Sheet # 45
Area
Agriculture
105 152 837.6 Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 45
Area
Agriculture
106 153 837.8 Yes Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 45
Area
Agriculture Sheet # 45 &
107 154 840.6 Yes Yes Yes
Area 46
Agriculture
108 155 842.7 Yes Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 46
Area
Agriculture
109 156 844.1 Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 46
Area
Agriculture
110 157 845.5 Yes Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 46
Area
Agriculture
111 158 846.6 Yes Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 46
Area
Agriculture
112 159 848.5 Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 46
Area
Agriculture
113 160 849.4 Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 46
Area
Agriculture
114 161 851.1 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 46
Area
Agriculture
115 162 853.03 Yes Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 46
Area
Agriculture
116 163 853.9 Yes Yes Sheet # 46
Area
Agriculture
117 164 854.9 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 46
Area
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Road Fish
Sr. Angle Length Shrine/ Tube Residential Pond/ Railway Brick Reference
Type of Area Canal River Nullah T/L Forest Airport Orchard Mosque
No. Marker (KM) Graveyard Well Areas Water Line Kiln Sheet #
Katcha Pacca Pond
Agriculture Sheet # 46
118 165 857.3 Yes Yes Yes Yes Yes
Area and 47
Baloki-
Salman
119 166 859.7 Yes Yes Agriculture Yes Yes Yes Yes Sheet # 47
ki Link
Canal
Ravi
120 167 862.8 Yes Agriculture Yes Sheet # 47
River
Yes
121 168 865.3 Yes Yes Agriculture Yes Yes (large Yes Sheet # 47
T/L)
Yes
Guava
122 169 865.5 Yes Yes Agriculture (large Yes Sheet # 47
Oranges
T/L)
Converter Yes
123 Station Yes Yes Agriculture Yes Yes (large Guava Yes Sheet # 47
Lahore T/L)
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8.1 General
This section defines the compensation and rehabilitation framework for the proposed T/L.
This framework is based on the laws of Pakistan and the requirements of the ADB
Safeguard Policy Statement 2009 on Involuntary Resettlement and summarizes the main
components of the policy framework prepared specifically for the proposed T/L Project to
ensure that ADB‘s policy on involuntary resettlement is complied with. All the detailed
surveys and other requirements related to the compensation, rehabilitation will be covered
under LARP which is being prepared separately.
8.2 Identification of Project Affected Persons (PAPs)
As referred earlier, the Project is at the feasibility stage and detailed survey along with the
spotting of the T/L Towers and their design are still to be finalized. Only demarcation of the
T/L route and AMs has been marked on Google Imageries. In the absence of the
demarcation of T/L in the field and spotting of Towers, it was very difficult to identify the
PAPs within the ROW. However, efforts were made to identify the PAPs by the Consultants
within the ROW which is a part of COI. The number of affectees will be identified within the
ROW when the detailed LARP survey after the spotting of Towers at the site will be
available. Occurrence of any public and religious structures such as mosque or graveyard
will also be identified/verified at that stage, which may be affected due to the Project
implementation.
The major effect of the Project is the loss of crops and few orchards during the
implementation stage. As discussed earlier, the crops such as wheat, cotton, maize, and
sugarcane and orchards of mangoes, plumb, guava and citrus are estimated to be affected
during the field survey and the construction activities. However, at the present stage of the
Project, it is hard to identify the actual loss and the list of the landowners to be affected.
8.3 Related Laws, Policies and Guidelines
Following paragraphs provide review of applicable laws and guidelines to be used for the
compensation purpose:
8.3.1 Land Acquisition Act, 1894
The LAA 1894, with its successive amendments, is the main law regulating land acquisition
for public purpose. The LAA has been interpreted by local governments and some province
has augmented the LAA by issuing provincial legislations. The LAA and its Implementation
rules require that following an impacts assessment/valuation effort, land and crops are
compensated in cash at market rate to titled landowners and registered land tenants/users,
respectively. The LAA mandates that land valuation is to be based on the latest 5-3 years
average registered land sale rates, though, in several recent cases the median rate over the
past year, or even the current rates, have been applied. Due to widespread land under-
valuation by the Revenue Department, current market rates are now frequently used with an
added 15 per cent Compulsory Acquisition Surcharge as provided in the LAA.
Based on the LAA, only legal owners and tenants registered with the Land Revenue
Department or possessing formal lease agreements, are eligible for compensation. The
rights of the non-titled, are however addressed under the 1986, Punjab Jinnah Abadis for
Non-proprietors in Rural Areas Act which recognize squatters right to receive rehabilitation in
form of a replacement plot. It is to be noted that this right has been sometimes extended in
practice to include some form of rehabilitation in cash or in forms different from land.
Projects such as Chotiari Dam, Ghazi Barotha HydroPower and National Highways
Improvement, have awarded compensation and assistance to unregistered tenants and
other forms of AH (sharecroppers/squatters).
It must also be noted here that the LAA does not automatically mandate for specific
rehabilitation/assistance provisions benefiting the poor, vulnerable groups, or severely
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affected AHs, nor does it automatically provide for rehabilitation of income/livelihood losses
or resettlement costs. This however is often done in many Projects in the form of adhoc
arrangements based on negotiations for a specific Project.
As noted above, exceptions to the rule are intrinsic to the fact that the law is both elastic and
broadly interpreted at provincial level depending on operational requirements, local needs
and socio-economic circumstances. Recourse is often taken to adhoc arrangements,
agreements and understandings for resettlement in difficult situations. The above is also
influenced by the fact that an amendment of the LAA has been considered necessary by the
Ministry of Environment now Ministry of Disaster Management. Accordingly, a National
Resettlement Policy (NRP) and a Resettlement Ordinance have been drafted to broaden
LAA provisions and current practices so as to widen the scope of eligibility and tightening up
loopholes (i.e. regarding definitions of malpractices, cut-off dates, political influence on
routing etc.). But both these documents are still awaiting government‘s approval for
implementation.
8.3.2 ADB’s Involuntary Resettlement Policy
The ADB Policy on Involuntary Resettlement is based on the following principles:
Involuntary resettlement is to be avoided or at least minimized;
Compensation must ensure the maintenance of the AHs‘ pre-Project living standards;
Compensation is required for PAP‘s who as a result of a Project has their access to, or
use of, land restricted;
PAPs should be fully informed and consulted on Land Acquisition and Resettlement
(LAR) compensation options;
PAPs socio-cultural institutions should be supported/used as much as possible;
Compensation will be carried out with equal consideration of women and men;
Lack of formal legal land title should not be a hindrance to rehabilitation;
Particular attention should be paid to households headed by women and other
vulnerable groups, such as indigenous people and ethnic minorities and appropriate
assistance should be provided to help them improve their status;
LAR should be conceived and executed as a part of the Project and the full costs of
compensation should be included in Project costs and benefits; and
Compensation/rehabilitation assistance will be paid prior to ground levelling and
demolition.
8.3.2.1 Comparison of Pakistan Land Acquisition Act & ADB Resettlement Policy
Table 8-1 below outlines the differences between Pakistani Law and ADB policy.
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Conclusions
In principle, Pakistan Law and ADB Policy adhere not only to the objective of PAPs
compensation, but also to the objective of rehabilitation. However, LAA is unclear on how
rehabilitation is to be achieved and in practice the provision of rehabilitation is left to ad hoc
arrangements taken by local governments and specific Project Proponents. To clarify these
issues and reconcile eventual gaps between Pakistan Law and ADB Policy, the LARF and
LARP for the proposed T/L is being prepared as a separate document to ensure
compensation at replacement cost of all items, the rehabilitation of informal settlers and the
provision of subsidies or allowances for PAPs that may be relocated, suffer business losses,
or may be severely affected.
8.3.3 Telegraph Act (TA), 1885
In case of impacts caused by Poles and Towers for public facilities and T/Ls, the land
acquisition is not regulated by the LAA but instead by the Telegraph Act, 1885 (amended in
1975). The original provision of this law was that the land occupied by telegraph poles was
not to be compensated (only crops destroyed during the erection of the pole were
compensated). This was based on the logic that a pole, covering only a negligible land area,
does not cause substantial impacts to landusers. This, however, is no longer the case once
the same provision is extended to transmission Towers.
The Telegraph Act (Section 11) confers Powers on the DISCOs to enter private lands and
(Section 10) construct/ maintain electric poles and lines without the need to acquire the land
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affected and paying compensation for it. However, the Sub-section 10 (d) provides that a
DISCOs is required to avoid causing unnecessary damages to the affected land and
associated assets. Finally, the Section 16 provides that if any such damage occurs (i.e.
damages to crops, irrigation facilities, and land quality or land income). The Proponent has
to provide compensation for the damages.
To accommodate the APs needs, under this program, the DISCOs have agreed to apply the
Telegraphic Act liberally by i) compensating at market rates all land occupied by Towers in
urban areas; ii) by avoiding land impacts in rural areas through the use of Towers with
sufficient vertical clearance to allow the continuation of unrestricted farming and animal
grazing; and iii) if the construction of such Towers is impossible, by compensating the land
occupied by Tower bases land also in rural areas. In addition, the DISCOs will compensate
by default all crops expected to be affected by the 3 major distribution lines construction
phases, i.e. i) construction of Tower bases; ii) Tower erection; and iii) stringing.
8.3.4 Punjab Katchi Abadis Act, 1992
Punjab Katchi Abadis Act, 1992 (Amendment Ordinance No. XVIII of 2007), this ordinance
updated the Punjab Katchi Abadis Act, 1986. It made provisions for the regularization of
Katchi Abadis and outlined the provision for giving assistance. The ordinance
stated that the Director General shall be appointed by the Government and will be
responsible to implement the Act. Subject to the provisions of sub-sections (2), (3), (4) and
(5) and the directions, if any, of the government the Director General can regularize any
settlement of more than 40 dwelling units that was occupied before 23 rd March 2010.
8.3.5 Sindh Katchi Abadis Act, 1987
The impact of urbanization and urban growth on land has been severe. The government is
unable to provide land for the poor and migrants. This reality has led to a large scale
proliferation of squatter settlements or Katchi Abadis. People get piece of land from the land
grabbers at an affordable price. Mostly, the land belongs to the Board of Revenue. The
Katchi Abadi is officially a temporary settlement where legal leases cannot be issued.
However, the official temporary nature of these settlements may be perceived quite
differently by the occupants as the defecto security level of the settlement is usually much
higher. The security level has also been increased with periodic announcements by different
governments for regularizing Katchi Abadis creating one cut-off date following by another.
Under the policy, Katchi Abadis existing upto 23 March 1985 and comprising at least 40
houses will be identified for regularization.
Until the late seventies low-income housing policies in Karachi were based on clearance of
Katchi abadis and resettlement of the residents. All the resettlement schemes failed to reach
the target group due to variety of reasons. In the early seventies a change of policy came
about. This policy was to legalize and improve these settlements rather than to demolish
them. There were the following four basic features of the policy:
i). Security of tenure for the residents was provided through the issue of 99 years leases for
which the resident had to pay a lump sum amount. The lease rate were differentiated as
per landuse category (residential, commercial) and according to plot size (the larger the
plot the higher the lease rate per square yards);
ii). Karachi Metropolitan Cooperation (KMC) carried out a program of environmental
upgrading (water supply, drainage, sewerage and solid waste disposal systems and
metalling of roads). Planning standards where flexible in relation to local circumstances,
and incremental, no solution was fixed; rather the opportunity for future development was
being guaranteed;
iii). The whole program was self-financing; improvement had to be financed out of revenues
from lease and improvement charges;
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iv). In the whole process, peoples participation was crucial, not only because the residents
had to pay for the improvements; also, because planning (e.g. of standards) cannot be
done properly without the residents involvement. Finally, on plot improvements were
completely left upto the inhabitants;
Thus, the regularized Katchi Abadi is one, which has been approved by the government
agencies for proper leasing and carrying out physical improvements to certain acceptable
minimum standards. Its then forms an officially accepted part of the city master plan.
In 1978 Martial Law Order (MLO) No. 67 was issued called ‗Regularization and Development
of Katchi Abadis‘. It was reconstituted in 1979 (MLO 110) and again in 1982 (MLO 183), and
complemented by the Sindh Katchi Abadi Rules of 1982. This order further states refer page
no. 2 article 7(1)(1)(a) that regularization scheme shall inter-alia provide for ‗the rehabilitation
of the unauthorized occupants of a Katchi Abadi in the same Katchi Abadi or, where it is not
possible, in any other locality by allotting plots of prescribed size‘.
In 1980 Chief Martial Law Administrator Zone ‗C‘ promulgated an order MLO 130 to provide
for measures for prevention and removal of encroachments. This order was called Removal
of Encroachment Order, refer page 8. In 1983 Martial Law Administrator zone ‗C‘
reconstituted MLO 130 by MLO 202. This order provides the encroacher a facility to appear
before the officer issuing the notice for removal of encroachment refer Page 11 Article 8.
In March 1987, the Government of Sindh enacted a new law known as Sindh Katchi Abadis
Act, 1987 refer page 52, whereby Sindh Katchi Abadis Authoirty was setup under the Act.
Sindh Katchi Abadis Authority was authorized to declare any area or part thereof, which was
partially or wholly occupied in an unauthorized manner, prior to March 23, 1985, as a Katchi
Abadi.
In the year 1993, in suppression of all previous orders, directives and instructions formulated
Sindh Katchi Abadis Authority (Regulations, improvement and development) Regulations,
refer page no. 19, was notified. The article 8 of chapter IV of this regulation states ―that the
regularization scheme should dislocate minimum occupants, article 10 (ii) and (v) provides
for an opportunity to the occupant to submit his objection regarding the scheme and when
any building is required to be demolished according to the approved development scheme,
the Authority shall compensate the owner in shape of allocating a minimum size open plot.
Article 8 and 9 of chapter VII of the Sindh Katchi Abadi Act regulations 1993 further provides
for the relocation and rehabilitation for the structures demolished from any reservations or
amenity areas. Sufficient time will be given to the owner for removal of such structures‘. and
‗if affected by an approved scheme, original unauthorized occupant may be resettled by
providing an open plot of not less than 80 sq. yd. in area, preferably within the same Katchi
abadi depending on the availability of land on the rates as mentioned in schedule ‗C‘ of
Sindh Katchi Abadis Regulations 1993. No cash compensation shall be given except the
provision of an open plot mentioned above‘.
Present policy decisions announced by the Chief Executive of Pakistan for the
Regularization and up-gradation of Katchi Abadis on 15th January 2001 refer Page No. 71
states that the process of the regularization and up-gradation of the before 1985 Katchi
Abadis shall continue as per current policy.
8.4 Strategy for Compensation of Land Affected by Towers
Besides the amended LAA, the NTDC has adopted the Telegraph Act, 1885 (amended) for
the construction and maintenance of T/L. The later Act was originally framed for the
construction of telegraphic poles during the British Era and later inherited by Pakistan upon
independence. This Act was subsequently adopted by WAPDA for electric poles and supply
lines and eventually passed to NTDC. However, telegraphic or electric poles cover a much
smaller area of land compared with transmission Towers which have the potential to affect
crops, orchards and scattered wood and fruit trees. The NTDC makes utmost efforts to
minimize resettlement impacts, alternatively the affected farmers are compensated for their
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crop and tree losses and built-up structures requiring relocation, based on prevalent market
prices.
Based on current Pakistani Law and NTDC‘s practice, the land under the Towers is not
acquired permanently and therefore, compensation is not required for land. However, it is
suggested that the land under the Tower will not be acquired, but would only require
compensation in the case where: (i) in rural areas, the Tower hinders access to the land
under the Tower for cultivation; and/or, (ii) in urban/residential areas, the Tower restricts use
of the land for housing development.
In the case of urban/residential areas, the land under Towers will be considered as being
permanently affected and therefore it will be compensated in full. In the case of rural areas
and agricultural land as long as the Towers provide sufficient clearance to allow the
continuation of crop cultivation, the land will be considered to be temporarily affected (for the
duration of Tower installation and stringing of the lines) and therefore will not be acquired nor
compensated. However, for Towers with low-bars which would restrict the farmer‘s access
for cultivation activities, the land will be considered as acquired permanently and
compensated. However, the respective landowners can reuse such land for cultivation or
similar purposes. But, as none of the Towers of this 500KV TL are located in an urban area
nor they will hinder future cultivation of land in rural areas, no land compensation will be
applicable for the land under Tower and only crop and tree compensation will be paid to the
AHs.
The construction of Towers on agricultural land however will still require the provision of
compensation for crops and loss of trees, for the area under the Tower plus a small
perimeter surrounding it (an access and working area). The area included in the perimeter
has been assessed at10,000m2(1 ha) for a ±600KV Tower. Furthermore, as the construction
of Towers involves a 3-tier process, namely: (i) preparation of the foundation; (ii) erection of
the Tower; and (iii) stringing of the Power cables and this process has the potential to affect
three crops and thus, compensation for three crops will be paid to the affected farmers. The
outstanding payment of compensation for the affected crops and trees by the construction of
Tower foundations in the past (1996-97) will be paid to the affected farmers (landowners and
sharecroppers) at the current market rates of the year of payment.
8.5 Land Classification
Identification of the type of land affected is an important step in determining eligibility for
compensation of land. Jurisdiction rather than use classifies land. Rural land includes
irrigated land and un-irrigated land and is governed by the Land Revenue Act, 1967 which
must be read in conjunction with the LAA and other legislation that may also apply, including
for example the Punjab Alienation of Land Act, 1900, Colonization of Government Lands Act,
1912 and the various Land Reform Regulations. Rural land falls under the jurisdiction of
revenue districts.
Land other than rural land is urban and including all permutations there-under such as
residential, commercial, built upon and buildable and is governed by various regulations and
ordinances including the People‘s Local Government Ordinance, 1972 for each province,
Cantonments Act, 1924 and Land Control Act, 1952. Urban land falls under the jurisdiction of
municipal and local government authorities.
While there are broad definitions of rural and urban land in the People‘s Local Government
Ordinances, such classifications are not immutable and have been and are changed by the
Collector of Revenues and provincial governments over time. In general, it is either the
People‘s Local Government Ordinances or the Land Revenue Act that determines the
classification of land however there are some cases where both applies and other cases
where different legislation altogether can dictate jurisdiction and classification over
land. Hence there is neither a universal classification nor legislation pertaining to the land
that will be potentially affected under the program.
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8.6 Eligibility
PAPs entitled for compensation or rehabilitation provisions under the program are:
All PAPs affected by restricted access to or use of land whether they have legal
title/traditional land rights or not;
Tenants and sharecroppers whether registered or not;
Owners of buildings, crops, plants, or other objects attached to the land; and
PAPs losing business, income and salaries (livelihood).
Cut-off Date: Compensation eligibility will be limited by a cut-off date fixed by NTDC for this
Project. PAPs that settle in the affected areas and/or make changes in the landuse patterns
after this cut-off date will not be eligible for compensation. They will, however, be given
sufficient advance notice requesting them to vacate premises/corridor and dismantle all
affected structures and other establishments (if any) prior to Project implementation. They
will be allowed to reuse their salvaged material for free and they will not be asked to pay any
fine for making those change. Forced eviction will only be considered after all other efforts
are exhausted.
8.7 Compensation Entitlements
Entitlement provisions for PAPs cover such impacts as land losses, house and buildings
losses, crops and trees losses, a relocation subsidy, rehabilitation measures and a business
losses allowance based on tax declarations and/or lump sums. These entitlements are
detailed below:
Agricultural land impacts will be compensated based on whether a PAP‘s access to, or use
of, their land is restricted. For PAPs whose access to and use of, agricultural land is not
restricted i.e. they can continue to cultivate the land, compensation will be for removed or
damaged crops and trees. For PAPs whose access to, or use of, agricultural land is
restricted i.e. they cannot continue to cultivate the land compensation will be paid at
replacement value in: (i) cash at current market rates plus a 15% compulsory acquisition
surcharge (CAS), or (ii) through replacement land equal in value/productivity to the plot lost.
When >10% of an PAP‘s income or agricultural land is affected, AHs (owners, leaseholders
and sharecroppers) will get an additional allowance for severe impacts equal to the market
value of a year‘s gross yield of the land lost (inclusive of winter and summer harvest).
Eventual transaction taxes/fees will either be paid by NTDC or waived by local governments.
Market rates will be assessed through a survey of prevalent land prices, carried out by local
government and financing institutions along with involvement of community.
Residential/commercial land will be compensated at replacement value by either (i) land
for land or (ii) cash at current market rates free of any deductions. Renters/leaseholders will
receive an allowance corresponding to 3 months‘ rent. However, the land under Towers and
line (100m wide ROW) can be used by the landowner or sharecropper for cultivation.
Houses, buildings, structures will be compensated in cash at replacement cost free of
depreciation, salvaged materials and transaction cost deductions. The compensation for
houses/buildings will also include the cost of lost water and electricity connections.
Crops: Cash compensation at current market rates for the net harvest actually lost as it
may be the winter, the summer crop, or both. Crop compensation will be paid both to
landowners and tenants based on their specific sharecropping agreements.
Trees: Cash compensation shall reflect income replacement based on market price.
Businesses: compensation for permanent business losses will be in cash for a 1-year
income based on tax declaration or, if unavailable, based on the official minimum salary;
compensation for temporary business will be in cash for the period of income interruption (1
to 3 months) based on tax declaration or, if unavailable, official minimum salary.
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Business workers and employees: Indemnity for lost wages for the period of business
interruption upto a maximum of 3 months.
Agricultural land leaseholders, sharecroppers and workers: Where the access to, or
use of, the land is restricted; affected leaseholders will receive either a renewal of the lease
in other plots or cash corresponding to the yearly yield of land lost for remaining years of the
lease upto a maximum of (3) years. Sharecroppers will receive their share of harvest at
market rates (if impact is temporary) or if the land is lost permanently additional
compensation for one (1) crop. Agricultural workers, with contracts interrupted, will get an
indemnity in cash corresponding to their salary in cash and kind for the remaining part of the
agricultural year (inclusive of both winter and summer crops).
Community structures and public utilities: These will be fully compensated or
replaced/rehabilitated so as to satisfy their pre-Project functions.
Relocation subsidy: PAPs forced to relocate will receive a relocation subsidy sufficient to
cover transport costs and living expenses for 1 month.
8.8 NTDC Current Procedures for Payment of Compensation
The construction of the T/L and Converter Station will cause damage to the crops, trees and
may be some built-up properties during:
Soil Investigation at the Tower foundations;
Excavation and concreting of the Tower foundations;
Erection of Towers; and
Stringing of conductors.
These impacts have been estimated based on the preliminary route alignment, field survey
and similar Projects carried out in the past. At the time of detailed survey, the losses will be
properly assessed and evaluated for compensation, in accordance with the prevailing rules
and regulations of the Government. Cutting/trimming of the trees above 2.5 m height and
built-up properties (if any) for public safety and integrity of the T/Ls within ROW of 100m, will
be adequately compensated.
8.8.1 Compensation at the Time of Survey/Soil Investigations
The damages caused to the existing crops during the detailed survey and soil investigation
work for the Tower foundations will be recorded and estimates of compensation will be
prepared accordingly by the concerned revenue staff i.e. Patwari. For the identification of the
crop owners, it is preferable that the ―Dhal-Wash‖ document may be consulted. This
document is prepared by the ―Mal Patwari‖ and issued to the farmers by the Qanoongo. The
estimates will be prepared in accordance with the approved rates of the concerned District
Government. The record of the Patwari will be verified by the Assistant Land Acquisition
Officer (ALAO) and NTDC‘s Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO), who will be the in-charge of the
work. After verification, the record will be submitted to the Chief Engineer (EHV-II), NTDC
through the Project Director, NTDC, the competent authority for approval. Accordingly, funds
will be released for prompt payment to the affectees.
8.8.2 Compensation at the Time of Construction of Towers
Considerable vehicular movement for the transportation of the materials/water and steel
formwork will be involved at the time of construction of the Tower foundations. This will be
considered as temporary acquisition of land. This movement and storage of the materials
and equipment will cause damage to the existing crops. In this case, the damage of the
access road to the Tower locations will also be recorded. The procedure for recording
verifications, approvals and payments to the affectees will be the same as discussed in the
above paragraph.
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As per NTDC‘s existing practices under the Telegraph Act, 1910, no permanent land is
acquired for the Tower foundations as the landowners are allowed to use the land under the
Towers for cultivation purposes. For the other existing EHV lines, farmers are using the land
under the Tower footings for cultivation and even use tractors for the ploughing purposes.
The stringing of conductors involves the movement of equipment and vehicles along the
corridor, which may involve the cutting of trees and cause considerable losses of the existing
crops. The revenue staff including Patwari, Qanoongo and ALAO will be responsible for the
estimation and valuation of the crops as per prescribed criteria of the District Government.
On completion of the estimates and their approval, the compensation amount will be
disbursed promptly.
Stringing activities can affect the built-up properties and other structures due to the required
clearance for the T/L. However, as per preliminary field observations, no such structure or
built-up property have been identified, which may be affected, however, this matter will be
checked during the detailed design stage.
8.9 NTDC Practice for Passing Transmission Lines over Existing Infrastructure
For crossing the T/L over or near the existing infrastructure or sensitive sites, NTDC
approaches the concerned agencies and gets their approval. Any damages caused to the
trees or other properties are paid to the concerned agency as per their rules.
This particularly implies to the forest areas, wetlands, railway tracks, highways, airports,
archaeological sites, army garrisons etc. Normally, where the existing infrastructure like
highways, railway tracks, telephone poles and other T/Ls are to be crossed, NTDC adjusts
the Towers in a way that will requires minimum clearance.
In the following paragraphs, it is discussed as to whether or not for the proposed ±600KV T/L
and ±600KV Grid Station; NTDC has to get ―No Objection Certificate (NOC)‖ from the
different agencies/departments.
Following SOPs has been suggested by CET for the clearing of route for existing
infrastructure.
It shall be demolished without exception when it is located at and within 6.5m from
the ground projection of side conductor.
For houses outside 6.5m, the clear distance shall be guaranteed to be 14m at the
time of maximum wind deflection, and they can be left undisturbed when the
synthetic electric field of house ground 7m outside the side conductor is less than the
restricted value of 15kV/m, otherwise, the all houses within the line corridor shall be
removed.
8.9.1 National Highway Authority (NHA)
The proposed T/L will cross National Highway at various locations. NTDC will get NOC from
NHA if deemed necessary as per NHA rules and regulations. However, NTDC has already
taken care to provide the required horizontal as well as vertical clearances to pass the T/L
over the highways and motorways.
8.9.2 Pakistan Railways
As the proposed T/L will pass near the railway track and crosses at some points, so NOC
may be required from Pakistan Railway.
8.10 Compensation Eligibility and Entitlements for the Project
Land acquisition tasks for this T/L Project, will be implemented according to a compensation
eligibility and entitlements framework in line with Pakistan‘s laws/ regulation and ADB Policy.
Entitlements matrix based on the available information and field surveys is provided in Table
8-2 below.
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Table 8–2: Compensation and Entitlement Matrix
Sr. Assets Lost/ Specification Affected Compensation Entitlements
No. Impact Persons
1. Land All land losses Land owner/ Title Cash compensation at replacement
permanently holders/ cost plus 15% CAS, free of taxes, of
acquired for the Customary rights registration and transfer costs; or
construction of
Grid/ Land for land compensation through
Substation/ provision of plots of equal value and
Converter productivity as that of lost.
Station If land is provided as a donation/ or
on voluntarily basis, in such cases,
ADB Policy is not triggered.
2. Arable Land Access is not Land owner/ No land compensation provided that
temporarily restricted and Titleholder/ land is rehabilitated/restored to
affected by the existing or current Customary rights former quality following completion
construction/ landuse will remain
of works.
installation of unchanged by the
Towers/ or T/L construction of Compensation, in cash, for all
Towers and damaged crops and trees.
installation of T/L. Leaseholder No land compensation provided that
(registered or not) land is rehabilitated/restored to
former quality following completion
of works.
Compensation, in cash, for all
damaged crops and trees.
Sharecroppers Compensation, in cash or kind, for
(registered or not) all damaged crops/ trees.
Squatters/ Cash compensation, for all
Encroacher damaged crops/ trees.
3. Arable land for All adverse effects Land owner/ Title Land for land compensation with
Tower/T/L on landuse having holders/ plots of equal value and
installation, the severity of Customary rights productivity to the plots lost/or cash
construction impact).
compensation for affected land at
restricts access
or agricultural current market price plus 15% CAS
use and free of taxes, registration, and
transfer costs.
Leaseholder Renewal of lease in plots of equal
(registered or not) value/or productivity of land lost, or
Cash equivalent to market value of
gross value of affected land for the
remaining lease years (upto a
maximum of 3 years).
Sharecroppers Cash compensation equal to
(registered or not) market value of lost harvest share
once (temporary impact) or twice in
case of permanent impacts.
Agricultural Cash indemnity equal to salary
workers (including portions in kind) for
remaining part of agricultural year.
Squatters/ 1 rehabilitation allowance equal to
Encroacher market value of 1 gross harvest
(additional to crop compensation)
for the loss of landuse.
Additional for severe Land owner/ Title 1 severe impact allowance equal to
impacts holder/ Customary market value of gross harvest of
rights
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8. Business/ Loss of business/ or All APs/ squatters Owner of business: (i) Cash
Employment employment compensation equal to 1 year
income (if loss permanent); (ii)
Cash compensation for the period
of business interruption (if loss is
temporary).
Worker/ employee: lost wages
indemnity for the business
interruption period upto 3 months.
9. Relocation Transport/ All AFs Provision of sufficient allowance to
transition costs cover the transport/ shifting
expenses; and livelihood
assistance for 1 month.
10. Community Affected community All affected Rehabilitation/substitutionof
Structures/ structures & communities affected structures/utilities (i.e.
Assets installations mosques, roads, schools and other.
11. Vulnerable Households below All affected Lump sum one time livelihood
affected poverty line and vulnerable families assistance allowance (Rs. 7,500) on
families female headed account of livelihood restoration
households
support.
Temporary or permanent
employment during construction or
operation, where feasible.
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Although due care will be taken for the assessment, valuation and compensation to the
affectees, even then the affected persons may have some objections or observations such
as:
Dispute on ownership;
Relocation of infrastructure;
Inadequate compensation;
Delays in the payment of compensation, resulting in court cases;
Reluctance of the owners to allow the installation of the Towers before payment of
compensation; and
Type and number of trees to be removed and their compensation.
To address the grievances, a committee comprising the following members will be
constituted by NTDC:
Executive Engineer, Head of the committee;
Sub-Division Officer, Member;
Social Expert, Coordinator;
Nazim/Naib Nazim of concerned tehsil, Member; and
Representative of PAPs Member.
A Community Complaints Register (CCR) will be maintained by the committee. The
affectees will register their complaints in the register with their particulars, such as name of
the affectee, village, type of complaint etc. The committee will resolve the issue within two
weeks to overcome the delay in the construction activities. In case the committee is unable
to resolve the issue, the case will be forwarded to the Project Director (Superintending
Engineer), who will resolve the issue with the consultation of Chief Engineer within a week.
The social expert will act as a coordinator between NTDC and the community. The decision
of the committee will be conveyed to the affectee in writing. As there will be very minor
resettlement issues and no permanent land acquisition is involved, so it is expected that the
grievances will be addressed adequately to the satisfaction of PAPs within the purview of the
proposed committee. However, in case of any unresolved issue, court will be considered as
last resort.
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9 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT AND MONITORING PLAN
9.1 General
This Chapter provides an overall approach for managing and monitoring the potential
environmental and social impacts and describes the institutional framework and resource
allocations to implement these measures. The main objectives of the EMMP are:
Provide the details of the Project impacts along with the proposed mitigation measures
and the corresponding implementation activities;
Define the role and responsibilities of the Project Proponent, Contractor, Supervisory
Consultants and other role players and effectively communicate environmental issues
among them;
Define a monitoring mechanism, reporting frequency and identify monitoring parameters
to ensure that all the mitigation measures are completely and effectively implemented;
and
Identify the resources required to implement the EMMP and outline the corresponding
financing arrangements.
9.2 Environmental Policy, Legislation and Framework
A brief about Environmental policy, legislation and framework is described below:
The Pakistan Environmental Protection Act, 1997
PEPA Act, 1997, provides for environmental assessment inClause 12, and various other
clauses. The details description of PEPA Act, 1997 is given in Section 2.3.
Review of Initial Environmental Examination and Environmental Impact Assessment
Regulations, 2000
This regulation has been notified vide S. R. O. No. 339 (1)/2000 dated 13th June, 2000. A
detail of these regulations is given in Section 2.3.1.
EIA Guideline Package
The Federal EPA, in collaboration with other key stakeholders, including Provincial EPA‘s
and Planning and Development Division from both the Federal Government and the
provinces, other Agencies, NGO‘s representatives of Chambers of Commerce and Industry,
and academics and consultants, prepared a package of comprehensive procedures and
guidelines for environmental assessment in Pakistan. It is emphasized that the various
guidelines may be read as a package; reliance on the sectoral guidelines alone will be
inadequate. The principal documents are:
Policy and procedures for the filing, review and approval of environmental assessments,
which setsout the key policy and procedural requirement contains a brief policy statement on
the purpose of environmental assessment and the goal of sustainable development, required
that environmental assessment be integrated with feasibility studies. Defines the jurisdiction
of the Federal and Provincial EPA‘s and P&D‘s. Lists the responsibilities of Proponents, and
lists the duties of Responsible Authorities. It provides schedules of proposals that require
either an IEE or an EIA.
Guidelines for the preparation and review of Environmental Reports
It is a longer and more descriptivedocument, which covers:
The Initial Environmental report (scoping, alternatives, site selection, format of IEE) ;
Assessing impacts (identification, analysis and prediction, baseline data, significance);
Mitigation and impact management (and preparing an environmental management
plan);
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Reporting (drafting style, main features, shortcoming, other forms of presentation);
Review and decision-making (role, steps, remedial options, checks and balances);
Monitoring and auditing (systematic follow up, purpose, effective data management);
and
Project management (inter-disciplinary teams, programming & budgeting).
Guidelines for public consultation (in preparation)
This document covers:
Consultation, involvement and participation;
Stakeholders;
Techniques for public consultation (principles, levels of involvement, tools, building
trust);
Effective public consultation (planning, stages of EIA where consultation is appropriate);
Consensus building and dispute resolution; and
Facilitating involvement (including the poor, women, building community and NGO
capacity).
Guidelines for sensitive and critical areas (in preparation)
These guidelines will identify sensitive and criticalareas in Pakistan, in relation both to the
natural environment and to cultural aspects. Detail of these guidelines is given in Section
2.5.
Pakistan environmental legislation and the National Environmental Quality Standards
(NEQS)
It is a reference document listing key environmental laws and regulations, and a complete
listing of the NEQS. Details of NEQS are given in Section 2.8.
ADB’s Safeguard Policy Statement (2009)
Environmental safeguards requirements, including environmental impact assessment
requirements, are defined in ADB‘s Safeguard Policy Statement (2009). All projects funded
by ADB must comply with SPS 2009. The purpose of the SPS, 2009 is to establish an
environmental review process to ensure that projects undertaken as part of programs funded
under ADB loans are environmentally sound, are designed to operate in compliance with
applicable regulatory requirements, and are not likely to cause significant environmental,
health, or safety hazards. Detail of SPS 2009 is given in Section 2.11.1.
9.2.1 Interaction with Other Agencies
NTDC is responsible for ensuring that the Project complies with the laws and regulations
controlling the environmental concerns of the construction and operation of HVDC T/L from
Thar to Lahore and that all pre-construction requisites, such as permits and clearances are
met. This section describes the nature of the relationship between the NTDC and the
concerned line departments.
9.2.2 Federal Government Institutions
The Ministry of Disaster Management deals with the Environment and Wildlife issues at the
federal level. Within the Ministry, the NCS Unit, established in 1992, is responsible for
overseeing the implementation of the Strategy.
Pakistan Environmental Protection Council (PEPC) and the Pak-EPA are primarily
responsible for administering the provisions of PEPA, 1997. The PEPC oversees the
functioning of the Pak-EPA. Its members include representatives of the government, industry
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and NGOs. Pak-EPA is required to ensure compliance with the NEQS, establish monitoring
and evaluation systems and identify the need as well as initiate legislation whenever
necessary. It is thus the primary implementing agency in the hierarchy. The provincial EPAs
are the provincial arms of the federal EPA. Pak-EPA has delegated Powers to its provincial
counterparts. One of the functions delegated by the Pak-EPA to the provincial EPAs is the
review and approval of environmental assessment reports and to issue NOCs. EPA, Sindh
(SEPA) and EPA, Punjab are responsible for the approval of EIA and issuance of NOC for
HVDC 1300Km Long T/L from Thar to Upcountry being a part of Sindh and Punjab
provinces.
9.2.3 Federal and Provincial EPAs
As per PEPA 1997, each provincial government has its own Environmental Protection
Agency/Department responsible for environmental protection and pollution control. The
provincial EPAs are responsible for the approval of the EIA and IEE of new developments
under their jurisdictions.
9.2.4 Provincial Departments of Wildlife, Forestand Archaeology
At the feasibility stage of the Project as per the requirement of EPA guidelines for the
Sensitive and Critical Area, concerned provincial departments are informed through letters
for the proposed T/L project.
During the construction stage, if the implementation of the proposed Project involves the
clearing of vegetation and trees which belongs to the forest or wildlife department, the
Project Contractor will be responsible for acquiring a NOC from the concerned provincial
forest department. The application for an NOC will need to be endorsed by NTDC. Similarly,
if any Archaeological monument or site is crossed by the proposed T/L concerned provincial
department needs to be contacted for NOC.
Where construction is to be carried out in the close proximity of the protected forests and
Wildlife and Archaeology sites, the NTDC is required to coordinate with the concerned
departments to ensure that the impacts on vegetation and wildlife are minimized. The
Contractor is also required to contact with concerned department before the start of the
construction work.
9.2.5 Provincial Revenue Departments
Under the national law, matters relating to the landuse and ownership are provincial subjects
and the revenue department of the concerned province is emPowered to carry out the
acquisition of private land or built-up property for public purposes, including on behalf of
other provincial or federal agency. For this purpose, the concerned department must lodge
an application with the concerned provincial government to depute a LAC and other revenue
staff, who will be responsible for handling the matters related to the acquisition and
disbursement of compensation.
9.3 NOC and Other Approvals
Obtaining NOC from the SEPA and EPA, Punjab is the primary responsibility of the Client
prior to the start of any construction activities. This process is discussed in Chapter 2.
This NOC will not relieve the Proponent from other legal obligations and hence Project
Proponent and Project Contractors will obtain all other relevant clearances and necessary
approvals required by the GOP prior to commencing their respective operations.
9.4 Project Proponent
NTDC was incorporated on the 6th November, 1998 and commenced commercial operation
on 24thDecember, 1998. NTDC operates under WAPDA. It was organized to take over all the
properties, rights and assets, obligations and liabilities of 220KV and 500KV Grid Stations
and T/Ls/network owned by Pakistan Water and Power Development Authority
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(WAPDA).The NTDC operates and maintains nine 500KV Grid Stations, 4,160 km of 500KV
T/Ls and 4,000 Km of 220KV T/Ls in Pakistan.
NTDC was granted Transmission License No. TL/01//2002 on 31stDecember 2002 by
National Electric Power Regularity Authority (NEPRA) to engage in the exclusive
transmission business for a term of thirty (30) years, pursuant to Section 17 of the
Regulation of Generation, Transmission and Distribution of Electric Power Act, 1997.
Under the regime set out in the License, the NTDC is entrusted to act as:
Central Power Purchasing Agency;
System Operator;
Transmission Network Operator; and
Contract Registrar and Power Exchange Administrator.
The roles of NTDC listed above are briefly outlined below:
i. Central Power Purchasing Agency (CPPA): As the Central Power Purchasing
Agency (CPPA), for procurement of Power from GENCOs, Hydel & IPPs on behalf
of Distribution Companies (DISCOs), for delivery through 500 KV, 220KV & 132KV
Network.
ii. System Operator: For secure, safe and reliable operation, control and dispatch of
generation facilities.
iii. Transmission Network Operator: For O&M, Planning, Design and expansion of the
500 KV and 220 KV transmission network.
iv. Contract Registrar and Power Exchange Administrator (CRPEA): As CRPEA, to
record and monitor contracts relating to the bilateral trading system.
NTDC's headquarter is situated at WAPDA House, Lahore.
9.4.1 Roles and Responsibilities of NTDC
9.4.1.1 Design and Construction Stage
Design and construction of the Project is the core responsibility of Chief Engineer (EHV-I &II)
and his staff. The major role and responsibilities related to the environmental and social
tasks are as under:
Chief Engineer (EHV-I &II)
The Chief Engineer (EHV-I &II) ‗Construction Projects‘ will be responsible for ensuring that
the Project design and specifications adequately reflected in the EMMP along with the
resettlement/compensation provisions documents. Other responsibilities will include:
To ensure the Project compliance with the environmental regulations and donor
requirements;
Stakeholder participation in the Project design;
To ensure that the TOR for the Supervisory Consultants adequately cover the
environmental and social issues; and
Approval of compensation budgets.
Project Director (PD)
The specific responsibilities are as follows:
Setting up systems for environmental management;
Ensuring that the Contractor(s) develop and carry out environmental implementation
plans that are consistent with the EMMP;
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Change of alignment, if sensitive sites come into the proposed route;
Coordination with the regulatory agencies including EPAs, local NGOs and CBOs that
could assist NTDC in independent review of environmental and social compliance;
Assistance in EIA approval from the EPAs concerned; and
Liaising between the Project staff (essentially XENs, SDOs etc.) and the Supervisory
Consultant‘s staff to monitor environmental compliance during construction.
Executive Engineer and Sub Divisional Officers (XENs and SDOs)
The specific responsibilities will be as under:
Select the Tower spotting in such a way that it should not disrupt the community or if
unavoidable, then disruption should be the minimum;
To ensure the minimum disruption of shaded trees and no disruption of fruit trees;
Project route should avoid the disruption of schools, hospitals, shrines, mazars,
mosques and graveyards; and
Proper soil investigations should be ensured and appropriate mitigations should be
adopted at the design stage in water logged, wetland and wet soils.
Executive Engineer and Sub Divisional Officers (TLC)
The Executive Engineer and Sub-divisional officers (TLC) are the core persons to handle the
field activities and report them to the PD. The main field activities related with the
environmental management are as under:
Preparing a joint on-site inventory and valuation of the affected assets and incomes of
individual PAPs with Social Expert;
Supervising and providing technical support to the Project supervision and monitoring
staff to help ensure compliance with the EMMP;
To recommend compensation for the loss of crops and cropping seasons;
To recommend compensation for removal of trees having economic value and more
than 2.5 m high from the ROW of 50 m (25 m on each side of the centerline of the T/L
route);
Compensation for the built-up properties to be removed from the COI as well as ROW;
Compensation for the removal of infrastructure like houses, wells etc.;
To make the site visits to manage the pollution of land and water resources including
irrigation channels, nullahs, natural streams etc.;
Clearance of 50 m wide strip during the stringing operations;
To check the possibility of soil erosion during the excavation of Tower foundations as
per EMMP;
To deal with a surprise archaeological find in the area and report it to Archaeological
Department;
Visually check the fugitive dust, noise and vibration during the construction stage; and
To ensure safety measures during construction.
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Provide environmental and social review and technical support to the Project Director,
NTDC;
Coordination between NTDC management and the community including PAPs, NGOs,
CBOs and other stakeholders;
Identifying and verifying PAPs on the basis of LARP and revenue records etc.;
Identifying alternative resettlement sites for PAPs (if applicable);
Carrying out a consultation and dissemination campaign with regard to compensation
procedures, entitlement packages and the proposed alternative resettlement sites;
Identifying any problems due to the restricted access to the community during
construction;
Preparing individual entitlement files;
Preparing compensation budgets;
Providing shifting assistance to the displaced persons and to allow them to salvage their
facilities;
Full fill the responsibilities as specified during the LARP implementation; and
Identifying major issues of conflict between PAPs and the NTDC/Contractors during the
implementation of the Project activities.
NTDC Environment Cell
Environmental Cell is directly in-charge for the financial and technical matters and directly
reports to the Project Director.
The general monitoring responsibilities of the Environmental Cell and NTDC Environment
and Social Expert will consist of:
Assessment of the crops, valuation of property and negotiation with the affectees for
fixation of compensation to be paid for temporary acquisition of the land under the
Towers.
To estimate the crop compensation for the construction of foundations and erection of
Towers and in the 10 m wide corridor during the stringing operations;
Assist in valuation of the infrastructure, tubewells/peter engines, trees etc. and
negotiation with the owners;
Assist in checking genuine ownerships of the claimants, in consultation with the
Revenue staff for prompt payment to the affectees;
To ensure that the tenants get their rightful compensation as per prevailing law
especially in case of loss of crops;
Assist the Contractor for the timely payments of negotiated prices;
Check that the Contractor backfills, compacts and leaves the ground in the original
condition after excavation of pits for subsurface investigations and for the Tower
footings;
Keep checks and controls so that the pollution of land and water resources due to the
spills of lubricants, fuel, chemicals and other wastes does not take place;
Monitor, that pollution of wetlands is not avoided during the excavation for the Tower
footings;
To check that the Contractor keeps the damages to the minimum while making tracks
for accessibility and that the damage is rectified properly;
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All the existing tracks, roads, water courses etc. are left in the original shape after
completion of the construction activities;
Monitor that the Contractor uses such working methodology so as not to cause
disturbance to the communities by fugitive dust, noise, fumes etc.;
Monitor that the Contractor adjusts his working hours during the stringing activities in
such a manner that it causes the least inconvenience to the local population.
To ensure that the Contractor keeps first aid kits, medicines, safety gadgets at the site
for taking care of possible mishaps to the workers or other persons; and
To keep the working site/camps tidy so as to avoid unhealthy impacts on the work force.
9.4.1.2 Operation Phase
The Chief Engineer (GSO)
Chief Engineer will take over the Project after completion of the construction activities on
completion of the Project, a joint visit will be made by the staff of Chief Engineer (GSO) to
ensure that the implementation of the Project is as per approved specifications. In the
operation stage, Chief Engineer (GSO) is responsible for the overall operation and
maintenance of the Converter Stations as well as T/Ls. He will coordinate with the staff to
monitor the environmental compliance during the operation and maintenance of the T/L and
the Grid Station.
The Superintending Engineer (SE)
Superintending Engineer, will be responsible for reporting on the progress of the
environmental compliance to the concerned provincial EPAs. Similarly, he will plan for
sustaining a working partnership among NTDC, EPAs, provincial agriculture, forest and
Wildlife departments, NGOs/CBOs and other related public/private sector organizations.
Executive Engineer and Sub-divisional Officers (XEN and SDOs)
These officers will be responsible to check the stability of the Towers and the system on
periodic basis and to assess the long-term environmental impacts of the T/L operation
including EMF. For Sub Stations operation, a contingency plan will be prepared to overcome
any emergency situation arising due to fire, disaster etc.
Environment and Social expert will assist and advise all the above key players in their
respective responsibilities as and when required.
9.4.2 Role and Responsibilities of Supervisory Consultants (SC)
A Supervisory Consultant appointed by NTDC will be designated as the ―Engineer/Project
Manager‖. The Consultant will be responsible for:
Supervising the Project‘s Contractors and ensuring that all the contractual obligations
related to the design and construction, as well as environmental and social compliance
are met;
Ensuring that the day-to-day construction activities are carried out in an environmentally
and socially sound and sustainable manner; Developing ‗good practices‘ construction
guidelines to assist the Contractors and NTDC staff in implementing the EMMP; and
Assisting the Chief Engineer (EHV-I&II) in coordinating with the EPAs, provincial
agriculture, forest and Wildlife departments, NGOs/CBOs and other public/private sector
organizations.
9.4.3 Role and Responsibilities of Contractor
For the proposed Project, NTDC will appoint Contractor(s) for construction and other project
activities. The Contractor(s) will be responsible for the physical execution / implementation of
EMMP, or adherence to all the provisions of the EIA and EMMP and any environmental or
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other code of conduct required by EPA Punjab and SEPA. Overall responsibility for the
Contractor‘s environmental performance will rest with the NTDC.
9.4.4 Environmental Protection Agency
SEPA and EPA, Punjab are the regulator authorities and mainly responsible to develop and
implement national environmental policies and strategies in order to integrate the
environmental issues and sustainable development approaches into the legal and regulatory
frameworks. EPAs are also responsible to assess the effectiveness of the implementation of
the environmental legislation and regulations to improve the sustainability of the use and
management of natural resources and the effectiveness of the measures for conservation
and rehabilitation of the environment. Similarly, PEPA, 1997 emPowers the EPAs to take
legal action against the non-compliance of environmental legislation and regulations and
penalties may be imposed from cancellation of license to six months imprisonment, or both.
Its main function is to develop and implement the national environmental policies and in the
proposed Project will be as an independent monitoring agency. EPA will inspect the Project
at its own convenience or on receipt of complaint about non-compliance of any
environmental legislation or its part.
The proposed Project falls under the jurisdiction of SEPA as well as EPA, Punjab. For the
implementation of the proposed Project as well as other anticipated developments, these
EPAs have to play a proactive role apart from issuing NOC.
9.4.5 Local Government
Revenue department will be involved for the verification of land ownerships and
disbursement of compensation for land, crops and other infrastructure. However, this aspect
is being taken up in detail during the preparation of Land Acquisition and Resettlement
Framework and Plan (LARF and LARP).
It is suggested that concerned staff of the Revenue Department should be nominated for the
Project and properly trained.
9.4.6 NGO
A strategy is needed to outline the ways and means through which the NGOs and
Community Based Organizations (CBOs) can play their part in the sustainable development
of this Project. NGOs mostly provide support to the locals, in the form of small grants and
installation of tubewells. Still the works are required to focus on social welfare problems with
attention to environmental and development issues. That will increase their role in
networking and public decision-making. This aspect is being taken up in detail during the
LARF and LARP studies.
9.5 Environmental Mitigation and Management Matrix
The environmental protection and enhancement are achieved in various ways. These
approaches should begin right at the embryonic stage, i.e. i) Project location; ii) design,
specifications and tender/contract documents; iii) construction activities; and iv) post
completion activities i.e. operation and maintenance stage. Appropriate environmental
management measures are required to be exercised in a cascade manner by NTDC at each
stage of the Project in Pakistan.
It is envisaged that the Project will achieve maximum on-going cost-effective, environmental
sustainability and social soundness, far beyond the end of implementation of the Project. All
the stages of the Project have to be managed by adopting the proposed environmental
mitigation measures, where, besides engineering aspects, due importance is to be accorded
to the mitigation measures which make a perfect blend with the surrounding ecosystem. The
key environmental and social issues have already been discussed in Chapter-7.
An Environmental Mitigation & Management Matrix (MMM) for the T/L and Converter
Stations is given in Table 9-1 (a&b). This table is attached at the end of this Chapter, which
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establishes the linkages between the environmental and social impacts, mitigation strategy
and the agencies responsible for execution.
9.6 Environmental Monitoring Plan
This section provides a monitoring plan that identifies the roles and responsibilities of the
staff involved in environmental monitoring under the proposed Project and lists the
parameters that will be used in the monitoring process.
9.6.1 Objectives
The main objectives of the pre-construction and construction phase monitoring plans will be:
To monitor compensation for the loss of assets during the pre-construction activities and
payment of compensation for the loss of crops as per latest rates announced by the
government as every year rates have to be revised by the government;
Monitor the actual impacts of the construction activities in the COI related to physical,
ecological and socio-economic receptors. This will indicate the adequacy of the EIA;
Recommend mitigation measures for any unexpected impact or where the impact level
exceeds the anticipated levels;
Ensure compliance with legal and community obligations including safety at the
construction sites; and
Monitor the impacts on land water resources, air quality, noise level and cutting of trees
in the corridor of T/L and vegetation clearing at campsites as described in the EMMP.
The main objectives of environmental monitoring during the operation phase will be to:
Appraise the adequacy of the EIA with respect to the Project‘s predicted long-term
impact on the corridor‘s physical, ecological and socio-economic environment;
Evaluate the effectiveness of the mitigation measures proposed in the EMMP and
recommend improvements, if necessary; and
Compile periodic non-conformance report to support the analyses that will help to
minimize the future risks.
9.6.2 NTDC Proposed Setup
The existing institutional setup of NTDC for the implementation and operation of the Project
for design and construction stage is illustrated in Figure 9-1. Theproposed Project will be
administrated by NTDC during the implementation stage as described in detail below:
9.6.2.1 Design and Construction Stage
The NTDC head offices at Hyderabad and Lahore are responsible for managing the Project
at the policy level. At the highest level, General Manager (GSC) along with Chief Engineer
(EHV-I and II) will be responsible for the day-to-day Project management at the Project
implementation stage. He will report directly to the General Manager, who will have the
ultimate responsibility for planning and managing the implementation of the T/L Project.
The Chief Engineer (EHV-I and II) will be assisted by the Project Directors who will have the
overall responsibility for ensuring the Project compliance with the EMMP. The Project
Director (PD) will be supported by two Executive Engineers i.e. Survey and Soil
Investigations (SI) and Transmission Line Construction (T/LC), who will further be assisted
by the concerned Sub-Divisional Officers (SDOs) and their teams. To ensure community
participation and to provide socially viable conditions, NTDC will also hire the services of
Environmental and Social Experts from their Environmental Cell, who will support the field
team and also work as the coordinator between the community and Client i.e. NTDC and the
Stakeholders. If the staff from the Environmental Cell is not available then it is proposed that
Environment and Social Experts should at least having Degree in Environmental
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Engineering and Sociology/Social Sciences with 5 years experience in handling
environmental and social issues of development Projects should be hired for the proposed
Project.
9.6.2.2 Operational and Maintenance Stage
After completion of the Project, It will be handed over to the GSO Division of NTDC, which is
working under the General Manager and Chief Engineers (GSO). Chief Engineers (GSO)
reports to the General Manager, GSO for operation and maintenance of the T/Ls and Grid
Stations. The Chief Engineer GSO will be supported by the Superintending Engineer (SE)
for the proposed Project, who will also be assisted by Executive Engineer, SDO and his field
team. The hired environmental and social staff will be transferred to the GSO office for their
duties related to O & M stage.
9.7 Site Restoration Plan
The main areas to be considered for the site restoration include the construction area, camp
sites area, temporary tracks; landused for vehicle and material stores and material
excavation pits etc. These areas should be restored to their original condition with the
maximum possible effort. The following procedures will be adopted for the restoration of the
site:
All temporary construction built for the site development will be removed;
Site for construction camps will be restored to its original (pre-construction) condition as
much as possible;
All the toxic and hazardous chemicals/materials will be completely removed from the
site. Efforts will be made to completely remove the oils and chemical spills during the
construction;
Any debris from the construction site will be removed properly;
All fencing and gates will be removed and pits will be backfilled; and
Whole of the site will be covered with the original soil and plantation will be done,
wherever required.
9-10
NTDC BOARD OF DIRECTORS (BOD)
PERSONAL
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) STAFF
FINANCE INTERNAL I.T TNO / TECH CE CORDINATION L & C AFFAIRS HR & ADMIN
CONSULTANT
DIRECTOR AUDIT DIRECTOR DIRECTOR & MONITORING DIRECTOR DIRECTOR
C.E C.E
(Multan) (Islamabad)
Manager Manager
Figure 9.1
Multan Rawat
Procedure
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During the Project induction meeting, all Contractors will be made aware of the presence of
an on Site In-Charge who will monitor earthmoving and excavation activities. The following
procedure is to be executed in the event that archaeological material is discovered:
All construction activity in the vicinity of the find/feature/site will cease immediately;
The discovered find/feature/site will be delineated;
Record the find location and all remains are to be left in place;
Secure the area to prevent any damage or loss of removable objects;
The on-site HSE In-charge will assess record and photograph the find/feature/site;
The on-site HSE In-charge will undertake the inspection process in accordance with all
Project health and safety protocols;
The Project Manager will inform the concerned provisional department i.e. Culture
Department, Sindh and Youth Affairs, Sports, Archaeology and Tourism Department
Punjab;
In consultation with the statutory authorities, the on-site in-charge and Archaeologist will
determine the appropriate course of action to take;
Finds retrieval strategy: All investigation of archaeological soils will be undertaken by
hand all finds, osteological remains and samples will be kept and submitted to the
National Museum as required. In the event that any artefacts need to be conserved, the
relevant licence (Licence to Alter) will be sought from the concerned authorities;
An on-site office and finds storage area will be provided, allowing storage of any
artefacts or other archaeological material recovered during the monitoring process;
In the case of human remains, in addition to the above, the concerned authorities will be
contacted and the guidelines for the treatment of human remains will be adhered to. If
skeletal remains are identified, an osteo archaeologist will be made available to
examine the remains;
Conservation: A conservator will be made available to the Project, if required;
The on-site archaeologist will complete a report on the findings; and
Once authorisation has been given by the responsible statutory authorities, the client
will be informed when works can resume.
9.10 Monitoring Strategy
The monitoring of environmental and social activities will be carried out by NTDC through
Environmental and Social Experts from their Environmental Cell or hired staff by NTDC as
already mentioned above as Internal Monitoring agency. The Environment and Social Expert
working under the NTDC field staff will supervise all the activities in the field and will provide
assistance to the NTDC staff in this regard. He will also ensure public participation.
9.11 Environmental and Social Monitoring
9.11.1 Objectives
The objective of environmental monitoring during the construction and operation will be as
follows:
To check compliance with the requirements of the EMMP by monitoring activities of the
Project Contractors on daily basis. This will be called Activity Monitoring;
To monitor the actual impacts of the Project activities on the physical, ecological and
socio-economic receptors of the COI so that any impacts not anticipated in the EIA or
impacts which exceed the levels anticipated in the EIA can be identified and appropriate
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mitigation measures can be adopted in time. This objective will be achieved through the
effects monitoring; and
To ascertain residual impacts of the operation. This will be achieved by post-Project
monitoring.
The Contractors will report compliance with the MMM to NTDC for verification. Table 9-2
shows the Recommended Monitoring Protocol for the proposed Project.
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Monitoring Monitoring Monitoring and
Receptor Location
Parameters Mechanism Reporting Frequency
Grease & Oil,
Phenolic
Compound as
Phenols, Chloride
as CI-, Fluoride
as F-, Cyanide
total as CN-, An-
Ionic Detergents
as MBAs,
2-
Sulphate as SO4
2-,
, Sulphide as S
Ammonia
Pesticides,
Cadmium,
Chromium
trivalent and
hexavalent,
Copper, Lead,
Mercury,
Selenium, Nickel,
Sliver, Total toxic
metals, Zinc,
Arsenic, Barium,
Iron, Manganese,
Boron and
Chlorine as per
NEQS 2000 for
wastewater.
Soil Visual Converter Station near Discrete grab Once before the start of
Contamination observations. Lahore. sampling and construction by EPA
Soil testing of Three (03) points laboratory approved Labouratory.
contaminated within the testing for soil Sampling and laboratory
sites. boundary of and water testing should be done
Converter Station. samples. on fortnightly basis
Converter Station at during the construction
Matiari. stage and reported on a
monthly basis.
Three (03) points
within the
boundary of Bi-annual monitoring
Converter Station. and reporting during the
Proposed T/L Route. operational stage.
Tower sites with
severe
contamination.
Other proposed
sampling sites are:
Construction
Camp.
Equipment
washing yards.
Spillage points of
fuel, chemicals and
lubricants.
Land Random visits Surrounding areas of Visual checks. Once about a fortnight
Resources and visual Converter Station near before the construction
observations of Lahore. starts by activity
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Monitoring Monitoring Monitoring and
Receptor Location
Parameters Mechanism Reporting Frequency
landuse change Surrounding areas of monitors and reported
from agriculture Converter Station at on a monthly basis
to residential and Thar. during the construction
commercial. Proposed T/L Route. period.
Towers Sites with
significant landuse
change.
Dust PM10 Converter Station near Visual checks. Once prior to the
Emissions Lahore. construction
Four (04) points Weekly during the
within and outside construction period
the boundary of reported on monthly
Converter Station. basis.
Converter Station at
Matiari.
Four (04) points
within and outside
the boundary of
Converter Station.
Proposed T/L Route.
Sensitive receptors
within the ROW of
the proposed T/L
close to the access
roads. Estimated
sampling points
are thirty (30)
which will be
verified during
construction stage.
Noise dBA Leq. as per Converter Station near Noise level Once prior to the start of
Pollution NEQS 2010 Lahore. meter construction.
Four (04) points
within and outside As and when necessary
the boundary of or as instructed by
Converter Station. Supervisory
Converter Station at Consultants.
Matiari. Sampling should be
Four (04) points done on regular basis
within and outside during the construction
the boundary of of Project specifically
Converter Station. during the blasting
Proposed T/L Route period and reported on a
monthly
Sensitive receptors
within the ROW of
the proposed T/L
close to the access
roads. Estimated
sampling points
are thirty (30)
which will be
verified during
construction stage.
Other proposed
sampling sites are:
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Monitoring Monitoring Monitoring and
Receptor Location
Parameters Mechanism Reporting Frequency
Construction
camps.
Equipment yards.
Fumes and SOx, NOx, HC Converter Station near Onsite During the baseline and
gases and PM10 as per Lahore. monitoring of once prior to
NEQS 2010 for Four (04) points ambient air construction
ambient air and within and outside quality in ppb Monitoring and reporting
NEQS 2009 for the boundary of will be of air pollution
vehicular Converter Station. preferred, parameters including
emission. Converter Station at however if NOX, SOX, COX, Lead
Matiari. onsite and HC after every three
monitoring (03) months during the
Four (04) points facility is not construction period.
within and outside available than
the boundary of Monitoring and reporting
onsite on bi-annual basis
Converter Station. sampling and during the operation.
Proposed T/L Route testing in
Major receptors laboratory can
within the ROW of be performed.
the proposed T/L
close to the access
roads. Estimated
sampling points
are thirty (30)
which will be
verified during
construction stage.
Emissions from the
silencers of heavy
machinery, trucks and
other vehicles.
Ecological Random visual Converter Station near Visual checks Monitoring and reporting
Resources checks of natural Lahore. and counting on monthly basis during
habitat. Ten (10) points to ensure that the construction stage.
within and outside only marked Bi-annual monitoring
the boundary of trees are cut. and reporting during the
Converter Station. During operation stage.
Converter Station operation to
at Matiari. check that no
tree should be
Ten (10) points
above 2.5 m
within and outside
height in 15 m
the boundary of
of Project
Converter Station.
corridor on
Proposed T/L either side.
Route Monitoring of
Natural habitats Wildlife/birds
along the ROW of hunting.
the proposed T/L
(i.e. Deserts and
Xeric Shrublands
and North-western
Thorn Scrub
Forests).
Houses and Visual checks Lahore Converter Random visits Prior to the start of
Animal Sheds and consultation Station site. and construction.
consultations
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Monitoring Monitoring Monitoring and
Receptor Location
Parameters Mechanism Reporting Frequency
with community. MatiariConverter with PAP‘s. Reporting will be done
Removal of Station site. on the basis of LARP.
houses, animal Proposed T/L Route
sheds etc. which Houses, animal
are within the sheds within the
Project corridor. ROW of the
proposed T/L.
These structures
will be verified prior
to the start of
construction.
Public Visual checks Lahore Converter Random visits Prior to the start of
infrastructure and by Station site. and construction.
community MatiariConverter consultations Reporting will be done
consultations Station site. with PAP‘s. on the basis of LARP.
Removal of Proposed T/L Route
tubewells, peter Public
pumps, rooms, infrastructures
open wells etc. within the ROW of
within the ROW proposed T/L.
and Project Area These structures
for Converter will be verified prior
Stations. to the start of
construction.
Community Use of common - Communities around By community Prior to the start of
around the resources. the Lahore consultations. construction and during
Project Hindrance to Converter Station the construction stage.
corridor mobility. site. Reporting will be done
- Communities around on the basis of LARP.
the Thar Converter
Station site.
- Communities within
the ROW of the
proposed T/L
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Grievances that arise during the month and their rectification to the satisfaction of PAPs.
The Environmental Cell will provide the report depicting the monitoring results to the
Supervisory Consultants with a copy to the PD. The overall progress reporting of the
compensation for the losses of crops, structures, infrastructure and other community issues
is the responsibility of the Environmental and Social Expert of NTDC and field Staff, who will
provide these reports to the Supervisory Consultant. The Consultant will compile the report
on monthly basis and submit to the Chief Engineer (EHV-I &II) who will submit it to ADB. The
Consultant will also submit a comprehensive report reflecting the environmental and social
aspects based on the reports of Environmental Cell, Environmental and Social Experts and
their own observations on quarterly basis.
9.13 Community Consultation
There will be different stages of the Project such as design, pre-construction, construction,
operation and maintenance. To make the Project sustainable and environmentally viable, it
is essential to consult the community in the various activities to be carried out at the different
stages of the Project. Therefore, following mechanism is suggested to ensure participatory
consultations.
Pre-construction Stage
During pre-construction stage NTDC will depute a consultant who will full fill all the
environmental and social requirements of the local as well as the ADB Safeguards. In this
regard, IPSA, EIA and the preparation of LARP will ensure the participatory consultation of
all the stakeholders including PAPs.
Construction Stage
NTDC will ensure that the construction contractor is legally bound to full fill all the
arrangements, measures and documentation as per the EIA, EMMP etc. This will be
ensuring through Supervisory Consultant deputed by the NTDC. SC will ensure that active
participatory consultation with the locals and concerned NGOs and other groups is being
carried out.
Operation and Maintenance
During the O & M stage, NTDC Environmental Cell staff will ensure the consultation with the
locals. In this regards, Environmental Cell will generate annual reports covering the
consultations records with photographic evidence.
Based on the potential impacts of the proposed T/L following Table 9-3 shows the major
activities which will require participatory consultation along with stage and major issues to be
discussed.
Table 9–3: Community Consultations in Various Project Activities
Sr. Project
Activities Consultation Mechanism
No. Stage
Compensation of Pre- To consult the community in order to evaluate the
Losses (crops Construction losses and compensation paid to them.
&trees)
Relocation of Pre- Relocation of structures (houses etc.) will be done with
Structures Construction the community participation.
Relocation of Pre- Relocation of infrastructure (tube well, well etc.) will be
Infrastructure Construction done with the community consultation.
Installation of Construction For the placement of camps at appropriate locations,
Contractors & locals will be taken into confidence through discussing
Workforce Camps the needs with them.
Installation of Towers Construction Social mobilization will be done before installation of
Towers to get the consent/willingness of the
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Sr. Project
Activities Consultation Mechanism
No. Stage
community.
Camp/ Labour force Construction In the local consultations, the Contractor will make sure
activities (hunting, his presence.
fishing etc.)
Installation of Water Construction Suitable location (s) for the installation of water pumps
Pumps by the must be shared with the locals. The community must
Contractors be assured that after completing the Project, the
Contractor will leave the installed assets (like water
pumps etc.) with the community.
Noise Effects of the Operation During the periodic inspection for the proper operation
Project and maintenance of the Project, the concerned
community will be consulted to identify the Project
effects. Accordingly remedial/mitigation measures will
be adopted/implemented.
Electromagnetic Operation Periodic consultations with the locals will be carried out
Field Effects of the to examine the EMF effects and suggested measures
Project to mitigate such effects will be forwarded to the
concerned authorities.
Others Operation In the periodic inspection visits, the community
concerns will be examined and analyzed in the
operational stage of the Project.
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9.15.1 Category ‘A’ Change
The ‗Category A‘ change is one that will lead to a significant departure from the Project
described in the EIA and consequently requires a reassessment of the environmental and
socioeconomic impacts associated with the change. In such an instance, NTDC will be
required to conduct a fresh EIA of the changed aspect of the Project design and send the
updated report to the relevant agencies for approval. Some of the examples of category ―A‖
changes are briefed below:
Change in the T/L route by more than 10 km of the original alignment or a change in the
route by less than 10 km, but the changed route has environmental and/or social
sensitivity more than the original route. Increase in the T/L length exceeding 20 % of the
original design, or increase in the length by less than 20% but involving areas which are
more sensitive – environmentally and/or socially – than the original route. Change in the
Converter Station site by more than 1 km of the location studied during the EIA, or
change in the site by less than 1 km but the new location has a higher environmental
and/or social sensitivity. Increase in the number of Converter or Grid Station to be
established.
9.15.2 Category ‘B’ Change
The category ‗B‘ change is one that will entail Project activities not significantly different from
those described in the EIA, which may result in the Project effects with overall magnitude to
be similar to the assessment made in this report. In case of such changes, the EIA will be
required to reassess the environmental and socio-economic impacts of the activity, specify
additional mitigation measures, if necessary and report the changes to the relevant agencies
(Contractors, EPAs). Examples of such changes are provided below.
Changes in the T/L route by more than 500 m but less than 2 Km of the original
alignment or increase in the T/L length exceeding 10 % of the original design, but not
exceeding 20%, provided that the extended route does not have environmental or social
sensitivity. Change in the Grid Station site by more than 500 m of the location studied
during the ESA, but not exceeding 1 km, provided that the new location does not have
such changes, which will necessitate site surveys for the T/L routes or Grid Station
sites, by the environmental and socioeconomic experts. A site specific assessment for
any additional environmental as well as socioeconomic issues will need to be carried
out.
9.15.3 Category ‘C’ Change
A Category-C change is one that is of little consequence to the EIA findings such as change
in alignment less than 500 m. This type of change does not result in effects beyond those
already assessed in the EIA; rather it may be made onsite to minimize the impact of an
activity, such as re-aligning a particular section of the T/Ls to avoid cutting a tree, or
relocating construction campsites to minimize clearing vegetation. The only actions required
for such changes are informing all the key personnel and document the change.
9.16 Public Disclosure
NTDC will disclose this EIA to all the stakeholders prior to the start of the construction. This
report will be made available to the stakeholders at places as designated by the EPAs in
accordance with the PEPA, 1997. In addition, executive summary of the Report will be
translated into Urdu language and made available to the affected communities and locals.
The copies will also be kept at construction site for ease in accessibility of the locals. This
will ensure the locals to be aware of the Project impacts, its mitigation, responsible staff and
mode of implementation. In addition, the executive summary will also be published on NTDC
website.
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9.17 Plantation Plan
Plantation plans for the oneConverter Station at Matiari and one sub-station near Nankana
Sahib are described in the following paragraphs.
9.17.1 Converter Station at Matiari
The Converter Station has a total peripheral area of 5.0 Km and if two (02) rows of plants are
proposed to be raised, one along the outer periphery and one along the inner side of the
boundary wall, keeping the distance as 3 meters from plant to plant, nearly 3500 plants (or
say, 4000 plants) shall be raised along the boundary. Therefore, about 2000 large size
plants shall be planted along the outer side of the boundary wall, whereas medium size
plants (2000 Nos.) are recommended for inner side.
Approximately, another 2000 plants of medium size height can be grown along the inner
roads of the Converter Station, while 2000 ornamental and flowery shrubs are to be raised in
the open spaces of the Converter Station and in the grassy lawns. The following number and
kinds of plants, therefore, will be required for the Converter Station as given in Table 9-4.
ii) Medium Sized Trees to be planted along the inner side of the main boundary and
Inner Roads
Table 9-6 shows the trees suggested to be planted along the inner roads on both sides.
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Table 9-6: Medium Sized Trees for Inner Boundary and Roads
Sr. No. Local Name Scientific Name
1. Bakain Melia azadarach
2. Amaltas Cassia fistula
3. Gul Mohar Poinciana regia
4. Jacaranda Jacaranda moniosifolia
5. Robinia Robinia pseudoacacia
6. Alstonia Alstonia scholaris
7. Silver Oak Grevillea robusta
8. Bottle Brush Collistemon lanceolatos
9. Sukhchain Pongamia glabra
10. Kachnar Bauhinia variegata
Trees recommended for raising along the outer and inner side of the main boundary
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i) Large Trees to be planted along outer side of Main Boundary:
Trees suggested to be planted along the outer side of Main Boundary are given in the Table
9-8.
Table 9-8: Large Trees to be Planted
Sr. No. Local Name Scientific Name
1. Pipal Ficus religiosa
2. Shisham Dalbergia sissoo
3. Neem Azadirachta indica
4. Simal Bombar cilba
5. Arjan Terminalia arjuna
6. Siris Albizzia lebbek
7. Kikar Acacia nilotica
8. Chinar Platanus orientalis
9. Alstonia Alstonia scholaris
10. Gule-Nishtar Erythorina suberosa
11. Pilkan Ficus infectoris
12. Kachnar Bauhinia variegata
ii) Medium Sized Trees to be planted along the inner side of the main boundary and
Inner Roads
Table 9-9 indicates the tree species suggested for planting along the inner roads on both
sides.
Table 9-9: Medium Sized Trees to be Planted
Sr. No. Local Name Scientific Name
1. Amaltas Cassia fistula
2. Mulberry Morus alba
3. Gul Mohar Poinciana regia
4. Jacaranda Jacaranda moniosifolia
5. Robinia Robinia pseudo acacia
6. Bakain Melia azadarach
7. Silver Oak Grevillea robusta
8. Bottle Brush Collistemon lanceolatos
9. Sukhchain Pongamia glabra
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Largestomia (Lagerstroemia rosa);
Largestomia (Lagerstroemia purpurea).
Tecoma (Tecoma stans); and
Bouganvilla (Bougain villea sp).
9.17.3 Plantation Cost
The cost of plantation includes the cost of initial planting (including restocking during first 2
years), and maintenance cost for first four years of plantation on the basis of Rs. 500/- daily
labour rate for first two years and Rs. 600/- for the 3rd and 4th year. The cost break-up of
planting and maintenance for a period of four years is given in the Tables 9-10 to 9-13.
Table 9-10: Estimated Cost of Plantation of 500 Plants for First Year
5 Carriage of plants 500 Nos. from 500 plants Rs.10/- per 5,000
Nursery to Site including plant
loading/unloading
6 Planting of plants with ball of earth 500 plants 500/MD 5,000
(10 MD)
7 Replacement of earth with silt 1 cft. 500 cft. LS 15,000
per pit
8 Hand watering with bowser (one 30,000plants 500/MD 75,000
driver+one coolie) 60 times x 500
(150 MD)
plants @ 5 MD per 1000 plants
9 Weeding 4 times 500x4 2000 plants 500/MD 2,000
(4 MD)
10 Miscellaneous/ Contigencies LS 15,000
Sub-total 154,000
Table 9-11: Estimated Cost of Restocking of 20% Plants and Maintenance for 2nd Year
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Table 9-12: Estimated Cost of Restocking of 20% Plants and Maintenance for 3rd Year
Amount
Rate
Sr.No. Particulars of Work Quantity (Rs.)
(Rupees)
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Amount
Rate
Sr.No. Particulars of Work Quantity (Rs.)
(Rupees)
8 Miscellaneous 20,000
Sub-total 108,200
Table 9-13: Estimated Cost for Maintaining 500 Plants for 4th Year
Rate Amount
Sr.No. Particulars of Work Quantity
(Rupees) (Rs.)
Cost of raising 500 plants has been estimated as Rs. 465,000/- including price of plants,
earthwork, procurement of manures, supply of water to young plants throughout the year
and maintenance of plantation for four years. Therefore, cost of raising one plant and its
maintenance for 4 years comes to be Rs. 930/-.
i) Cost for raising 14,000 plants @ Rs. 930/- per plant
alongwith maintenance for 4 years = Rs. 13,020,000
ii) Cost of development of Grassy Lawns on 5 acres in
different patches at both Converter Stations (LS) = Rs. 1,000,000
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acquisition and resettlement is based on the environmental and social field surveys. The
cost of land was calculated based on the discussions with stakeholders, PAPs and market
rates of the area.
To assess the replacement cost of the structures, similar newly constructed structures will be
visited and the cost assessed by consultation with the owners of these structures. The loss
of crops will be estimated during the soil investigations and construction of the Tower
foundations and erection. A 20 m x 20 m space will be required for the aforesaid activities
and during stringing action a 10 m wide strip will be required. To reach the working sites, the
existing tracks and roads will be used. However, a minor loss due to the accessibility to the
site has also been included in the crop loss estimation. The loss of crops will be based on
the considerations that the loss will be for a whole year i.e. two cropping seasons i.e. winter
harvest and summer harvest. During the valuation of crops and trees, in addition to the
social surveys, the concerned agriculture and forest departments needs to be visited along
with discussion with the PAPs.
The crop rates vary on yearly basis as these are dependent upon the market rates. Govt.
announces new rates every year for rice, wheat and cotton crops in Pakistan. The cost for
environmental monitoring is based on the sampling, transportation and analysis of the
samples by EPA approved private laboratory. However, cost for the purchase of any
equipment has also been included in the estimate.
Cost for training is based on one week training workshops both on environmental and social
issues and the hiring of services of two Environmental and Social Consultants and
developing reading materials required for distribution amongst the participants of the
workshop.
Cost for auditing is based on the fact that on each trip two experts i.e. environmentalist and
social expert will visit the site for one week. This also includes cost for their travelling and
lodging, report writing at home etc.
Table 9-14 shows the estimated Environmental and Social Management, Monitoring and
Auditing Cost for the proposed T/L Project. The total estimated cost for the environmental
and social management, monitoring and auditing comes to about Rs. 63.2 Million.
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Reforestation
works during Refer section 9.17 for cost of
b.
installation of raising per plant @ Rs. 540/-
towers
An average
Compensation of Rs.
Cost will be worked out once the
4. of house 200,000 /-
ROW is marked on site
structures per house
structure
Rs.
Shifting
5. 25,000/- Once Only
Assistance
per house
Assistance for Rs.
6. three months 10,000/- --
rent per house
On the basis of assumption that a
Relocation of few no. tubewells, wells, boundary
7. Lump sum 5,000,000
Infrastructure wall etc. may be affected during
the final design
Sub-Total (A) 19,020,000
B. Environmental and Social Monitoring and Evaluation
Monitoring of
Rs.
Social Social Expert is to be employed by
1 Month 24 75,000/- 1,800,000
Parameters by NTDC Environmental Cell
per month
Social Expert
Environmental Cost worked out based on market
Monitoring by Lump rates of monitoring and the
2 NTDC sum 12,000,000 frequency as mentioned in the
Environmental (Annualy) report (Refer Section 9.11 and
Cell Table 9-2).
Training
Design
(training Lump 600,000/-
a. 600,000 This cost includes cost of Trainer.
module sum per year
environmental
and social)
Training
Material Initially for one (01) years This
(reading Cost includes cost of literature
Lump 600,000/-
b. material for 600,000 preparation, cost of printed
sum per year
participants, material such as posters,
training aids pamphlets etc.
etc.)
9-29
HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
4. Auditing Cost
One (01) week input at site and
three (03) days input at office for
6 trips/-
Hiring of Rs. report preparation by two (02)
(two
a. Auditing Trip 375,000/- 2,250,000 experts. Total trips will be six (06)
(02) trips
Agency per trip upto the completion of construction
per year)
period. The cost for local travelling
at site will be borne by the NTDC.
Sub-Total (B) 17,750,000
C. Management Cost
9-30
HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
9-31
HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
Table 9-1 (a): Environmental Mitigation Management Matrix for Transmission Line
1. Land Construction
Resources of T/L
ii
HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
iii
HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
iv
HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
v
HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
vi
HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
vii
HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
2. Water Construction
Resources of T/L.
viii
HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
3. Ecological Construction
Resources of T/L.
ix
HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
a. Trees and shrubs Land holders should be NTDC Fair and prompt Before
clearing at the paid reasonable payment of Construction
Tower locations compensation for the loss of compensation.
for foundations, their standing trees, in
stacking of accordance with the
materials and prevailing market rates.
assembly.
c. Use of ecological Staff and labour should be Contractor, Contractor will get During
resources for fuel strictly directed not to Supervisory approval from Construction
purposes at damage any vegetation Consultants Engineer for
camps. such as trees or bushes. and NTDC. location of camp
facilities.
x
HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
xi
HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
xii
HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
a. Loss of crops. - Compensation for the NTDC Fair and prompt Before
loss of crops to the land payment of Construction
owners as per prevailing compensation.
market prices.
- The whole process of
the payment should be
transparent, judicious and
without any discrimination
or favour.
- Minimum possible area
should be disturbed for the
construction of new paths or
roads for carriage of
machinery and materials.
- Barren land without any
crop should be selected for
the camp sites.
xiii
HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
xiv
HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
e. Impact on the Efforts are being made to NTDC Fair, prompt and Before
houses, school avoid the school and negotiated Construction
animal sheds, houses by avoiding. payment in case of
etc. due to relocation.
crossing of
proposed T/L.
xvi
HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
xvii
HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
xviii
HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
xix
HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
xx
HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
xxi
HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
Table 9-1 (b): Environmental Mitigation Management Matrix for Converter Stations
Sr. Project
Resource Envisaged Impacts Mitigation Strategy Responsibility Action Timing
No. Components
1. Land Construction of
Resources Converter
Stations
a. Permanent acquisition - Permanent land Environment & - To make fair Before
of land for the should be acquired as per Social Expert, assessment of the Construction
construction of Land Acquisition Act NTDC compensation cost
Converter Stations. (LAA), 1894. and affectees
- Existing market price approval to be sought.
of the land should be paid - One window
to the landowner. operation for quick
payment to the
affectees.
b. Temporary Pease refer the mitigation NTDC Fair compensation at Before
acquisition of land for as mentioned in the T/L the start of work and Construction
Contractors Camps, section. job opportunities
access roads, should be provided to
aggregate quarries the affectees to off-set
etc. the loss of income due
to the acquisition of
their land.
c. Soil erosion due to All the disturbed areas Contractors, - Contractor to During
the construction need to be protected Supervisory implement. Construction
activities such as against severe erosion Consultants - Regular Monitoring
clearing, excavation, losses by adopting and NTDC to by Supervisory
filling, development of following measures: monitor. Consultants and
access roads, - Stripping and NTDC.
construction camps stockpiling of all the
etc. available topsoil for later
re-vegetation
- Use of Proper
I
HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
Sr. Project
Resource Envisaged Impacts Mitigation Strategy Responsibility Action Timing
No. Components
drainage system above
the works for significant
protection
- Planting of rapidly
growing indigenous
vegetation / grass in the
Project Area to reduce the
impact of soil erosion.
d. Air and noise pollution - Use of old tuned Contractors, - Contractor to During
due to the use of vehicles should not be Supervisory implement. Construction
construction allowed. Consultants - Regular Monitoring
machinery i.e. - Proper tuning of the and NTDC to by Supervisory
concrete batching construction vehicles at monitor. Consultants and
plants, concrete appropriate intervals. NTDC.
paver, concrete mixer, - Haul-trucks should be
excavators, dump kept covered with
trucks, road rollers, tarpaulin.
graders and heavy
- Batching plant should
vehicle during
be sited at least 500 m
construction phase.
away from the villages and
settlements.
- Control of heavy
machinery speeds.
Maximum speed of 30
km/hr should be practiced.
- Concrete batching
plant should be equipped
with dust control
equipment such as fabric
filters or wet scrubbers to
reduce the level of dust
emissions or at least water
II
HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
Sr. Project
Resource Envisaged Impacts Mitigation Strategy Responsibility Action Timing
No. Components
should be used during
crushing operations to
avoid air pollution. This
water should be recycled
to avoid generation of
waste water.
- The existing quarries
should be used to borrow
the aggregate materials
and each quarry site
should have a quarry
management plan.
- Where necessary, dust
emissions should be
reduced by regular
sprinkling of water.
- The NEQS applicable
to the gaseous emissions
should be enforced during
the construction works.
- Compliance monitoring
of vehicles, generators
and machines emissions
(air and noise) to be
regularly carried out.
- Construction activities
shall be avoided during the
night time and mufflers
should be provided in all
the vehicles to minimize
the emissions and noise.
Noise complaints should
be logged and kept onsite
III
HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
Sr. Project
Resource Envisaged Impacts Mitigation Strategy Responsibility Action Timing
No. Components
by the Contractor.
- Construction timings
should be fixed after
consultation with the
residents of the nearby
villages preferably during
the day. This will minimize
the disturbance to the local
population.
- If the proposed Project
Area is near the hospital
and college, the area
where noise producing
activity is to be undertaken
should be screened with
noise absorbing material
or casing.
e. The heating of the oil To mitigate the pollutants NTDC NTDC to monitor. During
in the transformers at emissions following Operation.
Converter Stations measures should be
and the heat adopted:
generated due to - Transformers should
current flowing be equipped with silica gel.
through the supply - Use of low sulfur oil.
lines will result in the
emission of pollutants
into the air, thus
deteriorating air
quality and affect
human health.
f. Routine inspection - Impact on soil during NTDC NTDC to monitor. During
and repair work operation phase will be Operation.
IV
HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
Sr. Project
Resource Envisaged Impacts Mitigation Strategy Responsibility Action Timing
No. Components
involving oil leakage insignificant. Good
from the transformers engineering practices
and other electric should be adopted by the
equipments can operation and
contaminate the soil. maintenance (O&M) staff
of NTDC during the repair
and replacement activities.
2. Water Construction of
Resources Converter
Station.
a. Disposal of - Domestic and Contractors, - Contractor to During
wastewater without chemical effluents from the Supervisory implement. Construction
treatment will pollute construction camp should Consultants - Regular Monitoring
the soil and ground be disposed of by the and NTDC to by Supervisory
water. development of on-site monitor. Consultants and
sanitation systems i.e. NTDC.
septic tanks along with
soakage pits. Proper
monitoring to check the
compliance of NEQS
should be carried out.
- Sewage from
construction camps should
be disposed of after proper
pre-treatment and
processes such as
soakage pit.
- The Contractor should
also develop guidelines for
the clean up of small spills
on site. Proper PPE
should be worn when
V
HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
Sr. Project
Resource Envisaged Impacts Mitigation Strategy Responsibility Action Timing
No. Components
cleaning the spills.
Techniques for the spill
cleaning should ensure
that the spill is absorbed,
neutralized and collected.
b. Improper waste - All the solid waste Contractors, - Contractor to During
management activities from the camps should be Supervisory implement. Construction
can increase disease properly collected and Consultants - Regular Monitoring
transmission, disposed of through proper and NTDC to by Supervisory
contaminate ground solid waste management monitor. Consultants and
and surface water and system. NTDC.
ultimate damage to - The Contractor should
the ecosystem. coordinate with local
representatives and
administration concerned
department for the
disposal of solid waste.
- The concerned
department must develop
a plan of action for
transporting the waste to
the disposal site for final
disposal. It is the
responsibility of the
concerned department to
ensure that the disposal
site is properly lined to
prevent the leachate from
contaminating the ground
water.
- Secondly, the disposal
site must be located as far
as practical from
VI
HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
Sr. Project
Resource Envisaged Impacts Mitigation Strategy Responsibility Action Timing
No. Components
populated areas and
regions that have a high
density of wildlife.
- Toxic waste should be
handled, stored,
transported and disposed
of separately.
- The waste should be
properly sealed in
containers with proper
labels indicating the nature
of the waste.
- Solid waste should be
segregated at source so
that it can be re-used or
recycled.
c. Surface water quality Pease refer the mitigation Contractors, - Contractor to During
of the natural strategy for T/L. Supervisory implement. Construction
ponds/nullahs and the Consultants - Regular Monitoring
other water bodies and NTDC to by Supervisory
may be impacted due monitor. Consultants and
to the construction NTDC.
activities and
wastewater from
labour camps.
3. Ecological Construction of -
Resources Converter
Stations.
a. Movement of This will not be a NTDC NTDC to monitor. Before
transport or vehicles significant impact. Construction
produces noise and However, this impact can
vibration in the area be minimized by use of
VII
HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
Sr. Project
Resource Envisaged Impacts Mitigation Strategy Responsibility Action Timing
No. Components
during topographical, good engineering
geotechnical and practices.
seismic studies which
will scare away the
birds, wildlife, rodents
and reptiles etc.
b. During the - While making paths for Contractors, - Contractor to During
construction, clearing carriage of construction Supervisory implement. Construction
and grubbing materials minimum land Consultants - Regular Monitoring
activities, construction should be utilized and and NTDC to by Supervisory
of access road, minimum vegetation monitor. Consultants and
installation of batching should be disturbed. NTDC.
plants and worker’s - Plantation is required
camps, the natural in the area, where trees or
vegetation and flora bushes have been cut to
such as shrubs and make path.
herbs, including some - The camps and
species of medicinal workshop facilities should
plants, fuel wood be established on the
plants and trees will barren land; however, if
be removed which will such type of land is not
have a significant available, it should be
adverse impact on the ensured that minimum
natural vegetation of clearing of the vegetation
the Study Area. occurs and minimum
damage to the trees and
undergrowth is ensured.
- The Contractor’s staff
and labor will be strictly
directed not to damage
any vegetation such as
bushes.
VIII
HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
Sr. Project
Resource Envisaged Impacts Mitigation Strategy Responsibility Action Timing
No. Components
- Contractor will provide
the fuel wood/gas
cylinders at the camps for
cooking purposes and
cutting the trees/bushes
for fuel will not be allowed.
c. Noise and noxious - Pease refer the Contractors, - Contractor to During
gases will be mitigation strategy for Supervisory implement. Construction
produced from the “impact on wild animals Consultants - Regular Monitoring
heavy vehicle, and reptiles during and NTDC to by Supervisory
construction construction provided in monitor. Consultants and
machinery and other T/L section. NTDC.
activities during
construction activities
will scare away birds,
wildlife, rodents and
reptiles. Some of the
avifauna may also get
killed during
construction works.
4. Social and Construction of -
Cultural Converter
Resources Stations.
a. The general mobility - Mobility of the Contractors, - Contractor to During
of the locals and their Contractor’s staff through Supervisory implement. Construction
livestock in and the nearby residential Consultants - Regular Monitoring
around the Project areas should also be and NTDC to by Supervisory
Area will be affected strictly prohibited by the monitor. Consultants and
during the Contractor to avoid any NTDC.
construction phase. inconvenience or any risk.
- Temporarily and for
short duration, the
IX
HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
Sr. Project
Resource Envisaged Impacts Mitigation Strategy Responsibility Action Timing
No. Components
Contractor has to select
specific timings for
construction work so as to
cause least disturbance to
the local population
considering their peak
movement hours.
b. Local water supplies Pease refer the mitigation Contractors, - Contractor to During
utilization to meet the strategy for “impact of Supervisory implement. Construction
camp site and conflict over the use of Consultants - Regular Monitoring
construction local water resources and NTDC to by Supervisory
requirements may during construction phase” monitor. Consultants and
cause conflicts provided in T/L table. NTDC.
between the locals
and the Contractors.
c. Induction of outside Following measures Contractors, - Contractor to During
workers by the should be adopted in order Supervisory implement. Construction
Contractor may cause to minimize the impacts. Consultants - Regular Monitoring
conflicts with the local - The Contractor will be and NTDC to by Supervisory
people on the cultural required to maintain close monitor. Consultants and
issues related to liaison with the local NTDC.
social and gender due communities to ensure
to the unawareness of that any potential conflicts
the local customs and related to the use of
norms. common resource
utilization for the Project
purposes are resolved
quickly.
- Contractor will take
care of the concerns of the
local community and the
sensitivity towards the
X
HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
Sr. Project
Resource Envisaged Impacts Mitigation Strategy Responsibility Action Timing
No. Components
local customs and
traditions.
- Good relations with the
local communities will be
promoted by encouraging
the Contractor to provide
opportunities for skilled
and unskilled employment
to the locals, as well as on
-job training in construction
for young people.
- Contractor should
restrict the staff to mix with
the locals to avoid any
social problems.
- Local vendors will be
promoted for routine
regular business by
purchase of the camp site
goods and services from
them.
d. With the influx of labor Pease refer the mitigation Contractors, - Contractor to During
force and other staff strategy for “impact gender Supervisory implement. Construction
related to the issues during construction Consultants - Regular Monitoring
construction activities, phase” provided in T/L and NTDC to by Supervisory
daily activities of the table. monitor. Consultants and
women are likely to be NTDC.
affected.
e. Construction activities Pease refer the mitigation Contractors, - Contractor to During
will create health and strategy for “Health and Supervisory implement. Construction
safety issue for the Safety issues during Consultants - Regular Monitoring
workers and the local construction phase” and NTDC to by Supervisory
XI
HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
Sr. Project
Resource Envisaged Impacts Mitigation Strategy Responsibility Action Timing
No. Components
community and they provided in T/L table. monitor. Consultants and
will be prone to NTDC.
accidents / incidents.
f. Excavation of land Proper disposal of Contractors, - Contractor to During
and drilling activities, excavated material and Supervisory implement. Construction
storage of material back filling of land after Consultants - Regular Monitoring
and construction of construction activities will and NTDC to by Supervisory
workers camps, solid minimize the impact on the monitor. Consultants and
waste disposal by the aesthetics of the Project NTDC.
workers and leakage Area.
and spillage of oil will
affect the aesthetics
of the area.
g. Due to the poor Special arrangements NTDC NTDC to monitor. During
security situation in should be taken with the Operation.
some areas of Punjab help of local heads for the
and Sindh there are Contractor staff to avoid
security risks for the any unpleasant incident.
Contractor people. Local heads should be
involved in development
works to gain confidence
for local community.
XII
HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
The implementation of the proposed Project will have many positive impacts for the Country
and on the population residing within the COI. Major positive impacts of the proposed Project
are:
Construction of new T/L and Converter Stations will improve transmission of electricity
and increase its supply in the national grid. This electricity will help to reduce the load
shedding and will reduce the load on the nearby grid thereby improving the overall
electricity efficiency. Proposed T/L will add flexibility and reliability to NTDC grid.
During construction and operation phases, unskilled and skilled jobs will be created.
Locals will be employed in the Project to fulfill skilled and unskilled labour requirements.
The construction of the Converter Stations will help towards the development of
infrastructure, business and improved quality of life of the locals;
Construction of new T/L and Converter Stations is expected to increase the land value,
especially in villages where little or no road infrastructure is present due to the increase
in infrastructure and improved accessibility;
Development of business to fulfill the daily needs of staff working during the construction
stage will cause socio-economic uplift of the locals along the COI; and
Indirect positive impacts of the proposed Project on environment and social settings of the
COI are as under:
Due to the implementation of the Project, availability of electricity will increase as per the
demand of the area hence the issue of low voltage will be resolved;
Opportunities will also be available to develop a large area of barren land into
agriculture land by installation of electricity operated tubewells if electricity is made
available to the areas in the COI;
Expansion of the industrial base is expected due to the increase in the availability of
electricity in the national grid; and
Apart from the positive impacts of the Project, the proposed T/L will also have potential
adverse environmental and social impacts during the construction and operational stages.
Most of these adverse impacts during construction are of a temporary nature. These
potential impacts can be avoided or mitigated by adopting suitable mitigation or remedial
measures as mentioned in this Report. Following are some of the potential adverse
environmental and social impacts and their suggested mitigation measures:
The proposed T/L Project will not involve the permanent land acquisition as per NTDC
practice in the light of LAA and Telegraph Act, 1910; however, land needs to be
acquired on permanent basis for the proposed Converter Stations near Nankana Sahib
and at Matiari along with PLC and OPGW Repeater Station at Rahim Yar Khan and
Repeater OPGW Station at Hasilpur.
Permanent land will be acquired as per LAA, 1894 and ADB policy requirements for
Involuntary Resettlement. It is recommended that existing market price of the land
should be paid to the landowners. In this regard proper LARP should be prepared
and implemented prior as soon as the locations of the Converter Stations, PLC and
OPGW Repeater Stations are being finalized.
The Contractors will also require temporary land acquisition for the development of
Contractors‘ camps and facilities i.e. storage, workshop, equipment parking and
washing areas, aggregate quarries and access roads/tracks for haulage, transportation
etc. as per Telegraphy Act and NTDC practices.
10-1
HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
The land for above mentioned facilities should be selected and leased prior to the
start of construction phase. Land for above mentioned facilities will be directly rented
from the private landowners by the Contractors.
Based on the Google images and field surveys, the total cultivated area, which will be
affected due to this Project, is nearly 16,500 hectares, which forms about 38.8% of the
total area coming in the COI. The agriculture of the tract in Sindh and Punjab will
receive significant adverse impact due to various operations such as movement of
heavy machinery, erection of Towers, dragging, stretching and stringing etc.
Compensation for the loss of crops to the land owners and cultivators as the case
may be will be paid, in accordance with the prevailing market prices and uniformity in
rates will be ensured within the local areas.
The whole process of the payment to the farmers should be made transparent,
judicious and without any discrimination or favour.
Air quality will be affected by the fugitive dust and emissions from the construction
machinery and vehicular traffic during the construction phase.
Use of good engineering practices such as water sprinkling, encasement and
provision of silencer and mini stacks of generators etc. should be adopted to avoid
inconvenience to the locals due to noise, smoke and fugitive dust.
Construction activities such as clearing and grabbing, excavation, filling, laying down
concrete foundation for Towers and setting up construction camp will affect the existing
soil condition in the COI.
All the disturbed areas need to be protected against soil erosion by stripping and
stockpiling of all the available topsoil for later re-vegetation. Special slope protection
measures should be adopted in the sensitive areas i.e. desert or semi-desert areas
of Sanghar, Ghotki, Rahim Yar Khan and Bahawalpur districts in Section-I and
Section-II. Site restoration plan for the Project should be strictly followed.
Land may get contaminated due to the spillage of chemicals, fuels, solvents, oils, paints,
concrete, solid waste generated at campsites etc. This normally happens when these
materials are transported in open or loosely capped containers.
Domestic and chemical effluents from the construction camp should be disposed by
the development of on-site sanitation systems i.e. septic tanks along with soakage
pits. Proper monitoring to check the compliance of NEQS will be carried out.
Sewage from construction camps will be disposed of after proper pre-treatment and
processes such as soakage pit.
At the time of stringing of conductors for the proposed T/L after the installation of
Towers, interference to the traffic movement is expected. This can be a potential
significant adverse physical and social impact during the construction stage but will be
of temporary nature;
During the detailed design stage, NTDC will coordinate with NHA and local road
department/authorities for the installation of the Towers and during stringing of the
conductors where the line is crossing the existing roads for the provision of alternate
traffic route and management.
The selected route of the proposed T/L involves the crossings of the existing Power
lines of i.e. 220 KV and 132 KV near Kasur and Nankana Sahib in Section II. This will
be a great hazard during the installation of Towers, stringing of conductors and O & M
stage.
10-2
HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
10-3
HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
The Contractor have to select the specific timings for the construction activities like
Tower footings, erection and stringing of conductors so as to cause least disturbance
to the local population particularly women considering their routine movement hours.
The land under the Towers during the operation stage may restrict the current landuse
for agriculture purposes.
Towers are desinged to allow the paasage of vehicle such as tracters. Hence during
the operation stage of project farmers can use their land under the Towers for
agriculture purposes.
Due to the erection of Towers and the passing of T/L, the value of land may decrease in
areas where existing T/Ls are also crossing in Section II Kasur and Nankana Sahib
districts;
Since the erection of Towers will involve very limited amount of land and the land
under the Towers and conductors can be easily used for crops, so not much
depreciation in the land value is foreseen.
As the Project route is passing through the rural areas of Section-I and Section-II,
women activities in the field may be affected due to the construction activities.
The Contractor have to select the specific timings for the construction activities like
Tower footings, erection and stringing of conductors so as to cause least disturbance
to the local population particularly women considering their routine movement hours.
The rural women in few areas use the open field latrines and their privacy may suffer
due to the Project activities.
The Contractor have to carry out the construction activities in such a way that the
open field latrine usage timings by the local community particularly women, should
not be affected. The normal timings to use the toilet facilities by the rural women are
early in the morning and at evening so the Contractor will have to take care of these
timings.
Disturbance to the privacy of the local women will be due to outside workers working on
the erection of Towers and stringing of conductors;
Contractor should warn the staff strictly not to involve in any un-ethical activities such
as theft, etc. and to obey the local norms and cultural restrictions particularly with
reference to the women.
During the social field survey of the Project, no indigenous group of people was
identified, which comes under the definition of the ―Indigenous People‖. So, no impact
on the indigenous people is envisaged due to the implementation of the Project.
Income of the vulnerable people may be affected due to the implementation of the
Project like crossing of T/L upon their infrastructure; affect on any assets such as
houses, tubewells, room etc. In few areas, T/L also crosses some of the houses in
Bahawalpur, Bahawalnagar, Pakpattan and Okara. The owners of the affected
structures identified during the field visits also fall below the poverty line.
The vulnerable persons shall be provided with all possible assistance and help for
acquiring the skills and preference should be given to them for employment. The
persons having no land or a person who is going to lose over 50 % of his land will be
considered as vulnerable people and will be specially treated to provide the
maximum benefits.
Occurrence of accidents/incidents during the construction stage is a common
phenomenon and workers as well as locals will be more prone to serious accidents;
10-4
HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
Complying with the safety precautions for the construction workers as per ILO
Convention No. 62, as far as applicable to the Project Contract.
Training of workers in construction safety procedures, environmental awareness,
equipping all construction workers with PPEs such as safety boots, helmets, gloves
and protective masks, goggles, shields and monitoring their proper and sustained
usage.
During the operation stage, people assume that they will be prone to danger due to
collapse of towers, the electric flux on conductors, Towers, breaking of conductors etc.
At the time of detailed survey for fixing the Tower positions proper soil investigations
will be carried out to check the presence of collapsible soils and if detected, Engineer
will be informed immediately for design change. It will be ensured that no accident
due to collapsing of Towers would occur during the life of the Project.
The conductors are selected on the basis of local climatic conditions including
maximum wind velocity, temperature and humidity conditions. So, there is almost no
risk of breaking of conductors. However, due to some unavoidable circumstances, if
such a situation occurs, NTDC has provided such an arrangement that the flow in the
conductors will be automatically tripped instantaneously. So, no risk to human or
animal life is envisaged due to the breaking of conductors.
The COI falls in areas which is sensitive from the law and order point of view and the
security of the Contractor and Consultant staff will be a major issue especially Section I
Ghotki Area.
For the security in vulnerable areas, special measures should be adopted by the
Contractor as well as the Consultant staff with the consultation of the local
responsible agencies to control the law and order.
Removal of the infrastructure like buildings, huts, animal sheds, tubewells etc. will cause
the loss of community shelters and sources of income.
No relocation of settlements (group of people) will be involved as the Project has
flexibility to change the alignment.
Compensation will be paid to the affectees for the built-up areas like buildings, huts,
animal sheds, peter engines/electric motor sheds etc. on replacement cost basis and
the land on existing agricultural land value.
Payment of three (03) months house-rent will be made to the affectees while they will
construct a new abode for their families.
Full market price of any equipment (not shiftable) and cost of reconstruction including
labour charges will be paid to the affectees.
Affectees will be allowed the salvaging of the demolished materials.
In order to minimize, avoid or reduce the potential adverse impact appropriate mitigation and
remedial measures have been suggested against each identified impact. Efforts are made to
propose economical and sustainable mitigation and remedial measures which can be easily
implemented.
In order to provide compensation for losses, a framework has been suggested as per local
laws as well as ADB polices. Moreover, detailed study for the mitigation of these major
impacts i.e., the preparation of LARP, has been initiated.
Permanent acquisition of land will only be required for the construction of Converter Stations
near Nankana Sahib and at Matiari. It will be ensured that no resettlement issue arises due
the acquisition of land for these stations. Proper market price as per Land Acquisition Act
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HVDC Transmission Line from Matiari to Lahore EIA Report
and NTDC practices will be provided to the land owners. Moreover, as per PEPA, 1997 a
separate Environmental Assessment Study should be carried out for each Converter Station.
In the end, EMMP has been developed to provide proper framework for the implementation
of the suggested mitigation measures. This includes the identification of the major
stakeholders, roles and responsibilities along with the resource requirements.
EMMP includes the monitoring mechanism which will ensure that proper results are being
achieved by the implementation of the suggested mitigation measures from concerned
entities. Change management plan has been suggested to incorporate the affects due to
change in any design on route of the proposed T/L. An estimated cost for environmental
management, monitoring and training has also been provided for inclusion in the PC-I or
overall Project Cost.
As a conclusion of the study, the proposed T/L and Converter Stations will not cause
potentially significant environmental and social adverse impacts on the local environment
after the implementation of mitigation measures. Considering the current electricity situation
and the efforts being made by the Government to generate electricity in Thar, T/L to dispatch
the generated Power to the upcountry is a prerequisite. It is suggested that the proposed T/L
should be implemented as soon as possible after all necessary approvals, design provisions
and the implementation of EMMP and LARP.
10-6
NATIONAL ENGINEERING SERVICES PAKISTAN (PVT.) LIMITED
Geotechnical & Geoenvironmental Engineering Division
NESPAK House, 1-C, Block N, Model Town Extension, Lahore
Tel: +92-42-99231917, 99090310 Fax: +92-42-99231950
Email: [email protected] Web site: www.nespak.com.pk