Initial Environmental Examination
Project Number: 48209
December 2014
IND: 20 MW Solar Power Project
Ranji Solar Energy Private Limited
Prepared by AECOM India Private Limited for ACME Gurgaon Power Private Limited
The initial environmental examination is a document of the borrower. The views expressed
herein do not necessarily represent those of ADB's Board of Directors, Management, or staff,
and may be preliminary in nature. Your attention is directed to the “Terms of Use” section of this
website.
Environment
Subm it t ed by:
AECOM
9th Floor, Infinity Tow er C, DLF Cybercity,
DLF Phase II, Gurgaon, India 122002.
November 2014
Envir onment and Social Impact Assessment Repor t
20MW Solar Power Project
Ranji Solar Ener gy Pr ivate Limited
Bar i Seer , Jodhpur Distr ict, Rajasthan
FINAL REPORT
Contents
Executive Summary……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………1
1.
2.
Introduction ............................................................................................................................ 17
1.1
Project Background .......................................................................................................... 17
1.2
Purpose and Scope of Study ............................................................................................. 18
1.3
Approach and M ethodology ............................................................................................. 18
1.4
Agencies contacted .......................................................................................................... 19
1.5
Lim itations ....................................................................................................................... 19
1.6
Layout of the Report ........................................................................................................ 19
Project Description .................................................................................................................. 20
2.1
Site Description ................................................................................................................ 20
2.1.1
Site Location ............................................................................................................. 20
2.1.2
Site Settings.............................................................................................................. 20
2.2
Other Solar Pow er Projects in the Region ......................................................................... 21
2.3
Plant Overview ................................................................................................................. 22
2.3.1
2.4
Current Status .................................................................................................................. 25
2.5
Land Requirem ent ............................................................................................................ 25
2.6
Pow er Purchase Agreem ent ............................................................................................. 25
2.7
Im plem entation Schedule ................................................................................................ 26
2.8
Construction Activities ..................................................................................................... 28
2.8.1
Site Developm ent ..................................................................................................... 28
2.8.2
Water requirem ent .................................................................................................. 28
2.8.3
Construction Labour ................................................................................................. 28
2.8.4
Construction Pow er .................................................................................................. 28
2.9
Operation and M aintenance ............................................................................................ 29
2.9.1
Scheduled M aintenance Activities ............................................................................ 29
2.9.2
Unscheduled M aintenance: ...................................................................................... 29
2.9.3
Resource Requirem ents............................................................................................ 29
2.10
3.
Plant Layout ............................................................................................................. 22
Associated facilit ies .......................................................................................................... 31
2.10.1
Pow er Evacuation ..................................................................................................... 31
2.10.2
Access Roads ............................................................................................................ 31
Applicable Legal Fram ew ork .................................................................................................... 32
3.1
Enforcem ent Agencies ..................................................................................................... 32
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3.1.1
M inistry of Environment, Forests and Clim ate Change .............................................. 32
3.1.2
Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) ..................................................................... 32
3.1.3
Rajasthan Pollution Control Board (RPCB) ................................................................. 33
3.1.4
Rajasthan Forests Departm ent ................................................................................. 33
3.1.5
Petroleum and Explosives Safety Organisation (PESO) .............................................. 33
3.1.6
Director Industrial Safety and Health ........................................................................ 34
3.2
Applicable Environmental and Social Laws, Regulations and Policies ................................ 34
3.2.1
3.3
Social Laws, Regulations and Policies................................................................................ 38
3.4
Overview of Applicable Policies of Government of India ................................................... 43
3.5
IFC Perform ance Standards .............................................................................................. 44
3.5.1
IFC’s Categorisation of Projects................................................................................. 50
3.6
Equator Principles ............................................................................................................ 50
3.7
ADB’s Safeguard Policy Statem ent .................................................................................... 52
3.7.1
Safeguard Policy Statem ent (SPS), 2009 .................................................................... 52
3.7.2
Social Protection Strategy, 2001 ............................................................................... 53
3.7.3
Public Comm unications Policy 2011 .......................................................................... 54
3.7.4
ADB’s Categorization of Projects............................................................................... 54
3.8
Applicable Environmental Standards ................................................................................ 54
3.8.1
Am bient Noise Standards ......................................................................................... 54
3.8.2
Noise Standards for Occupational Exposure .............................................................. 55
3.9
4.
Environmental Laws, Regulations and Policies .......................................................... 34
Applicable International Conventions............................................................................... 55
Environment and Social Baseline Profile .................................................................................. 57
4.1
Site Setting ....................................................................................................................... 57
4.2
Geomorphology and Drainage.......................................................................................... 57
4.3
Soils ................................................................................................................................. 58
4.4
Geological Fram ew ork...................................................................................................... 58
4.5
Hydrogeology ................................................................................................................... 59
4.5.1
Depth to Water level ................................................................................................ 59
4.5.2
Ground Water Quality .............................................................................................. 59
4.5.3
Resource Availability ................................................................................................ 59
4.6
Clim ate ............................................................................................................................ 60
4.6.1
Tem perature ............................................................................................................ 61
4.6.2
Rainfall ..................................................................................................................... 61
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4.6.3
4.7
Seismicity ................................................................................................................. 62
4.7.2
Droughts .................................................................................................................. 63
Ecology ............................................................................................................................ 64
4.8.1
Landscape elements of the region ............................................................................ 65
4.8.2
Overview of forest types of the region ...................................................................... 66
4.8.3
Biodiversity aspects of Flora ..................................................................................... 66
4.9
Biodiversity aspects of Fauna ........................................................................................... 71
4.10
Socio Economic Profile and Stakeholder Consultations..................................................... 75
4.10.1
Objective of the St udy .............................................................................................. 75
4.10.2
Study Area ................................................................................................................ 76
4.10.3
Study Approach and M ethodology ........................................................................... 76
4.10.4
Administrative Set Up ............................................................................................... 77
4.10.5
Dem ographic Profile of Jodhpur District ................................................................... 78
4.11
6.
Natural Hazards ............................................................................................................... 62
4.7.1
4.8
5.
Wind ........................................................................................................................ 62
Stakeholder Engagem ent and Inform ation Disclosure ...................................................... 90
4.11.1
Stakeholder Identification ........................................................................................ 90
4.11.2
Stakeholder Engagem ent Process Undertaken .......................................................... 91
Analysis of Alternatives............................................................................................................ 97
5.1
No Project Scenario .......................................................................................................... 97
5.2
Alternate location of the project site ................................................................................ 99
5.3
Alternate M ethods of Pow er Generation.......................................................................... 99
5.3.1
Sources of Electricity Generation .............................................................................. 99
5.3.2
Greenhouse Gas Em issions ..................................................................................... 100
5.3.3
Cost and Reliabilit y of Pow er Generation ................................................................ 101
5.3.4
Statutory and Policy Requirem ents......................................................................... 101
5.4
Alternate Technology for Project .................................................................................... 102
5.5
Alternate routes to transm ission lines ............................................................................ 103
Im pact Assessm ent and M itigation M easures ........................................................................ 104
6.1
Im pact Appraisal Criteria ................................................................................................ 104
6.2
Im pact Identification ...................................................................................................... 106
6.3
Construction Phase ........................................................................................................ 109
6.3.1
Soil Resources and Quality ...................................................................................... 109
6.3.2
Land Use ................................................................................................................ 110
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6.3.3
Waste Generation, Storage and Disposal ................................................................ 111
6.3.4
Water Resources and Quality ................................................................................. 112
6.3.5
Ecology ................................................................................................................... 113
6.3.6
Traffic and Transport .............................................................................................. 114
6.3.7
Atm ospheric Em issions........................................................................................... 114
6.3.8
Noise and Vibration ................................................................................................ 115
6.3.9
Health and Safety Hazards ...................................................................................... 117
6.3.10
Socio-Economic Im pacts ......................................................................................... 118
6.3.11
Archaeological, Historic and Cultural Aspects ......................................................... 120
6.4
6.4.1
Waste Disposal ....................................................................................................... 121
6.4.2
Aesthetics and Visual Im pact .................................................................................. 121
6.4.3
Water Resource and Quality ................................................................................... 122
6.4.4
Ecology ................................................................................................................... 123
6.4.5
Health and Safety Risk ............................................................................................ 123
6.4.6
Socio-economic Im pacts ......................................................................................... 124
6.5
8.
Cum ulative Im pact Assessm ent ...................................................................................... 125
6.5.1
Land Use ................................................................................................................ 125
6.5.2
Water Resources .................................................................................................... 126
6.5.3
Clim ate Change ...................................................................................................... 126
6.6
7.
Operation Phase ............................................................................................................ 121
Decomm issioning Phase ................................................................................................. 127
Environmental M anagement Plan .......................................................................................... 129
7.1
Environment and Social M anagem ent System ................................................................ 129
7.2
Organisation Structure (Environment, Social, Health and Safety) .................................... 129
7.2.1
Roles and Responsibilities....................................................................................... 130
7.2.2
Contractors M anagem ent ....................................................................................... 131
7.3
Comm unity / Stakeholder Engagem ent and Grievance Redressal ................................... 131
7.4
ESM P Review and Am endments ..................................................................................... 132
7.5
Inspection, M onitoring & Audit ...................................................................................... 132
7.6
Reporting and Review .................................................................................................... 132
7.7
Documentation and Record Keeping .............................................................................. 133
7.8
Proposed Environment and Social M anagem ent Plan ..................................................... 133
Conclusion and Categorization of Project ............................................................................... 145
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LIST OF TABLES
Table 2-1: Geographic Co-ordinates of site ...................................................................................... 20
Table 2-2 : Technical Specifications of SPV m odules. ........................................................................ 22
Table 2-3: Proposed Solar Photo Voltaic Technology........................................................................ 23
Table 2-4 : Im plementation Schedule for the proposed plant........................................................... 27
Table 3-1: Perform ance Standards and Applicabilit y ........................................................................ 45
Table 3-2: Am bient Noise Standards ................................................................................................ 54
Table 3-3: Standards for Occupational Noise Exposure ................................................................... 55
Table 3-4: Relevant International Conventions applicable t o the Project .......................................... 55
Table 4-1: Average M onthly Tem perature (1901-2000 year period) ................................................. 61
Table 4-2: Average Annual Rainfall for Jodhpur District (2007-2011) ................................................ 62
Table 4-3: Average Annual Wind Speed for Jodhpur District (2013) ................................................. 62
Table 4-4: Vegetation characteristics of Project Site ........................................................................ 66
Table 4-5: Quartile-wise vegetation characteristics of buffer area ................................................... 68
Table 4-6: List of species recorded w ithin core and buffer area........................................................ 69
Table 4-7 : Details of Bird Species .................................................................................................... 71
Table 4-8: List of m am mals reported for Bap Tehsil, Jodhpur districts, Rajast han ............................. 74
Table 4-9: List of reptiles reported for Bap Tehsil, Jodhpur .............................................................. 74
Table 4-10 : Stat us of BPL Fam ilies in Jodhpur District and Bari Seer village ..................................... 80
Table 4-11: Total m ain and m arginal w orkers in Jodhpur District ..................................................... 85
Table 4-12: Details of w orking population in Bari Seer Village .......................................................... 86
Table 4-13: Details of schools present in Jodhpur District ................................................................ 86
Table 4-14: Number of Teachers by Schools..................................................................................... 87
Table 4-15: Number of schools w ith facilit ies................................................................................... 87
Table 4-16: Key Questions and Responses from the Survey.............................................................. 91
Table 4-17: Key Questions and Responses from ACM E’s Representative .......................................... 95
Table 5-1: Power Forecasts for Rajasthan ........................................................................................ 97
Table 5-2: Comparative analysis of Various Pow er Generation Options ......................................... 101
Table 6-1: Im pact Appraisal Criteria ............................................................................................... 104
Table 6-2: Im pact Significance Criteria ........................................................................................... 105
Table 6-3: Im pact Identification M at rix – Construction and Operation Phases ............................... 107
Table 6-4: Im pact Significance – Soil Resources and Quality ........................................................... 110
Table 6-5: Impact Significance – Land Use...................................................................................... 110
Table 6-6: Im pact Significance- Waste Disposal .............................................................................. 112
Table 6-7: Im pact Significance - Water Resources .......................................................................... 113
Table 6-8: Impact Significance - Ecology......................................................................................... 114
Table 6-9: Im pact Significance: Traffic and Transport ..................................................................... 114
Table 6-10: Im pact Significance - Am bient Air Qualit y .................................................................... 115
Table 6-11: Im pact Significance - Noise and Vibration .................................................................... 117
Table 6-12: Impact Significance - Health and safety ....................................................................... 118
Table 6-13: Im pact Significance - Socio-economic .......................................................................... 120
Table 6-14: Im pact Significance - Archaeology, Historic or Cultural Aspect ..................................... 120
Table 6-15: Im pact Significance- Waste Disposal ............................................................................ 121
Table 6-16: Im pact Significance - Aesthetics and Visual .................................................................. 122
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Table 6-17: Im pact Significance - Water Resources ........................................................................ 122
Table 6-18: Im pact Significance - Fauna and Flora .......................................................................... 123
Table 6-19: ICNIRP exposure lim its for general public exposure ..................................................... 124
Table 6-20: ICNIRP exposure lim its for occupational exposure ....................................................... 124
Table 6-21: Im pact Significance - Health and Safety ....................................................................... 124
Table 6-22: Im pact Significance - Socio-economic .......................................................................... 125
Table 6-23: Cum ulative Im pact Significance – Land Use ................................................................. 126
Table 6-24: Cumulative Im pact Significance – Water Resources ..................................................... 126
Table 6-25: Cumulative Im pact Significance – Water Resources ..................................................... 127
Table 6-25: Decomm issioning Im pact Significance ......................................................................... 128
Table 7.1: Environment and Social M anagem ent Plan .................................................................... 135
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LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 4-1: Geomorphological M ap of Jodhpur District .................................................................... 58
Figure 4-2: Water level Fluctuation M ap of Jodhpur District (Pre & Post m onsoon -2006)................. 60
Figure 4-3: Rajasthan Drought Frequency M ap ................................................................................ 63
Figure 4-3: Them atic Administrative set up of Jodhpur District ........................................................ 78
Figure 4-4: Decadal Population Growth of Jodhpur Dist rict (2001-2011) .......................................... 79
Figure 4-5: Decadal Population Growth of Bari Seer Village (2001-2011).......................................... 80
Figure 4-6: Decadal Literacy Level in Jodhpur District (2001-2011) ................................................... 82
Figure 4-7: Decadal Growth of Literate and Illiterate Population in Bari Seer Village (2001-2011) .... 82
Figure 4-8: Decadal Tot al SC and ST Population of Jodhpur District (2001-2011) .............................. 83
Figure 4-9 : Tot al SC and ST population in Bari Seer village............................................................... 84
Figure 5-1: Solar Pow er Potential M ap of India ................................................................................ 98
Figure 5-2: Source w ise Installed Capacity ....................................................................................... 99
Figure 5-3: Lifecycle GHG Em issions Intensity of Electricity Generation M ethods ........................... 100
Figure 5-4: Lifecycle carbon foot print assessm ent of t he select ed Cd-Te Thin Film PV t echnology.. 103
Figure 6-1: Noise At tenuation w ith Distance .................................................................................. 116
Figure 7-1: Proposed Organizational Structure............................................................................... 130
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List of Abbr eviations
ADB
Asian Development Bank
ASEPL
ACM E Solar Energy Private Limited
CDM
Clean Developm ent M echanism
CP
Contracting Party
CPCB
Central Pollution Cont rol Board
DCR
Domest ic Cont ent Requirem ent
EM F
Electrom agnetic Fields
EPFI
Equat or Principles Financial Institutions
ESAP
Environment and Social Action Plan
ESIA
Environment and Social Im pact Assessment
ESM P
Environm ent and Social M anagem ent Plan
ESM S
Environment and Social M anagem ent System
GBI
Generat ion Based Incent ive
GHG
Greenhouse Gas
IFC
Int ernat ional Finance Corporat ion
JNNSM
Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar M ission
M NREGA
M oEFCC
M ahat ma Gandhi Nat ional Rural Employm ent Guarant ee
Act
M inistry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change
NAPCC
National Action Plan on Climate Change
NGO
Non Government al Organisat ion
NOC
No Objection Certificate
O& M
Operat ion and M aint enance
PCP
Public Comm unications Policy
PESO
Pet roleum and Explosives Safet y Organisation
PS
Performance St andard
RGSEAG
RPCB
Rajiv Gandhi Schem e for Empow erm ent of Adolescent
Girls
Rajast han Pollut ion Cont rol Board
RSEPL
Ranji Solar Energy Private Limited
SECI
Solar Energy Corporat ion of India
SERC
State Electricity Regulatory Com m issions
SPS
Safeguard Policy Statement
SPV
Special Purpose Vehicle
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Executive Summar y
Introduction
ACM E Solar Energy Privat e Limit ed (hereaft er referred as ‘ASEPL’ or ‘project proponent ’ or ‘client ’)
t hrough it s Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) w it h Solar Energy Corporat ion of India (SECI) has
proposed t o develop 80 M W (solar plant s) in t he non-DCR (Dom est ic Cont ent Requirem ent ) cat egory
and 20M W (solar plant) in the DCR category. The 100 M W solar power project (hereafter referred as
t he ‘project ’) is t o be developed by t ranches of 20 M W t hrough five Special-Purpose Vehicles (SPV)
wholly owned by ASEPL. . Ranji Solar Energy Private Limited (hereafter referred to as ‘RSEPL’) is the
SPV responsible for development and operat ion of 20 M W capacit y solar pow er project (hereaft er
referred t o as ‘Project ’) in Bap t ehsil, Jodhpur dist rict , Rajast han, India. The project is proposed in
Bari Seer village, Bap tehsil, Jodhpur district, Rajasthan.
ASEPL int ends t o obt ain financial assist ance from Int ernat ional Finance Corporat ion (IFC) and Asian
Developm ent Bank (ADB), the Lenders. ASEPL engaged AECOM India Private Limited (hereafter
referred as ‘AECOM ’) to undertake an Environmental and Social Impact Assessm ent (ESIA) study for
t he proposed project (falling under Khasra 124). The ESIA Report has been developed by AECOM as
per t he requirem ent of Int ernat ional Finance Corporat ion (IFC) Sust ainabilit y Fram ew ork, 2012 and
ADB Safeguard Policy Statem ent (SPS), 2009.
Description of the Project
The proposed 20 M W project will be developed in 275 bigha (44.15 hect ares) of land falling under
Khasra no. 124 as per t he revenue records. The land for t he project com prises of revenue land t hat
has been classified as ‘Gair M um kim Raida land’ or ‘uncultivable land’. The power from the Project
will be evacuat ed t hrough t wo double circuit 132 kV lines and only t he right of way for t he
t ransmission line w ill be procured. The access roads t o t he sit e will be about 4-5 km long and w ill
also pass t hrough revenue land only. No privat e land is procured for t he Project . The allot ment let t er
th
t o RSEPL has been obt ained from t he Dist rict Collect or; Jodhpur Division dat ed 17 October 2014.
A No Objection Certificate for the project has also been obtained from the Sarpanch of Bari Seer
th
Panchayat dat ed 20 Sept ember 2014. The No Object ion Cert ificat e st at es t hat t he land for t he
project has been classified as revenue land and is not used by t he comm unit y for any purpose.
The proposed 20 M W solar pow er project will be based on Solar Phot o Volt aic t echnology using
Tandem St ruct ure (w it h Am orphous & M icrocryst alline Silicon) and Thin Film PV modules for pow er
generat ion.
th
The Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) has been execut ed bet ween RSEPL & SECI on 28 M arch,
2014. The scheduled dat e of t he comm issioning of t he project is est im at ed at 13 mont hs from t he
date of the PPA.
The site developm ent activities for the proposed project will entail soil investigations; site surveys;
sit e levelling; construction of access roads; fencing of sit e and laying of foundat ions.
The land for t he proposed sit e is fairly levelled and no m ajor cut t ing and filling will be required. The
detailed design of foundations will be carried out after detailed geological analysis.
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20 M W Solar Pow er Project- RSEPL
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In t he proposed plant almost all t he buildings will be prefab t ype, st ruct ures w ill be prefab t ype and
all t he equipment will be packed and shift ed in complet ely assem bled or part ially assembled form .
The inst allat ion of t he equipment ’s does not require w at er in any form . Very sm all quant it y of
const ruct ion wat er will be required for piling and foundat ion work w hich will be sourced from
3
authorised tankers. It is estimated that about 100-150 m of w at er will be required for t he ent ire
construct ion phase.
During const ruct ion st age, t he average labour dem and for t he proposed project is est im at ed t o be
about 60-70 workers. The peak labour requirem ent for t he project will be about 100 persons. The
unskilled labour for t he project which will const it ut e 70-80% of t he t ot al manpow er required w ill be
hired locally. Only skilled labour and security staff will involve migrant labour.
The const ruct ion power will be provided at sit e locat ion from 200 kVA, 11 kV HV feeders passing
nearby plant area. ACM E Gurgaon Power Pvt . Lt d. will apply for const ruct ion power t o DISCOM aft er
possession of land and pow er shall be provided aft er preliminary formalit ies and deposit ion of
required fee.
The operat ion of solar power plant is relat ively sim ple and rest rict ed t o daylight hours. W it h
aut om at ed funct ions of invert er and sw it chyard cont rollers, t he maint enance will be m ost ly orient ed
t owards bet t er up keep and m onit oring of overall perform ance of t he syst em .
The w at er requirem ent s for t he plant will be predom inant ly for washing of solar PV m odules w it h
wat er periodically t o rem ove bird droppings, dust and ot her dirt and domest ic wat er consumpt ion.
3
The dom est ic wat er consum pt ion for t he Project is est imat ed t o be 2-3 m / day and will be m et
through the canal water which is also available for domestic water demands. With a cleaning
3
schedule of t wice/ t hrice a m ont h, it is est imat ed t hat approximat ely 35 - 40 m per day of water will
be required for cleaning purpose. The w at er requirement s for t he project w ill be m et t hrough
groundw at er using bore w ells.
Considering t he development of ot her solar pow er project s in t he region and development of RIICO
industrial area, it is likely that an industrial supply line will be laid parallel to the existing Indira
Gandhi irrigat ion canal. ACM E group, along w it h ot her solar pow er project developers in t he region
int ends t o subm it an applicat ion for providing wat er supply from t he indust rial line t o t he solar
power project s in t he region t o reduce t he st ress on t he groundwat er resources of t he region.
The m anpow er requirem ent for t he operat ion phase of t he Project has been est imat ed t o be 6
engineers, 8 technicians and 20-30 st aff for cleaning of solar panels.
The pow er generat ed from t he proposed plant will be st epped up t o 132 KV level using t wo 11/ 132
kV, 50/ 60 M VA (ONAN/ ONAF), OUTDOOR t ype t ransform ers locat ed in t he 132 kV swit chyard w it hin
t he plant premises. Two 132 kV lines from t he t ransfor mers w ill form int o a single bus and power
will be t ransferred t hrough double circuit line t o t he 132 kV Bari Seer Grid Subst at ion. The
t ransmission line w ill pass t hrough revenue land and only t he right of way w ill be leased for t he
t ransmission line.
Access roads of about 4-5 km lengt h will be developed t o provide connect ivit y t o t he sit e fr om t he
Nat ional Highway – 15. The road alignment will also pass t hrough revenue land and will be t aken on
lease from the Governm ent.
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Environment and Social baseline Profile
Jodhpur dist rict forms part of Great Thar Desert of Rajast han and comprises of scatt ered sand dunes,
alluvial areas dot t ed wit h few hillocks and hill chains. Bap t ehsil is locat ed in t he nort h-w est ern
port ion of t he dist rict and Sand dunes occupy a m ajor part of t he t ehsil. The general elevat ion of
plains in t he t ehsil is about 300 m am sl. The sand dunes are t ransverse and longit udinal t ypes
form ed due t o Aeolian act ion and overlie t he denuded consolidat ed form at ions. Presence of boulder
beds exhibit st riking plain t opography around Bap and similarly t he low lying out -crops of limest one,
shale and sandst one layers are also observed in nort hern part of t he dist rict near Phalodi.
Jodhpur dist rict falls in t he Luni and Barm er Basins. M ajor River of t he dist rict is Luni, which flows in
ENE t o WSW direct ion. The drainage of Bap t ehsil is essent ially ephem eral and int ernal.
The soils of Jodhpur can be classified as red desert ic, desert , sand dunes and lit osol and regosols of
hills. The geological set -up of t he dist rict is represent ed by various igneous, met amorphic and
sedim ent ary rocks.
Ground w at er occurs under unconfined t o sem i-confined condit ions in rocks of Delhi Super Group,
Jodhpur sandst one, Bilara limest one, Nagaur sandst one, Lat hi sandst one and unconsolidat ed
sediment s (valley fills and alluvium ). These form t he chief source of ground w at er in t he dist rict .
As per Cent ral Ground W at er Board, West ern Region, t he dept h t o (2006) in t he dist rict ranges from
2.10 t o 77.94 m et ers below ground level (m bgl) and 0.30 t o 70.88 m during pre m onsoon and post
m onsoon, 2006, respectively.
The st age of groundwat er developm ent of t he dist rict is 197 %, however t he Bap t ehsil falls under
t he safe cat egory for groundwat er developm ent . The net groundw at er availabilit y in t he Block is
59.2212 M CM and t he annual gross draft is 16.2701 M CM . The st age of groundwat er developm ent
of t he Block is 27.47%. It is import ant t o ment ion t hat wit h t he coming up of t he Indira Gandhi
Irrigation canal, the population of Bap block now draw water from the canal for dom estic
consum pt ion and irrigat ion purposes. The groundw at er dem and has t herefore furt her reduced in
t he Block.
The dist rict experiences arid t o semi-arid t ype of climat e. M ean annual rainfall (1971-2005) of t he
district is 326.8 mm w hereas normal rainfall (1901-1970) is lower than average rainfall and placed at
296.1 mm .
As per t he Indian M et eorological Depart ment , t he mean daily m axim um and m inimum t em perat ure
recorded over a period of 100 years for t he dist rict is 41.4 C and 9.6 C.
A det ailed ecological assessment w as undertaken w hich focussed on ident ificat ion of floral and
faunal species, sensit ive habit at s, endangered species and forest land and est imat ing t he biodiversit y indices of the area. Secondary informat ion w as also collected from offices of Divisional
Forest and Bot anical and Zoological Surveys of India for ascertaining bio-diversit y aspect s.
The forest species w it hin 5-km buffer zone belong t o t ropical t horn forest s dominat ed by Prosopis
cineraria, P. juliflora, Calotropis procera and Capparis decidua . Large proportion of the land is
covered by sandy grass, w hich also act s as soil binder in t he sand dune landscape. The plant species
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like species Acacia Senegal and Khair (Capparis decidua ) found in t he region also have m edicinal
values.
A t ot al of 72 species of birds w ere ident ified or were report ed t o be present in t he st udy area. Out of
t he 64 local resident species, 1 unclear, 3 endem ic t o t he Indian subcont inent , 1 part ially resident
and altitudinal migrants, 1 w inter visitor w ere identified. A total of 10 species of m am mals w ere
report ed for t he Bap region. The m ost comm on species sight ed during t he survey and report ed by
local comm unit y included Indian hare, Rat s, Jackal and Chinkara. A t ot al 12 rept ile species w ere
report edly present in t he region, out of which 6 species of snakes and 6 species of lizards were
recorded. As per t he Wildlife Prot ect ion Act , Desert m onit or lizard and Saw-scaled Viper falls in
Schedule -II, Comm on cat snake in Schedule -III and 9 species under Schedule -IV were recorded
wit hin t he 5-km radius.
Socio econom ic st udy in t he project influenced area (3 km radius) w as conduct ed on t wo
settlem ents, Bari Seer village w hich is approximately 2 km from the project site and Naw agaon dhani
which is 3 km from t he project sit e, bot h of which are under t he Bari Seer Panchayat . As per t he
2011 Census Data, t he total population of Bari Seer Village w as 1469. The t otal male and fem ale
population w as 51.94% and 48.05% of the t otal population. The sex ratio was 925 females to every
1000 m ales. As per consultations carried out with the Sarpanch of Bari Seer Panchayat , t here are
approximat ely 400 people residing in 101 household in Nawagaon dhani. The t ot al lit erat e
population in Bari Seer village w as 47.58%. The total SC and ST population in Bari Seer village
comprised 27.36% and 10.14% of t he t ot al populat ion respect ively. The consult at ions conduct ed in
t he village of Bari Seer and Nawagaon dhani highlight ed t hat all t he populat ion follow Hinduism. In
addit ion, approximat ely 60% of t he populat ion in Bari Seer belong t o t he Rajput cast e, while t he
rem aining 40% comprise populat ion belonging t o t he Brahm in; lower cast e like Sunuvar, M egwar,
Sut har, Cham ar and Sunar; Bishois and ST’s like Bhil, Jogan, Banjara and ot hers. In Naw agaon dhani,
t he populat ion mainly com prises of lower cast e people and form t he sam e group t hat are present in
Bari Seer Village. M ajority of the population are engaged in the cultivation of guar, bajra and
peanut s w hile som e of t he populat ion are engaged as unskilled and sem i-skilled w orkers like daily
wage, agricult ural labourers, driving, carpent ry, elect rician and m echanics. The pat riarchy syst em
being prom inent in t he area w omen are mainly uneducat ed and f ollow t he purdah or veiled syst em.
They do not cont ribut e t owards t he fam ily’s income and t hey are usually engaged in household
chores.
Analysis of Alternatives
The analysis of the alternatives considered for the proposed project is no project scenario; alternate
location of project site, sources of electricity generation, greenhouse gas em issions, cost and
reliabilit y of power generat ion, st at ut ory and policy requirem ent s, alt ernat e t echnology for t he
project and alt ernat e rout e t o t ransmission lines for t he proposed project . The sit e has been
select ed due t o t he reason t hat it locat ed aw ay from major set t lem ent s, it does not fall under any
reserved or prot ect ed forest s, t he land procured is revenue land and no environm ent al sensit ive
feat ures are locat ed w it hin t he vicinit y of t he imm ediat e sit e surroundings. While land select ed for
t he project is revenue land, t here have been effort s t aken up t o minimise impact s, including issues
related to titleholders and inform al users. Avoidance of governm ent lands that are seasonally
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cult ivat ed and used for grazing purposes has been carried out . The sect ion on st akeholder
consult at ion highlight s t his point in det ails.
Anticipated Environmental Impacts and M itigation M easures
The Project is a renew able energy project s which uses solar energy for pow er generat ion.
Renew able energy project s are considered t o be cleaner com pared t o fossil fuel based energy
projects. In accordance t o the screening criteria of the IFC, AECOM has categorized Project as
Category B. With respect to ADB classification, the project has been categorised as Category B for
Environm ent , Cat egory C for Involunt ary Reset t lem ent and Indigenous People.
The ant icipat ed impact s and mit igat ion measures during t he const r uct ion and operat ion phases have
been provided below ,
S.No.
Impacts Identified
Construction Phase
1
Land Use change and soil
pollution
Suggested M itigation M easures
RSEPL has considered all aspect s of sit ing and design prior to
selection of t he sites
Use of existing roads for transport of m an and m at erial t o t he
ext ent possible
All const ruct ion mat erial t o be kept w it hin t he foot print of the
area acquired.
Loose const ruction material t o be covered t o avoid being carried
int o adjoining areas by w ind.
Painting of panels, sw it chyard st ructures t o be undert aken aft er
covering t he land beneat h w it h a sheet of impervious mat erial.
Fuel st orage for DG set s t o be done on paved surfaces
2
Wast er Generat ion:
Accumulation of const ruction
w ast e; Runoff int o rain w at er
channels; Unhygienic
condition for labours
Const ruct ion w ast e t o be properly st ored and disposed off to
local municipal w ast e disposal sit e
Dom estic w ast e generat ed by w orkers t o be collected and
com post ed at sit e
Ot her w ast es like w ood packaging mat erial, met al jut e et c. w ill
be sold t o scrap dealers.
Provision of segregat ed t oilet s for male and female w orkers in
t he rat io of 1:15 and 1:10 (t oilet t o w orkers) respect ively;
Wast e oil shall be st ored on paved surfaces
Em pt y paint cont ainers shall be st ored in earmarked area and
sold t o aut horised vendors.
3
Wat er Resource: Ground
w at er ext ract ion; Runoff int o
rain w at er channels; Wast age
of water
Wat er for const ruct ion t o be arranged by t he const ruction
cont ract ors t hrough aut horised t anker w at er suppliers.
Dom estic w at er requirement of t he w orkers at sit e t o be met
t hrough irrigat ion canal.
Adequat e arrangement for st orm w ater management during
const ruction period t o be made t o avoid sediment runoff from
t he sit e.
Opt imal ut ilizat ion of w ater t o be ensured t hroughout t he
const ruct ion phase
St orm w at er flow during monsoons t o be direct ed t o t he exist ing
channels w it h silt traps t o avoid sediment ation of t he channels
or t he receiving w at er body.
Curing chemicals t o be used t o reduce wat er requirement.
4
Ecology: Clearing of
veget ation; Cut ting of t rees;
Dist urbance t o avifauna
Tree cut t ing w ill be limit ed t o t hose direct ly affecting t he solar
panels.
Workforce to be inst ructed t o avoid any other activity likely t o
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S.No.
5
6
Impacts Identified
Traffic and Transport :
Arbit rary movement of
vehicles leading t o congest ion
and accident s
Im proper parking of vehicles
used by w orkers and for
movement of mat erial can
lead to discomfort t o ot her
users.
Air Em issions: Fugitive dust
Emissions from diesel engines
and DG set s
Suggested M itigation M easures
affect t he local flora & fauna.
High noise generating activities t o rest rict ed t o dayt ime wit h
proper mit igation m easures
Transport at ion t o be undert aken along identified pat hs
Training of drivers about road safety t o be organised ;
Vehicle movement and parking wit hin t he Project premises shall
be manned properly t o avoid accident s
Rout es for use by const ruction t raffic t o be planned to minimize
im pact on adjoining act ivit ies.
Dedicat ed pat h w it hin t he sit e for exclusive ent ry and exit of t he
const ruction vehicles t o be provided.
Regular maint enance of vehicles t o be t aken up.
Dust generat ing activit ies t o be avoided in condit ions of very
high w ind and covers t o be provided for loose construction
mat erial at const ruct ion site.
It is t o be ensured t hat construction equipment ’s are properly
maint ained t o minimise smoke in t he exhaust emissions.
M achinery t o be t urned off w hen not in use.
Housekeeping of t he area t o be maint ained
The im pact of em issions from vehicles bringing const ruction
mat erial t o be minimised by proper upkeep of maint enance of
vehicles, sprinkling of w at er on unpaved roads at t he
const ruct ion sit e and planned movement of such vehicles.
Vehicle speed t o be restricted t o 15km/ hour at sit e t o minimize
pot ent ial for dust generat ion in t he surroundings
Trucks / dumpers t o be covered by t arpaulin sheet s during off
sit e t ransport ation of friable construction mat erials and spoil
All the vehicles ent ering t he sit e t o be asked t o have updat ed
PUC (Pollut ion under control) cert ificat e.
Generat or t o be opt imally used w it h proper orient at ion and
adequat e st ack height
7
Noise and Vibration:
Dist urbance t o habit ations
Dist urbance t o fauna
Occupational Hazard
Use of inherent ly quiet plant and equipment as far as reasonably
practicable and regular maintenance t o ensure noise emissions
are m aintained at design levels.
Int egral noise shielding t o be used w here pract icable and fixed
noise sources t o be acoust ically t reat ed, for example wit h
silencers, acoust ic louvres and enclosures.
Provision of rubber paddings/ noise isolat ors at
equipment / machinery used for const ruct ion
Const ruct ion vehicles t o be w ell maint ained and not idling
equipment or vehicles when not in use.
Provision of make shift noise barriers near high noise generat ing
equipment t o minimise horizont al propagat ion of noise
Loud, sudden noises t o be avoided wherever possible. Fixed
noise sources t o be locat ed away - m ore t han 50m inside from
sit e boundary.
Noise prone activities w ill be rest ricted t o t he ext ent possible
during night t ime 2200 t o 0600 hours t o reduce t he noise
im pact .
Sit e w orkers w orking near high noise equipment use personal
prot ective devices t o minimise t heir exposure t o high noise
levels
8
Healt h and Safet y Hazards:
Accident s leading t o injuries
All the required safet y measures based on individual job profile
t o be provided (as per w orking guidelines, use of personal
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S.No.
Impacts Identified
fat alities; Occupat ional healt h
hazards
Suggested M itigation M easures
prot ective equipment s like gloves, helmet s, ear muffs, safety
belt s etc.) for const ruct ion w orker t hrough t he cont ract ors.
Ensure effective w ork perm it syst em for hot work, elect rical
w ork, w orking at height , w orking in confined space et c.
Ensure personal protect ive equipment for all personnel present
at sit e are made available.
Arrangement for fire control measures
Display of phone numbers of t he cit y/ local fire services, et c. at
site.
Ensure good housekeeping at t he const ruct ion sit e t o avoid slips
and falls.
Dropping/ low ering of construction mat erial or t ool t o be
rest rict ed and undert aken only under st rict supervision, if
required.
Provision of proper sanit at ion at t he labour camp.
9
Socio Economic: Increased
Comm unit y Expect at ions;
Influx of M igrant Workers
The project shall avoid using communit y / village roads for
project activit ies. Alternat ive access roads w ill be construct ed
and used;
The project w ill communicat e and discuss wit h t he communit y in
a t ransparent manner about employment / contract and ot her
opport unit ies on a regular basis and demonstrat e t he efforts
being made t o accommodat e as many people as possible. The
project s w ill ensure t hat t here is a transparent process of giving
jobs/ cont ract s and ot her benefit s.
Accommodation shall be ensured for a minimum space of 4-4.5
2
m is allocat ed per person for m igrant w orkers
Wat er supply t hrough borew ells and aut horized w at er t ankersAdequat e provisions of w at er w it h about 150 litres per capit a
per day shall be made.
Disposal of sew age through a septic t ank – soak pit arrangement.
Operation Phase
1
Wast e Disposal: Domest ic
w ast e from st aff quart ers;
Wast e t ransformer oil and
solar panels
2
3
Water Resource: Water
requirement for cleaning
Ground w ater extract ion
Wat er logging
Ecology: Distract ion t o
avifauna; Routine clearance
Transformer oil t o be replaced and ret ained by t he supplier of
transformers
Buy back arrangement wit h solar panel manufact urer/ supplier
Aut horised supplier t o be ident ified for disposal
Avoid w ast age of w at er during w ashing of panels
Adequat e st orm w ater drainage
Solar panels t o have an anti-reflective coating t o minimize the
light reflect ing off of t he panels.
Clearing of veget at ion t o be limit ed t o removal of undergrow t h
or shrubs at t he plant sit e
4
Healt h and Safet y:
Elect rom agnet ic field
Accident s leading t o
injury/ fat alit y
EM F generat ed t o be of w eak in intensit y
Personal prot ect ive equipment t o be provided for all personnel
at road construction and transmission line.
5
Social: Impact s on Local
Economy; Upgrades t o Local
Infrastructure
In case of development of local enterprise in t he vicinit y of the
project , t hese should be encouraged through sourcing
opport unit ies.
Collaborate w it h local govt. and indust ry for any communit y
development programs t o share t he resources and cut cost ;
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S.No.
Impacts Identified
Suggested M itigation M easures
Avoid duplicat ing exist ing infrast ruct ure and emphasize on
im proving or upgrading t he qualit y and quant it y of t he same.
Decommissioning Phase
1
Im pact s due t o disposal of
panels, cont aminat ion of soil,
generat ion of w ast es and
associat ed healt h and safet y
risks
The proponent shall inform t he w orkers and local communit y
about t he durat ion of w ork;
The old, redundant panels can be disposed of (at a regist ered
disposal facilities designated for t his purpose);
The w orkers shall be clearly informed about t he expect ed
schedule and complet ion of each act ivit y;
The reduction in w orkers shall be done based only on the
requirement of his/ her skill set and not guided by any ot her
factor;
All w ast e generat ed from demobilization phase shall be collect ed
and disposed off at t he nearest municipal disposal sit e; and
All necessary Personal Prot ect ion Equipment (PPE) shall be used
by t he w orkers during demolit ion w ork.
Environmental M anagement Plan
The proposed project is being developed by RSEPL w hich is a subsidiary of ASEPL. ASEPL
M anagem ent has developed an Environm ent and Social M anagem ent Syst em (ESM S) M anual which
covers Quality system s, Environment, Health & Safety M anagem ent Systems and Social
M anagement Syst ems.
The ESM S M anual has been developed in compliance w it h t he requirem ent s of Int ernat ional Finance
Corporat ion’s (IFC) Perform ance St andard 2012 and ISO 14001: 2004 and is being amended t o
include requirements of ADB’s Safeguard Policy Statement, 2009 as well. The ESM S M anual
developed by ASEPL is a t hree t ier docum ent wit h t he policies being t he umbrella document which
defines the commitment of the managem ent for addressal of EHS and Social issues associated w ith
t he operat ions, apex m anual which lays t he object ives, program s, resource m anagem ent , product
realizat ion, measurement , analysis and im provement s. Operat ional Cont rol Procedures and
(inst ruct ional) checklist s are defined as second and t hird t ier docum ent . The M anagem ent syst em s
has been developed t o provide generic guidelines t o all fut ure and present solar project s of ASEPL
and its subsidiaries, irrespective of specific site or project conditions.
RSEPL shall t hus ensure t hat t he ESM P is implem ent ed by it s cont ract ors t hrough cont ract ual
arrangem ent s. In addition, regular com munit y engagement and disclosure is t o be undert aken by
RSEPL. A Grievance Redressal M echanism would be developed and disclosed t o t he comm unit y as
well.
In order t o implem ent t he ESM P, t he on-sit e t eam w ill develop a t ime-bound and act ion-orient ed
Environm ent al and Social Act ion Plan t o implem ent t he mit igat ion measures provided for each of
t he ident ified environment al and social impact s. This ESM P will have t o be monit ored on a regular
basis, quart erly or half-yearly and all out comes would need t o be audit ed in accordance wit h exist ing
EHS com mit ment s. Through t he process of inspect ion, audit , and monit oring RSEPL shall ensure t hat
all t he cont ract ors comply w it h t he requirem ent s of condit ions for all applicable permit s including
suggest ed act ion plans. The inspect ions and audit s shall be done by RSEPL/ ASEPL’s t rained t eam and
ext ernal agencies/ expert s. The ent ire process of inspect ions and audit s will be docum ent ed.
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1. Introduction
The ACM E Group has been a pioneer in t he developm ent of green t echnology solut ions t hat are
environm ent al friendly, energy efficient , cost effect ive and capable of delivering a quick ret urn on
invest ment . The Company has a business focus on 3E’s i.e. energy generat ion, energy conservat ion
and energy m anagement .
ACM E is actively pursuing alternative energy initiatives in solar sector providing solutions for both
t hermal and phot ovolt aic t echnologies in India and aims t o be at t he forefront of t he solar revolut ion
in t he count ry. ACM E has a proven t rack record in developing, const ruct ing and operat ing large scale
power project s. It has pioneered solar pow er development in India and has com missioned t he first
solar t herm al power project based on Tower t echnology in Asia.
ACM E Solar Energy Private Limited (hereafter referred to as ‘ASEPL’), a joint venture company
bet w een ACM E Cleant ech Solut ions Limit ed, EDF Ener gies Nouvelles and EREN is com mit t ed t o
set t ing up large grid – connect ed solar pow er plant s across India, wit h t he aim t o deliver cont inuous
pow er across India. ACM E’s solar portfolio of 67.5 M W includes 15 M W Solar PV in Gujarat
(com missioned), 25 M W Solar PV in M adhya Pradesh (comm issioned), 2.5 M W Solar Therm al in
Rajast han (commissioned) and 25 M W Solar PV in Odisha, w hich is under commissioning.
ASEPL has been select ed for developing 80 M W in t he non DCR (Dom est ic Cont ent Requirem ent )
cat egory and for 20 M W in t he DCR cat egory. The 100 M W solar pow er project is t o be developed by
t ranches of 20 M W t hrough five special-purpose vehicles (SPV) w holly ow ned by ASEPL. Ranji Solar
Energy Privat e Limit ed (hereaft er referred t o as ‘RSEPL’) is t he SPV responsible for developm ent and
operation of 20 M W capacity solar power project (hereafter referred to as ‘Project’) in Bap tehsil,
Jodhpur dist rict , Rajast han, India. The project is proposed in Bari Seer village, Bap t ehsil, Jodhpur
dist rict , Rajast han.
ASEPL is looking to secure financing from IFC and ADB (the Lenders) for a max US$ [80] million [16]year t enor loan and int ends t o carry out an Environment al and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) as
per t he requirement of Int ernat ional Finance Corporation’s (IFC) Perform ance St andards and IFC’s
Environment, Health and Safety guidelines and ADB Safeguard Policy Statement (SPS) (2009). ACM E
Solar Energy Privat e Limit ed has engaged AECOM India Privat e Limit ed t o undert ake t he ESIA st udy
for t he proposed project This ESIA report has been prepared on t he basis of a reconnaissance survey,
baseline noise monit oring, primary ecological survey, dat a analysis and consult at ions and discussions
with relevant stakeholders.
1.1 Pr oject Backgr ound
th
The Jawaharlal Nehru National Solar M ission was launched on t he 11 January, 2010 has set the
am bit ious t arget of deploying 20,000 M W of grid connect ed solar power by t he year 2022 and is
aimed at reducing t he cost of solar pow er generat ion in t he count ry. In t he Phase I of t he M ission,
950 M W solar pow er project s were select ed in t wo bat ches (bat ch-I during 2010-11 and bat ch-II
during 2011-12). Wit h t he successful implem ent at ion of t he Phase I of t he M ission, JNNSM has
launched t he Phase II of t he M ission wit h Solar Energy Corporat ion of India (SECI) as t he nodal
agency, and envisages cumulat ive inst allation of 10,000 M W ut ilit y scale and 1,000 M W off-grid solar
pow er project s.
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ASEPL has been selected for 80M W in the non DCR category and for 20M W in the DCR category, by
Solar Energy Corporat ion of India (SECI), under bat ch 1 of Phase 2 of t he Jaw aharlal Nehru Solar
M ission. RSEPL is the SPV responsible for development and operation of 20 M W capacity solar
power project in t he DCR cat egory in Bap t ehsil, Jodhpur dist rict , Rajast han, India.
The project w ill be based on Solar Phot o Volt aic t echnology using Tandem St ructure (w it h
Am orphous & M icrocryst alline Silicon) and Thin Film PV modules for pow er generat ion. The project
w ill spread across an area of 275 bigha and w ill comprise of revenue government land.
1.2 Purpose and Scope of Study
This st udy is being undert aken as per t he requirem ent s of t he IFC Performance St andards t o
underst and t he environm ent al and social compliance of Project in accordance t o t he requirem ent s
of t he IFC’s Performance St andards. The scope of work includes:
Reconnaissance survey and primary sit e assessment to collect and review baseline
environm ent al and social condit ions;
Collection of addit ional secondary environment al, social and demographic inform at ion;
Ident ificat ion and review of t he applicable st andards and ident ificat ion of key issues;
Assessment of potential environment and social impacts of t he project and its components;
Suggest ing mit igat ion measures and plans t o m aximize project benefit s in consult at ion wit h
affect ed communit ies and
Preparat ion of Environm ent al and Social Act ion Plan (ESAP) based on t he ESIA and suggest
procedures for m it igat ion and m onit oring of environment and social impact s on an ongoing
basis as w ell as t o ident ify any requirement s t hat may occur subsequent t o t he complet ion
of the ESIA.
1.3 Appr oach and Methodology
The approach and m et hodology applied for t he execut ion of t he impact assessm ent st udy is as
provided:
The relevant project document and det ailed project report was review ed t o underst and t he
project requirem ent s
Regulat ory review was undert aken t o underst and t he applicable, local and nat ional
legislat ion and regulat ory framew orks.
A det ailed social and environment al assessment of sit e and surround areas w as undert aken
t hrough:
o Reconnaissance surveys t o underst and sit e specific issues
o Discussions w it h t he local comm unit y and ident ificat ion key issues;
o Collation of secondary inform at ion on social aspect of t he sit e, supplem ent ed by
consult at ions w it h t he local comm unit ies t o underst and comm unit y percept ion wit h
regard t o t he project and it s act ivit ies. The approach included:
o St akeholder m apping and Ident ificat ion;
o Focused group consult at ions wit h select ed land losers and ot her impact ed groups;
o Field surveys and dat a compilat ion;
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o Group/ Comm unit y Consult at ions: Group m eet ings and consult at ions w it h local and
comm unit y represent at ives; and
Assessment of impact s based on underst anding of t he project act ivit ies and exist ing baseline
st atus;
Preparat ion of Environm ent and Social M anagem ent Plan.
1.4 Agencies contacted
The following agencies w ere cont act ed during t he course of t he st udy:
o
o
o
o
o
ACM E Solar Energy Private Limited
Forest Departm ent
Indian M et eorological Depart ment
Survey of India
Census of India
1.5 Limitations
The st udy undert aken is st ruct ured around t he project inform at ion as provided by t he project
proponent, any significant activities may result in variation of outcome.
Professional judgement and subject ive int erpret at ion of fact s has been applied for int erpret at ion of
various aspect s. All inform at ion and inferences present ed herein are based on t he det ails current ly
available as per t he scope of work, informat ion provided by t he client or it s represent at ive, exist ing
secondary dat a, budget and schedule.
1.6 Layout of the Repor t
The remaining sect ions of t he report include t he following:
Section 2:
Project descript ion;
Section 3:
Applicable Environmental and Social Legislative Framew ork;
Section 4:
Social and Environm ent baseline;
Section 5:
Analysis of Alt ernat ives;
Section 6:
Environment al and Social Impact Assessm ent ; and
Section 7:
Environment al and Social M anagement Plan
Annexures
Annexure I - List of Solar Power Projects in Bap Tehsil
Annexure II – Allotment Letter from District Collector confirm ing lease of land
Annexure III – Social Quest ionnaire
Annexure IV – No Objection Certificate from Bari Seer Panchayat
Annexure V - At t endance Sheet of Social Consult at ions
Annexure VI – Locat ion of t he 100 M W solar project s provided by ASEPL
Annexure VII – ASEPL Base M ap show ing GPS Tracking
Annexure VIII – Single Line Diagram (AC and DC Side)
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2. Pr oject Description
This sect ion of t he report provides a descript ion of t he sit e set t ings and project component s along
with other associated facilities. This section also elaborates on the various project phases along with
it s implement at ion m echanism and schedule.
2.1 Site Descr iption
2.1.1 Site Location
The sit e for t he proposed project falls in Bap Tehsil, Jodhpur dist rict . Jodhpur dist rict is one of t he
largest districts of Rajasthan state and is located in the western region of the state. The district is
bound by Nagaur district in East , Jaisalmer district in w est, Bikaner district in North and Barm er as
well as Pali dist rict s in t he Sout h. The lengt h of t he dist rict from Nort h t o Sout h and from East t o
West is about 197 km and 208 km . respect ively. Bap t ehsil is locat ed in t he nort hern region of
Jodhpur dist rict .
The site selected com prises of land from Bari Seer village of Bap Tehsil and has been identified based
on t he solar irradiat ion dat a, geot echnical invest igat ions, ease of land procurem ent , benefit and
losses due t o irradiat ion, shading analysis and t he dist ance from main subst at ion, line const ruct ion
lengt h and com plexit y required for line const ruct ion. The nearest highway is t he Nat ional Highway –
15, which connects Samakhiali in Gujarat with Pathankot in Punjab, at a distance of about 1 km from
t he sit e. The rail and air connect ivit y t o t he sit e is t hrough Bap st at ion and Jodhpur airport . The
geographic coordinat es of t he proposed five sit es are present ed in Table 2-1.
Table 2-1: Geographic Co-ordinates of site
S. No.
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Latitude
27° 29'11" N
27° 29'17" N
27° 29'28" N
27° 29'36" N
27° 30'07" N
27° 29'58" N
27° 26'22" N
8
27° 29'32" N
9
27° 29'55" N
10
27° 30'34" N
11
27° 30'19" N
12
27° 29'51" N
13
27° 29'49" N
Reference Point
1
27° 29'35" N
Longitude
72° 23'44" N
72° 24'20" N
72° 24'21" N
72° 24'21" N
72° 24'11" N
72° 24'22" N
70° 11'30" N
72° 24'53" N
72° 25'00" N
72° 25'21" N
72° 25'27" N
72° 25'29" N
72° 25'28" N
72° 22'59" N
2.1.2 Site Settings
The project area comprises of revenue land from Bari Seer village. The project area is characterised
by rural set up and flat barren land. The project area has a gent le slope and has an average elevat ion
of about 207 m above m ean sea level. As per t he revenue records, t he land use of t he sit e is
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classified as uncult ivable land and includes Khasra No. 124. The sit e comprises of scant y veget at ion
and is not used by t he comm unit y for grazing or any ot her act ivit ies. During t he sit e walkt hrough no
encroachment s were observed in t he Project area and t he same was verified during consult at ions
wit h t he Sarpanch (Village Head) and t he com munit y.
The nearest settlem ents include Nawagaon and Bari Seer settlem ent which are located at a distance
of about 2 km and 3 km from t he sit e respect ively. The Indira Gandhi irrigat ion canal, which supplies
wat er for drinking and ot her domest ic use is locat ed in proximit y of t he Project sit e. No w at er bodies
are locat ed in t he project area or it s surroundings. A cat chment area, exist ing school, agricult ural
land and wat er body w it hin t he vicinit y of t he proposed sit e have been excluded by t he project
proponent from the project area. No wild life protection or ecological sensitive area is located within
5 km radius of the Project area.
Photo 2-1 : View of Project Site
2.2 Other Solar Power Pr ojects in the Region
Based on desktop research and discussions with client, it is estimated that about 300 M W of solar
power project s are proposed in t he Bari Seer Region. Det ails of some of t he exist ing and proposed
solar pow er project s in t he region are provided below:
50 M W solar power plant – M / s Today Homes
30 M W solar power plant – M / s Solar Direct
Furt her det ails have been provided in Annexure I.
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2.3 Plant Overview
The proposed 20 M W solar pow er project will be based on Solar Phot o Volt aic t echnology using
Tandem St ruct ure (w it h Am orphous & M icrocryst alline Silicon) and Thin Film PV modules for pow er
generat ion. The salient feat ures of t he project component s have been present ed in Table 2-2 and
t he det ails have been provided in subsequent sect ions.
Table 2-2 : Technical Specifications of SPV modules.
Parameter
Description
Technology
Solar Phot o Volt aic (Tandem St ruct ure-12.7296
M Wp & Thin Film CdTe-11.2266 M Wp)
PV module t ype
SHARP SOLARTANDEM
FIRST SOLAR
STRUCTURE
THIN FILM (CdTe)
M odule peak power(Wp)
130
90
M odules per st ring
15
15
St rings per Invert er
408
594
M odules per M ount ing struct ure
60
90
M odules in plant
97920
124740
No. of Invert ers
16
14
No. of transformers wit h
4 Nos – 3.00 M VA
3 Nos – 3.00 M VA
Capacit y & Volt age Ratio
4x0.370/ 11 kV
4x0.370/ 11 kV & 1 No –
1.50 M VA
4x0.370/ 11 kV
M ounting Arrangement
M ount ing
Fixed Tilt
Fixed Tilt
Surface azimut h angle of PV
180°
180°
Tilt angle(slope) of PV M odule
21°
21°
Annual Energy Generat ion
22.830
20.527
M odule
(M U’s)
Source: Det ailed Project Report
2.3.1 Plant Layout
The plant w ill have fixed t ype st ruct ure facing t o sout h wit h a t ilt angle of 21° from horizont al t o
opt imize t he power out put . The m odules w ill be m ounted on st ruct ures of y t ype fabricat ed form
hot dip galvanized st eel sect ions. The design of st ruct ure w ill be t est ed in order t o ensure t hat it can
wit hst and forces likely t o be encount ered during highest speed level in t his region (approximat ely
47m/ s). Each st ruct ure w ill be eart hed t o t he eart hing net w ork laid in field t hrough 8 mm Galvanised
Iron (G.I.) wire at 2 points.
2
All t he series connect ed m odules will be t aken t o st ring com biner box using 4/ 6 m m copper cables
which will be t ied wit h st ruct ure and w ill be laid inside t he conduit when passing t hrough t he
underground t rench for prot ect ion purpose. A suit able Series-Parallel combinat ion will be deployed
in order t o achieve required volt age and current out put . The SRCB (St ring Combiner Box) for t he
Tandem St ruct ure plot s will use 20 A fuses for each combined st ring; 4 st rings will be combined using
a wire harness and will be t aken t o t he St ring combiner and monit oring box.
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The SRCB for Thin film w ill use 25 A fuses for each com bined st ring; 6 st rings w ill be com bined using
a wire harness and will be t aken t o t he St ring combiner and monit oring box. SRCB for bot h, Tandem
St ruct ure and t hin film w ill be of 16 channels each. The power will t hen be fed t o invert er and aft er
convert ing int o AC it will be fed t o 3.00 M VA 4x0.370/ 11 kV t ransform ers for st epping up t o 11 kV
level. The Invert er used will be grid t ie cent ral solar invert er wit h efficiency > 98.5% and w it h t he
ent ire feat ure for synchronisat ion and isolat ion and delivering solar pow er t o grid.
The cent ral invert er can be of out door t ype or indoor t ype. In case of indoor t ype, t he invert er room
will be designed in such a manner considering t he prot ect ion from weat her and at t he sam e t ime
proper vent ilat ion of hot air generat ed by invert er during operat ion. The necessary fire prot ect ion
and auxiliary supply will be provided at invert er level. The inform at ion of st rings t hat is current ,
volt age, fuse st at us w ill be provided up t o invert er and from invert er room bot h dat a of invert er and
SRCB will be com bined and common dat a w ill be t aken t o m ain cont rol room on suit able prot ocol.
The m ain pow er aft er st epping-up t o 11 kV w ill be collect ed at main cont rol room and will be
st epped-up t o 132 kV t hrough 2 nos. 50/ 60 M VA out door t ransformers. The proposed plant has
been configured w it h an inst alled PV module capacit y of 23.956M W peak (M Wp) delivering
approximately 20 M W nominal AC after inverter. A single plot com prises of four inverters. The
complet e plant consist s of 7 plot s, each w it h 4 invert ers and 1 plot wit h 2 invert ers.
The single line diagrams – DC side and AC side are present ed in Annexure VIII.
Solar Photovoltaic Technology
2.3.1.1
The t echnology select ed for t he proposed Project com prises of Amorphous and M icrocryst alline
Silicon and Thin Film PV modules. The det ails have been present ed in Table 2-3.
Table 2-3: Proposed Solar Photo Voltaic Technology
Technology
M anufacturer and
Specific production
Performance
Capacity Utilization
M odel
(kW h/ kWp)
ratio (%)
Factor (%)
Tandem St ruct ure
SHARP SOLAR 130
1793
80.75
24.43
Thin Film CdTe
First Solar FS 390
1829
82.33
25.11
1810
81.49
24.74
Combined
2.3.1.2
M odule M ounting System
A fixed module m ount ing syst em of 21° inclinat ion has been chosen for t he PV plant . The m ount ing
st ruct ures will comply w it h appropriat e indust rial st andards and will be capable of w it hst anding onsite loading and clim atic conditions.
Tandem Structure - The m odules w ill be arranged in landscape orient at ion in 4 rows. 60
modules w ill be assem bled per support st ruct ure. The t ot al number of m ount ing st ruct ures
required w ould be 1632 for t he 12.7296 M Wp plant .
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Thin Film - The modules w ill be arranged in landscape orient at ion in 6 row s. 90 modules w ill
be assem bled per support st ruct ure. The t ot al num ber of m ount ing st ruct ures required
would be 1386 f or t he 11.2266 M Wp plant .
2.3.1.3
Inverters
The DC elect ricit y generat ed by t he modules w ill be convert ed t o AC in t he invert ers. The proposed
project will comprise of HITACHI make PCS-670 kW transform er less inverters. These are three phase
invert ers, which are clust ered in groups of four for a single plot . The Single Line Diagram (AC and DC
Side) has been provided in Annexure VIII.
2.3.1.4
Transformers
The low volt age st at ion w ill comprise of 0.370-0.370-0.370-0.370/ 11 kV, 3000 kVA, 50 Hz ONAN t ype
st ep-up t ransform ers suit able for cont inuous operat ion. The t ransform ers have been select ed t o
operate at maximum efficiency and to be rated f or a m aximum temperature rise of 55°C with a daily
average ambient tem perature of 40°C. The transform er cores w ill be constructed from CRGO
elect rical grade st eel sheet laminat ions. Winding conduct or m at erial should be elect rolyt ic grade
copper, free from any scales w it h no possibilit y of shrinkages. The core and copper losses will be
minim al.
2.3.1.5
High Voltage Station
The high volt age st at ion will come up at t he solar plant premises and will be owned by ACM E. It will
comprise of tw o 11/ 132 kV, 50/ 60 M VA, 50 Hz ONAN / ONAF type step up transform ers and a
sw it chyard.
2.3.1.6
Earthing System
There will be dedicat ed eart hing st at ions for t ransform er, M V sw it ch boards, PLC panels and high
volt age panels. M aint enance free eart hing st at ions have been considered for t he designs. All t he
modules w ill be appropriat ely eart hed in accordance t o t he NEC. Grounding of t he m odules m ay be
done as recom mended by manufact urer.
2.3.1.7
Lightning Protection
The ent ire PV plant and t he elect rical room will be prot ect ed from light ning. The prot ect ion syst em
will be based on early stream er em ission lightning conductor air terminals. The air term inals w ill
provide an um brella prot ect ion against direct light ning st rike covering a radial dist ance of 100 m.
The air t erm inal will be capable of handling mult iple st rikes of light ning current and should be
maint enance free aft er inst allat ion. The light ning arrest or will be inst alled in t he M V subst at ion
room wit h a m ast height of 5 m. These air t erminals w ill be connect ed t o respect ive eart hing
st at ions, and an eart hing grid will be form ed connect ing all t he eart hing st at ions t hrough t he
required galvanised iron t apes.
The eart hing st at ions for t he light ing discharges will be provided w it h t est links of phosphorus
bronze and locat ed at 150 mm above ground level in an easily accessible position for t est ing.
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2.4 Cur r ent Status
The proposed project is in t he planning st ages. The land for t he project has been ident ified and an
Allotment Letter from the District Collector, Jodhpur Division confirm ing the transfer of 275 bigha
(44.15 hect ares) land on lease has been obt ained. The form al coordinat es of t he project area by t he
St at e Revenue Depart m ent aft er t he issuance of Allot ment Let t er is in t he process of being
undert aken. The const ruct ion cont ract or, ACM E Cleant ech Solut ions has been ident ified t o
commence the construction activities at site.
2.5 Land Requir ement
The proposed 20 M W project will be developed in 275 bigha (44.15 hect ares) of land falling under
Khasra no. 124 as per t he revenue records. The land for t he project com prises of revenue land t hat
has been classified as ‘Gair M umkim Raida land’ or ‘uncult ivable land’ as per t he revenue records.
The pow er from t he Project will be evacuat ed t hrough t wo double circuit 132 kV lines and only t he
right of way for t he t ransmission line will be procured. The access roads t o t he sit e will be about 4-5
km long and w ill also pass t hrough revenue land only. No privat e land is t o be procured for t he
Project . The allot ment let t er t o RSEPL has been obt ained from t he Dist rict Collect or; Jodhpur
th
Division dat ed 17 October 2014.
A No Objection Certificate for the project has also been obtained from the Sarpanch of Bari Seer
th
Panchayat dat ed 20 Sept ember 2014. The No Object ion Cert ificat e st at es t hat t he land for t he
project has been classified as revenue land and is not used by t he comm unit y for any purpose.
2.6 Power Pur chase Agreement
th
The Power Purchase Agreement (PPA) has been execut ed bet ween RSEPL & SECI on 28 M arch,
2014. Key highlight s of t he PPA are sum marized as below.
Validity of the PPA shall be 25 years from the date of commercial operation. As per the
terms of PPA, RSEPL have to commission the project w ithin 13 months from the date of PPA
i.e. 28t h M arch, 2014 failing w hich project developer is liable t o be pay liquidit y dam ages of
INR 1, 00, 000/ day/ M W after 3 months of grace period.
Power from the solar PV plant shall be evacuated at 132 kV voltage levels, with the point of
int erconnect ion as prescribed by SECI.
Tariff rate as agreed upon shall be INR 5.45/ kWh for 25 years from the date of commercial
operat ion. M et ering shall be done joint ly by t he project developer and SECI on first dat e of
every mont h leading in t ransparent adm inist rat ion.
Benefit s of t he Clean Development M echanism (CDM ) will be shared bet w een t he power
producer and SECI. However, t he pow er producer w ill enjoy full benefit s of t he Clean
Developm ent M echanism (CDM ) in t he first year, aft er which it s share w ill reduce by 10%
every year t ill bot h part ies enjoy equal benefit s (50:50).
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2.7 Implementation Schedule
The scheduled dat e of t he comm issioning of t he project is est im at ed at 13 m ont hs from t he dat e of
t he PPA. First level of planning for project im plement at ion has been done. The implement at ion
schedule is present ed in
Table 2-4.
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Table 2-4 : Implementation Schedule for the proposed plant
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2.8 Constr uction Activities
2.8.1 Site Development
The site developm ent activities for the proposed project will entail the following:
soil investigations;
sit e surveys;
site levelling;
const ruct ion of access roads;
fencing of site;
laying of foundat ions;
The land for t he proposed sit e is fairly levelled and no m ajor cut t ing and filling will be required. The
detailed design of foundations will be carried out after detailed geological analysis.
2.8.2 Water r equir ement
In t he proposed plant almost all t he buildings will be prefab t ype, st ruct ures w ill be prefab t ype and
all t he equipment will be packed and shift ed in complet ely assem bled or part ially assembled form .
The inst allat ion of t hese equipment s does not require w at er in any form . Very sm all quant it y of
const ruct ion wat er will be required for piling and foundat ion work w hich will be sourced from
3
authorised tankers. It is estimated that about 100-150 m of w at er will be required for t he ent ire
construct ion phase.
2.8.3 Construction Labour
During const ruct ion st age, t he average labour dem and for t he proposed project is est im at ed t o be
about 60-70 workers. The peak labour requirem ent for t he project will be about 100 persons. The
unskilled labour for t he project which will const it ut e 70-80% of t he t ot al manpow er required w ill be
hired locally. Only skilled labour and securit y st aff w ill involve migrant labour. The labour camps for
t he Project will be provided w it hin t he sit e premises and will comprise of port a cabins. Adequat e
sanitation facilities will be provided for the labour.
The securit y st aff will be t rained adequat ely in t he use of force (and where applicable, firearm s) and
appropriat e conduct t oward workers and t he local comm unit y, and require t hem t o act wit hin t he
applicable law .
2.8.4 Construction Power
The const ruct ion power will be provided at sit e locat ion from 200 kVA, 11 kV HV feeders passing
nearby plant area. Ranji Solar Energy Pvt. Ltd. will apply for construction power t o DISCOM after
possession of land and pow er shall be provided aft er preliminary formalit ies and deposit ion of
required fee.
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2.9 Oper ation and Maintenance
The operat ion of solar power plant is relat ively sim ple and rest rict ed t o daylight hours. W it h
aut om at ed funct ions of invert er and sw it chyard cont rollers, t he maint enance will be m ost ly orient ed
towards better up keep and monitoring of overall perform ance of the system . The solar Phot ovoltaic
syst em requires t he least maint enance am ong all power generat ion facilit y due t o t he absence of
fuel, int ense heat , rot at ing machinery and wast e disposal. However, keeping t he Phot ovolt aic panels
in good condit ion, monit oring and correct ing fault s in t he connect ed equipment and cabling are st ill
required in order t o get m aximum energy from t he plant . The m aint enance funct ions of a t ypical
solar PV pow er plant can be categorised as given.
Scheduled or prevent at ive maint enance – Planned in advance and aimed at prevent ing
fault s from occurring, as w ell as keeping t he plant operat ing at it s opt imum level.
Unscheduled maint enance – carried out in response t o failures
2.9.1 Scheduled Maintenance Activities
The Scheduled M aint enance includes t he following act ivit ies:
M odule Cleaning – The module cleaning will depend on t he sit e locat ion, weat her pat t erns,
availability of water & cleaning m aterial, low ering of soiling loss.
Junct ion or St ring Combiner Box – periodic checking of t he junct ion boxes and st ring
combiner boxes for w at er ingress, dirt or dust accumulat ion and int egrit y of t he connect ions
t o avoid corrosion & short circuit .
Invert er Servicing – Invert er fault s are t he most comm on cause of syst em dow nt ime in PV
power plant s and t herefore, t he scheduled m aint enance of invert ers should be t reat ed as a
cent rally import ant part of t he O& M st rat egy. The prevent ive maint enance of invert ers
includes visual inspection, cleaning/ replacing cooling fan filters, rem oval of dust from
elect ronic component s and t ight ening of any loose connect ions.
Ot her act ivit ies w ill include t est ing of st ruct ural int egrit y, balance of plant m aint enance and
veget at ion cont rols.
2.9.2 Unscheduled Maintenance:
Unscheduled m aint enance act ivit ies will include t asks undert aken in response of failures. The key
paramet er w hen considering unscheduled maint enance w ill be diagnosis, speed of response and
repair t ime. Alt hough t he short est possible response w ill be preferable for increasing energy yield,
this w ill be balanced against the likely increased contractual costs of shor ter response times.
2.9.3 Resource Requirements
2.9.3.1
W ater Requirements
The w at er requirem ent s for t he plant will be predom inant ly for washing of solar PV m odules w it h
wat er periodically t o rem ove bird droppings, dust and ot her dirt and domest ic wat er consumpt ion.
3
The dom est ic wat er consum pt ion for t he Project is est imat ed t o be 2-3 m / day and will be m et
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through the canal water which is also available for domestic water demands. With a cleaning
3
schedule of t wice/ t hrice a m ont h, it is est imat ed t hat approximat ely 35 - 40 m per day of water will
be required for cleaning purpose. The w at er requirement s for t he project w ill be m et t hrough
groundw ater using bore w ells. The project area falls in Bap tehsil which form s a part of Bap Block of
Jodhpur Dist rict .
As per the assessment of Central Ground Water Board for Jodhpur District , the stage of groundw ater
developm ent of t he dist rict is 197 %. The Bap block has w it nessed a m aximum rise of 1.59m in
ground w at er levels and a rise of 0.01m as per decadal t rend. The net groundw at er availabilit y in t he
Block is 59.2212 M CM and the annual gross draft is 16.2701 M CM . The above mentioned data
asserts that the Bap Block falls under the safe category for groundw ater developm ent. The stage of
groundw at er developm ent of t he Block is 27.47%. It is import ant t o ment ion t hat wit h t he coming
up of t he Indira Gandhi Irrigation canal, t he populat ion of Bap block now draw w at er from t he canal
for dom est ic consumpt ion and irrigat ion purposes. The groundw at er dem and has t herefore furt her
reduced in t he Block. Since t he plant is based on an arid land, wat er harvest ing and w at er
conservat ion is recomm ended t o be pract iced at t he plant sit e. Channels and culvert s are required t o
be const ruct ed t o harvest rainwat er in t he plant sit e, which will event ually help in recharging of
ground w at er.
Considering t he development of ot her solar pow er project s in t he region and development of RIICO
industrial area, it is likely that an industrial supply line will be laid parallel to the existing Indira
Gandhi irrigat ion canal. ACM E group, along w it h ot her solar pow er project developers in t he region
int ends t o subm it an applicat ion for providing wat er supply from t he indust rial line t o t he solar
power project s in t he region t o reduce t he st ress on t he groundwat er resources of t he region.
2.9.3.2
M an Power Deployment
The m anpow er requirem ent for t he operat ion phase of t he Project has been est imat ed t o be 6
engineers, 8 t echnicians and 20-30 st aff for cleaning of solar panels. The organisat ion st ruct ure for
t he Project com prises of a Plant Head responsible for t he day-t o-day operat ions of t he plant . The
Plant Head will be posit ioned at sit e and will direct ly report t o t he Deput y General M anager. He will
be assist ed by shift in charge and maint enance t echnicians. The day-t o-day operat ion / funct ions like
planning t he rout ine m aint enance, safet y and environm ent al cont rol will be placed under t he care of
the shift in charges.
2.9.3.3
Training
It will be necessary t o have t he operat ion and m aint enance personnel t o have requisit e
qualificat ions, experience and skill. The Plant M anager will be select ed as an experienced person
draw n from similar indust ry as far as possible. Adequate t raining will be provided t o operat ion and
maint enance personnel at t he Phot ovolt aic power plant . Persons wit h mandat ory compet ency
cert ificat e holder for key elect rical funct ions w ill be put in charge of t he relevant operat ions.
Recruit ment of persons will be planned in such a w ay t hat t he shift in charges and m aint enance
technician are available at the start of commissioning after training.
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2.10 Associated facilities
2.10.1 Power Evacuation
The pow er generat ed from t he proposed plant will be st epped up t o 132 KV level using t wo 11/ 132
kV, 50/ 60 M VA (ONAN/ ONAF), OUTDOOR t ype t ransform ers locat ed in t he 132 kV swit chyard w it hin
t he plant premises. Two 132 kV lines from t he t ransfor mers w ill form int o a single bus and power
will be t ransferred t hrough double circuit line t o t he 132 kV Bari Seer Grid Subst at ion. The
t ransmission line w ill pass t hrough revenue land and only t he right of way w ill be leased for t he
t ransmission line.
2.10.2 Access Roads
Access roads of about 4-5 km lengt h will be developed t o provide connect ivit y t o t he sit e fr om t he
Nat ional Highway – 15. The road alignment will also pass t hrough revenue land and will be t aken on
lease from the Governm ent.
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3. Applicable Legal Fr amewor k
This sect ion highlight s t he environm ent al and social regulat ions applicable t o t he proposed solar
power project . The sect ion broadly focuses on t he inst it ut ional framework, applicable environment ,
healt h and safet y and social legislat ive, IFC’s Performance Standards and ADB’s Safeguard Policy
Statement requirements relevant to the proposed Project.
3.1 Enforcement Agencies
A brief descript ion of t he relevant enforcement agencies w it h respect t o t he inst it ut ional framework
is described in t he follow ing sub-sect ions.
3.1.1 Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change
The M inist ry of Environm ent , Forest s and Climat e Change (M oEFCC) is t he nodal agency in t he
adm inist rat ive st ruct ure of t he Cent ral Governm ent for t he planning, promot ion, co-ordinat ion and
overseeing t he implement at ion of India's environm ent al and forest ry policies and program mes.
The primary concerns of t he M inist ry are implem ent at ion of policies and program mes relat ing t o
conservation of the country's natural resources including its lakes and rivers, its biodiversity, forests
and w ildlife, ensuring t he welfare of animals, and t he prevent ion and abat em ent of pollut ion. While
implement ing t hese policies and program mes, t he M inist ry is guided by t he principle of sust ainable
development and enhancement of human well-being.
The specific funct ions of M oEFCC are as follow s:
o
o
o
o
Environment al policy planning;
Effective im plem entation of legislation;
M onit oring and cont rol of pollut ion;
Environm ent al Clearances for indust rial and development project s covered under EIA
notification;
o
o
Promot ion of environm ent al educat ion, t raining and awareness; and
Forest conservat ion, development , and wildlife prot ect ion.
3.1.2 Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB)
The Cent ral Pollut ion Cont rol Board (CPCB) was est ablished in Sept em ber 1974, for t he purpose of
implement ing provisions of t he Wat er (Prevent ion and Cont rol of Pollut ion) Act , 1974. The execut ive
responsibilit ies for t he indust rial pollut ion prevent ion and cont r ol are primarily execut ed by t he
CPCB at the Central level, which is a statutory body, at tached t o the M oEFCC. CPCB w orks tow ards
cont rol of wat er, air and noise pollut ion, land degradat ion and hazardous subst ances and wast e
management . The specific functions of CPCB are as follow s:
o
o
Prevent pollution of streams and wells;
Advise t he Cent ral Government on mat t ers concerning prevent ion, cont rol and abat em ent
of wat er and air pollut ion;
o
Co-ordinate the activities of SPCB’s and provide them with technical and research assistance;
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o
Est ablish and keep under review qualit y st andards for surface and groundw at er and for air
quality;
o
Planning and execut ion of nat ional program me for t he prevent ion, cont rol and abat ement of
pollut ion t hrough t he Wat er and Air Act s; and
o
The CPCB is responsible for the overall implementation and m onitoring of air and w ater
pollut ion cont rol under t he Wat er Act , 1974, and t he Air Act , 1981.
3.1.3 Rajasthan Pollution Control Board (RPCB)
Rajasthan Pollution Control Board (RPCB) implements various environmental legislations in the state
of Rajast han, mainly including Wat er (Prevent ion and Cont rol of Pollut ion) Act , 1974, Air (Prevent ion
and Cont rol of Pollut ion) Act , 1981, Wat er (Cess) Act , 1977 and som e of t he provisions under
Environm ent al (Prot ect ion) Act , 1986 and t he rules fram ed t here under like, Biomedical Wast e
(M & H) Rules, 1998, Hazardous W aste (M & H) Rules, 2000, M unicipal Solid Waste Rules, 2000. Som e
of the import ant functions of RPCB are:
o
To plan comprehensive program for t he prevent ion, cont rol or abat em ent of pollut ion and
secure executions t hereof,
o
To collect and disseminat e informat ion relat ing t o pollut ion and t he prevent ion, cont rol or
abatem ent thereof,
o
To inspect sew age or trade effluent treatm ent and disposal facilities, and air pollution
cont rol syst em s and t o review plans, specificat ion or any ot her dat a relat ing t o t he
t reat ment plant s, disposal syst em s and air pollut ion cont rol syst em s in connect ion wit h t he
consent grant ed,
o
Support ing and encouraging t he development s in t he f ields of pollut ion cont rol, wast e
recycle reuse and eco-friendly pract ices.
o
To educat e and guide t he ent repreneurs in improving environm ent by suggesting
appropriat e pollut ion cont rol t echnologies and t echniques
o
Creat ion of public awareness about t he clean and healt hy environm ent and at t ending t he
public com plaints regarding pollution
3.1.4 Rajasthan Forests Department
The Forest Depar tment is responsible for the m anagem ent of forests and wildlife in the state of
Rajasthan. It implements three major acts- Rajasthan Forest Act 1953, Indian Wildlife (Protection)
Act 1972 and Forest (Conservat ion) Act 1980. The various act ivit ies undert aken by t he depart m ent
include Forest Protection, Forest Developm ent Works, Wildlife M anagement, Soil and M oisture
Conservat ion Works, Forest Planning, Harvest ing, Ecot ourism act ivit ies, Research, Ext ension and
Training.
3.1.5 Petr oleum and Explosives Safety Or ganisation ( PESO)
The PESO is under t he Depart m ent of Indust rial Policy & Prom ot ion, M inist ry of Comm erce and
Indust ry, Government of India. The Chief Cont roller of explosives is responsible t o deal wit h
provisions of
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o
o
o
o
The Explosive Act 1884 and Rules, 1983,
The Pet roleum Act 1934 and t he Rules 2002,
The St at ic and M obile pressure vessels {Unfired} Rules, 1981 and am endm ent 2000, 2004;
M anufact ure, St orage and Import of Hazardous Chem ical Rules, 1989 and am endm ent 2000
3.1.6 Director Industrial Safety and Health
The main objective of the Director, Industrial Safet y and Health is to ensure safety, health, welfare
and w orking condit ions of w orkers w orking in fact ories and in const ruct ion works by effect ively
enforcing t he provisions of t he Fact ories Act , t he Building & Ot her Const ruct ion W orkers Act and
others labour legislations. It is also to ensure the protection of rights of workers and to redress their
grievances.
3.2 Applicable Envir onmental and Social Laws, Regulations and Policies
The relevant act s and Rules pert aining t o t he project is sum marised in sect ion below.
3.2.1 Environmental Laws, Regulations and Policies
The Environment (Protection) Act; 1986 and Environment (Protection) Rules 1986 and amendments
The Environm ent (Prot ect ion) Act , 1986 has been enact ed t o provide for t he prot ect ion and
improvement of environm ent by preparat ion of m anuals, codes or guides relat ing t o prevent ion,
cont rol and abat em ent of environm ent pollut ion. This Act is an um brella legislat ion t hat provides a
single focus for t he prot ect ion of t he environm ent and seeks t o plug t he loopholes of earlier
legislat ion relating t o t he environm ent . The Act furt her makes it mandat ory t hat discharges from any
indust ry or operat ion are not in excess of t he st andards and hazardous subst ances handling comply
wit h t he procedural safeguards. The salient provisions of t he Act include but not limit ed t o t he
follow ing:
o
o
Restrict or prohibit industries, operations or processes in specified areas;
Undertake environmental impact assessment for certain categories of industries to inform
t he decision making in approval of new or expansion project s;
o
o
Rest rict or prohibit handling of hazardous subst ances in specified areas;
Prot ect and improve t he qualit y of t he environm ent and prevent ion, cont rol and abat em ent
of environment al pollut ion;
o
Lay down st andards f or t he qualit y of t he environm ent , em issions or discharges of
environment al pollut ant s from various sources;
o
Lay dow n procedures and safeguards for t he prevent ion of accident s, w hich may cause
environm ent al pollut ion;
o
Bar on filling of any suit or legal proceedings against the Governm ent or officials empowered
by it for act ion t aken in good fait h, in pursuance of t he Act ; and
o
Bar of jurisdict ion t o Civil Court t o ent ert ain any suit or proceedings in respect of anyt hing
done, act ion t aken or direct ions issued by t he Cent ral Government or any ot her aut horit y
em powered by it , in pursuance of t he Act .
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Box 1: Applicability of Environment (Protection) Act; 1986 and Environment (Protection) Rules
1986 and amendments
The Environm ent Prot ect ion Act and Environm ent Prot ect ion Rules require project s t o maint ain
st ipulat ed st andards and environm ent al management t hrough various support ing rules promulgat ed
under t he Act .
RSEPL shall ensure compliance under the Rules.
The W ater (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974 and Air (Prevention and Control of
Pollution) Act 1981
The object ives of t he Wat er (Prevent ion and Cont rol of Pollut ion) Act are t o provide for t he
Prevent ion and Cont rol of Wat er Pollut ion and t he maint enance or rest orat ion of t he
wholesomeness of water for the establishm ent, with a view to carrying out the purposes aforesaid,
of Boards for t he prevent ion and cont rol of wat er pollut ion, for conferring on and assigning t o such
Boards pow ers and funct ions relat ing t heret o and for mat t ers connect ed t herew it h.
The Air (Prevent ion and Cont rol of Pollut ion) Act , 1981 has been enact ed t o im plem ent m easures
devised for it s effect ive prevent ion, cont rol or abat em ent of air pollut ion. The Act assigns pow ers
and funct ions t o t he CPCB and t he SPCBs for prevent ion and cont rol of air pollut ion and all ot her
related m atters. The CPCB, as well as the SPCBs are eligible for contributions from the Central as well
as t he St at e Government , respect ively, t o perform t heir funct ions appropriat ely. The Act prohibit s
t he const r uct ion and operat ion of any indust rial plant wit hout t he consent of SPCBs.
Box 2: Applicability of W ater Act, 1974 and Air Act, 1981
Any process or activity resulting in discharge of wastewater/ effluent into the environment falls
under t he purview of t his Act and requires t he developer t o t ake ‘Consent t o Est ablish’ and/ or
‘Consent t o Operat e’ under t he Wat er Act . Any process or act ivit y result ing in release of
cont aminant s t o t he at mosphere requires a ‘Consent t o Est ablish’ and/ or ‘Consent t o Operat e’
under the Air Act. The solar power projects have been classified as Green Category projects.
The proposed project will obtain ‘Consent to Establish’ and ‘Consent to Operate’ under the W ater
Act from Rajasthan Pollution Control Board
EIA Notification 2006 as amended till 2009
The EIA Not ificat ion provides for conduct ing environment al impact assessm ent st udies and obt aining
environm ent al clearance from M inist ry of Environm ent , Forest s and Climat e change or St at e
Environm ent Impact Assessment Aut horit y. The Schedule of t he not ificat ion provides crit eria for
categorising projects into A and B categories based on the m agnitude and scale of the impacts
associat ed w it h t he project and provides for incorporat ing environm ent al safeguards in t he project
planning phase.
Box 3: Applicability of EIA Notification
As per schedule to the notification, pr ojects or act ivities are categorised as i.e. A or B, based on their
t hreshold and likely spat ial ext ent of pot ent ial impact s on hum an healt h and nat ural and m anm ade
resources. The category A and B projects require Environm ental Clearance from M inistry of
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Environm ent , Forest s and Climat e change (M oEFCC) or St at e Environm ent Impact Assessm ent
Aut horit ies. Solar power project s are exempt ed from t he purview of t he EIA not ificat ion.
The EIA Notification is not applicable to the proposed project.
M anufacture Storage & Import of Hazardous Chemicals (M SIHC) Rules 1989 and Amendment 2000
These rules apply t o t he act ivit ies, which involve handling, st orage and import of hazardous
chem icals as specified in Schedule 1 of the Rules. The indicative criteria are specified in the Part 1 of
t he sam e schedule. The rule also applies t o t he indust rial act ivit y involving isolat ed st orage in t he
quant it ies m ent ioned in Schedule 2.
The M SIHC Rules also require provision for t he proper st orage and handling of chem icals. Definit ion
and classificat ion of t he chem icals as dangerous/ hazardous is specified under t he M SIHC Rules and
list ed in Schedules 1, 2 & 3. The inform at ion on various requirem ent s and clearances under t he
M SIHC Rules has to be furnished to the SPCB office.
Box 4: Applicability of M SIHC Rules, 1989
The proposed project will not require st orage or use of explosives during const ruct ion act ivit ies.
The Rules are not applicable to the proposed Project as no Hazardous Chemicals are envisaged.
Ozone Depleting Substances (Regulation) Rules, 2000 as amended in 2005
As a part y t o t he Vienna Convent ion on t he prot ect ion of t he ozone layer and t he M ont real Prot ocol,
India has released t he Ozone Deplet ing Subst ances (Regulat ion) Rules 2000 pursuant t o t he
Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.
Rules regulat e product ion, consum pt ion, export , import , sale, purchase and use of ozone deplet ing
subst ances in specified t ime bound program me in line wit h t he M ont real Prot ocol.
Box 5: Applicability of ODS Rules, 2000
The proposed project will involve use of insulating material for wiring and electrical units. Som e of
t he insulat ing m at erials comprise of ozone deplet ing subst ances.
RSEPL shall ensure that all the insulation material used for w iring and electrical units used for the
proposed project are free of ozone depleting substances.
Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules, 2000
As per the Noise Pollution (Regulation and Control) Rules 2000, every operating facility is required to
t ake all possible st eps t o meet t he am bient noise level st andards prescribed in t he Rules. The rules
prescribe maxim um permissible values of day and night time noise levels for zones A, B, C and D
represent ing indust rial, commercial, and resident ial and silence zone respect ively
Box 6: Applicability of Noise Pollution Rules, 2000
The Rules require act ivit y/ processes generat ing noise t o ensure t hat t he am bient noise st andards
are wit hin t he prescribed St andards. The proposed project will result in generat ion of noise during
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const ruct ion. The project is locat ed in a resident ial area and t he noise st andards prescribed for t hese
area as 55 dB (A) for daytime and 45 dB(A) for night -time.
RSEPL shall ensure compliance to the Noise standards for the residential area in the proximity of
the project during construction period.
Hazardous W aste M anagement, Handling and Trans Boundary M ovement Rules 2008 as amended.
The rule st at es t he requirem ent for handling and m anaging wast es cat egories as hazardous under
t he schedule. It lays down requirem ent for:
o
o
o
Authorisation for collection, reception, st orage, transportation and disposal of hazardous wastes
Filing of annual ret urn under t he rules
Ot her compliance under t he rules include:
o
o
Aut horisat ion by Cent ral Pollution Cont rol Boards t o vendors accept ing wast e/ used oil
Liabilit y of t he occupier, t ransport er and operat or of a facilit y: The occupier, t ransport er
and operat or of a facilit y shall be liable for dam ages caused t o t he environm ent result ing
due t o improper handling and disposal of hazardous w ast e list ed in schedules t o t he
Rules;
o
The occupier and operator of a facility shall also be liable to reinstate or restore
dam aged or dest royed elem ent s of t he environm ent ;
o
The occupier and operator of a facility shall be liable to pay a fine as levied by the State
Pollut ion Cont rol Board wit h t he approval of t he Cent r al Pollut ion Cont rol Board for any
violat ion of t he provisions under t hese rules.
Box 7: Applicability of Hazardous W aste M anagement, Handling and Trans Boundary M ovement
Rules
The Rules require activit y/ processes involving st orage and handling of hazardous w aste, t o seek
Aut horisat ion from St at e Pollut ion Cont rol Boards. The proposed project will result in generat ion of
sm all quant it ies of w ast e oil (lubricant , hydraulic, et c.) from const ruct ion m achinery and equipment
during const ruct ion phase. It w ill generat e t ransform er oil during operat ion phase. Broken solar
panels or defunct solar panels w ill also be generated from the project.
RSEPL shall tie up w ith the supplier of transformers for the repair and maintenance w orks and w ill
specify replacement and disposal of used transformer oil as a mandate for the supplier. RSEPL
shall also enter into buyback agreements w ith the solar panel manufacturer and supplier.
Forests (Conservation) Act, 1980 and Rules 1981
The Act restricts the powers of the State in respect of de-reservation of forests and the use of
forestlands for non-forest purposes. An advisory com mittee has been created to oversee the
implement at ion of t he st at ut e. According t o Sect ion 2 of t he Act " prior approval of t he Cent ral
Governm ent is required for:
o
o
o
De-reservat ion of a reserved forest
Use any forest land for any non -forest purpose
Assign any forest land t o any privat e person or ent it y not cont rolled by t he Government
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o
Clear any forest land of naturally grow n trees for the purpose of using it for reforestation
Box 8: Applicability of Forest Conservation Act, 1980 and Rules, 1981
The Forest Conservat ion Act and Rules m andat e project s requiring diversion of forest land for nonforest purposes to seek Forest Clearance from the M inistry of Environment and Forests and Climate
Change. The proposed project does not require any forest land and will not t rigger t he condit ions of
the Act.
The Forest Conservation Act, 1980 and Rules, 1981 w ill not be triggered by as no forest land is
required for the proposed project
The W ildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
The Act provides for protection to listed species of flora and fauna and establishes a netw ork of
ecologically important protected areas. It em pow ers t he Central and State Governm ents to declare
any area to be a Wildlife Sanctuary, National Park or a closed area.
There is a blanket ban on carrying out any indust rial process or act ivit y inside any of t hese prot ect ed
areas. In case forestland within the protected areas network is to be diverted for any non-wildlife
use, a no object ion has t o be obt ained from t he Indian Board of Wildlife and t he St at e Legislat ure,
before t he final considerat ion by M oEFCC.
The schedules cat egorize anim als, birds, and plant s. Schedule I list s endangered species of mam mals,
rept iles, amphibians, birds, crust aceans and insects. Any possession and transport at ion of t hese
species wit hout prior permission is offence under t he Act .
Box 9: Applicability of the W ildlife (Protection) Act, 1972
The W ildlife Protection Act, 1972 is not triggered by the project as no wild life habitats of corridors
are affected by the project.
3.3 Social Laws, Regulations and Policies
The Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and
Resettlement Act, 2013
The Act lays dow n procedures for acquisit ion of land f or public purpose, including need for a social
im pact assessment st udy, notification and acquisit ion, payment for damage, hearing of objections,
preparat ion of rehabilit at ion and reset t lement schem e by t he Administ rat or, declarat ion of t he
int ended acquisit ion, enquiry int o measurem ent , values and claims and aw ard by t he compet ent
aut horit y, rehabilit at ion and reset t lement award for af fect ed fam ilies and provisions for Scheduled
Cast es and Scheduled Tribes. The key feat ures include:
o
o
Prelim inary not ificat ion for land proposed for acquisit ion for public purpose
Clearing of object ion w it hin 60 days of t he not ificat ion and t he provision for hearing of all
objections
o
o
o
Param et ers t o be considered by Collect or in det erm inat ion of am ount of compensat ion
National monitoring comm ittee for rehabilitation and resettlem ent
Est ablishm ent of Land Acquisit ion, Rehabilit at ion and Reset t lem ent Aut horit y
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o
o
o
Apport ionment of Compensat ion and disput e set t lem ent regarding t he sam e
Paym ent of com pensat ion for land value, t rees and st ruct ures
Developers t o get t he consent of up t o 80 per cent of people w hose land is acquired for
privat e project s. For Public Privat e Part nership project s, t he appr oval of 70 per cent of land
ow ners is mandat ory
o
Elaborat e processes and ent it lem ent s for rehabilit at ion and reset t lement by part icularising
t he out lines of benefit s
o
Com pensat ion for land ow ners and livelihood losers
Box 10: Applicability of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition,
Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013
The Right t o Fair Compensat ion and Transparency in Land Acquisit ion, Rehabilit at ion and
Reset t lem ent Act is applicable w hen privat e land is being acquired by t he government . The land for
t he project comprises of leased ‘Gair M um kim Raida’ or ‘barren non agricult ural’ revenue land under
Government of Rajast han. The land does not comprise any privat e land.
The land being acquired for the project is revenue land under Government of Rajasthan and is
proposed to be leased and hence, does not trigger the Right to Fair Compensation and
Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act.
The Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dw ellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act 2006
& rules 2007
The act vest s t he forest right s and occupat ion in forest land in forest dwellers (ST and ot her
t radit ional forest dwellers) w ho have been residing in forest s for generat ions but whose right s could
not be recorded. The act provides a framework for recognising t he forest right s and t he nat ure of
evidence required for such recognit ion and vest ing of f orest land.
Box 11: Applicability of the Scheduled Tribes and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of
Forest Rights) Act 2006 & rules 2007
The project does not include any forest area or any of the traditional forest dwellers.
The Act is not applicable for the proposed project.
The Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986
The Act prohibit s em ploym ent of children in cert ain occupat ion and processes as list ed in t he Act .
The Act also specifies condit ions of work for children, if perm it t ed t o work. These include a working
day of m aximum of 6 hours a day (including rest ), no work period exceeding 3 hours at a st ret ch, and
no overt ime (Sect ion 7). The Act requires maint enance of a regist er for employed children (Sect ion
11).
The Const it ut ion of India (Part III, Art icle 24 - Fundam ent al Right s) describes t hat no child below t he
age of fourt een years shall be employed t o work in any fact ory or engaged in any ot her hazardous
employment
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Box 12: Applicability of the Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act, 1986
The Child Labour Act prohibit s em ploym ent of children in cert ain occupat ions and processes
including const ruct ion works. The project will involve const ruct ion act ivit ies t hrough subcont ract ors.
RSEPL shall ensure that no child labour is engaged at site for construction or operation w orks
either directly or by the sub contractors. RSEPL shall include a clause in the subcontractor
agreements prohibiting employment of child labour for the proposed project.
The Bonded Labour (Abolit ion) Act 1976
The act st at es t hat all form s of bonded labour st ands abolished and every bonded labourer st ands
freed and discharged from any obligat ions t o render any bonded labour.
Box 13: Applicability of the Bonded Labour (Abolition) Act, 1976
RSEPL shall ensure no bonded labour is engaged at site for construction or operation w orks.
The Trade Union Act, 1926
Provides procedures for form at ion and regist rat ion of Trade Unions and list s t heir right s and
liabilities. It encompasses any com bination, perm anent or tem porary, that gets formed to regulate
relat ionship bet w een workmen and t heir em ployers.
Box 14: Applicability of the Trade Union Act, 1976
RSEPL shall ensure that there is no policy restricting association of workers.
W ages
The Governm ent of India has form ulated several Acts and Policies regarding wages and
rem unerat ion. The det ails have been provided below:
M inimum W ages Act, 1948 – The Act requires t he Government t o fix m inimum rat es of
wages and review the rates every 5 years. These are the m inimum wages that are to be paid
t o employees.
The Payment of Wages Act , 1936, am ended in 2005 - Every em ployer shall be responsible for
t he payment t o persons employed by him of all w ages required t o be paid under t his Act .
Equal Rem unerat ion Act 1976 - As per t he Equal Remunerat ion Act 1976, it is t he dut y of an
em ployer t o pay equal remunerat ion t o m en and w omen workers for same work or work of
a similar nat ure.
Box 15: Applicability of the Acts Regarding W ages
The various act s described above require project s t o provide paym ent t o it s em ployees and t he
payment should be in no case lesser t han t he rat es provided in t he M inimum Wages Act . Also, equal
payment t o men and w omen for sam e w ork is required.
RSEPL shall ensure that payment of minimum wages as fixed by the government or above without
any gender bias is paid by RSEPL and its sub-contractors.
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W orkmen's Compensation Act, 1923
The Act requires t hat , if personal injury is caused t o a workman by accident arising out of and in t he
course of his em ploym ent , his em ployer shall be liable t o pay compensat ion in accordance wit h t he
provisions of this Act.
Box 16: Applicability of the W orkmen’s Compensation Act, 1923
The proposed project will involve healt h and safet y risks such as elect rical hazards during
maint enance works et c during const ruct ion, operat ion and m aint enance works.
RSEPL to ensure compensation for personal injury caused to any worker by accident arising out of
and in the course of his employment as per the Act.
M aternity Benefit Act, 1961
The act st at es t hat no em ployer shall knowingly employ a w oman in any est ablishm ent during t he six
weeks immediately following the day of her delivery or her m iscarriage. No pregnant wom an shall,
on a request being made by her in t his behalf, be required by her em ployer t o do during t he period
any work which is of an arduous nat ure or which involves long hours of st anding, or which in any
way is likely t o int erfere w it h her pregnancy or t he normal developm ent of t he foet us, or is likely t o
cause her miscarriage or otherw ise to adversely affect her health.
Box 17: Applicability of the M aternity Benefit Act, 1961
RSEPL to ensure that engagement of female w orkers during their pregnancy follows the
requirement of the act.
Other Labour Related Legislations
Ot her labour relat ed legislat ions applicable for t he Project include t he following:
o
o
The E.P.F. and M iscellaneous Provisions act, 1952
Paym ent of Bonus Act , 1965 and Amendm ent Act No.43 of 1977 and No.48 of 1978 and
amendment s
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
o
Paym ent of Gratuity Act, 1972
Public Provident Fund Act , 1968
ESI Act , 1948 (Em ployees State Insurance Act, 1948)
The Cont ract Labour (Regulat ion & Abolit ion) Act , 1970 and Rules
Employer's Liabilit y Act , 1938 (as am ended).
The Indust rial Employm ent (St anding Orders) Act , 1946 (as am ended).
The Indust rial Disput es Act , 1947 (as am ended).
The Personal Injuries (Compensat ion Insurance) Act , 1963 (as amended).
Rules include:
o
o
o
o
Contract Labour (Regulation & Abolition) Central Rules, 1971
Industrial Disputes (Central) Rules, 1957
M inimum Wages (Central) Rules, 1950
Payment of Bonus Rules, 1975
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o
The Personal Injuries (Compensat ion Insurance) Rules
Box 18: Applicability of other Labour related legislations
RSEPL to ensure compliance w ith all relevant sections of the above mentioned Acts and Rules.
RSEPL shall also ensure that their sub contractors are also compliant to the same.
The Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991 amended 1992 and The Public Liability Insurance Rules,
1991 amended 1993
The Public Liabilit y Act was made effect ive t o provide insurance and imm ediat e relief, by t he one
who cont rol or handle hazardous chem icals, t o persons affect ed due t o accident due t o handling of
such hazardous subst ances on ‘No Fault Liabilit y’ basis.
The rules enlist t he pre-requisit e docum ent at ions, powers of t he collect or and gives direct ion of
applicat ion for compensat ion.
Box 19: Applicability of the Public Insurance Policy Act, 1991
The Act requires project s t o provide com pensat ion t o affect ed people in case on any accident s due
t o handling of hazardous subst ances. The proposed project does not involve handling of large
quant it ies of hazardous subst ances.
RSEPL shall provide compensation in case of any hazardous substance release due to its activities.
Building and Other Construction W orkers (Regulation Of Employment And Conditions Of Service)
Act, 1996
The Building and Ot her Const ruct ion Workers Act has been form ulat ed w it h an object ive t o regulat e
t he em ploym ent and condit ion of service of buildings and ot her const ruct ion w orkers and t o provide
for their safety, health and welfare measures and for other m atters connected therewith or
incident al t heret o.
These rules suggest t he responsibilit ies and dut ies of em ployers, archit ect s, project engineers, and
designers, building workers, undert aking any operat ion or w ork. The rule int ends t o ensure safet y of
workers, prom ote following of the accepted principles of standard safe operating practices
connect ed w it h building and ot her relat ed t o or incident al t o building or ot her const ruct ion,
sanit at ion or hygiene of w orkers, t imely payment of w ages , t est ing , examinat ion and inspect ion of
machinery and equipment .
Box 20: Applicability of Building and Other Construction W orkers (Regulation of Employment and
Conditions of Service) Act, 1996
The proposed project will not involve ext ensive const ruct ion works. The const ruct ion act ivit ies w ill
be limit ed t o sit e clearance, const ruct ion of int ernal roads, const ruct ion of foundat ions, and
installation of solar panels on m ounting structures.
RSEPL shall ensure that the contractor has a valid registration under the Building and Other
Construction W orks Act. Any other contractors or third parties to be involved in the construction
works for the proposed project, if required, will also be engaged only subject to availability of
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valid registration. All Health and Safety requirements as provided under various sections of the
rules w ill be complied by RSEPL and its sub contractors.
The Electricity Act 2003
This Act covers major issues involving generat ion, dist ribut ion, t ransmission and t rading in power.
The Act delicenses power generat ion complet ely (except for hydro power project s over a cert ain
size) as per t he act , 10% of t he pow er supplied by suppliers and dist ribut ors t o t he consum ers has t o
be generat ed using renew able and non-convent ional sources of energy so t he energy is reliable. The
Act delicenses dist ribut ion in rural areas and brings in a licensing regime for dist ribut ion in urban
areas. However, as per the Act , only 16 states in India have notified w hat constitutes as rural areas
and t herefore t he rural dist ribut ion is yet t o be freed up in nearly one t hird of t he count ry.
Box 21: Applicability of Electricity Act, 2003
The Electricity Act , 2003 allows private sector projects to obtain distribution Licences from the State
Elect ricit y Regulat ion Commit t ee and t o have open access t o t he t ransmission lines. The license
requires power generat ing com panies t o com ply w it h t he st andards of perform ance specified in t he
Act.
RSEPL shall obtain license under the electricity act and ensure that the Health and Safety
requirements specified under the rules are complied to.
3.4 Over view of Applicable Policies of Government of India
Various policies released by t he Governm ent of India from t ime t o t im e needs t o be addressed while
undert aking t he project s. Some of t he policies (including sect or specific) have been discussed briefly
in t he subsequent sect ions.
National Solar M ission
The object ive of t he Jawaharlal Nehru Nat ional Solar M ission (JNNSM ) under t he brand 'Solar India'
is to establish India as a global leader in solar energy, by creating the policy conditions for its
diffusion across the country as quickly as possible. The M ission has set a target of 20,000 M W and
st ipulat es implement at ion and achievem ent of t he t arget in 3 phases (first phase up t o 2012-13,
second phase from 2013 t o 2017 and t he t hird phase f rom 2017 t o 2022) f or various com ponent s,
including grid connect ed solar power.
The successful implem ent at ion of t he JNNSM requires t he ident ificat ion of resources t o overcome
t he financial, invest m ent , t echnology, inst it ut ional and ot her relat ed barriers which confront solar
power development in India. The penet rat ion of solar power, t herefore, requires subst ant ial
support . The policy fram ew ork of t he M ission will facilit at e t he pr ocess of achieving grid parit y by
2022.
Box 22: Applicability of Nat ional Solar M ission
The Nat ional Solar M ission encourages development of solar pow er project s in t he count ry.
The proposed project is being set up under batch 1 of Phase 2 of the Jaw aharlal Nehru Solar
M ission and will operate within the policy framework of the mission.
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National Environmental Policy 2006
Government of India released t he Nat ional Environment Policy in 2006. The present nat ional policies
for environm ent al managem ent are cont ained in t he Nat ional Forest Policy, 1988, t he Nat ional
Conservat ion St rat egy and Policy St at ement on Environment and Developm ent , 1992; and t he Policy
St at em ent on Abat ement of Pollut ion, 1992. Some sect or policies such as t he Nat ional Agricult ure
Policy, 2000; National Population Policy, 2000; and Nat ional Water Policy, 2002; have also
cont ribut ed t owards environm ent al management . All of t hese policies have recognized t he need for
sustainable developm ent in their specific contexts and formulated necessary strategies to give effect
t o such recognit ion.
The dom inant t heme of t his policy is t hat while conservat ion of environm ent al resources is
necessary to secure livelihoods and w ell-being of all, t he m ost secure basis for conservation is to
ensure t hat people dependent on part icular resources obt ain bet t er livelihoods from t he fact of
conservat ion, t han from degradat ion of t he resource.
Box 23: Applicability of Nat ional Environment Policy
The proposed project w ill comply w ith the requirements of the National Environment Policy.
3.5 IFC Per for mance Standar ds
The Perform ance St andards (PS) est ablished st ipulat es t hat t he project shall m eet t he following
t hroughout t he life of an invest m ent by IFC or ot her relevant financial inst it ut ion:
o
Perform ance Standard 1: Assessment and M anagement of Environment al and Social Risks
and Impact s;
o
o
o
o
o
Perform ance St andard 2: Labour and Working Condit ions;
Perform ance St andard 3: Resource Efficiency and Pollut ion Prevent ion;
Performance St andard 4: Comm unit y Healt h, Safet y and Securit y;
Perform ance St andard 5: Land Acquisit ion and Involunt ary Reset t lem ent ;
Perform ance St andard 6: Biodiversit y Conservat ion and Sust ainable M anagem ent of Living
Nat ural Resources
o
o
Perform ance St andard 7: Indigenous Peoples; and
Perform ance Standard 8: Cultural Heritage.
These performance st andards and guidelines provide w ays and means t o ident ify impact s and
affected st akeholders and lay dow n processes for management and mit igat ion of adverse impacts. A
brief on t he requirem ent s as laid down in t he perform ance st andards is described in t he Table 3-1.
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Table 3-1: Performance Standards and Applicability
Performance
Description
Standard
PS 1:
PS 1 est ablishes t he import ance of int egrat ed
Assessment and
assessment t o ident ify t he environm ent al and
M anagement of
social im pacts, risks, and opport unit ies of
Environm ent al and
project s;
Social Risks and
effect ive comm unit y engagement t hrough
Impact s;
disclosure of project-relat ed informat ion and
consult at ion wit h local comm unit ies on m at t ers
that directly affect them;
t he client ’s m anagem ent of environm ent al and
social perform ance t hroughout t he life of t he
project.
Applicability
Requirements
The PS 1 is applicable to projects
wit h environm ent and/ or social
risks and/ or impact s.
RSEPL shall conduct a process of
environment al and social assessment .
ASEPL already has an est ablished
Environm ent and Social M anagem ent
System (ESM S) incorporating the
follow ing elem ents:
o
policy;
o
ident ificat ion of risks and
im pacts; management
programs;
o
emergency preparedness and
response;
o
st akeholder engagement ; and
o
M onit oring and review .
The project proponent will form ulat e HR
policies and procedures and grievance
redressal mechanisms for management
of worker relat ionship in compliance w it h
IFCs requirement s. RSEPL shall provide
reasonable w orking condit ions and t erms
of em ploym ent for bot h direct and
contracted w orkers through contractor
agreement s.
The proposed project is a solar
pow er project and w ill have
environment al and social impacts
such as stress on existing water
resources, generation of noise,
construction activities etc .
PS 1 is t herefore applicable for t he
project.
PS 2:
Labour and Working
Condit ions
PS 2 recognizes t hat t he pursuit of economic
growt h t hrough em ploym ent creat ion and
income generat ion should be accompanied by
prot ect ion of t he fundam ent al right s of
workers. The objectives of the PS:2 are:
o To prom ot e t he fair t reat ment , nondiscrim ination, and equal opport unit y
of w orkers.
o To est ablish, maint ain, and improve
t he worker-m anagement relat ionship.
o To promot e compliance w it h nat ional
em ployment and labour laws.
o To prot ect workers, including
vulnerable categories of w orkers such
as children, migrant w orkers, w orkers
engaged by t hird part ies, and w orkers
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20 M W Solar Pow er Project- RSEPL
The PS:2 applies t o w orkers
direct ly engaged by t he client
(direct w orkers), w orkers engaged
t hrough t hird part ies (cont ract ed
w orkers), as w ell as w orkers
engaged by t he client ’s primary
suppliers (supply chain w orkers).
The proposed project will involve
em ployment of direct and
contract ed w orkers during
const ruct ion and operat ion
phases.
PS 2 is t herefore applicable for t he
proposed project.
P a g e | 45
The proponent shall ensure m easures t o
o Prevent child labour, forced
labour, and discrim inat ion.
Freedom of associat ion and
collective bargaining shall be
provided.
Performance
Standard
Description
in t he client ’s supply chain.
To prom ot e safe and healt hy w orking
condit ions, and t he healt h of workers.
o To avoid t he use of forced labour.
PS 3 recognizes t hat increased econom ic
act ivit y and urbanizat ion oft en generat e
increased levels of pollution to air, w ater, and
land, and consume finit e resources in a manner
t hat may t hreat en people and t he environm ent
at the local, regional, and global levels.
Applicability
Requirements
PS 3:
Resource Efficiency
and Pollut ion
Prevention
The PS-3 is applicable to projects
resulting in increased levels of
pollut ion and requires project t o
avoid, minimize, or reduce
adverse impact s on human healt h
and environm ent by adopt ing
pollut ion prevent ive and cont rol
t echnologies t hroughout t he
Project life cycle.
The proposed project is a clean
energy project and will not have
major pollut ion sources associat ed
wit h it . The const ruct ion works for
the developm ent of project will
result in generation of wastes like
w ast ew at er, w ast e oil and
const ruct ion debris .The operat ion
phase w ill result in generat ion of
minor quant it ies of w ast e such as
t ransformer oil.
PS 4:
Community Health,
Safet y, and Securit y
PS 4 recognizes that project activities,
equipm ent , and infrast ruct ure can increase
community exposure to risks and impacts. Its
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20 M W Solar Pow er Project- RSEPL
Wages, w ork hours and ot her
benefit s shall be as per t he
Nat ional labour and em ployment
law s.
RSEPL shall assess t he impacts and risks
associated with the generation, use,
st orage, release, and/ or disposal of
pollut ant s during t he ESIA, planned as
part of t he ESM S, and implem ent t hem as
per t he Act ion Plan.
o
o
PS 3 is t herefore applicable for t he
proposed project.
This performance St andard is
applicable t o project s which ent ail
pot ent ial risks and impact s t o t he
P a g e | 46
The project proponent shall plan and
implement pollut ion cont rol measures
right from the conception stage. Practices
like minimal release of w ast e, handling of
hazardous w ast e, safe disposal of w ast e
and waste water managem ent shall be
considered prior t o each phase.
The proponent shall evaluat e t he risks
associated w ith the project activities and
w ill devise measures t o address t hese
Performance
Standard
PS 5:
Land Acquisit ion and
Involunt ary
Reset tlement
PS 6:
Biodiversity
Description
Applicability
Requirements
main st ress is t o ensure t hat t he safeguarding
of personnel and propert y is carried out in
accordance wit h relevant hum an right s
principles and in a m anner t hat avoids or
minimizes risks to the Affected Communities.
healt h and safety of affect ed
communities from project
activities.
impact s t hrough t he Environm ent and
Social M anagem ent System.
PS 5 recognizes t hat project -relat ed land
acquisit ion and rest rict ions on land use can
have adverse impact s on communit ies and
persons that use this land. Its m ain aim is to
ant icipat e and avoid, or where avoidance is not
possible, minimize adverse social and economic
impacts from land acquisition or restrictions on
land use by providing compensat ion for loss of
asset s at replacement cost and ensuring t hat
resettlem ent activities are im plemented w ith
appropriat e disclosure of Informat ion,
consult at ion, and t he inform ed part icipat ion of
t hose affected.
PS 6 recognizes t hat prot ect ing and conserving
biodiversity, m aintaining ecosystem services,
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20 M W Solar Pow er Project- RSEPL
The proposed project will involve
t ransport at ion of const ruct ion
material and movement of
const ruct ion m achinery which
may pose safety risks to the
affected com munities.
The PS 4 is therefore applicable for
the proposed project.
The PS 5 is applicable w hen t here
is physical and/ or economic
displacement because of t he
project.
--
The land for t he proposed project
comprises of uncult ivable revenue
land w hich has been leased by t he
Government . The land w as not
being used by t he com munit y for
any purpose and no
encroachm ent s w ere observed on
t he land.
PS 5 is therefore NOT applicable
for the proposed project.
PS 6 is applicable to projects
locat ed in modified, nat ural, and
P a g e | 47
The proponent shall evaluat e t he risks
associated w ith the project activities and
Performance
Standard
Conservat ion and
Sust ainable
M anagement of
Living Natural
Resources
PS 7:
Indigenous Peoples
Description
Applicability
Requirements
and sust ainably managing living nat ural
resources are fundament al t o sust ainable
development . This st andard is aimed t o
promote the sustainable m anagem ent of living
nat ural resources t hrough t he adopt ion of
pract ices t hat int egrat e conservat ion needs and
development priorities.
critical habitats; or projects that
pot ent ially impact on or are
dependent on ecosystem services
or t hat include t he product ion of
living natural resources .
will devise measures to address t hese
impact s t hrough t he Environm ent and
Social M anagem ent System.
PS 7 recognizes t hat Indigenous Peoples, as
social groups w it h ident it ies t hat are dist inct
from mainst ream groups in nat ional societ ies,
are oft en among t he m ost marginalized and
vulnerable segm ent s of t he populat ion. In
many cases, their economic, social, and legal
status limits their capacity to defend their
right s t o, and int erest s in, lands and nat ural and
cultural resources, and m ay restrict their ability
t o part icipat e in and benefit from
development .
Environmental and Social Impact Assessment:
20 M W Solar Pow er Project- RSEPL
The proposed project does not
involve any diversion of forest
land. The plant sit es are devoid of
vegetation. The project activities
are not likely to have any impact
on t he ecology. The proposed
project w ill involve additional
traffic movem ent which may
impact t he higher fauna.
PS 6 is applicable to the project.
This Performance St andard applies
t o comm unit ies or groups of
Indigenous Peoples whose ident it y
as a group or comm unit y is linked,
to distinct habitats or ancestral
t errit ories and t he nat ural
resources t herein.
The project area or its
surroundings does not support
indigenous people. No mat erial
degradat ion or adverse impact is
expect ed on land resources on
w hich indigenous peoples are
P a g e | 48
--
Performance
Standard
Description
Applicability
Requirements
dependent .
PS 8:
Cultural Heritage
PS 8 recognizes t he import ance of cult ural
herit age for current and fut ure generat ions.
Consist ent w it h t he Convent ion concerning t he
Prot ect ion of t he World Cult ural and Nat ural
Heritage, this Performance Standard aims to
ensure t hat client s prot ect cult ural herit age in
t he course of t heir project act ivit ies. In
addit ion, t he requirem ent s of t his Perform ance
St andard on a project ’s use of cult ural herit age
are based in part on st andards set by t he
Convention on Biological Diversity.
PS 7 is therefore NOT applicable
for the proposed project.
This PS is applicable when tangible
form s of cult ural herit age, unique
nat ural feat ures or tangible
object s t hat embody cult ural
values and cert ain inst ances of
intangible form s of culture are
impact ed or are proposed t o be
used for commercial purposes.
There are no cult urally import ant
sit es in or around t he project sit e.
PS 8 is therefore NOT applicable
for the proposed project.
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--
3.5.1 IFC’s Categorisation of Projects
As part of its review of a project’s expected social and environmental impacts, IFC uses a system of
social and environmental categorisation. This categorisation is used to reflect the size of impacts
understood as a result of t he client’s social and environmental assessment and to specify IFC’s
inst it ut ional requirement s. The cat egories used by t he IFC are:
Category A Projects: Projects w ith potential significant adverse social or environmental risks
or/ and impact s t hat are diverse, irreversible or unprecedent ed;
Category B Projects: Projects w ith potential limited adverse social or environmental risks or/ and
impact s t hat are few in num ber, generally sit e-specific, largely reversible and readily addressed
t hrough mit igat ion measures;
Category C Projects: Projects w ith m inimal or no adverse social or environmental risks or/ and
impacts, including certain financial interm ediary (FI) projects w ith m inimal or no adverse risks;
Category FI Projects: All FI projects excluding those that are Category C projects.
IFC therefore categorises the project primarily according to the significance and nature of its impacts.
IFC defines the project's area of influence as the primary project site(s) and related facilities that the
client (including its contractors) develops or controls; associated facilities that are not funded as part of
t he project (funding may be provided separat ely by a client or a t hird part y including t he governm ent ),
and w hose viabilit y and exist ence depend exclusively on t he project and whose goods or services are
essential for the successful operation of the project; areas potentially impacted by cumulative impacts
from furt her planned developm ent of t he project ; and areas pot ent ially affect ed by impact s from
unplanned but predict able development s caused by t he project t hat may occur lat er or at a different
locat ion. The area of influence does not include pot ent ial impact s t hat would occur w it hout t he project
or independent ly of t he project .
3.6 Equator Pr inciples
Principle 1: Review and Cat egorizat ion of t he Project - Equat or Principles Financial Inst it ut ions (EFPIs)
are required t o cat egorise project s according t o t he m agnit ude of it s pot ent ial impact s based on t he
environmental and social screening criteria of IFC. Projects are designated as Category A, B or C when it
represents, respectively, a high, medium or low level of risk.
Principle 2: Social and Environm ent al Assessment - Projects Categorized as A or B requires the borrow er
to conduct an ESA to assess all possible environmental and social impacts and risks.
Principle 3: Applicable Environm ent al and Social St andards - For project s locat ed in non-OECD count ries,
t he assessm ent should refer t o t he IFC Performance St andards and t hen t he applicable indust ry specific
guidelines, i.e. t he World Bank Group EHS Guidelines.
Principle 4: Act ion Plan (AP) and M anagement Syst em - For all Cat egory A or B project s locat ed in nonOECD count ries, t he borrow er m ust prepare an Act ion Plan w hich addresses t he relevant findings of t he
ESA.
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Principle 5: Consult at ion and Disclosure - For all Category A projects and where appropriate Category B,
t he borrower or t hird part y expert must have consult ed wit h project affect ed comm unit ies in a
st ruct ured and cult urally appropriat e m anner. In project s wit h significant impact s on affect ed
comm unit ies, t he process m ust ensure t heir free, prior and inform ed consult at ion (FPIC) and facilit at e
t he inform ed part icipat ion.
Principle 6: Grievance M echanism -For all Category A projects and where appropriate Category B,
locat ed in non-OECD count ries, t he borr ower has t o ensure t hat t he consult at ion, disclosure and
comm unit y engagement cont inues t hroughout t he const ruct ion and operat ion of t he project , scaled t o
the level of risks and impacts involved at different stages, and establish a grievance mechanism as a part
of the managem ent system.
Principle 7: Independent Review - For all Category A projects and where appropriate Category B, an
independent expert (environm ent al or social) not direct ly associat ed w it h t he borrow er w ill review t he
Assessment, Action Plan and consultation process to assist EPFI’s Due-Diligence and EP compliance.
1
Principle 8: Covenant s - The borrower will covenant t he following com pliance requirement s in t he
financing document s:
o To comply w it h all t he relevant host count ry social and environm ent al laws, regulat ions and
perm its in all material respects;
o To comply w it h Act ion Plan (w here applicable) during const ruct ion and operat ion of t he
project in all material aspects;
o To provide periodic report s in a form at agreed wit h EPFIs (frequency t o be agreed, but not less
t han annually) t hat document s compliance against APs, as w ell as against local law s and
permit s; and
o To decom mission t he facilit ies in accordance w it h an agreed decom missioning plan.
Principle 9: Independent M onit oring and Report ing - To ensure ongoing m onit oring and report ing over
the life of the project, the EPFIs w ill, for all A Category projects and w here appropriate Category B,
require appoint ment of an independent environm ent al and/ or social expert , or require t hat t he
borrower ret ain qualified and experienced ext ernal expert s t o verify it s monit oring inform at ion, t o be
shared wit h t he EPFIs.
Principle 10: EPFI Report ing - Each EPFI is comm it t ed t o issuing periodic public report s about project
implement at ion processes and experience w it h due regard for appropriat e project confident ialit y.
1
Please not e that EP is for Banks, i.e. t he Lenders, and t herefore covenant s must be prepared by t he Banks and not
t he borrower. The borrow er needs t o com ply w it h t he covenant condit ions, one of w hich is t he ESAP.
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3.7 ADB’s Safeguar d Policy Statement
3.7.1 Safeguard Policy Statement (SPS), 2009
Built upon t he t hree previous safeguard policies on t he Involunt ary Reset t lem ent Policy (1995), t he
Policy on Indigenous Peoples (1998) and t he Environm ent Policy (2002), t he Safeguard Policy St at ement
of ADB w as approved in 2009. The safeguard policies are operational policies that seek to avoid,
minimize or m it igat e adverse environm ent al and social im pact s including prot ect ing t he right s of t hose
likely to be affected or marginalized by the developm ental process. ADB’s safeguard policy framework
consist s of t hree operat ional policies on t he environm ent , indigenous peoples and involunt ary
reset t lem ent . A brief det ail of all t hree operat ional policies have been m ent ioned below:
Environmental Safeguard
This safeguard is m eant t o ensure t he environm ent al soundness and sust ainabilit y of project s and t o
support t he int egrat ion of environm ent al considerat ions int o t he pr oject decision making process.
The proposed project involves generation of power from solar energy which is one of the cleanest
sources of energy. However the construction and operational activities of the project might result in
some adverse impacts on the environment which can be mitigated through implementation of
appropriate mitigation measures. The Environmental Safeguard is thus applicable to the proposed
project.
Involunt ary Reset t lement Safeguard
This safeguard has been placed in order t o avoid involunt ary reset t lement whenever possible; t o
minimize involunt ary reset t lem ent by exploring project and design alt ernat ives; t o enhance, or at least
restore, the livelihoods of all displaced persons in real term s relative to pre- project levels; and to
improve t he st andards of living of t he displaced poor and ot her vulnerable groups.
The proposed project involves transfer of uncultivable land from the Government on lease. The land
was not used by the community for any purpose and no encroachments were observed on site. No
physical or economic displacement is involved in the process. Therefore, adverse impact due to land
procurement is not anticipated.
Indigenous Peoples Safeguard
This safeguard looks at designing and implementing projects in a w ay that fosters full respect for
Indigenous Peoples’ ident it y, dignit y, hum an right s, livelihood syst em s and cult ural uniqueness as
defined by t he Indigenous Peoples t hemselves so t hat t hey receive cult urally appropriat e social and
economic benefits; do not suffer adverse impacts as a result of projects; and par ticipate actively in
projects that affect them .
The project area or its surroundings is not native to any indigenous people. No material degradation
or adverse impact is expected on land resources on w hich indigenous peoples are dependent.
M oreover, for the proposed project RSEPL will not be acquiring any land belonging to any vulnerable
community in the region. Therefore, adverse impact on indigenous people is not anticipated.
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3.7.2 Social Protection Strategy, 2001
ADB has designed a set of policies and programs for social protection in 2001, that is, to reduce poverty
and vulnerabilit y by promot ing efficient labour m arkets, diminishing people’s exposure t o risks, and
enhancing t heir capacit y t o prot ect t hem selves against hazards and int errupt ion/ loss of income. The
basic aim of the Social Protection Strategy (SPS) is to assist individuals to break the cycle of poverty and
enhance t he qualit y of growt h t hrough adequat e and developed social prot ect ion syst em s in t he
member count ries of ADB. The t ype of risks covered t hrough t he SPS m ay be economic, environm ent or
social/ governance relat ed.
The proposed project shall ensure t hat t he requirem ent s of t he ADB’s SPS are complied w it h. Priorit y
shall be given t o any ident ified vulnerable groups. Based on t he gender analysis and st at us of wom en in
t he project area, measures for ensuring t heir overall development shall be t aken up by t he project
proponent . RSEPL shall comply w it h applicable labour laws in relat ion t o t he Project . RSEPL shall also
2
t ake t he following measures t o comply w it h t he core labour st andards for t he ADB financed port ion of
the Project;
(a)
carry out its activities consistent w ith the intent of ensuring legally permissible equal opportunity,
fair t reat ment and non-discrim inat ion in relat ion t o recruit ment and hiring, compensat ion,
w orking condit ions and t erm s of employment for it s w orkers (including prohibit ing any form of
discrim ination against w omen during hiring and providing equal w ork for equal pay for men and
wom en engaged by RSEPL);
(b)
not restrict its w orkers from developing a legally permissible means of expressing their grievances
and prot ect ing t heir right s regarding w orking condit ions and t erm s of employm ent ;
(c)
engage contractors and other pr oviders of goods and services:
3
4
(i)
who do not em ploy child labor or forced labor ;
(ii)
who have appropriat e managem ent syst em s t hat will allow t hem t o operat e in a manner
which is consist ent w it h t he int ent of (A) ensuring legally perm issible equal opport unit y and
fair treatm ent and non-discrimination for their w orkers, and (B) not restricting their w orkers
from developing a legally permissible m eans of expressing t heir grievances and prot ect ing
t heir right s regarding w orking condit ions and t erm s of em ployment ; and
(iii)
Whose subcont ract s cont ain provisions which are consist ent wit h paragraphs (i) and (ii)
above
2
The core labor st andards are the eliminat ion of all forms of forced or compulsory labor; t he abolit ion of child labor;
elimination of discriminat ion in respect of employment and occupat ion; and freedom of associat ion and t he effective
recognition of the right t o collect ive bargaining, as per t he relevant conventions of t he International Labor Organization.
3
Child labor means the employment of children w hose age is below t he st at ut ory minimum age of employment in t he
relevant count ry, or employment of children in cont ravent ion of Int ernational Labor Organization Convent ion No. 138
‘M inimum Age Convent ion” (ww w.ilo.org)
4
Forced labor means all w ork or services not volunt arily performed, t hat is, ext ract ed from individuals under t hreat of
force or penalt y
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3.7.3 Public Communications Policy 2011
The Public Communications Policy (PCP) of ADB, originally form ulated in 2005 and revised in 2011, is
aimed at prom ot ing improved access t o inform at ion about ADB’s operat ions relat ed t o f unded project s.
It endorses great er t ransparency and account abilit y t o st akeholders involved in a project . The PCP
est ablishes t he disclosure requirement s for docum ent s and inform at ion relat ed t o pr oject s. It mandat es
project -relat ed docum ent s norm ally produced during t he project cycle t o be post ed on t he web.
3.7.4 ADB’s Categorization of Projects
The project classification system of ADB is used to reflect the significance of potential environmental
im pacts understood as a result of t he client ’s impact assessment and to est ablish ADB’s safeguard
requirem ent s. The cat egories used by ADB are:
Category A Projects: Projects w hich are likely to have significant adverse environmental
impact s, involunt ary reset t lem ent impact s or impact s on indigenous peoples t hat are
irreversible, diverse, or unprecedent ed.
Category B Projects: Projects w ith potential adverse environmental impacts that are less in
num ber, involunt ary reset t lem ent impact s or impact s on indigenous peoples, generally sit especific, most ly reversible and readily addressed through mit igat ion measures;
Category C Projects: Project s wit h minimal or no adverse environm ent al impact s; involunt ary
reset t lem ent impact s or impact s on indigenous peoples;
Category FI Projects: Project s which involve invest m ent of ADB funds t o or t hrough a financial
invest ment .
3.8 Applicable Envir onmental Standar ds
The applicable environm ent al st andards for t he proposed project have been discussed in t he
subsequent sect ions. The am bient air qualit y st andards will be applicable only during t he const ruct ion
phase of t he project and t he w ast ewat er discharges fr om t he project during bot h const ruct ion and
operation phases shall be as per t he general discharge st andards as sect or specific st andards are not
available for solar pow er projects.
3.8.1 Ambient Noise Standards
As per EHS guidelines of IFC, for resident ial, inst it ut ional and educat ional area, t he one hourly equivalent
noise level (Leq hourly) for day t im e is 55 dB(A) while t he Leq hourly for night t im e is prescribed as 45
dB(A).Noise st andards not ified by t he M oEF vide gazet t e not ificat ion dat ed 14 February 2000 based on
t he A- weighted equivalent noise level (Leq) are as presented in Table 3-2:
Table 3-2: Ambient Noise Standards
Area Code
A
B
Category of Area
Indust rial Area
Commercial Area
Limit s in dB(A) Leq
Day time*
Night Time
75
70
65
55
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Area Code
C
D
Category of Area
Residential Area
**
Silence Zone
Limit s in dB(A) Leq
Day time*
Night Time
55
45
50
40
Note: * Day time is from 6 am to 10 pm, Night time is 10 pm to 6.00 am ;
* * Silence zone is defined as area up t o 100 met ers around prem ises of hospit als, educat ional
inst it ut ions and cour t s. Use of vehicle horns, loud speakers and burst ing of crackers are banned in t hese
zones.
3.8.2 Noise Standar ds for Occupational Exposur e
Noise st andards in t he w ork environm ent are specified by Occupat ional Safet y and Healt h
Administ rat ion (OSHA-USA) which in t urn are being enforced by Governm ent of India t hrough model
rules fram ed under t he Fact ories Act .
Table 3-3: Standards for Occupational Noise Exposure
Total Time of Exposure
per Day in Hours
(Continuous or Short
term Exposure)
8
6
4
3
2
3/ 2
1
¾
½
¼
Never
Sound Pressure Level
in dB(A)
90
92
95
97
100
102
105
107
110
115
>115
No exposure in excess of 115 dB(A) is t o be permit t ed.
For any period of exposure falling in bet ween any figure and t he next higher or lower figure as indicat ed in column (1), t he
permissible level is to be determined by ext rapolation on a proportionate scale.
3.9 Applicable Inter national Conventions
Environm ent al problem s which m igrat e beyond t he jurisdict ion (Trans-boundary) require pow er t o
cont rol such issues t hrough int ernat ional co-operat ion by eit her becom ing a Cont ract ing Part y (CP) i.e.
ratifying treaties or as a Signatory by officially signing the treaties and agreeing to carry out provisions of
various treaties on environment and social safeguards. The relevant international conventions are as
provided in Table 3-4.
Table 3-4: Relevant International Conventions applicable to the Project
Sl.No.
1
International Conventions
M ont real Prot ocol on Subst ances That
Deplet e the Ozone Layer (and subsequent
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Salient Features
India signed t he M ont real Prot ocol along wit h it s
London Amendment on 17-9-1992 and also rat ified
P a g e | 55
Sl.No.
International Conventions
Amendment s)
2
UN (Rio) Convent ion on Biological Diversit y
3
Convent ions on t he Conservat ion of
M igratory species of w ild animals and
m igrat ory species
Kyot o Prot ocol
4
5
The Rot t erdam Convent ion on t he Prior
Informed Consent (PIC) Procedure
6
Int ernat ional Labour Organizat ion
convent ions
Environmental and Social Impact Assessment:
20 M W Solar Pow er Project- RSEPL
Salient Features
t he Copenhagen, M ont real and Beijing Amendment s
on 3rd M arch, 2003.
India is a part y since: 1994-02-18 by: Ratificat ion;
Prot ocol - Party since: 2003-09-11
India is contract ing part y t o t he convent ion on
conservation of migrat ory species of wild animals and
m igrat ory species.
The Kyot o prot ocol w as signed by India in August
2002 and rat ified in February 2005. The convent ion
pert ains t o the United Nations framew ork on Climat e
Change.
rd
The 3 Conference of t he Part ies t o t he Framew ork
Convent ion on Climat e Change (FCCC) in Kyot o in
December 1997 introduced t he Clean Development
M echanism (CDM ) as a new concept for voluntary
greenhouse-gas emission reduction agreement s
bet w een indust rialized and developing countries on
t he project level.
The Rot t erdam Convent ion on t he Prior Informed
Consent (PIC) Procedure for Cert ain Hazardous
Chemicals & Pesticides in int ernat ional Trade w as
adopt ed by India at t he Conference of
Plenipot entiaries at Rot terdam in 1998
India has also rat ified many of t he Int ernat ional
Labour Organization convent ions t hat are relevant t o
t he Project including:
C1 Hours of Work (Industry) Convention,
1919 (14:07:1921, rat ified);
C5 M inim um Age (Indust ry) Convent ion,
1919 (09:09:1955, rat ified):
C11 Right of Association (Agricult ure)
Convent ion, 1921 (11:05:1923, rat ified):
C14 Weekly Rest (Indust ry) Convent ion,
1921 (11:05:1923, rat ified);
C29 Forced Labour Convention, 1930
(30:11:1954, rat ified) & C105 Abolit ion of
Forced Labour Convention, 1957
(18:05:2000, rat ified);
C100 Equal Remuneration Convention, 1951
(25:09:1958, rat ified);
C107 Indigenous and Tribal Populations
Convent ion, 1957
C111 discriminat ion (Employment and
Occupation) Convent ion, 1958 (03:06:1960,
rat ified)
P a g e | 56
4. Envir onment and Social Baseline Pr ofile
This sect ion of t he report describes t he baseline environment al and social scenario for t he st udy area
(defined as area falling within 5 km of the project area). The baseline data generation includes site visits,
ecological surveys, social surveys and int erviews, processing of sat ellit e im agery and secondary dat a
review from est ablished sources such as Indian M et eorological Depart ment and Census of India.
4.1 Site Setting
The project area is charact erised by rural set up and flat barren land. The project area has a gent le slope
and has an average elevat ion of about 207 m above m ean sea level. As per t he revenue records, t he land
use of the site is classified as uncultivable land. The site com prises of scanty vegetation and is not used
by t he comm unit y for grazing or any ot her act ivit ies. During t he sit e walkt hrough no encroachm ent s
were observed in t he Project area and t he same was verified during consult at ions w it h t he Sarpanch
(Village Head) and t he com munit y.
The nearest settlem ents include Nawagaon and Bari Seer settlem ent which are located at a distance of
about 2 km and 3 km from t he sit e respect ively. The Indira Gandhi irrigat ion canal, which is also
available for drinking and ot her dom est ic use, is locat ed in proximit y of t he Project sit e. A cat chment
area, exist ing school, agricult ural land and wat er body wit hin t he vicinit y of t he proposed sit e have been
excluded by t he project proponent from t he project area. No w ild life prot ect ion or ecological sensit ive
area is located within 10 km radius of t he Project area.
4.2 Geomorphology and Drainage
Jodhpur dist rict forms part of Great Thar Desert of Rajast han and comprises of scatt ered sand dunes,
alluvial areas dot t ed wit h few hillocks and hill chains. Bap t ehsil is locat ed in t he nort h-w est ern port ion
of t he dist rict and Sand dunes occupy a major par t of t he t ehsil. The general elevat ion of plains in t he
t ehsil is about 300 m am sl. The sand dunes are t ransverse and longit udinal t ypes formed due t o Aeolian
act ion and overlie t he denuded consolidat ed form at ions. Presence of boulder beds exhibit st riking plain
t opography around Bap and similarly t he low lying out -crops of limest one, shale and sandst one layers
are also observed in nort hern part of t he dist rict near Phalodi.
Jodhpur dist rict falls in t he Luni and Barm er Basins. M ajor River of t he dist rict is Luni, which flows in ENE
t o WSW direct ion. The drainage of Bap t ehsil is essent ially ephemeral and int ernal.
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Figure 4-1: Geomorphological M ap of Jodhpur District
Source: ht t p:/ / jodhpur.nic.in/ maps.ht ml (Dist rict Administ ration, Jodhpur)
4.3 Soils
The soils of the Jodhpur dist rict can be classified as follow s:
Red desertic soils: These types of soils are most predominant soils in central, eastern and southern parts
of t he dist rict . These are pale brown t o reddish br own soils, loose and well drained and t ext ure varies
from sandy loam t o sandy clay loam.
Desert soils: Desert soils occupy a considerable area of t he dist rict form ing it s nort hern and west ern par t
of t he dist rict . These are m ainly w indblown sand and soils of int erdunal depressions.
Sand dunes: Sand dunes occupy a sm all part in nor t hern and nort h-w est ern m argin of t he dist rict . These
are sandy to loam y sand, loose, structure less and w ell drained.
Lit hosol and regosols of hills: These t ypes of soils are found in hills and hill slopes of cent ral and w est ern
part of t he dist rict . These are shallow, light t ext ured, f airly drained, reddish brown t o grayish brown in
colour.
4.4 Geological Fr amework
The geological set -up of t he dist rict is represent ed by various igneous, met amorphic and sediment ary
rocks. Delhi Super Group lit ho unit s are very limit ed and in t he form of isolat ed pocket s. Erinpura
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granit es and M alani igneous rocks cover large area in t he sout hern part of t he dist rict . M arwar Super
Group of rocks occupies m aximum geographical area of t he dist rict lying in t he cent ral, west ern, and
east ern part s of t he dist rict . The rock unit s of various f orm at ions belonging t o Cenozoic epoch/ era
represent ed in very small area and lies in t he nort h-w est ern part s of t he dist rict . In t he ent ire dist rict ,
t he hard rocks are overlain by t hin blanket of alluvium and wind blown sand.
4.5 Hydr ogeology
Ground w at er occurs under unconfined t o sem i-confined condit ions in rocks of Delhi Super Group,
Jodhpur sandst one, Bilara limest one, Nagaur sandst one, Lat hi sandst one and unconsolidat ed sedim ent s
(valley fills and alluvium ). These form t he chief source of ground w at er in t he dist rict . Confined condit ion
is also m et sometimes at deeper levels in the north w estern part of the district. Bap tehsil comprises of
Bap boulder bed having NE-SW ext ension. It consist s of ill-sort ed boulders, pebbles, cobbles embedded
in silt y m at rix. Ground wat er occurs under unconfined condit ion. Wells in t his format ion yield meagre
quant it y of w at er, which is saline.
4.5.1 Depth to Water level
As per Cent ral Ground W at er Board, West ern Region, t he dept h t o (2006) in t he dist rict ranges from
2.10 t o 77.94 m et ers below ground level (m bgl) and 0.30 t o 70.88 m during pre m onsoon and post
monsoon, 2006, respect ively. The w at er levels w ere observed t o be in t he range of 4.24-13.68 m bgl and
2.77-13.08 m bgl during pre and post monsoon season (2006) respect ively. The annual wat er level
fluctuation for the year 2006 was recorded as 0.55-1.59 m rise by CGWB.
Long t erm pre and post monsoon decadal t rend (1997-2006) indicat e a fall of 0.02 m / year in premonsoon season and a rise of 0.01 m/ year in t he post monsoon season. Long t erm pre monsoon (19842006) wat er level dat a show a declining t rend 0.17 m/ year in Bap block.
4.5.2 Gr ound Water Quality
There is a large variat ion in chem ical qualit y of ground w at er in t he dist rict depending on t he
charact erist ics of wat er bearing form at ion, movem ent of ground w at er and dept h t o wat er levels. The
ground w at er in sout hern, sout h-east ern part s of t he dist rict , sout h and sout h west of dist rict is saline.
In nort hern part around Bap and ext reme nort h, ground wat er qualit y is brackish t o saline w it h elect rical
conduct ance generally ranging from 4000 t o 10000 ms/ cm at 25 C. Higher concent rat ion of nit rat e more
t han 100 ppm and fluoride m ore t han 3 mg/ l has been recorded for Bap Block of Jodhpur Dist rict .
4.5.3 Resour ce Availability
The st age of groundwat er developm ent of t he dist rict is 197 % , however t he Bap t ehsil falls under t he
safe cat egory for groundwat er developm ent . The net groundwat er availabilit y in t he Block is 59.2212
M CM and the annual gross draft is 16.2701 M CM . The stage of groundw ater developm ent of the Block is
27.47%. It is import ant t o ment ion t hat wit h t he coming up of t he Indira Gandhi Irrigation canal, t he
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populat ion of Bap block now draw w at er from t he canal for dom est ic consumpt ion and irrigat ion
purposes. The groundw at er demand has t herefore furt her reduced in t he Block.
Figure 4-2: W ater level Fluctuation M ap of Jodhpur District (Pre & Post monsoon -2006)
Source: Groundwat er Scenario – Jodhpur, Rajast han – Cent ral Ground Wat er Board , West ern Region
4.6 Climate
The dist rict experiences arid t o semi-arid t ype of climat e. M ean annual rainfall (1971-2005) of t he
district is 326.8 mm w hereas normal rainfall (1901-1970) is lower than average rainfall and placed at
296.1 mm . The rainy days are limited to m aximum 15 in a year. Almost 80% of the total annual rainfall is
received during t he sout hwest monsoon, which ent ers t he dist rict in t he first w eek of July and
wit hdraw s in t he m id of Sept em ber.
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As t he dist rict lies in t he desert area, it experiences ext rem e of heat in sum mer and cold. Bot h day and
night t emperat ures increase gradually and reach t heir maximum values in M ay and June respect ively.
The tem perature varies from 49 degree in sum mer to 1 degree in w inter.
At m osphere is generally dry except during t he m onsoon period. The hum idit y is highest in August wit h
mean daily relat ive humidit y is 81%. The annual maximum pot ent ial evapot ranspirat ion in t he dist rict is
quit e high and it is highest (264.7 mm ) in t he m ont h of M ay and lowest (76.5 mm ) in t he m ont h of
December.
4.6.1 Temperature
As per t he Indian M et eorological Depart ment , t he mean daily m axim um and m inimum t em perat ure
recorded over a period of 100 years for t he dist rict is 41.4 C and 9.6 C.
Table 4-1: Average M onthly Temperature (1901-2000 year period)
M ean Temperature
M onths
M ax (°C)
M in (°C)
January
25.0
9.6
February
27.8
11.8
M arch
33.4
17.2
April
38.4
22.7
M ay
41.4
26.8
June
40.1
28.2
July
36.0
26.8
August
33.7
25.3
Sept ember
35.0
24.1
October
36.0
19.9
November
31.5
14.5
December
26.8
10.8
Source: IM D - M onthly mean maximum & minimum temperature and total rainfall based upon 19012000 data
4.6.2 Rainfall
M ean annual rainfall (1971-2005) of the district is 326.8 mm whereas norm al rainfall (1901-1970) is
lower than average rainfall and placed at 296.1 mm. The rainy days are limited to m aximum 15 in a year.
Almost 80% of t he t ot al annual rainfall is received during t he sout hwest monsoon, which ent ers t he
dist rict in t he first w eek of July and wit hdraws in t he m id of Sept em ber.
The observations of rainfall for Jodhpur district for the last five years (2009-2013) as provided by the
Hydro-met division of the India M eteorological Department is as given in Table below:
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Table 4-2: Average Annual Rainfall for Jodhpur District (2007-2011)
Year
Jan
2007
2008
2009
2010
2011
Feb
0.0
0.3
0.0
0.5
7.8
M ar
1.3
0.1
21.0
0.0
16.9
0.4
0.0
0.0
0.0
1.7
Apr
0.0
1.3
2.4
19.0
0.0
M ay
3.0
0.1
3.7
9.3
2.5
Jun
14.3
22.1
7.9
10.9
51.2
Jul
Aug
Sep
89.3
109.1
102.8
20.6
126.5
22.2
147.1
158.0
181.3
157.1
8.7
111.8
98.6
107.0
128.1
Oct
0.0
0.0
0.2
0.1
0.9
Nov
0.0
40.3
0.0
0.0
0.0
Dec
0.0
8.9
0.0
0.1
0.0
Annual
139.2
441.1
394.6
348.8
492.7
363.3
Average
Source: Indian M eteorological Depart ment (IM D)
According to the inform ation available for the last five years, the district receives an annual rainfall of
about 363.3m m.The m ont hs of July, August and Sept ember receive most of t he rainfall.
4.6.3 Wind
The average annual w ind speed in t he Jodhpur dist rict is 2.6m/ s. Table below gives t he mont hly values
of t he w ind speed at Jodhpur.
Table 4-3: Average Annual W ind Speed for Jodhpur District (2013)
M onth
Wind Speed (m/ s)
January
1.1
February
1.3
M arch
1.5
April
1.8
M ay
3.0
June
3.1
July
2.9
August
2.4
Sept ember
1.7
October
1.0
November
0.8
December
0.9
Source: Det ailed Project Report
4.7 Natur al Hazar ds
4.7.1 Seismicity
As per t he seism ic zoning map of India (given in t he eart hquake resist ant design code of India [IS:1893,
Part 1, 2002] , t he project site area falls in seismic Zone II, i.e the least active seismic zone and can be
considered safe. The IS code assigns zone fact or of 0.10 (m aximum horizontal acceleration that can be
experienced by a st ruct ure in t his zone is 10% of gravit at ional accelerat ion) for Zone II.
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4.7.2 Droughts
Drought analysis based on agricult ure crit eria indicat es t hat t he dist rict is prone t o mild and norm al t ype
of drought s. Occurrence of severe and very severe t ype of drought is very rare.
Drought is a phenom enon w hich is based on considerat ion of deviat ion of act ual rainfall from norm al.
The study area falls in w estern part of Rajasthan w hich has semi-arid type of climate, com prising of
undulat ing t errain, dry land cult ivat ion (m ost ly rained) and barren (scrub) land. Drought is classified as
‘moderat e drought ’ if rainfall deficit is bet ween 25 t o 50% and ‘severe drought ’ when it is more t han
50%. As per the assessment undertaken by water resource department of Rajasthan, Jodhpur District
has encount ered six (6) drought s in period of 30 years st art ing from 1980 up t o 2009. The severe
drought was occurred in 2002 wit h average annual rainfall of 86.mm and last m oderat e drought was
occurred in year of 2009 with 131.13mm as average annual rainfall. The year 2002 is the only severe
drought year in t he dist rict when t he average annual rainfall was 63.5% below t he average. The years
1986, 1991, 1993, 1998 and 2009 are considered as moderate drought years as t he average annual
rainfall received is 38.2, 35.1, 32.1, 30.6 and 44.8 % below t he average respect ively. The drought
frequency map of Rajast han has been depict ed below .
Figure 4-3: Rajasthan Drought Frequency M ap
Source: Rajrelief.nic.in
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4.8 Ecology
A detailed ecological assessment was undertaken in and around t he Project area f or a period of three
th
st
days from 19 -21 July, 2014. The assessment focussed on ident ificat ion of floral and faunal species,
sensit ive habit at s, endangered species and forest land and est imat ing t he bio-diversit y indices.
Secondary informat ion w as also collect ed from offices of Divisional Forest and Botanical and Zoological
Surveys of India for ascertaining bio-diversity aspects. The approach to the ecological assessment was as
follow s:
Onsite Data Collection
In order t o provide represent at ive ecological stat us for t he st udy area, t he 5-km buffer zone w as
divided into four quartiles for biodiversity sam pling, i.e., NE (Q-1), NW (Q-2) SW (Q-3) and SE (Q4). Each of t he quart iles w ere exam ined for represent at ive flora on randomly sampled quadrat s
for t rees (25x25-m), shrubs (5x5-m) and herbs (1x1-m ) depending upon prevailing geographical
conditions and bio-diversity aspects of study area.
For floral diversit y assessment , a quadrat of approxim at ely 25 m x 25 m was m arked. The
species of trees, as w ell as the number of individuals of each species, falling w ithin this area
w ere noted. A quadrat of approximately 5 m x 5 m w as marked w ithin this larger quadrat. The
species of large and small shrubs, along w it h t he number of individuals of each species, falling
w ithin this area w ere similarly noted. Smaller quadrats of 2 m x 2 m w ere employed for the
herbs, both grasses and forbs.
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Faunal diversit y w as st udied t hrough direct evidence, in the form of visual sight ings, and indirect
evidence, such as calls, nest s, burrow s, droppings, scat s, m oult s and t racks. In t he case of fauna,
only occurrence at a given sit e w as not ed, w it hout seeking t o enumerat e t he individuals sight ed.
To enable the st udy to encom pass as w ide a range of local faunal species as possible, the timings
of t he sit e-st udies w ere planned t o collectively capt ure as many faunal act ivit y-periods as
possible, from early m orning till late in the evening.
Species diversit y w as calculat ed by using Shannon and Wiener (1963) formula as follow s:
Where H is Shannon index of general diversit y,
is oft en t he proport ion of individuals
belonging to the species in the dataset of interest.
Other biodiversit y aspect s in t he form of endemic stat us, keyst one species, t hreatened st at us
and IUCN, Red-dat a books of t he Bot anical Survey of India (BSI) have been screened t o verify
their conservation status.
Secondary Data Collection
Addit ional inform at ion w as sourced from
Forest
depart ment , available published lit erat ure,
governm ental institutions and local residents of the survey-area.
4.8.1 Landscape elements of the r egion
The st udy area falls in Bari Seer village, Bap Tehsil of Jodhpur dist rict . The surrounding land use largely
comprises of semi-arid region wit h seasonal sandy grasslands, and agricult ural land use, and open
w ast eland (Phot o 4.1). There is no ecologically sensitive area or w ildlife corridor w it hin 5-km radius of
t he project area. The nearest ecologically sensit ive place is Gajner Wildlife Sanctuary, w hich is located at
a distance of 80 km in north east direction from the sit e.
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4.8.2 Overview of forest types of the region
The forest species w it hin 5-km buffer zone belong t o t ropical t horn forest s dominat ed by Prosopis
cineraria, P. juliflora, Calotropis procera and Capparis decidua . Large proport ion of t he land is covered
by sandy grass, w hich also act s as soil binder in t he sand dune landscape. The plant species like species
Acacia Senegal and Khair (Capparis decidua ) found in t he region also have m edicinal values.
4.8.3
4.8.3.1
Biodiver sity aspects of Flora
Core area
The proposed solar pow er plant sit e comprises of open semi-arid open area w it h t he landuse covered
w ith hard w eathering rocks w ith grass cover (Photo 4-1) w hich may not be useable for any ot her
purposes. A total of 13 plant species w ere recorded in randomly sampled five locations within core area
(Table 4-4 and Table 4-5).
Overall herbs and grasses w ere observed t o be dist ribut ed uniformly in core areas compared t o shrubs
and t rees. The common herbs w ere Cassia t ora follow ed by Echinops echinatus. The common grass
species recorded included Aristida mutabilis, Aristida sp, Cenchrus ciliaris, Lasiurus scindicus, and
Panicum turgidum . The comm onest trees species are Prosopis cineraria , and P. juliflora (Table 4.3).
Table 4-4: Vegetation characteristics of Project Site
Core
area
Habitat (total
plots)
Tree (5)
Overall
Species
number
2
Density/ ha
12.8
Species
diversity
(H’)
Shrub (10)
2
240
0.945
1.56
Herbs (20)
4
5250
0.562
Evenness
(E)
0.945
0.877
0.952
Grass (20)
5
60 %*
* Grass were est imat ed in percent age of core in 1x1 m sub plot s.
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Photo 4-1 : Panoramic view of core area
4.8.3.2
Buffer area
Floral assessment
A t ot al of 23 plant species w ere recorded w it hin t he buffer area encompassing 5-km radius around t he
project site. The details have been provided in Table 4-5 and Table 4-6. Out of the total 23 species
identified, 4 belong to trees, 7 w ere shrubs, 7 w ere herbs and 5 w ere grass species. The life forms t rees, shrub and herbs (excluding grasses) w ere analysed at different quart iles given diversit y,
abundance, and evenness and has been present ed in Table 4-5. Am ong t he life-form t ree diversit y is
lesser compared t o shrubs and herbs. The common t ree species observed w ere Prosopis cineraria , and
Prosopis juliflora (Phot o 4-2d). The most com mon shrub species are Calotopis procera and Capparis
decidua (Phot o 4-2c). The common grass species w ere Aristida mutabilis, Aristida sp, Cenchrus ciliaris,
Lasiurus scindicus, and Panicum turgidum (Table 4.3).
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Photo 4-2 : Vegetation recorded in Buffer area (5-km)
[(a, b, d, & f) where (c) Khair (Capparis decidua) isa common plant species]
The flora recorded in 5-km buffer zone has been represent ed in four quart iles as given in Table 4-5. N o
significant changes in species composit ion w ere observed w it hin t he four quart iles. How ever, higher
herb and grass w ere recorded in all quart ile except quart ile-IV w hich may be due t o int ensive
agricult ural practices. The quartile I (NE) & III (SW ) lie along the State Highw ay road (M H-15), w hich may
have dist urbed t he w ildlife m ovem ent of bot h diurnal and noct urnal fauna, especially Chinkara, and
many reptiles.
Table 4-5: Quartile-wise vegetation characteristics of buffer area
Species
number
Tree
2
Quartile I
North-East
Shrubs
4
Herbs
3
Tree
2
Quartile II
Shrubs
4
North-W est
Herbs
4
Tree
3
Quartile III
South-W est
Shrubs
5
Herbs
2
Tree
2
Quartile IV
Shrubs
6
South-East
Herbs
2
Trees
4 (Total)
Shrubs
7 (Total)
Herbs*
7 (Total)
* Grass species w ere excluded from the herbs
Quartile
Trees/ shrubs
Density/ ha
0039
0600
2000
0020
0640
1500
0010
0240
1000
0023
0520
0500
0023(Ave.)
0500 (Ave.)
1250 (Ave.)
Species diversity
(H')
0.562
1.240
0.562
0.945
1.280
1.099
0.945
1.560
0.693
0.981
1.670
0.012
0.858 (Ave.)
1.437 (Ave.)
0.591 (Ave.)
Evenness (E)
0.877
0.864
0.877
0.945
0.717
0.577
0.945
0.952
0.577
0.981
0.887
0.980
0.937 (Ave.)
0.881 (Ave.)
0.753 (Ave.)
The vegetation data revealed that the num ber of plant species was very m inimal and most of them w ere
scat tered in largely open arid area and sm all proport ions under scrub remnant pat ches in t he buffer
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area. As per the IUCN status am ong the 23 species - 1 species Rare (locally) and 20 were least concern
(com mon), 1 exot ic species were recorded and 1 species could not ident ified (UNID). Overall 7 species
were recorded as m edicinal usage t radit ionally, and 7 species were used for livest ock and fodder usage,
and 1 species fruit s were edible for local comm unit ies (Table 4-6: List of species recorded wit hin core
and buffer area
Table 4-6: List of species recorded within core and buffer area
Sl.
No
1
2
3
4
Scientific name
Acacia
cat echu (Willd.)
Acacia
jacquemont ii
Bent h.
Acacia senegal
Willd
Aerva javanica
(Burm.f.) Shult .
Family
Core/ Buffer
Life
forms
IUCN RET/ Endemic/
Rare status
NTFP/ M edicinal
value
Fabaceae
Buffer
shrub
Least concern
M edicinal plant
Fabaceae
Buffer
shrub
Least concern
M edicinal plant
Fabaceae
Buffer
shrub
Least concern
M edicinal plant
Amarant haceae
Buffer
Herb
Least concern
5
Arist ida mut abilis L
Poaceae
Bot h
grass
Least concern
Livest ock/ fodder
6
Arist ida sp.
Poaceae
Bot h
grass
Least concern
Livest ock/ fodder
Asclepiadaceae
Bot h
shrub
Least concern
M edicinal plant
Capparaeae
Bot h
shrub
Least concern
Fruit s edible
7
8
Calot ropis procera
Ait on) W.T.Ait on
Capparis decidua
(Forssk.) Edgew.
9
Cassia sp
Fabaceae
Bot h
Herb
Least concern
M edicinal plant
10
Cassia tora
Fabaceae
Bot h
Herb
Least concern
M edicinal plant
11
Cenchrus ciliaris L
Poaceae
Bot h
grass
Least concern
Livest ock/ fodder
Fabaceae
Buffer
t ree
Least concern
Ast eraceae
Bot h
Herb
Least concern
Poaceae
Bot h
grass
Least concern
12
13
14
Dalbergia sissoo
Roxb.
Echinops echinatus
Roxb.
Lasiurus
scindicus Henrard
Livest ock/ fodder
15
Ocimum sp
Lamiaceae
Buffer
Herb
Least concern
16
Panicum turgidum
Forssk.
Poaceae
Bot h
grass
Least concern
17
Phyllant hus sp
Phyllant haceae
Buffer
Herb
Least concern
Fabaceae
Bot h
t ree
Least concern
Livest ock/ fodder
Fabaceae
Bot h
t ree
Exotic
Livest ock/ fodder
Fabaceae
Bot h
herb
Least concern
Bignoniaceae
Buffer
t ree
Rare
Unid.sp1
Shrub
shrub
UNID
18
19
20
21
22
Prosopis cineraria
(L.) Druce
Prosopis juliflora
(Sw .) DC
Senna alexandrina
M ill.
Tecomella
undulata D.Don
Unid.sp1
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Livest ock/ fodder
M edicinal plant
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Sl.
No
Scientific name
23
Ziziphus
nummularia Burm .f
Family
Rham naceae
Core/ Buffer
Shrub
Life
forms
shrub
IUCN RET/ Endemic/
Rare status
NTFP/ M edicinal
value
Least concern
The common plant species encountered w ere Prospiis cineraria , and P. juliflora in t rees, and shrub -
Calotopis procera (Phot o 4-3) and Capparis decidua (Phot o 4-4) and herbs Cassia sp., and Phyllanthus
sp., and grass.
Photo 4-3 : Calotopis procera (common shrub)
4.8.3.3
Threatened species recorded in project area
Based on t he primary survey, it was observed t hat no t hreat ened plant species are present in t he core or
t he buffer area. M ost of t he plant species are used in local t radit ional m edicine and fruit s w ere used as
pickle (Capparis deciduas) (Photo 4-4 ).
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Photo 4-4 : Capparis decidua common plant: flow ering (right) and fruits
4.9 Biodiver sity aspects of Fauna
The Bap t ehsil is unique; as it forms t he ecot one or t ransit ion area bet w een t he semi-arid sandy
grassland and desert of w est Rajast han. Palat able grasses and larger st retchers of foraging area m ake
t his region suit able for ungulat es and herbivores, along w it h ungulat es one also comes across carnivores
such as Jackal, common m ongoose, Grey mongoose and Chinkara. Though t here is no reserve forest
wit hin t he buffer area, t here is a huge open landuse which may sust ain many w ildlife in t he region.
M ost commonly seen mam mals include Chinkara, Jackals, and rept iles. The veget at ion sampling w as
carried out w herever w ildlife assessment w as carried out . Furt her, opport unist ic survey t o underst and
t he habit at specific species and habit at associat ion bet w een cert ain faunal species and geological
relat ionship were cross checked wit h published lit erat ures.
4.9.1.1
Avifauna
A t ot al of 72 species of birds w ere ident ified or were report ed t o be present in t he st udy area. As per t he
Wildlife Protection Act 1972, tw o Schedule-I species w ere identified. Out of t he 64 local resident
species, 1 unclear, 3 endem ic t o t he Indian subcont inent , 1 part ially resident and alt it udinal migrant s, 1
winter visitor were identified ( Table 4-7).
Table 4-7 : Details of Bird Species
S.N
W PA
Common name
Species name
Family
1
Asian pied st arling
Sturnus cont ra
St urnidae
Sch-IV
R
2
Barn Owl
Tyto alba
Tyt onidae
Sch-IV
R
3
Barred But t onguail
Turnix suscit ator
Turnicidae
Sch-IV
R
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schedule
Status
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S.N
W PA
Common name
Species name
Family
4
Black Headed cocoo shrike
Coracina melanopt era
Campephagidae
Sch-IV
R
5
Blue-t ailed Bee-eater
M erops philippinus
M eropidae
Sch-IV
M
6
Brahminy Kit e
Haliast ur indus
Accipit ridae
Sch-IV
R
7
Brahm iny st arling
Sturnus pagodarum
St urnidae
Sch-IV
R
8
Brahmny kit e
Haliast ur Indus
Accipit ridae
Sch-IV
R
schedule
Status
9
Brahmny M yna
Temenuchus pagodarum
St urnidae
Sch-IV
R
10
Brow n Haw k-Ow l
Ninox scutulata
St rigidae
Sch-IV
R
11
Cat tle Egret
Bubulcus ibis
Ardeidae
Sch-IV
R
12
Chest nut -headed Bee-eater
M erops leschenault i
M eropidae
Sch-IV
R
13
Cinereous Vult ure
Aegypius monachus
Accipit ridae
Sch-IV
R
14
Com m on babbler
Turdoides caudat a
Leiot hrichidae
Sch-IV
R
15
Common green bee eat er
M erops orientalis
M eropidae
Sch-IV
R
16
Comm on Haw k Cuckoo
Hierococcyx varius
Cuculidae
Sch-IV
R
17
Comm on kingfisher
Alcedo at this
Alcedinidae
Sch-IV
R
18
Comm on M yna
Acridotheres t rist is
St urnidae
Sch-IV
R
19
Com m on Tailorbird
Ort hotomus sut orius
Sylviinae
Sch-IV
R
20
Comm on Teal
Anas crecca
Anat idae
Sch-IV
W
21
Comm on w oodshrike
Tephrodornis pondicerianus
Tephrodornit hidae
Sch-IV
R
22
Crow Pheasant
Cent ropus sinensis
Cuculidae
Sch-IV
R
23
Crust ed Bunt ing
M elophus lat hami
Em berizidae
Sch-IV
RA
24
Dusky Eagle-Ow l
Bubo coromandus
St rigidae
Sch-IV
R
25
Grey Francolin
Francolinus pondicerianus
Phasianidae
Sch-IV
R
26
Grey shrike
Lanius excubitor
Laniidae
Sch-IV
R/ M W
27
Honey buzzard
Pernis ptilorhynchus
Accipit ridae
Sch-IV
R
28
House Crow
Corvus splendens
Corvidae
Sch-IV
R
29
House Sparrow
Passer domesticus
Passeridae
Sch-IV
R
30
House Swift
Apus affinis
Apodidae
Sch-IV
R
31
Indian Roller
Coracias benghalensis
Coraciidae
Sch-IV
R
32
Indian baya
Philippinus philippinus
M eropidae
Sch-IV
R
33
Indian Cuckoo
M egalaima merulinus
Cuculidae
Sch-IV
U
34
Indian Jungle Night jar
Caprimulgus indicus
Caprimulgidae
Sch-IV
R
35
Indian pied kingfisher
Ceryle rudis
Cerylidae
Sch-IV
R
36
Indian Pond-Heron
Ardeola grayii
Ardeidae
Sch-IV
R
37
Indian spot t ed munia
Lonchura punct ulata
Est rildidae
Sch-IV
RV
38
Indian t ailor bird
Ort hotomus sut orius
Cist icolidae
Sch-IV
R
39
Jungle Babler
Turdoides st riatus
Cist icolidae
Sch-IV
R
40
Jungle Bush Quail
Perdicula argoondah
Phasianidae
Sch-IV
E
41
Jungle Crow
Corvus macrorhynchos
Corvidae
Sch-IV
R
42
Jungle Owlet
Glaucidium radiat um
St rigidae
Sch-IV
R
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S.N
Common name
43
Large Indian parakeet
44
Lit tle Egret
45
Species name
Psit tacula eupat rica
Family
W PA
schedule
Status
Psit t aculidae
Sch-IV
R
Egretta garzetta
Ardeidae
Sch-IV
R
Lit t le Grebe
Tachybapt us ruficollis
Podicipedidae
Sch-IV
R
46
Lot en’s Sunbird
Nect arinia lot enia
Nect ariniidae
Sch-IV
R
47
M ot t led Wood Ow l
St rix ocellat a
St rigidae
Sch-IV
E
48
Orient al Scops Owl
Ot us sunia
St rigidae
Sch-IV
R
49
Orient al w hit e eye
Zost erops palpebrosus
Zost eropidae
Sch-IV
R
50
Paint ed Francolin
Francolinus pictus
Phasianidae
Sch-IV
E
51
Paradise flycatchers
Terpsiphone paradise
M onarchidae
Sch-IV
R
52
Pea fow l
Pavo crist atus
Phasianidae
Sch-I
R
53
Pied Bushchat
Saxicola caprata
M uscicapidae
Sch-IV
R
54
Purple sunbird
Nect arinia asiatica
Nect ariniidae
Sch-IV
R
55
Purple-rumped Sunbird
Nect arinia zeylonica
Nect ariniidae
Sch-IV
R
56
Red Jungle Fowl
Gallus gallus
Phasianidae
Sch-IV
R
57
Red Turt le Dove
Streptopelia t ranquebarica
Columbidae
Sch-IV
RV
58
Red-vent ed Bulbul
Pycnonotus cafer
Pycnonotidae
Sch-IV
R
59
Red-w at tled Lapw ing
Vanellus indicus
Charadriidae
Sch-IV
R
60
Rock Pigeon
Columbus livibus
Columbidae
Sch-IV
R
61
Rufous Treepie
Dendrocit ta vagabunda
Corvidae
Sch-IV
R
62
Scaly-brest ed M unia
Lonchura kelaart i
Est rildidae
Sch-IV
R
63
Shikra
Accipit er badius
Accipit ridae
Sch-IV
R
64
Sm all M inivet
Pericrocotus cinnamomeus
Campephagidae
Sch-IV
R
65
Spot t ed Dove
Streptopelia chinensis
Columbidae
Sch-IV
R
66
Spot t ed Ow let
At hene brama
St rigidae
Sch-IV
R
67
Taw ny Eagle
Aquila rapens
Accipit ridae
Sch - I
R
68
Thick-billed Flow erpecker
Dicaeum agile
Dicaeidae
Sch-IV
R
69
Weaver bird
Ploceus philippinus
Ploceidae
Sch-IV
R
70
Whit e brow ed Bulbul
Pycnonotus jokokus
Pycnonotidae
Sch-IV
R
71
Whit e brow ed fant ail
Rhipidura aureola
Rhipiduridae
Sch-IV
R
72
Whit e rumped vult ure
Gyps bengalensis
Accipit ridae
Sch-IV
R
nipalensis
( M - M igratory, R - Resident, U - unclear, E - Endemic, V – Vulnerable; W = winter visor; M R = species as
partly resident and partly alt itudinal migrant).
4.9.1.2
M ammals
A total of 10 species of mammals w ere reported for the Bap region. The most common species sighted
during t he survey and report ed by local communit y included Indian hare, Rat s, Jakal and Chinkara.
(Table 4-8).
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Table 4-8: List of mammals reported for Bap Tehsil, Jodhpur districts, Rajasthan
S.N
Common name
Species name
Family
W PA
schedule
1
Comm on grey
mongoose
Herpest es edw ardsii
Herpest idae
Sch-IV
2
Indian Hare
Lepus nigricollis
Leporidae
Sch-IV
3
Rat
Rattus rat tus
M uridae
Sch-V
4
Nilgai
Bosephalus
t ragocamelus
Bovidae
Sch-III
5
Desert fox
Vulpus vulpes pusilla
Canidae
Sch-II
Nesokia indica
M uridae
Sch-V
Bandicot a bengalensis
M uridae
Sch-V
Short t ailed
Bandicoot rat
Lesser bandicoot
rat
6
7
8
Jackal
Canis auries
Canidae
Sch-III
9
Indian Gerbil
Tat era indica
M uridae
Sch-V
Bovidae
Sch-I
Indian Gazelle
Gazella bennet tii
(Chinkara)
Source - * Sharma 2004; * * Vivek M enon 2003
10
4.9.1.3
Associate habitat * *
Scrub forest / fringe of
forest / rocky
regions/ open grass
Scrub forest / grass land /
w oody grassland
Scrub forest / grass land /
w oody grassland
w oody grass land/ rocky
cliff
grass land / desert / semiarid area
Scrub forest / rocky region
Scrub forest / grass land /
w oody grassland
Fringe of forest / scrub
forest / rocky regions
Scrub forest / grass land /
w oody grassland
Desert and arid regions/
grass land
Reptiles
A total 12 reptile species w ere reportedly present in the region, out of w hich 6 species of snakes and 6
species of lizards were recorded. As per the Wildlife Protection Act, Desert monitor lizard and Saw scaled Viper falls in Schedule -II, Comm on cat snake in Schedule -III and 9 species under Schedule -IV
w ere recorded w it hin t he 5-km radius. The snakes m ost ly preferred open grassland t o sem i-arid rocky
habit at s w hereas lizards and skinks also preferred open t o scrub forest bushes ( Table 4.6).
Table 4-9: List of reptiles reported for Bap Tehsil, Jodhpur
S.N
Common name
Species name
Family
W PA
schedule
1
Comm on cat snake
Boiga trigonata
Colubridae
Sch-III
2
Indian cobra
Naja naja
Elapidae
Sch-IV
3
Barred w olf snake
Lycodon st riatus
Colubridae
Sch-IV
4
Comm on Wolf Snake
Lycodon aulicus
Colubridae
Sch-IV
5
Comm on Krait
Bungarus caeruleus
Elapidae
Sch-IV
6
Saw-scaled Viper
Echis carinatus
Viperidae
Sch-II
Environmental and Social Impact Assessment:
20 M W Solar Pow er Project- RSEPL
Associated habitats
open grassland / open
arid region
plains, jungles, open fields
and t he regions heavily
populat ed by people
open grassland / open
arid region
open grassland/ scrub
forest
Rocky areas/ scrub forest/
arid region
scrub forest / arid region
P a g e | 74
S.N
Common name
7
Hardwicke's
Tail Agama
8
Species name
Short
Family
W PA
schedule
Brachysaura minor
Agam idae
Sch-IV
Indian cham eleon
Chamaeleo zeylanicus
Chamaeleonida
e
Sch-IV
9
Fan Throat ed Lizard
Sitana pont iceriana
Agam idae
Sch-IV
10
Low Lying Gecko
M icrogecko depressus
Gekkonidae
Sch-IV
11
Desert M onit or
Varanus griseus
Varanidae
Sch-II
12
Indian
Fringefingered Lizard
Acant hodact ylus
cant oris
Lacert idae
Sch-IV
Associated habitats
Open area/ dry arid
regions
Rocky areas / scrub forest
Open area/ dry scrub
forest
Open area/ scrub forest
Desert and arid regions/
open arid landuse
Desert and arid regions/
open arid landuse
4.10 Socio Economic Pr ofile and Stakeholder Consultations
A social impact assessm ent (SIA) and st akeholder consult at ion was undert aken t o underst and t he overall
social and economic st at us of t he people residing w it hin t he vicinit y of t he proposed project . This
comprehension will help t he project planners t o make an assessm ent of t he overall impact s of t he
proposed project on socio-econom ic aspect s of t he comm unit ies in t he area.
4.10.1 Objective of the Study
The SIA study focussed on identification of stakeholders (direct and indirect) and assessment of impacts,
issues/ concerns and benefit s/ expect at ions from t he project on t he populat ion. The st udy provides a
det ailed summ ary of t he present socio-econom ic baseline of t he st udy populat ion in Bari Seer Village. It
furt her at t em pt s t o measure t he socio-econom ic changes t hat w ill com e about wit h t he pr oposed
project and it s influence on t he resident populat ion by encom passing inform at ion acquired t hrough t he
int erview s and focussed group discussions conduct ed.
The following met hods w ere used as a benchm ark t o at t ain t he required informat ion for t he social
baseline:
Ident ificat ion of st akeholders
St akeholders consult at ions and
St akeholders connect ion and influence levels on t he project of households w it hin 3 km radius of
the project site.
The st akeholder consult at ions process involved:
Consult at ions w it h relevant comm unit y represent at ive
Discussions with locals residing within the villages near the project site
Discussions with w omen residing within the immediate vicinity of the project site
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4.10.2 Study Area
RSEPL has leased 275 bigha (44.15 hectares) in Khasra No. 124 (as m entioned in the District Collector’s
th
Allot ment Let t er issued t o M / s Ranji Solar Energy Privat e Limit ed dat ed 17 Oct ober 2014 and which has
been at t ached as an Annexure II) of revenue land from the Governm ent of Rajasthan for the proposed
solar plant . The delineat ed area for t he st udy has been ident ified giving significance t o t he area where
t he land is going t o be leased from and t he impact of t he project on t he surrounding areas w it hin 3 km
radius of the project site as the nearest settlem ents ar e approximately 3 km away from the proposed
site.
4.10.2.1 Project Influenced Area
Within the surrounding areas of 3 km radius of the project site lies two settlem ents, Bari Seer village
which is approximat ely 3 km from t he project sit e and Nawagaon dhani which is 2 km from t he project
sit e, bot h of which are under t he Bari Seer Panchayat .
4.10.3 Study Approach and Methodology
The approach t hat was adopt ed for t he st udy included t he following element s,
Literature Review of Secondary Data: The st udy included review of secondary inform at ion obt ained
from statistical abstracts of Census Report of India 2001 and 2011 along with District Socio Econom ic
Reports, Econom ic Census, Industries Survey, Livestock Census, Rajasthan State Governm ent and District
websit es w hich were com plied t o give an overview of t he socio-economic baseline.
Legislative Review : The st udy incorporat ed relevant social legislat ion, regulat ions, guidelines and
st andards w hich w ere review ed and compiled.
Baseline Data Collection: A focus group discussion t o gat her t he primary dat a w as conduct ed t o ensure
est ablishment of proper baseline inform ation.
Identification of potential social impacts: The informat ion collect ed t hrough t he focus group discussion
w as primarily collected t o ident ify t he pot ent ial social issues and t his w as supplement ed by guidelines of
Equator Principles, ADB Safeguard Policy St atement (2009), ADB’s Social Prot ect ion St rat egy (2001),
ADB’s Public Communicat ions Policy (2011) and IFC Perform ance St andards.
Impact Assessment: The socio - econom ic and project information w ere collected to assess the potential
impacts of the proposed activities. The assessm ent covered the following aspects:
The present baseline condit ions and consult at ions w it h t he local comm unit ies
The potential changes in the social param eters likely to be affected by project related activities
The identification of potential impacts
The evaluat ion of t he likelihood and significance of pot ent ial impact s
The defining of m itigation m easures to reduce impacts to as low as practicable
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M ethodology
A m eet ing w it h t he project proponent w as init ially conduct ed t o develop a comm on underst anding of
t he project act ivit ies, requirem ent s and t o ident ify a cont inuous point of cont act for all fut ure
correspondence.
The baseline inform ation included aspects like demographic inform ation, econom ic activities, literacy
profile, land use, infrastructure resource, economic facilities, cultural heritage, life style and other value
syst em.
The following met hods w ere used as a benchm ark t o collat e t he baseline inform ation:
St akeholders consult at ion m eet ing which included t he Project Influenced Populat ion wit hin 3
Km radius of the project site
The delineat ion of Preliminary St akeholders were based on t he following point s,
t he t ype of st akeholders, and
t heir connect ion and influence levels on t he project .
An open ended quest ionnaire w as prepared for t he f ocus group discussions prior t o t he st ar t of t he
consult at ion process t o obt ain t he inform at ion from t he populat ion. Different st akeholder groups w ere
consult ed t o underst and t he concerns/ issues, expect at ions/ benefit s and ot her advant ages t hat t hey
have on t he project .
4.10.4 Administr ative Set Up
Rajasthan has been divided into thirty three districts because of its sheer size of being the largest state
in India account ing t o 11% of t he t ot al land area. Jodhpur Dist rict is one of t he larger dist rict s of
Rajasthan and comes under the Arid Zone of the State. The District covers 11.60% of the total area of
t he arid zone. For adm inist rat ive purpose, Jodhpur Dist rict has been sub divided int o seven sub
divisions, nam ely, Pipar Cit y, Shergarh, Osian, Luni, Bhopalgarh and Phalodi. The sub divisions have
furt her been divided int o eleven t ehsils nam ely, Phalodi, Osian, Bhopalgarh, Jodhpur, Shergarh, Luni,
M andore, Bilara, Baw adi, Baap and Balesar and t w o independent up tehsils (sub t ehsils) namely,
Jhanw ar and Tinw ari. There are t en Panchayat Samit ies nam ely, M andore, Luni, Osian, Baori, Baap,
Phalodi, Shergarh, Balesar, Bhopalgarh and Bilara w it hin Jodhpur Dist rict w hich w orks for t he villages
under t he Tehsil level. The Panchayat Sam it ies forms t he link bet ween t he Gram Panchayat and t he
District Office. Below the Gram Panchayat level are the revenue villages. There are a total of 1862
revenue villages under 339 Gram Panchayat s in Jodhpur Dist rict . The t hem at ic adm inist rat ive set up of
Jodhpur Dist rict has been provided in Figure 4-4.
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4.10.5 Demogr aphic Pr ofile of Jodhpur District
According t o t he 2011 Census, t he t ot al populat ion of Jodhpur Dist rict was 3,687,165 which com prised
5.37% of the State’s (Rajasthan) population. As com pared to t he 2001 Census Data, the population has
seen a rise of 27.69% from 2,886,505. The male and fem ale population as per the 2011 Census Data
comprised 52.17% and 47.82% of t he t ot al populat ion. Bot h t he m ale and fem ale populat ion have
show n a slight variat ion as com pared t o t he 2001 Census Dat a, wherein t he m ale populat ion comprised
of 52.44% and female population w as 47.55% of the total population. The sex ratio as per the 2011
Census data was 915 fem ales (to every 1000 males) which is higher than a decade ago (2001) w ith 907
females (to every 1000 m ales). The households in the District as per the 2011 Census Data was 649,013
which have also shown an increase from 456,877 households as was present during t he 2001 Census
Data. In
Figure 4-5 t he decadal populat ion growt h of Jodhpur Dist rict has been provided.
Figure 4-4: Thematic Administrative set up of Jodhpur District
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Rajasthan
Pipar Cit y
Sub Div
Shergarh Sub
Div
Osian Sub Div
Osian Tehsil
Phalodi Sub
Div
Bhopalgarh
Sub Div
Balesar Tehsil
Luni Tehsil
M andore
Tehsil
Phalodi
Tehsil
Jhanw ar Up Tehsil
Luni Sub Div
Jodhpur Tehsil
Shergarh
Tehsil
Bilara Tehsil
Jodhpur Sub
Div
Tinw ari Up Tehsil
Baap Tehsil
Bhopalgarh
Tehsil
Bawadi
Tehsil
32 villages including Bari Seer
village
Figure 4-5: Decadal Population Grow th of Jodhpur District (2001-2011)
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4000000
3500000
3000000
2500000
2000000
1500000
1000000
500000
0
Tot al Populat ion
Total M ale
Populat ion
2001
Total Fem ale
Populat ion
2011
Source: 2001 and 2011 Census Dat a
Project Influenced Population
As per the 2011 Census Data, the total population of Bari Seer Village show ed a decline at 1469 as
com pared the 2001 Census Data at 1955. The total male and fem ale population as per 2011 Census Data
was 51.94% and 48.05% of the total population. This w as relatively higher in 2001 w herein the male and
female population com prised 54.98% and 40.92% of the total population. The sex ratio as per 2011 was
925 females to every 1000 males which also w ere significantly higher than 2001 Census w here the sex
ratio w as 744 females to every 1000 males. The households have also show n a decreased trend from
298 in t he year 2001 t o 219 in t he year 2011.
As per consult ations carried out w it h the Sarpanch of Bari Seer Panchayat , t here are approxim at ely 400
people residing in 101 household in Naw agaon dhani. It is assumed that the Census Data of Bari Seer
Village has captured the population of Naw agaon dhani as well, as there is no separate reference to
Naw agaon dhani in t he Official Census records.
Figure 4-6: Decadal Population Growth of Bari Seer Village (2001-2011)
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2000
1800
1600
1400
1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
Bari Seer Village
Bari Seer Village
2001
2011
Tot al Populat ion
Total M ale Populat ion
Total Fem ale Population
Source: 2001 and 2011 Census Dat a
Poverty Level Status
The level of poverty in an area highlights the econom ic status of the people and w hether they are able
to afford certain am enities for their survival. The Below Poverty Level (BPL) status is taken by the
Governm ent of India as an econom ic benchm ark and poverty threshold to indicate the econom ic
disadvant age and ident ify individuals and households in need of governm ent assist ance and aid.
In order to gather a sense of the level of poverty existing in Rajasthan, details of BPL status prevailing in
the District and project influenced population of Bari Seer have been provided. As per the Official
Governm ent Website on BPL status in Rajasthan, 70887 BPL families are present in Jodhpur District. The
details of the BPL families falling under the District and in Bari Seer Village are provided in Table 4-10.
Table 4-10 : Status of BPL Families in Jodhpur District and Bari Seer village
S. No.
1
2
Place
Jodhpur Dist rict
Bari Seer Village
BPL Families
70887
38
Non BPL Families
304817
229
Total
375704
267
Source: ht t p:/ / 164.100.153.5/ bpl/ dist _wise_bpl.asp
According to the table presented above, 1.92% fam ilies of Jodhpur District ’s fall below the poverty line
status w hile in Bari Seer Village, there are 2.58% BPL families present. Despite the various poverty
alleviation schemes like Jaw ahar Rojgar Yojna and Employment Assurance Scheme adopted by the State
Governm ent in various parts of the State of Rajasthan, the improvement of poverty level is still
unsatisfactory in the State. Depending upon the trend in poverty level as mentioned in the Rajasthan
Hum an Development Report 2002, the issues w hich were highlighted w ere:
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Drought has had a severe impact on the lives of the people such as loss of land, cat tle and
household goods and valuables. This has been oft en magnified by debt and bondage which has
result ed in ext ernal shock t o t he peasant econom y. A prolonged period of drought also alt ers
t he asset base of t he people by making t hem rely on alt ernat e coping mechanism t o reduce risks
which include 1) migrat ion of one or m ore m ale m em bers for employm ent , t rade and comm erce
seasonally or permanent ly; 2) animal husbandry as an addit ional livelihood source, during years
of drought, cat tle are sold or part of the fam ilies move outside the area w ith the cat tle in search
of fodder; 3) diversificat ion t o more t han one livelihood/ income source as a risk reduct ion
behaviour; 4) adopt ing non agricult ure based livelihoods including t radit ional skills pract ices by
som e cast e groups w omen such as em broidery, pat chwork, appliqué, wood carving and quilt
making.
Underem ploym ent leading t o m igrat ion of t he populat ion t o ot her areas w it hin t he St at e and
out side in period of crises is also widespread. Employment in mining and quarrying, const ruct ion
and small t rading and m anufact uring oft en result in poor dividend because of t he meagre w ages
and subst andard working condit ions. The large num ber of m igrant s also leads t o compet it ive
low w ages especially under t he unorganized labour m arket .
As per t he consult at ions conduct ed wit h t he comm unit ies based at Bari Seer Village and Nawagaon
dhani, t he people consult ed confirm ed t hat som e percent age of t he adult male populat ion migrat e t o
ot her part s of t he St at e due t o lack of employm ent opport unit ies in t he area. However, many of t he
adult male populat ion also t end t o gat her indust rial t raining qualificat ion from Indust rial Training
Inst it ut es and in t he process acquire sem i skill qualificat ion which helps t hem obt aining sem i skilled jobs
as drivers, m echanics, elect ricians and plumbers in bigger cit ies w it hin t he St at e. In addit ion, as a w ord
of m out h t rend wit hin t he St at e of Rajast han w hich is prevalent in t he area is t hat in any developm ent
project s, t he local populat ion are generally hired t o undert ake t he act ivit ies relat ing t o const ruct ion
work. Unless t he act ivit ies involve t echnical work wherein skilled professions are required which usually
come from out of t he St at e, almost all t he ot her civil const ruct ion work are undert aken by t he locals.
4.10.5.1
Literacy Level
The t ot al lit erat e populat ion as per t he 2011 Census Dat a in Jodhpur Dist rict w as 55.09% of t he t ot al
population as compared to 45.72% in 2001. The m ale literate population saw a slight decrease of
62.30% as com pared t o 67.63% in 2001. However, t he fem ale lit erat e populat ion show ed a slight rise in
2011 at 37.69% as com pared t o 32.36% in 2001. The t ot al illit erat e populat ion as per t he Census dat a of
2011 and 2001 highlights decrease of illiterates in the District at 44.50% in 2011 as compared to 54.27%
illiterates in 2001. The decadal literacy level in the district has been provided in
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Figure 4-7
Figure 4-7: Decadal Literacy Level in Jodhpur District (2001-2011)
Total Illit erate Populat ion
Tot al Fem ale Lit erat e Populat ion
Tot al M ale Lit erat e Populat ion
Tot al Lit erat e Populat ion
0
10
2011
20
30
40
50
60
70
2001
Source: 2001 and 2011 Census Dat a
Project Influenced Population
According to the 2011 Census Data, the total literate population in Bari Seer village w as 47.58% w hich is
slightly higher than the literate population in 2001 at 40.40%. The total male literate population has
shown a slight decline in 2011 at 68.95% from 74.05% in 2001. The t ot al female lit erat e populat ion has
highlighted an increase at 31.04% in 2011 from 25.94% in 2001. The total illiterate population in the
village has shown a m arginal drop from 59.59% in 2001 t o 52.41% in 2011. The decadal grow t h of
literate and illiterate population of Bari Seer village has been given in Figure 4-8 .
Figure 4-8: Decadal Growth of Literate and Illiterate Population in Bari Seer Village (2001-2011)
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1200
1000
800
600
400
200
0
Tot al Lit erat e
Populat ion
Tot al M ale
Lit erat e
Populat ion
2001
Total Fem ale
Lit erat e
Populat ion
Total Illit erate
Populat ion
2011
Source: 2001 and 2011 Census Dat a
As per the consultations conducted w ith the community m em bers based at Bari Seer village and
Naw agaon dhani, it w as mentioned that most of the male population are educated till Grade X w hile the
women are often not educated and if they are allow ed to go to school, they are usually educated till
Grade V. How ever, in recent years the younger generation of both genders are m ore likely to be
enrolled in schools because of aw areness of the impor tance of education in t he area.
4.10.5.2 Social Stratification
Social stratification is a concept which classifies people into groups based on the hierarchical structures
of class and status in any society. In India, the society is stratified along caste and tribe lineage. The
t erminology of Scheduled Cast e and Tribe has been adopt ed in t he Const it ut ion of India and a sizeable
am ount of people fall within both these categories. These categories of people highlight the
disadvant aged and oppressed classes. The Schedule Cast es (SC) and Schedule Tribes (ST) populat ion
form about seventy percent (70%) and twelve percent (12%) of Rajasthan’s population respectively.
5
According to the Social Justice and Em pow erment Department, Government of Rajasthan, Rajast han
has 59 Scheduled Cast e, 12 Scheduled Tribes, 78 Backw ard Classes and 4 Special Backw ard Classes. The
population of STs in Rajasthan is nearly double of the national average, w ith original inhabitants like
Bhils and the M eenas forming the largest groups. A host of lesser know n tribes like Sahariyas,
Damariyas, Garasias, and Lohars st ill form im port ant groups.
As per the 2011 Census Data, the total SC and ST population in Jodhpur District were 16.49% and 3.22%
of the t otal population respectively. There has been a slight increase in the populations as com pared to
the 2001 Census Data w herein the SC and ST population w ere recorded at 15.81% and 2.75% of the total
populat ion. The t ot al SC and ST populat ion as per t he Census Dat a 2001 and 2011 have been pr ovided in
Figure 4-9 .
5
htt p:/ / w w w .sje.rajast han.gov.in/ About%20Deptt / Background.htm
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Figure 4-9: Decadal Total SC and ST Population of Jodhpur District (2001-2011)
18.00%
16.00%
14.00%
12.00%
10.00%
8.00%
6.00%
4.00%
2.00%
0.00%
2011
Tot al SC Populat ion
2001
Tot al ST Populat ion
Source: Census Dat a 2001 and 2011
Project Influenced Population
According to the 2011 Census Data, the total SC and ST population in Bari Seer village com prised 27.36%
and 10.14% of the total population respectively. As com pared to the 2001 Census Data, the SC and ST
populat ion have show n a slight decrease w herein SC populat ion comprised 17.18% and ST populat ion
5.93% of the total population.
The total SC and ST population of Bari Seer village have been provided in Figure 4-10 .
Figure 4-10 : Total SC and ST population in Bari Seer village
30.00%
25.00%
20.00%
15.00%
10.00%
5.00%
0.00%
Bari Seer Village
Beri Seer Village
2001
2011
Tot al SC Populat ion
Tot al ST Populat ion
Source: Census Dat a 2001 and 2011
The consult at ions conduct ed in t he village of Bari Seer and Naw agaon dhani highlight ed t hat all t he
populat ion follow Hinduism. In addit ion, approxim at ely 60% of t he populat ion in Bari Seer belong t o t he
Rajput caste, while the rem aining 40% com prise population belonging to the Brahm in; low er caste like
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Sunuvar, M egw ar, Sut har, Cham ar and Sunar; Bishois and ST’s like Bhil, Jogan, Banjara and others. In
Nawagaon dhani, t he populat ion mainly com prises of lower cast e people and form t he same group t hat
are present in Bari Seer Village.
4.10.5.3 W orkforce and occupation Participation
6
Work force participation rate is defined as the percent age of total workers (main and m arginal ) as
compared t o t he t ot al populat ion. The indust rial cat egory of main work comprises agricult ure & allied
activities, mining & quarrying, manufacturing, electricity, gas & water supply, w holesale, retail trade,
hotel & restaurant , transport, storage & communications, financial interm ediation, real estate, business
act ivit ies and ot her services. In Jodhpur Dist rict as per t he 2011 Census Dat a, t he t ot al working
populat ion comprised 40.40% of t he t ot al populat ion. Out of t he t ot al w orking populat ion, t he t ot al
main and m arginal workers w ere 70.91% and 29.08% respect ively. The t ot al non workers comprised
59.59% of t he t ot al populat ion in Jodhpur Dist rict . The working populat ion has shown a slight increase
from 2001 wherein only 38.28% of t he t ot al populat ion were engaged in som e kind of employm ent . The
total non w orkers have shown a slight decrease from 61.71% as w as present in 2001. The details of main
and m arginal workers engaged in Jodhpur Dist rict have been provided in Table 4-11.
Table 4-11: Total main and marginal workers in Jodhpur District
Category
Total Workers
M ain Workers
M ain Cult ivat ors
M ain Agricult ural
Labourers
M ain Household
Indust ry
M ain Ot hers
M arginal Workers
M arginal
Cult ivat ors
M arginal
Agricultural
Labourers
M arginal
Household Industry
M arginal Ot hers
Non Workers
Source: Census Data
Total
Population
1105009
829721
375334
47719
2001
M ale
Population
733195
635061
236982
29384
Female
Population
371814
194660
138352
18335
Total
Population
1489741
1056479
398287
103001
2011
M ale
Population
965103
803328
253197
62642
Female
Population
524638
253151
145090
40359
26586
21687
4899
32550
25789
6761
380082
275288
170231
347008
98134
51470
33074
177154
118761
522641
433262
194083
461700
161775
65973
60941
271487
128110
61852
19302
42550
139016
44114
94902
6496
2163
4333
9862
3638
6224
11510
1000801
90301
2197424
48050
958825
42251
1238599
36709
25199
1781496
780695
2001 and 2011
As observed in t he t able above, t he pr oport ion of male w orkers are m uch higher t han female w orkers
largely due t o t he fact t hat wom en t ill dat e especially in rural areas st ill observe t he purdah (veiled)
syst em and are not allowed t o st ep out of t he house w it hout men accompanying t hem .
6
Those workers who did not work for at least 183 days in the preceding 12 months t o the census t aking are t ermed as marginal
workers.
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Project Influenced Population
According t o t he 2011 Census Dat a, t he t ot al working populat ion in Bari Seer Village was 41.45% of t he
t ot al populat ion wherein 57.47% and 42.52% comprised of male and fem ale workers respect ively. The
main workers consist ed 49.58% and m arginal workers 50.41% of t he t ot al working populat ion. The non
workers com prised 58.59% of t he t ot al populat ion wherein male non w orkers w ere 48.02% and fem ale
non w orkers w ere 51.97%. These dat a show a decrease in t he w orking populat ion as compared t o 2001
Census Dat a w here 59.33% of t he t ot al populat ion were engaged in som e kind of profession. The female
working populat ion was higher in 2001 at 55.43%. However, t he non workers were higher in 2001 at
68.53%.The details of main and m arginal workers in Bari Seer village have been given in
Table 4-12
Table 4-12: Details of working population in Bari Seer Village
Category
Total
Population
Bari Seer Village
Total Workers
M ain Workers
M arginal
Workers
Non Workers
2001
M ale
Population
Female
Population
Total
Population
2011
M ale
Population
Female
Population
1160
643
517
672
474
198
488
169
319
609
302
307
350
272
78
259
30
229
795
403
392
860
413
447
Source: Census Date 2001 and 2011
According t o t he consult at ions undert aken in Bari Seer village and Nawagaon dhani, majorit y of t he
populat ion are engaged in t he cult ivat ion of guar, bajr a and peanut s w hile som e of t he populat ion are
engaged as unskilled and semi-skilled w orkers like daily w age, agricult ural labourers, driving, carpent ry,
elect rician and m echanics.
4.10.5.4 Existing Public Amenities
Availabilit y and non-availabilit y of social infrast ructure amenit ies and facilit ies indicates t he
developm ent pat t ern of t he area and t he w ell-being and qualit y of life of t he populat ion. The part iculars
of t he exist ing public amenit ies in Jodhpur Dist rict have been m ent ioned in t he following:
Education Facilities
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According t o t he Dist rict Elem ent ary Educat ion (Provisional) Report Card 2011-12, Jodhpur Dist rict has a
t ot al of 5660 schools. The det ails of t he schools present in t he dist rict have been det ailed in Table 4-13
Table 4-13: Details of schools present in Jodhpur District
School Category
Total Schools
Government
Private
Unrecognized
Prim ary only
2540
191
96
Primary w ith Upper Primary
1054
1007
21
Primary w ith Upper Primary &
108
281
1
Upper Primary Only
8
0
0
Upper Primary wit h Secondary/ Higher
315
38
0
0
0
0
Sec/ Higher Secondary
Secondary
No Response
Source: ht tp:/ / w ww .dise.in/ Dow nloads/ Publications/ Publicat ions%202011-12/ DRC%202011-12.pdf
As per t he Jodhpur Dist rict websit e, t here are 12 colleges and 3 universit ies present in t he dist rict .
Educat ion t o a large ext ent depends on t he presence of t eachers in schools. According t o t he Jodhpur
Dist rict Element ary Educat ion (Provisional) Report Card 2011-2012, t he t eacher st udent rat io in t he
dist rict for bot h primary and upper primary schools is 1:30 which is proport ionat e t o t he Right t o
Educat ion t eacher pupil norm of having 1:30 for primary and 1:35 for upper primary schools. The
num ber of t eachers by schools has been provided in Table 4-14.
Table 4-14: Number of Teachers by Schools
School
Government
Private
Teachers
Primary
4980
696
Upper Prim ary
5425
6022
Primary
146023
20484
Upper Prim ary
151198
187504
St udent Teacher Ratio
30 (Primary)
30 (Upper Prim ary)
Tot al Enrolment of Students
Source: ht tp:/ / w w w .dise.in/ Dow nloads/ Publications/ Publications%202011-12/ DRC%202011-12.pdf
Basic facilities in schools have been a m ajor concern for the poor turnout of girls’ students. Lack of
female t eachers, w at er facilit ies in girl’s t oilet s and dist ance of schools from place of residence are major
concerns t hat girl’s face in rural areas. As per the District Elem entary Education Report (Provisional)
2011-2012, t he num ber of single t eachers is 18.9% in Jodhpur Dist rict . In addit ion, t here are about
32.6% of fem ale teachers in the district as well. The details of the facilities present in the schools in
Jodhpur Dist rict have been show n in Table 4-15
Table 4-15: Number of schools with facilities
Facilities
Jodhpur District (%)
Single Classroom
2.3
Single Teacher
18.9
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Schools wit h Girls Toilets
96.9
Schools wit h Drinking Wat er Facilit y
97
Schools wit h Electricit y
43.3
Schools wit h Playground
50.6
Schools having ramps
61.6
Schools having female t eachers
35.1
Source: ht tp:/ / w w w .dise.in/ Dow nloads/ Publications/ Publications%202011-12/ DRC%202011-12.pdf
Project Influenced Population
According to the Village Directory Data 2001, in Bari Seer Village there is 1 primary and 1 middle school.
A middle school is present at a distance of 5 t o 10 km from Bari Seer village. For students w anting to
pursue t heir college educat ion, one college is sit uat ed at a dist ance of m ore t han 10 km from t he village.
As per t he consult at ions conduct ed wit h t he Sarpanch of Bari Seer village and t he com munit y members,
at present t here are 5 primary schools in Bari Seer village. In addit ion, t here is 1 secondary school each
present in Bari Seer village and Baap Tehsil.
Health Care Facilities
7
In 2010-2011 in Jodhpur Dist rict , t here w ere 8 Government Hospit als, 9 Block Primary Healt h Cent res,
65 Primary Healt h Cent res, 15 Dispensaries, 3 Child and M ot her Welfare Cent res, 525 Sub Cent res, 1
Tuberculosis Centre, 9 Rural Fam ily Welfare Centres, 42 Aid Post, 121 Ayurvedic Hospitals, 3
Homeopathic Hospitals and 9 Unani Hospitals.
Project Influenced Population
As per the Village Directory Data 2001, there were no health centres present in Bari Seer village. All
health centres are situated at a distance of 3 km s away from the village. In cases of child birth, t he
traditional system of engaging a ‘Dai’ or ‘Local M idw ife’ is still prevalent am ongst the village w omen of
the area.
The consult at ions conduct ed wit h t he Sarpanch and comm unit y members revealed t hat at present t here
is a primary health centre situated at Bari Seer village and a sub centre in Naw agaon dhani. Due to lack
of professionals at t he Sub Cent re in Nawagaon dhani, t he comm unit y people eit her go t o t he Primary
Health Centre based at Bari Seer village or the private hospital situated in Baap w hich is about 10 km
from the area. In case of em ergencies, people travel 130 km to Bikaner District which has a Governm ent
Hospital.
Veterinary Facilities
As som e of t he populat ion in Jodhpur Dist rict own and rear cat t le wherein livest ock rearing and dairy
product ion are import ant occupat ions, t herefore, it is import ant t o have good animal healt h cent res in
7
htt p:/ / dcmsme.gov.in/ dips/ DIPR_Jodhpur.pdf
Environmental and Social Impact Assessment:
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8
the area as well. As per Jodhpur District Official Website, there are 7 A Grade Veterinary Hospitals, 84
Vet erinary Hospit als and 46 Vet erinary Sub Cent res in t he Dist rict .
As per t he consult at ions carried out w it h t he Sarpanch and com munit y m em bers of Bari Seer village and
Nawagaon dhani, t here are no vet erinary cent res in t he village and people from t he village have t o go t o
t he lone vet erinary hospit al locat ed in Bap t o avail t he services t here.
Road Connectivity
In 2010-11, Jodhpur Dist rict is connect ed wit h 507 km st ret ch of Nat ional Highway 15, 65, 112 and 114
respect ively. In addit ion, t he Dist rict is connect ed wit h 643 km st ret ch of St at e Highway 58 and 61. The
main District Highw ay of 538.50 km , other District and Rural Roads of 1787.16 km and Kaccha (unpaved)
Road of 366.42 km stret ch are also present in Jodhpur District.
9
As per the 2001 Village Directory Data, there are paved roads, mud roads and f ootpaths available in Bari
Seer village. The sit e is connect ed t o Nat ional Highway 15 which passes by bot h t he village and t he
dhani. The consult at ions revealed t hat t here are no paved roads wit hin t he village. Only m ud roads are
available w hich are used by t he com munit y m em bers.
Communication Facilities
Jodhpur District as of 2010-2011
10
has 79255 t elephone connect ions, 402 post offices, 824 public call
offices and 275,845 m obile connectivities.
As per the 2001 Village Directory Data, there are communications facilities present in the village and the
dhani. Almost all t he populat ion have a m obile phone connect ion at t heir disposal.
Banking Facilities
In 2010-2011, Jodhpur District had 221 Commercial Banks, 83 Rural Banks and 83 Co-Operative Banks.
11
As per the 2001 Village Directory Data, there are no bank facilities available in Bari Seer village. The
Commercial Banks are situated at Bap w hich is 10-12 km from Bari Seer village. This w as confirm ed
during t he consult at ions conduct ed as well.
Sanitary Facilities
Bari Seer and Nawagaon have sanitary facilities attached to individual houses with running water. This
init iat ive w as implement ed by t he Sarpanch of t he area t hrough t he Panchayat Fund.
Pow er Supply
8
htt p:/ / dcmsme.gov.in/ dips/ DIPR_Jodhpur.pdf
htt p:/ / dcmsme.gov.in/ dips/ DIPR_Jodhpur.pdf
10
htt p:/ / dcmsme.gov.in/ dips/ DIPR_Jodhpur.pdf
9
11
htt p:/ / dcmsme.gov.in/ dips/ DIPR_Jodhpur.pdf
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Bari Seer and Nawagaon have good elect ricit y supply due t o t he innum erable solar plant s available in
the area. As per the statem ent of the Sarpanch, the excessive load of the Pooling Substation is offloaded
and direct ed t o t he nearby villages w hich have benefit t ed t he people in t he area.
W ater Supply
All t he houses of Bari Seer and Nawagaon receive regular w at er supply t hrough pipeline connect ed t o
t he Indira Gandhi Canal. In t he mont hs of M ay and June i.e. at t he peak of t he sum mers, t he wat er
supply becomes scarce and in order t o supplem ent t his; t he villagers resort t o buying w at er t hrough
tankers available in the area.
Other Facilities
There is one fert ilizer/ seed shop and one fair price shop available in Baap w hich cat ers t o t he village of
Bari Seer.
Government Schemes
In Bari Seer village according t o t he Sarpanch of t he area, t here are t hree dist inct government schem es
which have been implement ed for t he welfare of t he people,
Rajiv Gandhi Scheme for Empow erment of Adolescent Girls (RGSEAG) – SABLA: SABLA aims at
em powering Adolescent Girls of 11 t o 18 years by improving t heir nut rit ional and healt h st at us,
up gradat ion of hom e skills, life skills and vocat ional skills. The girls would be equipped wit h
inform at ion on healt h and family w elfare, hygiene and guidance on exist ing public services. The
Scheme also aims to mainstream out of school girls into formal education or non-formal
educat ion. The scheme was init iat ed in 2011 in 200 dist rict s t hroughout India of w hich Jodhpur
Dist rict has been one of t hem .
Janani Suraksha Yojana: This schem e was init iat ed in 2005 under t he M inist ry of Healt h and
Fam ily Welfare. In t his scheme, a one-t im e cash incent ive is given t o pregnant w omen for
inst it ut ional/ hom e birt hs t hrough skilled assist ance. This has been init iat ed t o bring down t he
maternal mortality rate of the region.
M ahatma Gandhi Nat ional Rural Employment Guarantee Act (M NREGA): This schem e has been
init iat ed in 2005 by t he M inist ry of Rural Development . Here legal guarant ee for one hundred
days of em ployment in every financial year has been given to all adult members of any rural
household willing t o do public work-relat ed unskilled manual work at t he st at ut ory m inimum
w age of Rs. 120 per day.
4.11 Stakeholder Engagement and Infor mation Disclosure
St akeholder Engagement is an import ant process t hrough which a t wo w ay dialogue is creat ed bet ween
t he project proponent and t he st akeholders. As per survey of t he delineat ed area of t he proposed solar
plant sit e, t he pr oject influenced populat ion was ident ified in undert aking st akeholder consult at ions.
Environmental and Social Impact Assessment:
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The crit eria for ident ifying t hese areas were based on t he proximit y t o t he sit e area, t he influence of
impact s on t he households in t he area and t he socio cult ural charact erist ics of t he resident populat ion.
4.11.1 Stakeholder Identification
The st akeholders for t he pr oject were priorit ized by ident ifying t he direct and indirect st akeholders. The
key st akeholders t hat were consult ed as par t of t he st udy included t he following:
Local Populat ion residing near t he project sit e area
Panchayat Leader of Bari Seer village and Naw agaon Dhani
NGO’s w orking in the area
th
th
th
Consult at ions w ere conduct ed on 15 July, 13 Sept ember and 15 Oct ober 2014 wit h t he various
st akeholders by a social professional from AECOM , India.
4.11.1.1 M ethodology Adopted
The st akeholder consult at ion comprised prim arily of a social survey and consult at ion init iat ed by
AECOM . As solar projects have already come up in surrounding areas and people are aw are of solar
plant s, t he consult at ions revolved around quest ions of how t he general pat t ern of people’s lives have
changed w it h t he coming of solar pow er plant s in t he area, t he concerns/ issues of t he local populat ion
and benefit s/ expect at ions from t he project . The findings are based m ainly on t he use of part icipat ory
met hods like focus group discussions, key inform ant interview s and nat ural int erview s. These met hods
give an in dept h and int ensit y to t he discussion and incorporat es t he locals point of view w it hin a short
period of time.
The process of st akeholder consult at ion included,
ident ificat ion of t he relevant st akeholders including all t hose individuals, groups and
organizat ions pot ent ially influenced by or int erest ed in t he project
Im part ing informat ion about t he project and it s pot ent ial impacts on t heir lives in local and
sim ple language
Verifying if the area proposed for the project does not infringe the formal or informal rights of
t he local populat ion
Recording of t heir concerns and aspirat ions t hrough discussions
Responding t o t heir queries in a neut ral manner
A quest ionnaire w it h a list of open-ended quest ions w as used t o init iat e t he discussion process.
Individuals from Bari Seer village and Naw agaon dhani w ere int erviewed along w it h t he Sarpanch of Bari
Seer Panchayat. In addition, the site person from ACM E w as also contacted to enhance the overall
underst anding of t he project and it s implicat ions on t he surrounding areas.
Focus Group Discussions
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Focus group discussions were held w it h randomly selected populat ion of Bari Seer village and Naw agaon
dhani. This encom passed a w ide age range and populat ion comprising of bot h t he genders.
Natural Interviews
Nat ural group discussions w ere also conduct ed w here ever possible. Nat ural group discussions are
int erview s conduct ed w it h ‘nat urally’ occurring groups. The group has t he advant age of being
int erview ed at a t ime and place of t heir convenience and is suit able from t he point of view of t he
int erview ee. The result is frank and open discussion t akes place in a more relaxed and informal manner.
A sam ple of t he quest ionnaire has been added as Annexure III.
4.11.2 Stakeholder Engagement Process Undertaken
In t he following sect ion, t he various st akeholder engagem ent processes have been det ailed out . The
Table 4-16 provides key quest ions and broad responses obt ained during t he social survey, consult at ion
th
and int erview s held wit h t he local comm unit y and Sarpanch of t he Panchayat on 15 July 2014:
Table 4-16: Key Questions and Responses from the Survey
S. No.
1
2
3
Questions
Has any land from t he village of Bari Seer
and Naw agaon acquired for t he project ?
Is t he land for t he proposed access road and
t ransmission line private land?
Was t he vacant land ever used for grazing
purposes?
4
Has t here been any change due t o the
coming of solar project s in t he area? How
has t he change affect ed you?
5
Has t he land prices increased because of t he
project ?
6
What is t he Comm unit y’s underst anding of
t he Project ?
Environmental and Social Impact Assessment:
20 M W Solar Pow er Project- RSEPL
Broad Response
No, t he land t hat w as select ed for t he project sit e is
revenue land under t he Government of Rajast han.
No, t he access road and t ransmission line are on
revenue land.
No, t he land t hat t he proposed sit e is expected t o
com e up on is vacant barren land. The ent ire st ret ch
is sparsely veget at ed and hence, no grazing act ivit ies
t ake place.
There has been em ployment generation in t he
const ruct ion phase for t he locals t o a cert ain ext ent .
The Panchayat has received revenue from t he
Government for leasing t he land for t he sub-st at ion
and t hrough t his revenue; act ivit ies like sanit ary
facilities and w at er supply t o individual houses in t he
area w ere undert aken. In addit ion, people have
benefit t ed wit h t he excessive offload from t he
pooling subst at ion w hich have been dist ribut ed t o
t he houses near t he vicinit y of t he sub-st at ion and
now get 24 hours elect ricit y supply.
The land prices have not been affect ed great ly as t he
land in the area is revenue land ow ned by t he
Government of Rajast han.
Solar project s do not have much impact as compared
t o ot her pow er relat ed project s. As t here are a
number of solar plant s already exist ing in t he area, no
significant impact s have been w it nessed so far. Solar
plant s are generally set up t o generat e elect ricit y for
t he Government. Through t his, t he Panchayat
receives revenue from t he Government , excess
electricit y is provided t o nearby villages and
employment opport unit ies are creat ed among t he
P a g e | 93
S. No.
Questions
7
Concerns/ Issues relat ing t o t he Project
8
Benefit / Expect ation from the Project
9
What are t he
communit y?
overall
needs
of
the
Broad Response
locals.
Some people int erview ed were of t he opinion t hat
solar project s creat es t oo m uch heat w hich leads t o
reduction of rainfall in t he area.
Generat ion
of
em ployment ,
infrastruct ural
development of t he area (roads, healt hcare facilit ies,
private schools etc.)
Schools are needed in t he area wit h qualified
t eachers, healt hcare needs t o be developed and
more employment opport unit ies need t o be
generat ed.
In addit ion, t o t he responses from t he com munit y m em bers of Bari Seer village and Nawagaon dhani,
wom en in t hese villages were also cont act ed t o gat her t heir view point s on t he socio economic st at us
and benefit s of t he project on t hem as a w hole.
Photo 4-5 : Consultations w ith community
W omen Respondents (Socio-Economic Status of W omen)
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To have an equal part icipat ion of view s from male and females, w omen w ere also ident ified as
st akeholders and t heir view s w ere gat hered. Women play an import ant role bot h as m embers of t he
household as w ell as income generat ors (agricult ural labourers, beneficiaries of t he M NREGA Scheme)
for t he families. Though not oft en t aken at par w hen decisions concerning t he families are made, t hey
often do play a crucial role in the families. The patriarchy system being prominent in the area the
w omen have st rived t o t ake on equal responsibilit ies concerning t he fam ilies. The prevailing st at us of
wom en residing in t hese part s has been provided below:
M ost w omen are uneducat ed and t hose t hat have received educat ion st udy only t ill Grade V.
Their families discont inue t heir educat ion cit ing household chores, dist ance of schools w it h
higher grades from t heir residence and safet y issues of t hem going out of t heir houses.
M ost Rajput w omen do not come out of t heir houses and depend on t he men for everyt hing.
They st rict ly pract ice t he purdah or ghunghat (veiled) syst em. Women of low er cast e usually
w ork as agricult ural labourers or in t he M NREGA scheme. Women belonging t o ST groups
engage t hemselves in handicraft m aking like bangle making, t ribal jew ellery and sells t hem at
t he market place. The w om en belonging t o t he Jogan comm unit y are int o dancing w herein t hey
earn t heir livelihood t hrough ent ert ainment of t ourist s.
Wom en get m arried at an early age of 16 years while w om en belonging to ST group get m arried
when t hey are children.
There are no healt hcare cent res cat ering t o mat ernal healt h in t he area. All t he homes in t he
area most ly depend upon t he local ‘dai’ or ‘midw ife’ for childbirt h. Family planning is rarely
pract ised am ong t he people in t he area.
Due t o t he supply of w at er t o households and sanit ary facilit ies w it hin individual households,
going t o t oilet s have become safer and m ore hygienic for w omen.
There are no wom en group or self help groups in t he area cat ering specifically for w omen.
The concerns and expect at ions of t he wom en have been ment ioned below:
Illit eracy being quit e prominent am ong t he w om en folk, t he w omen w ere of t he opinion t hat
schools and t raining cent res cat ering t o girls and w omen should be opened so t hat t heir skills
could be developed.
The w omen w ere concerned t hat w it h no medical facilit ies being present in t he area, it becomes
difficult if an em ergency occurs to travel long distances. They w ere of the opinion that a medical
facility or the existing health centre in the village should be upgraded to cater to w omen
pat ient s and t hat a visit ing doct or should be provided so t hey could at t ain som e benefit .
The w om en w ere of t he opinion t hat self help groups should be creat ed for t he w om en in t he
area.
Indigenous Population
Based on t he social survey conduct ed, it was observed t hat even t hough t here is a small populat ion of
Scheduled Tribe populat ion in Bari Seer village like Bhil, Jogan and Banjara; t hey are part of t he
mainst ream populat ion and live wit hin t he village..
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Cultural Heritage
As per t he consult at ions carried out , t here were no sit es of cult ural significance in t he vicinit y of t he
project sit e area.
Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs)
At present , t here are t hree local NGOs which are current ly w orking in Bari Seer village. Due t o
unavailability of personnels from these NGOs at Bari Seer village, interview s with them could not be
carried out . How ever, t heir area of act ivit ies has been provided below based on t he Sarpanch’s
observat ion so t hat in fut ure st akeholder engagem ent exercises, t hey could be included.
M urthal Samajik: M urt hal Sam ajik has been w orking in t he healt h sect or. They usually hold
healt h camps for children and promot e imm unizat ion of children in t he area.
Arthik avam Uthaan Samiti: Art hik avam Ut haan Samit i has been w orking for t he econom ic
uplift ment of t he people in t he area.
Grameen Vikas Samit i: Gram een Vikas Samiti has also been w orking for the rural upliftm ent of
the area. Their focus area is safe drinking water.
ACM E’s Representative at the Site Level
The land aggregator and site contact from ACM E was also contacted and an interview was held to gather
his view point s which have been highlight ed below:
Table 4-17 provides key questions and broad responses from ACM E’s representative at the site level:
Table 4-17: Key Questions and Responses from ACM E’s Representative
S. No.
1
Questions
Land Procurement Process:
What t ype of land is in the process of
being leased for t he proposed project ?
Has any privat e land been acquired or
leased?
Have you obt ained a No Objection
Cert ificat e
from
t he
Bari
Seer
Panchayat , Baap Tehsil?
Do you have in your possession t he
government lease records for t he land
leased?
2
Community Engagement:
How w as t he communit y informed
about t he proposed project ?
Has
any
prior
meetings
been
undert aken by ACM E w it h t he local
Environmental and Social Impact Assessment:
20 M W Solar Pow er Project- RSEPL
Broad Response
Khasra No. 113 of revenue land (‘Gair M um kim
Raida’ or ‘barren non agricult ural land’ as per
Government records) from t he Government of
Rajast han is in t he process of being leased for t he
project including t he access roads and
t ransmission lines
No privat e land has been leased or purchased for
t he project
Yes, a No Object ion Cert ificat e has been obt ained
from Bari Seer Panchayat , Baap Tehsil. (At t ached
as an Annexure IV))
The lease papers are yet to be received. However,
a let t er from t he Jodhpur Dist rict Collect or
recommending ACM E’s int erest in leasing t he
land from t he Government of Rajast han is
present .(At t ached as an Annexure II)
Till dat e t he communit y has not been form ally
informed about t he proposed project as t he lease
form alities is st ill underw ay.
There w ere no meetings conduct ed w ith t he local
comm unit y by ACM E.
P a g e | 96
S. No.
3
Questions
communit y?
Was an informat ion disclosure meet ing
conduct ed wit h t he local aut horit y?
Corporate
Social
Responsibility/
Community Development Programme
Act ivities undert aken (if any)
CSR Plan for fut ure
Document ed Records (if any)
4
Grievance Redressal Procedure
Has any formal grievance redressal
m echanism been set up by ACM E for
t he Comm unit y?
Ident ified Persons Responsible as
cont act point
Broad Response
A No Objection Certificat e has also been obtained
from t he Local Panchayat wit h regards t o t he
proposed project area.
No CSR or Communit y Development Programmes
have been initiat ed till dat e as t his is ACM E’s first
project in t he area.
There w ould be CSR Plans undert aken in fut ure,
t alks are st ill underw ay and no finalisat ion of it
has been concluded t ill dat e. It is just a t hought ,
not sure if it ’s commit t ed on paper as of yet .
No inform ation on document ed records of
meetings or activities t hat are planned.
Till dat e no form al grievance redressal
mechanism has been set up for t he project .
How ever, t here are plans for set t ing one up for
t he project.
The ident ified person from t he Community will be
t he Sarpanch and from ACM E will be the sit e
supervisor. Det ails of t he sit e supervisor are yet
t o be finalised.
In addit ion t o t he above responses provided by t he local populat ion of Bari Seer and Nawagaon as w ell
th
th
as ASEPL’s site representative, two m ore site visits w ere undertaken on 13 Sept em ber and 15 Oct ober
2014 to survey the entire land area proposed for the project as well as to identify and verify the land use
of t he area by t he local populat ion, if any.
It was observed during t he sit e surveys t hat t he area comprised of dry and arid land w it h no t races of
seasonal cultivation taking place on the allotted area. The cat chm ent area, agricultural area and
geographical st ruct ures like school, wat er pond and boundary w all were not ed t o be excluded from t he
proposed project area.
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5. Analysis of Alter natives
This section of the report presents the analysis of the alternatives considered for the proposed solar
power project . The following scenarios have been considered:
o
o
o
o
o
No project Scenario;
Alt ernat e Locat ion for t he proposed project ;
Alt ernat e M et hods of pow er generat ion;
Alt ernat e Technology for proposed project ;
Alt ernate rout es for t ransmission lines
5.1 No Pr oject Scenar io
As per t he Load Generat ion Balance Repor t , M inist ry of Power, Government of India t he ant icipat ed
energy requirement for the state of Rajasthan as 62540 M U against the availability of 57197 M U for the
year 2014-2015. The pow er requirement and availability for the year 2014 – 2015 has been estimated as
11000 M W and 10271 M W respect ively indicat ing a power deficit of 729 M W. The forecast s for t he
pow er requirement for the state of Rajasthan as per Central Electricity Authority (CEA)
12
have been
present ed in Table 5-1
Table 5-1: Pow er Forecasts for Rajasthan
Parameter
Elect rical Energy Requirement (GWh)
Peak Electric Load (M W)
Source: Cent ral Electricit y Aut horit y
2016-17
2021-22
67767.236
11404.490
92376.811
15100.779
The current power supply scenario and t he fut ure forecast s indicat e a progressive deficit in supply. In
order t o bridge t his gap bet ween t he demand and supply, renew able/ non-convent ional sources of
power are required t o supplem ent t he convent ional sources. The proposed project being a nonconvent ional source of power generat ion int ends t o cont ribut e t owards bridging t he dem and supply
deficit as projected.
India is locat ed in t he equat orial sun belt of t he eart h, t hereby receiving abundant radiant energy from
t he sun. The M et eor ological Depart ment of India m aint ains a nat ionwide net work of radiat ion st at ions,
which measure solar radiat ion, and also t he daily durat ion of sunshine. In most part s of India, clear
sunny weather is experienced 250 to 300 days a year. The annual global radiation varies from 1600 to
2400 kWh/ m2, which is comparable wit h radiat ion received in t he t ropical and sub-t ropical regions. The
equivalent energy pot ent ial is about 6,000 million GWh of energy per year. Figure 3.2 below shows t he
map of India wit h solar radiat ion levels in different part s of t he count ry. It can be observed t hat highest
annual global radiat ion is received in Rajast han, nort hern Gujarat . Part s of Andhra Pradesh,
M aharashtra, Rajasthan and Ladakh region also receive fairly large am ounts of radiat ion as compared t o
many part s of t he world especially Japan, Europe and t he Unit es st at es, w here development and
12
th
17 Elect ric Power Survey
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deployment of solar technologies are m aximum. Theoretically, a square piece of land, 55 kilometres
each side, in t he empt y desert , is enough t o meet India’s current energy demand. Wit h more t han 300
sunny days each year, large part s of Rajast han, Gujarat , Rajast han, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu can
produce 6-6.4 kilowatts per square metre. Sparsely populated, these areas are ideal for solar energy.
The proposed project is an opport unit y t o ut ilize t he solar pot ent ial of t he st at e for power generat ion. A
“ No Project Scenario” w ill not address t he issue of power shortage. An alternative without the project is
undesirable, as it would worsen t he power supply-dem and scenario, which would be a const raint on
economic growt h.
Figure 5-1: Solar Pow er Potential M ap of India
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5.2 Alter nate location of the pr oject site
Solar pow er project s are non pollut ing energy generat ion project s and are dependent on t he availabilit y
of sufficient solar irradiat ion. The w hole of India and particularly t he st ate of Rajast han receives good
am ount of solar irradiation. The project proponent has carried out assessm ent studies in order to
understand the pow er generation potential of the site. M ean global daily irradiation on a horizontal
plane was observed to be in the range of 5.09-5.76 KW h/ m²/ day for the proposed site using different
solar irradiation data sources. The follow ing additional criteria have been considered for site selection:
The sites are located aw ay from major settlem ents.
The sites do not fall under any reserved or protected f orests;
The land procured for t he sit es comprises of revenue land w hich w as not used by t he
communit y for any purpose;
No environmentally sensitive features such as water bodies , forests, archaeological sites are
located in the immediate site surroundings;
While land selected for the project is revenue land, there have been efforts taken up to m inimise
impacts, including issues related to titleholders and inform al users. Avoidance of governm ent lands that
are seasonally cult ivat ed and used for grazing purposes has been carried out .
Therefore, considering all the above details of the location and site settings, the identified site w as
chosen as a suitable option for t he project.
5.3 Alter nate Methods of Power Gener ation
5.3.1 Sources of Electricity Generation
st
India has an installed capacity of 225.793 GW of track changes as of 31 July, 2013. In terms of fuel, coalfired plants account for 57% of India's installed electricity capacity follow ed by hydropow er which
accounts for 19%, renew able energy for 12% and natural gas for about 9%. The source wise installed
capacit y in India is present ed in Figure 5-2.
Figure 5-2: Source wise Installed Capacity
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Source: M inist ry of Pow er, 2012
5.3.2 Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Coal fired power plants have the highest GHG emission intensities on a lifecycle basis. Although natural
gas, and to som e degree oil, have noticeably lower GHG em issions, biomass, nuclear, hydroelectric,
wind, and solar photovoltaic all have lifecycle GHG emission intensities that are significantly lower than
fossil fuel based generation.
World Nuclear Association (WNA)’s report places solar energy’s 85 tonnes CO2e/ GWh em ission intensity
at 17% of the emission intensity of natural gas, and only 9.5% of the emission intensity of coal fired
power plant s. In addit ion, t he lifecycle GHG em ission int ensit y of solar pow er generat ion is consist ent
wit h renewable energy sources including biomass, hydroelect ric and nuclear. Among ot her non
convent ional sources, only, nuclear power is bet t er t han solar pow er w it h respect t o em issions.
How ever, nuclear power is not a viable opt ion in t he ident ified sit e and require longer gest at ion period.
Figure 5-3: Lifecycle GHG Emissions Intensity of Electricity Generation M ethods
Source: World Nuclear Associat ion Report , July 2011
Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions resulting from the provision of energy services have contributed
significant ly t o t he hist oric increase in at m ospheric GHG concent rat ions. The IPCC Fourt h Assessm ent
Report (AR4) concluded t hat “ M ost of t he observed increase in global average t em perat ure since t he
mid-20t h cent ury is very likely due t o t he observed increase in ant hropogenic greenhouse gas
concent rat ions.
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The table above indicates that the GHG emissions for Solar is significantly lower than that of coal or gas
based technologies. Considering the significance in difference of CO2 equivalent generat ed from various
st ages of set t ing up and operat ion of a solar pow er plant , it can be easily concluded t hat it reduces t he
pot ent ial for climat e change.
5.3.3 Cost and Reliability of Power Gener ation
The various pow er generat ion opt ions as discussed in t he earlier sect ion can be evaluat ed on t he
levelled cost of power generat ion which includes t he capit al and O& M cost s, reliabilit y of pow er
generation in terms of plant load factor and the greenhouse gas (GHG) em ission. The comparative
analysis of various pow er generat ion options based on t hese fact ors has been present ed in Table 5-3.
Table 5-2: Comparative analysis of Various Pow er Generation Options
Alternative
Cost ( / kWh) *
Plant Load Factor * *
Coal
2.5
Nat ural Gas
3.9
Hydro
3.8
Nuclear pow er
2.5-5.7
Wind Energy
4.2
Solar
15.3-17.1
Source: * - LBNL, CERC , CSTEP & NPCIL
* * - Renewable UK
* * * - World Nuclear Associat ion Report
65-85%
70-85%
30-50%
65-85%
25-40%
10-15%
Average Lifecycle GHG Emission
(tonnes CO2 e/ GWh)* * *
888
500
26
28
26
85
Alt hough power generat ion opt ions using convent ional sources offer advant ages such as lower levelled
cost s of power generat ion and higher plant load fact ors, t he operat ion and m aint enance of solar pow er
projects does not involve air emissions or effluent discharges. There are no fuel requirements or large
quant it ies of wat er required for t he operat ion of t he plant . Ot her environm ent al pollut ion (st ack
emissions, ash management et c) issues are also insignificant. Also, t here are no significant social issues
associat ed w it h solar pow er project s.
5.3.4 Statutory and Policy Requirements
India being a signat ory t o t he Unit ed Nat ions Fram ew ork Convent ion on Climat e Change (UNFCCC) has
form ulat ed a Nat ional Act ion Plan on Climat e Change (released in June 2008) t o prom ot e t he
development of renewable energy in t he count ry. The M inist ry of New and Renew able Energy (M NRE),
GOI has been prom ot ing new and renewable energy sources in a big w ay in India. The governm ent of
India envisages 14,000 M W capacit y addit ions during t he 11t h five year plan (2007-12) from renew able
power generat ion. While about 10,000 M W is expect ed t o be generat ed from wind pow er, t he balance
is to be realized by solar and other renewable energy system s. The Electricity Act 2003 clearly m andates
st at e elect ricit y boards t o adopt a m inimum percent age for t he procurement of elect ricit y from
renew able energy sources.
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Accordingly, about 13 state electricity regulatory com missions (SERC) have initiated action to m eet this
requirem ent . M NRE has formulat ed t he guidelines on Generat ion-Based Incent ive (GBI) for grid
int eractive solar pow er project s Present ly various st at es like Orissa, Gujarat, Rajasthan, M aharashtra
et c. have declared t heir solar policies w hich are in line wit h GBI policy of M NRE. The benefit s of t he
Jawaharlal Nehru Nat ional Solar M ission (JNNSM ) w hich is part of t he eight mission docum ent s under
India’s Nat ional Act ion Plan on Clim at e Change (NAPCC), and a significant cont ribut ion t o low carbon
sustainable development strategy for the Indian economy are as follows;
To creat e an enabling policy fram ew ork for t he deployment of 20,000 M W of solar power by
2022
To creat e favourable condit ions for solar m anufact uring capabilit y, part icularly solar t hermal for
indigenous product ion and m arket leadership
To prom ot e pr ogram mes for off-grid applicat ions, reaching 1000 M W by 2017 and 2000 M W by
2022
To achieve 15 m illion sq. meters solar thermal collector area by 2017 and 20 million by 2022
To deploy 20 million solar lighting systems for rural areas by 2022.
Therefore, considering various fact ors such as favorable environment al and social set t ings; low GHG
em issions during the entire project life cycle; availability of appropriate lands, solar power generation is
the m ost appropriate alternative in the Project area.
5.4 Alter nate Technology for Pr oject
There are different types of solar panels available for accumulat ion of solar energy, the proposed
project int ends t o ut ilise t andem st ruct ure/ t hin film solar PV t echnology. The product ion of current
generat ion phot ovolt aics is an energy int ensive process, especially t he poly cryst alline and t he m onocrystalline modules. They also require large quantities of bulk m aterials. Thin film m odules have less
primary energy requirement per W t han poly cryst alline or m ono-cryst alline m odules.
Thin film materials include Copper Indium, Diselenide, Cadm ium Telluride, and Gallium Arsenide, etc.,
typically a few m or less in thickness is directly deposited on glass, stainless steel, ceramic or other
compatible substrate m aterials. Som e of these metals are considered hazardous metal as per Schedule II
of the Hazardous W aste Rules 2008. Based on lifecycle assessm ent, the Cd-Te thin film technology
selected for the proposed project of First Solar m ake has one of t he smallest carbon footprints as
compared t o any ot her PV t echnology.
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Figure 5-4: Lifecycle carbon footprint assessment of the selected Cd-Te Thin Film PV technology
Source: ht t p:/ / w w w.first solar.com/ en/ t echnologies-and-capabilit ies/ pv-modules/ first -solar-series-3-blackmodule/ cdt e-t echnology
Furt her, t he sem iconduct or mat erial ut ilized in t he proposed t hin film m odule t echnology is sust ainably
sourced from by-product s of t he zinc and copper indust ries. Cadmium, a w ast e by-product of zinc
refining, and t ellurium, a by-product of copper refining, are convert ed int o a st able CdTe compound.
The energy accumulat ed from t he solar panels w ill be convert ed from DC t o suit able AC power for
feeding t o t he grid. This process is environm ent ally advanced t han creat ing bat t ery bank for st orage of
energy, which minimises t he hazards relat ed t o handling and disposal of bat t eries.
5.5 Alter nate routes to tr ansmission lines
The rout e for t he t ransmission line has been select ed based on t he f ollowing fact ors:
Transmission line rout e has been planned t o avoid any habit at ions along t he rout e;
No house or comm unit y st ruct ures are locat ed under t he t ransm ission line;
Areas requiring ext ensive clearing of veget at ion have been avoided;
Select ion of t he t ransmission rout e avoids any environm ent al sensit ive sit e if ident ified;
Right of way/ access roads w ill be shared w ith the common user of the substation.
The shortest possible route after considering the above factors has been selected for the transmission
lines. Considerat ion of all t he above fact ors has reduced t he environm ent al and social foot print of t he
t ransmission line.
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6. Impact Assessment and Mitigation Measur es
This chapt er describes t he various environm ent al and social impact s ident ified and assessed for t he
const ruct ion and operat ion phases of t he proposed Project . The ident ificat ion of impact s has been done
based on t he review of available project inform at ion; discussions w it h t he local comm unit y;
represent at ives of t he project proponent s and ot her sect or specific professionals.
This section also identifies and assesses the range of potential impacts and extent of their severity on
environment, ecology, socio-econom ic resources, dem ographics, livelihood issues. M itigation measures
for t he ident ified impact s are also suggest ed w it h a m anagem ent plan for t he proposed m it igat ion
measures.
6.1 Impact Appr aisal Cr iter ia
The crit erion which has been used t o appraise impact s on various social and environm ent al component s
is as present ed as Table 6-1 below .
Table 6-1: Impact Appraisal Criteria
Crit eria
Sub-Classification
Defining Limit
Remarks
Insignificant / Local
im pact is rest rict ed wit hin
except for ecology ( which is
spread
t he foot print s of t he Project
defined as limit ed loss of
boundary
veget ation only at sit e)
im pact is spread up t o 2 km
except for ecology ( which is
around t he project area
defined as loss of veget ation at
Spread: refers to area
of direct influence
M edium Spread
from the impact of a
particular project
sit e including large trees w it h
activit y.
limit ed dist urbance to
adjoining flora & fauna)
High spread
im pact is spread beyond 2
except for ecology ( which is
km from foot print boundary
defined as loss of veget ation at
of t he Project
sit e and/ or damage t o
adjoining flora and fauna
Insignificant / Short
w hen impact is likely t o be
t he anticipat ed recovery of the
Durat ion
rest rict ed for durat ion of
effect ed environment al
less than 2 years
com ponent w it hin 2 years
w hen impact ext ends up t o
Wit h an ant icipat ed recovery of
five years
t he effect ed environment al
Duration: based on
duration of impact
and the time taken by
M edium Duration
an environmental
com ponent w it hin 5 years
component to recover
back to current state
Long Durat ion
w hen impact ext ends
w it h ant icipat ed recovery of
beyond five years
prevailing condit ion t o happen
w it hin 5 years or beyond or
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Crit eria
Sub-Classification
Defining Limit
Remarks
upon complet ion of t he project
life
Insignificant int ensit y
w hen t he changes in t he
How ever, it shall be
environment al baseline
reconsidered where t he
conditions is up t o 10%
baseline values are already
high.
Low int ensity
w hen t he changes in t he
for ecology it refers t o minim al
baseline condit ions is up t o
changes in t he existing ecology
20%
in t erms of t heir reproduct ive
capacity, survival or habit at
change
Intensity: defines the
magnitude of Impact
M oderate int ensity
High int ensit y
w hen t he changes in t he
for ecology, it refers t o changes
baseline condit ions is up t o
t hat are expect ed t o be
30%
recoverable
w hen change resulting in
While for ecology, high
t he baseline condit ions
int ensit y refers t o changes t hat
beyond 30%
result in serious destruction t o
species, productivity or crit ical
habit at .
Beneficial
--
Useful t o Environment and
Nature: refers to
Com m unit y
whether the effect is
considered beneficial
Adverse
--
Harmful t o Environment and
Com m unit y
or adverse
A significance assessment mat rix w as developed t o assess t he impact based on t he appraisal crit eria
developed above which is as given in Table 6-2.
Table 6-2: Impact Significance Criteria
Spread
Duration
Local
Local
Local
Local
M edium
Local
Local
Local
Local
M edium
Short
Short
M edium
M edium
Short
Long
Short
M edium
Long
Short
Intensity
Low
M oderate
Low
M oderate
Low
Low
High
High
M oderate
M oderate
Overall Significance
Adverse
Beneficial
Insignificant
M inor
Insignificant
M inor
M oderate
M oderate
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Spread
M edium
M edium
M edium
M edium
High
High
High
High
High
Local
M edium
M edium
High
High
High
High
High
Duration
M edium
M edium
Long
Long
Short
Short
M edium
M edium
Long
Long
Short
Long
Short
M edium
Long
Low
Low
Intensity
Low
M oderate
Low
M oderate
Low
M oderate
Low
M oderate
Low
High
High
High
High
High
M oderate
Low
High
Overall Significance
M ajor
M ajor
The impact s for t he proposed project have been present ed in t he following subsect ions:
Const ruct ion Phase
Operat ional Phase
6.2 Impact Identification
Based on t he act ivit ies involved, an impact int eract ion mat rix for const ruct ion and operat ion phases has
been prepared for t he project . The impact ident ificat ion mat rix is present ed in Table 6-3 below .
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Table 6-3: Impact Identification M atrix – Construction and Operation Phases
Procurem ent of land
Sit e Grading
Sit e / Veget at ion clearance
2
Labour Engagement
Employment of w orkers
Wat er requirement
Pow er requirement
Wast e handling and disposal
Sew age disposal
3
M at erial Handling and St orage
Transport at ion and Unloading of const ruct ion
mat erial
Transport at ion, st orage and handling of solar
modules, mount ing st ruct ures
4
Const ruct ion Works
Preparat ion/ M ixing of const ruct ion mat erial
Ut ilit ies (Wat er, power, sanit at ion etc)
Operation of const ruct ion machinery
Handling and Disposal of const ruct ion w ast es
Laying of transmission lines
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Visual Aesthetics
Health & Safety
Occupational
al
Livelihood/ Cultur
Social/
Transport
Traffic /
W ater Quality
Quality
Ambient Noise
Soil Resources
Sit e Preparation
Quality
1
Ambient Air
CONSTRUCTION PHASE
W ater Resources
I.
Environmental and Social Components
Ecology
M ain Activities
Land Use
S.No
Dismantling of tem porary support const ruct ion
st ruct ures / equipment s
Rem oval of const ruct ion machinery
Transport at ion of Const ruct ion / Dismant led
wastes
II.
OPERATION PHASE
1
Solar pow er generat ion
2
Washing of solar panels
3
Repair and maint enance w orks
4
Pow er Transmission
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Visual Aesthetics
Health & Safety
Occupational
al
Livelihood/ Cultur
Social/
Transport
Traffic /
W ater Quality
Quality
Ambient Noise
Soil Resources
Quality
Ambient Air
De-M obilisat ion of Const ruction Equipment
W ater Resources
5
Environmental and Social Components
Ecology
M ain Activities
Land Use
S.No
6.3 Constr uction Phase
This sect ion present s t he impact s ident ified primarily for t he const ruct ion phase of t he proposed
plant . Based on t he act ivit y – impact int eract ion mat rix for const ruct ion phase, following impact s
have been ident ified:
Soil Resources and Qualit y;
Land Use;
Wast e Generat ion, St orage and Disposal;
Wat er Resources and Qualit y;
Ecology;
Traffic and Transport ;
Ambient Air Quality;
Ambient Noise Quality;
Occupat ional Healt h and Safet y;
Cultural Heritage;
Socio-econom ic
6.3.1 Soil Resources and Quality
Impacts
The const r uct ion works f or t he proposed project will involve excavat ion and com pact ion of soil
which may impact t he soil st ruct ure and qualit y. Furt her, t he t ransport of mat erials, equipment will
involve addit ional movement of vehicles, const ruct ion machinery w hich will also lead t o some
degree of com pact ion. The project sit e comprises of flat land w it h gent le slope, but will involve
levelling w orks for t he preparat ion of sit e. The excavat ed soil if kept uncovered and unprot ect ed w ill
be rendered vulnerable t o loss from erosion due t o wind and rain. The areas excavat ed for
foundat ion of solar panels and swit chyard building w ill be backfilled by t he excavat ed soils which will
re-assem ble the order of the original soil layers.
The sit e does not support much veget at ion and only comprises of sm all shrubs. The rem oval of
veget at ion during const ruct ion work w ould not be significant but will render t he soil vulnerable t o
erosion.
The project w ill also involve use of paint s for solar panels and sw it ch yard st ruct ures during
const ruct ion w hich if not handled and used properly, may lead t o cont am inat ion of soil. Improper
disposal of hydraulic fluids, lubricat ing oils and ot her used oils can also result in cont aminat ion of
soil. Im proper st orage of const ruct ion m at erial can also result in unwant ed dispersal int o adjoining
areas.
M itigat ion M easures
The t opography of t he project sit e is flat , t herefore ext ensive levelling and backfilling w ill not be
required. This will reduce t he pot ent ial for com pact ion and dist urbance t o soil layers due t o
backfilling at site. The scale of construction being sm all will have limited heavy m achineries at site
and for limit ed durat ion, which will furt her diminish t he pot ent ial for com pact ion. M ovem ent of
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t rucks and ot her vehicles will be m aint ained along dedicat ed pat hs t o avoid dist urbance t o land and
soil.
Loose soil kept at t he sit e will be w ell prot ect ed t o avoid loss from wind and wat er erosion.
Adequate m easures will be taken for storage and use of paints and other construction m aterial.
During paint ing of panels and swit chyard st ruct ures, it will be ensured t hat t he land beneat h is
covered wit h a sheet of impervious m at erial in order t o prevent cont aminat ion of soil.
RSEPL has t o ensure t hat wast e/ used oils generat ed from generat or and ot her m achinery w ill be
securely stored and disposed to RPCB approved authorised recyclers at regular intervals.
Impact Significance
The impact on soil will have moderat e int ensit y w it h a local spread for a short durat ion which will
result in an overall minor impact wit hout mit igat ion. However w it h proper implement at ion of
suggested mitigation m easures the overall impact w ill be insignificant.
Table 6-4: Impact Significance – Soil Resources and Quality
Aspect
Scenario
Spread
Duration
Intensity
Overall
Soil Resources and
Wit hout M itigation
Local
Short
M oderate
M inor
Qualit y
Wit h M it igat ion
Local
Short
Low
Insignificant
6.3.2 Land Use
Impacts
The project involves leasing of 275 bighas of government revenue ’Gair M um kim Raida’ or ‘barren
non agricult ural’ land. During consult at ions w it h t he local comm unit y, it was est ablished t hat t he sit e
was not used for any grazing activities as it was barren with sparse vegetation. With the
developm ent of t he proposed Project , t he land use of t he sit e will alt er from barren t o indust rial
land use. Ot her pot ent ial impact s on land use may be due t o development of approach roads t o t he
Project sit e. The right of way for t he t ransm ission line w ill not affect t he land use pat t ern of t he
surrounding areas as t here is no grazing or agricult ural land in t he vicinit y of t he project sit e.
M itigat ion M easures
The project developer has considered all aspect s of sit ing and design prior t o select ion of t he
proposed sit e. RSEPL has t o ensure t hat t he const ruct ion act ivit ies w ill be rest rict ed w it hin t he
boundary of t he solar plant and w ill not alt er t he land use of t he adjacent areas.
Impact Significance
Impact due t o change of land use w ill have low int ensity w it h a local spread for a long durat ion
which will result in an overall minor impact w ithout m itigation, w hich will remain a m inor impact
owing t o perm anent change in land use.
Table 6-5: Impact Significance – Land Use
Aspect
Scenario
Spread
Duration
Intensity
Overall
Land Use
Wit hout M itigation
Local
Long
Low
M inor
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Wit h M it igat ion
Local
Long
Low
M inor
6.3.3 Waste Generation, Storage and Disposal
The construction activities such as site clearance, excavation w orks, setting up of labour camps,
inst allat ion of m odules w ill generat e different t ypes of solid and hazardous w ast es. The const ruct ion
dem obilisat ion which will ent ail removal of m achinery, workers, campsit e and ot her t emporary
structures will also result in generation of waste. The following types of w astes will be generated
due t o const ruct ion of t he project :
Domest ic solid w ast e from labour colonies;
Wast e oil from generat or and ot her const ruct ion machinery;
Packaging w ast e such as gunny bags, plast ics, etc;
Empty paint containers, metal scrap, etc;
Const ruction debris;
Sew age from labour colonies
Impacts
The const r uct ion debris generat ed due t o t he const ruct ion act ivit ies will have t he pot ent ial for
spread t o areas out side t he plant boundary during const ruct ion. The debris generat ed from
const ruct ion act ivit ies can be carried along wit h t he wind int o nearby areas. Improper disposal of
const ruct ion debris can lead t o cont am inat ion of w at er bodies in t he proximit y of t he Project .
Improper disposal of solid waste from the labour camps at site and lack of proper sanitation facility
for labour can lead t o unhygienic condit ions and spread of diseases in t he area. It can lead t o
discont ent of local comm unit y and result in conflict s w it h t he labour engaged at sit e.
Improper disposal of packaging materials, boxes, plastics and ropes can lead to littering in the
construct ion sit e and surrounding areas. Hazardous w astes such as w ast e oil, lubricant s, hydraulic oil
etc can cause contamination of soil and water bodies if adequate precautions for m anagem ent and
handling are not undert aken. Use of chem icals such as paint s, curing chemicals can lead t o
contamination of soil.
M itigation
The quant it y of dom est ic w ast e generat ed daily from t he labour camps w ill be small and limit ed.
How ever t he const ruct ion cont ract or shall ensure t hat t he cam psit es provided at sit e have adequat e
sanit at ion and w aste disposal facilit ies. Comm on lat rines and bat hing facilit ies, duly segregat ed for
male and fem ale labour, shall be provided at the campsites. Provision of segregated toilets for male
and female w orkers in the ratio of 1:15 and 1:10 (toilet to w orkers) respectively shall be m ade at the
campsit es in order t o maint ain hygienic and clean surroundings. Disposal of sew age shall be made
t hrough a sept ic t ank – soak pit arrangem ent . Arrangement s for collect ion of garbage in dust bins
and daily disposal t o t he nearest dumpsit e shall be m ade.
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Wast e/ used oil generat ed from generat ors and const r uct ion m achinery and equipment will be
stored on paved surface in a secure location at the project site. The w aste oil will be sold to RPCB
approved vendors at frequent int ervals. Empt y paint cont ainers will also be st ored at a secured area
designat ed for scrap and sold t o aut horised vendors. All packaging m at erial w ill be also be collect ed
at t he st oring area and sold t o vendors.
Const ruct ion debris and excavat ed m at erial will be st ored in a confined area t o prevent spread by
wind or w at er. The const ruct ion debris will be used for backfilling of excavat ed areas and for
foundation w orks at site and excess soil will be given to the local villagers for filling up of low lying
areas in the vicinity.
Significance of Impact
The impact due t o waste disposal will have m oderate intensity w ith a local spread for a short
durat ion which will result in an overall m inor impact wit hout mit igat ion. How ever w it h proper
implementation of suggested mitigation m easures the overall impact w ill be insignificant.
Table 6-6: Impact Significance- W aste Disposal
Aspect
Scenario
Spread
Duration
Intensity
Overall
Wast e Disposal
Wit hout M itigation
Local
Short
M oderate
M inor
Wit h M it igat ion
Local
Short
Low
Insignificant
6.3.4 Water Resour ces and Quality
Impact
3
About 100-150m of wat er w ill be required for const ruct ion depending on various st ages of t he
process besides dom estic requirement of the workers at site. The w ater for the construction w orks
shall be sourced from aut horised t ankers. No usage of groundw at er is proposed for t he const ruct ion
phase of the Project.
The constr uction at site can alter the natural drainage pattern of the area at a m icro level. There is
potential of contam ination of low lying areas due to sediment runoff from construction activities.
Improper disposal of sew age and w astew at er from labour camps and const ruct ion debris can
cont am inat e t he ground wat er resources in t he area.
M itigation
Wat er for const ruct ion act ivit ies, flushing and w ashing purpose is part ly sourced from f our exist ing
bore wells at sit e. Remaining requirement is met t hrough aut horized w at er t ankers. Drinking wat er
in t he labour camps is being supplied t hrough packaged wat er cans. RSEPL has t o ensure t hat roof
top rain w ater harvesting structures are installed for office buildings and w orkers colony. It is also to
be ensured t hat t he qualit y of w at er from t he bore wells is m onit ored regularly t o check t he
contamination levels.
The nat ural slope of t he sit e will be m aint ained t o t he ext ent possible in order t o avoid any change in
t he drainage pat t ern. Adequat e arrangem ent for st orm w at er m anagem ent during const ruct ion
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period will be m ade t o avoid sediment runoff from t he sit e. St orm wat er flow w ill be direct ed t o t he
exist ing channels wit h silt t raps t o avoid sediment at ion of t he channels or t he receiving w at er body.
Significance of Impact
The impact on wat er resources w ill have m oderat e int ensit y w it h a m edium spread for a short
durat ion which will result in an overall m oderat e impact wit hout mit igat ion. How ever w it h proper
implement at ion of suggest ed mit igat ion t he impact will be reduced t o minor.
Table 6-7: Impact Significance - W ater Resources
Aspect
Scenario
Spread
Duration
Intensity
Overall
Wat er Resources
Wit hout M it igat ion
M edium
Short
M oderate
M oderate
With M itigation
Local
Short
M oderate
M inor
6.3.5 Ecology
IFC Performance St andard 6 recognizes t hat prot ect ing and conserving biodiversit y—t he variet y of
life in all it s forms, including genet ic, species and ecosyst em diversit y—and it s abilit y t o change and
evolve. This Performance Standard reflects the objectives of the Convention on Biological Diversity
t o conserve biological diversit y and prom ot e use of renew able nat ural resources in a sust ainable
manner. Principle 3 of Environmental Safeguards of ADB asserts the importance of analysing the
impact s on ecology relat ed w it h project area. M it igat ion m easures should be designed t o achieve at
least no net loss of biodiversity.
Impact
Site clearing activities prior to start of construction involves removal of vegetation from the site,
which w ill mainly include shrubs and grasses. This w ill result in potential loss of habitat for sm all
mamm als and birds. Noise from const ruct ion and frequent m ovement of vehicles can also dist urb
t he avifauna of t he area.
M itigation
Prior t o procurem ent , t he project sit e comprised of barren land. The project sit e was also devoid of
dense veget at ion and will not involve felling of t rees during sit e clearing. Therefore t he loss of
vegetation at site is considered to be limited. No major loss of habitat or fragmentation due to
construction activities is envisaged.
All project act ivit ies t o be undert aken w it h appropriat e noise m it igation m easures t o avoid
dist urbance t o faunal populat ion in t he region. Act ivit ies generat ing high noise w ill be rest rict ed t o
day t im e and will be mit igat ed t o m inimise t he noise level out side t he sit e boundary.
M ovement of const ruct ion and t ransport vehicles w ill be rest rict ed t o dedicat ed pat hs t o minimise
any harm to sm all mamm als w ithin the site. Transportation of construction m aterial will be kept to
day t im e hours in order t o minimise noise and dist urbance t o fauna in t he area.
Significance of Impact
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The impact on fauna and flora w ill have m inor int ensity w it h a local spread for a short durat ion
which will result in an overall minor impact w ithout m itigation. However with proper
implement at ion of suggest ed m it igat ion t he impact will be reduced t o insignificant .
Table 6-8: Impact Significance - Ecology
Aspect
Scenario
Spread
Duration
Intensity
Overall
Ecology
Wit hout M itigation
Local
Short
M oderate
M inor
Wit h M it igat ion
Local
Short
M oderate
Insignificant
6.3.6 Tr affic and Tr anspor t
Impact
The const r uct ion phase shall involve t ransport at ion of const ruct ion m at erials, solar m odules and
mount ing st ruct ures. The proposed project w ill be accessible t hrough t he approach roads from t he
National highway-15. The project construction activities will lead to additional traffic and increased
risk of traffic related accidents and injuries to local on activities community and to w orkers. The
increase in t raffic due t o t he project is however going t o be m arginal as no village roads will be used.
The traffic density along the National Highw ay is low and has adequate carrying capacity to
accomm odat e t he addit ional t raffic due t o t he const ruct ion act ivit ies.
M itigation
For minimising the impacts due to the increased traffic, it is recommended that the access roads are
const ruct ed prior t o sit e clearance act ivit ies. Only t rained drivers w it h valid license shall be recruit ed
by t he const ruct ion cont ract or. Training program s shall be conduct ed at regular int ervals for all t he
drivers for raising aw areness about road safet y and adopting best t ransport and t raffic safety
procedures once in every six mont hs.
M itigation m easures such as em phasizing on safety am ongst drivers, adopting limits for trip duration
and arranging driver rost er t o avoid overt iredness and avoiding dangerous rout es and t imes of day
t o reduce risk of accident shall also be implem ent ed.
Significance of Impact
The impact due t o t raffic and t ranspor t will have m oderat e int ensit y w it h a m edium spread for a
short durat ion which will result in an overall m oderat e im pact wit hout mit igat ion. However wit h
proper implement at ion of suggest ed m it igat ion t he impact will be reduced t o minor.
Table 6-9: Impact Significance: Traffic and Transport
Aspect
Scenario
Spread
Duration
Intensity
Overall
Traffic/
Wit hout M itigation
M edium
Short
M oderate
M oderate
Transport at ion
Wit h M it igat ion
M edium
Short
Low
M inor
6.3.7 Atmospheric Emissions
Impacts
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Const ruct ion act ivit ies will lead t o generat ion of dust due t o excavat ion works for foundat ions,
mixing of const ruct ion mat erials in bat ching plant , cont act of const ruct ion machinery w it h bare soil,
and exposure of bare soil and soil piles t o w ind.
Other sources of at mospheric emissions during const ruction phase m ay include emissions from
diesel engines of eart h m oving equipment , as w ell as from open burning of solid wast e on-sit e. The
increase in traffic volum es during the construction w ill also generate dust. Improper storage of soil
and construction m aterial can also increase dust em ission from the site.
M itigation
RSEPL shall ensure reduct ion and cont rol of air em issions from const ruct ion act ivit ies by m inimising
dust from m at erial handling sources. Sprinkling of water is being carried out t o suppress dust from
const ruct ion, st ock piles and t ranspor t movem ent . It shall be ensured t hat all st ock piles are covered
and st orage areas provided w it h enclosures t o m inimise dust from open area source. St ock piling
and st orage of const ruct ion mat erial will be orient ed aft er considering t he prominent w ind direct ion.
The scale of const ruct ion being sm all will require only a limit ed num ber of const ruct ion m achinery
and for limit ed durat ion, t herefore em issions from heavy m achinery are considered t o be
insignificant. Open burning of solid w aste or packaging material will be strictly prohibited. Vehicles
engaged for t he project will be required t o obt ain “ Pollut ion Under Cont rol” cert ificat es.
Significance of Impact
The impact on ambient air quality w ill have a local spread, moderate intensity and w ill last for a
short duration primarily limited to construction related activities which will result in an overall minor
impact wit hout mit igat ion. However wit h proper implement at ion of suggest ed mit igat ion t he impact
will be reduced t o insignificant .
Table 6-10: Impact Significance - Ambient Air Quality
Aspect
Scenario
Spread
Duration
Intensity
Overall
Ambient Air
Wit hout M itigation
Local
Short
M oderate
M inor
Qualit y
Wit h M it igat ion
Local
Short
Low
Insignificant
6.3.8 Noise and Vibration
Impacts
Noise and vibrat ion will be caused by t he operat ion of eart h moving and excavat ion equipment ,
concret e m ixers, cranes and t he t ransport at ion of equipment , mat erials and people. There is
pot ent ial for dist urbance t o habit at ions in proximit y of const ruct ion sit e. M ovement of t raffic during
night hours can also dist urb t he local comm unit y. About 90-92 dB(A) of noise is generat ed from
construction activity w hich will attenuate to less than 45dB(A) i.e night time prescribed noise level at
about 80m . The nearest habit at ion is locat ed at a dist ance of over 2km and t herefore t he impact due
to the noise will not be significant.
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Figure 6-1: Noise Attenuation w ith Distance
100.0
90.0
80.0
Noise in DB(A)
70.0
60.0
50.0
40.0
30.0
20.0
10.0
0.0
0
50
100
150
200
250
300
350
400
450
500
Distance from Source in m
M itigat ion M easures
M ost of t he const ruct ion act ivit ies involving excavat ion and foundat ion for solar panels will be done
manually and t herefore w ill have limit ed noise. M obile noise sources such as cranes, eart h moving
equipment and HGVs shall be rout ed in such a w ay t hat t here is m inimum dist urbance t o recept ors.
RSEPL shall inst ruct it s cont ract or t o arrange for inherent ly quiet const ruct ion equipment and
machines to m aintain the noise level to minimum . Only limited construction activities shall be
carried out during night -t im e.
All loud and sudden noises will be avoided w herever possible and fixed noise sources shall be
located at least 50m aw ay from the site boundary. Rubber padding/ noise isolators will be used for
equipment / m achinery used for const ruct ion. Tem porary noise barriers shall be provided
surrounding t he high noise generat ing const ruct ion equipment . The personnel involved in high noise
generat ing act ivit ies shall be provided w it h personal prot ect ive devices t o m inimise t heir exposure
t o high noise levels. Const ruct ion vehicles and machinery will be well m aint ained and not kept idling
when not in use.
Significance of Impact
The impact due t o noise and vibrat ion will have m oderat e t o m inor int ensit y w it h a local spread for a
short durat ion which will result in an overall m inor im pact wit hout mit igat ion. However wit h proper
implement at ion of suggest ed m it igat ion t he impact will be reduced t o insignificant .
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Table 6-11: Impact Significance - Noise and Vibration
Aspect
Scenario
Spread
Duration
Intensity
Overall
Noise and
Wit hout M itigation
Local
Short
M oderate
M inor
Vibration
Wit h M it igat ion
Local
Short
Low
Insignificant
6.3.9 Health and Safety Hazards
Impacts
During const ruct ion works, physical injury can result due t o road accident s, const ruct ion accident s
and ot her occupat ional hazards. Overexert ion and ergonomic injuries and illness are pot ent ially t he
most comm on healt h hazards associat ed w it h const ruct ion act ivit ies. Furt her t here is pot ent ial for
slips and fall on t he same elevat ion associat ed w it h poor housekeeping, such as excessive w ast e
debris, loose const ruct ion mat erial, liquid spills and uncont rolled use of elect rical cords and ropes on
ground, which result s in injuries and t ime loss during const ruct ion.
Hazards associated w ith fall of construction m aterial or tools, as well as collapse of constructed
slabs, walls and roofs can result in injury to head, eyes and extremities. Transportation and
movement of vehicles are associated w ith road accidents and related hazards, which can lead to
injuries and fatalit ies.
M itigation
RSEPL shall formulat e a sit e specific Emergency Preparedness and Response Procedure The On-Sit e
em ergency procedure shall provide det ails of t he ant icipat ed em ergencies, t he em ergency
organisat ion, facilit ies, emergency procedures and roles and responsibilit ies. RSEPL shall ensure t hat
adequate training is provided to staff about raising awareness about use of Personal Protection
Equipment (PPE) and em ergency response m easures.
RSEPL shall int roduce adm inist rat ive cont rols int o wor k processes such as job rot at ion, rest and
st ret ch breaks et c t o reduce overexert ion. Work sit e layout w ill be w ell planned t o avoid manual
transfer of heavy loads. It shall also ensure good housekeeping at the construction site t o avoid slips
and falls. Excessive waste debris and liquid spills will be cleaned up regularly, w hile electrical cords
and ropes will be placed along ident ified corridors marked for at t ent ion of everyone at sit e. Use of
personal fall arrest syst em, such as full body harnesses as w ell as fall rescue procedures t o deal w it h
w orkers w hose fall has been successfully arrest ed shall also been carried out .
Dropping/ lowering of const ruct ion m at erial or t ool will be rest rict ed and undert aken only under
st rict supervision, if required. PPEs such as safety glasses w it h side shields, face shields, hard hat s
and safety shoes shall be m andatory at construction site. Ear plugs shall be provided for w orkers
placed at high noise areas.
Significance of Impact
The healt h and safet y impact s will have high int ensit y wit h a local spread for a short durat ion which
will result in an overall moderat e impact wit hout mit igat ion. However wit h proper implem ent at ion
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of suggest ed m it igat ion t he int ensit y can be reduced t o low and t he overall im pact will be
insignificant.
Table 6-12: Impact Significance - Health and safety
Aspect
Scenario
Spread
Duration
Intensity
Overall
Healt h and
Wit hout M itigation
Local
Short
High
M oderate
Safet y
Wit h M it igat ion
Local
Short
Low
Insignificant
6.3.10 Socio-Economic Impacts
The project will have pot ent ial socio-econom ic im pact s on t he comm unit y and t he surr ounding
areas. Such impact s have been ident ified and assessed in t his sect ion:
Impacts due to Land Acquisition
The proposed project com prises of revenue land classified as ‘uncult ivable land’ as per t he revenue
records. Based on discussions w it h t he comm unit y, t he land being leased for t he Project did not
serve any use t o t he comm unit y. No physical or economic displacem ent is ant icipat ed due t o t he
project.
Further, t he transmission line and the access roads to t he site are also proposed on the sam e
revenue land and will not result in any significant im pact s.
M itigation
A defined Grievance Redressal M echanism shall be formulat ed and comm unicat ed t o comm unit y t o
express their concerns associated with the project.
Access to Common Property Resources
The land leased for t he Project does not block access t o any of t he com mon propert y resources.
Increased Community Expectations
The project area is predominantly rural. The advent of the project has created several expectations
am ong t he local comm unit y which cent res on em ployment opport unit ies and improvement of
infrast ruct ure facilit ies.
The consult at ion undert aken w it h t he comm unit y indicat e t hat t he comm unit y expect s:
jobs for local villagers in the construction and operation phases of the project ,
business for local cont ract ors and t raders
M itigation
RSEPL shall provide em ployment to local villagers as labour in the project construction activities.
Labour Related Issues
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The const ruct ion work f or t he project will ext end t o a t ot al of 6 m ont hs as report ed by t he project
proponent . In t he const ruct ion phase, skilled w orkers might be engaged in t he project t o perform
t echnical work and t hey might come from out side t he area. The project proponent will have t o
arrange for t he accomm odat ion of t hese w orkers. This influx of out side w orkers m ight bring about
concerns relat ed t o limit ed resources in t he area which might bring about differences bet ween t hem
and t he resident local populat ion. This m ight get furt her aggravat ed if t he local populat ion are
surpassed in favour of w orkers m igrating to the area for w ork. The potential impacts that m ight arise
in reference t o labour relat ed issues have been ment ioned below ,
Influx of migrant labourers: Once t he const ruct ion act ivit y for t he project get s underway,
there is a possibility that there will be an inflow of m igrant w orkers from other parts of the
count ry t o t his project area. This w ill creat e an economic im pact t o som e ext ent as t he
workers will be em ployed over t he local populat ion.
Impact on exist ing resources: The influx of migrant workers m ight put pressure on t he
exist ing resources like w at er supply, supply of fuel, provision of basic facilit ies, w aste
handling and sewage disposal of t he project influenced populat ion which might creat e
frict ions bet w een t hem and t he resident populat ion of t he area.
Impact on t he local cust om and t radit ion: Wit h t he influx of m igrant workers t o t he project
area, t he local cust om and t radit ion of t he local populat ion might get eroded t o a cert ain
ext ent . Wit h new populat ion, t hreat t o t he local adhered norms might see a changing t rend
which might occur in this case as well.
Community health impacts from migrant w orkers: With t he inflow of migrant workers and
t heir int eract ion w it h t he local populat ion, healt h issues among t he local comm unit y m ight
em erge. Healt h problem s like STD’s and HIV Aids m ight spread in t he area because of t his
float ing populat ion.
M itigat ion M easures
For unskilled work in t he const ruct ion phase, t he local populat ion and it s surrounding areas
should be given first preference so t hat t here is no ill feeling generat ed am ongst t he locals.
If recruit ment of m igrant labourers in t he const ruct ion phase t akes place, t he project
proponent should be responsible in giving an orient at ion t o t he m igrant labourers on t he
local cust om and t radit ion followed by t he local populat ion.
Const ruct ion M anagement Plan and Wast e Disposal Plan (Domest ic) should be creat ed and
adopt ed by t he project proponent s t o minimise t he impact creat ed by t he inflow of migrant
workers in the area.
A m edical check up should be conduct ed and copy of t he m edical cert ificat e should be
collect ed by t he project proponent t o be included as part of t heir records.
Regular m edical camps should be conduct ed am ongst t he labourers and t he local populat ion
to make them aw are about diseases like STD’s and HIV Aids.
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Significance of Impact
The impact on socioeconom ics will have m oderat e int ensit y wit h a m edium spread for a short
durat ion which will result in an overall m oderat e impact wit hout mit igat ion. How ever w it h proper
implement at ion of suggest ed mit igat ion t he impact will be reduced t o minor.
Table 6-13: Impact Significance - Socio-economic
Aspect
Scenario
Spread
Duration
Intensity
Overall
Socio-econom ic
Wit hout M itigation
M edium
Short
M oderate
M oderate
Wit h M it igat ion
M edium
Short
Low
M inor
6.3.11 Archaeological, Historic and Cultural Aspects
Impact
Based on the preliminary survey, it is observed that there are no archaeological and historical sites
of importance in proximity to the site. There are no temples, religious symbols or related cultural
act ivit ies in and around t he sit e. There is pot ent ial for cult ural differences due t o influx of migrant
labourers.
M itigation
RSEPLRSEPL shall ensure t hat t he unskilled w orkforce engaged for const ruct ion is hired locally and
from t he nearby villages. This would reduce any pot ent ial for cult ural difference am ongst t he
workers. The project proponent w ill not engage in any kind of bias on basis of religious or cult ural
differences and shall com municat e t he sam e t o it s subcont ract ors. Though t here are report edly no
cultural or religious site in the project area, cultural/ religious practices and sensitivities will be taken
into consideration w hile undertaking activities like extraction of w ater and inform al symbols of
w orship.
In case of any chance find during const ruct ion, all work will be st opped and relevant local offices w ill
be inform ed about t he same. The Chance Find Procedure as recommended t o be developed w it hin
t he ESM S of ASEPL is t o be implem ent ed here.
Significance of Impact
The impact on archaeology, historic or cultural aspect will have m oderate intensity w ith a local
spread for a short duration w hich will result in an overall minor impact w ithout m itigation. However
wit h proper implement at ion of suggest ed m it igat ion t he impact will be reduced t o insignificant .
Table 6-14: Impact Significance - Archaeology, Historic or Cultural Aspect
Aspect
Scenario
Spread
Duration
Intensity
Overall
Archaeology,
Wit hout M itigation
Local
Short
M oderate
M inor
Hist oric and
Wit h M it igat ion
Local
Short
Low
Insignificant
Cult ural
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6.4 Oper ation Phase
6.4.1 Waste Disposal
Impacts
Operat ion of solar phot ovolt aic panels for power generat ion will not have any direct impact on soil.
Once t he plant is comm issioned t here w ill be limit ed dist urbance t o soil, however repair and
maint enance of underground cables and associat ed ut ilit ies will lead t o generat ion of hazardous
wastes such as used transform er oil. The defunct/ dam aged photo voltaic cells w ill also be generated
and st orage/ disposal on unpaved ground can lead t o cont am inat ion of soil.
M itigation
Dist urbance t o soil from repair and m aint enance act ivit y will be limit ed and will ensure proper
rest orat ion of soil wherever excavat ion is undert aken. RSEPLRSEPL shall explore t he opt ion of
buyback agreement s for defunct panels and for replacem ent and disposal of t ransform er oil by t he
supplier, ot herw ise w ill m ake arrangements for disposal of defunct panels and w ast e oil by RPCB
authorised recyclers.
Significance of Impact
The impact on soil will have m oderat e int ensit y w it h a local spread for a short durat ion (of act ivit y)
which will result in an overall minor impact w ithout m itigation
Table 6-15: Impact Significance- W aste Disposal
Aspect
Scenario
Spread
Duration
Intensity
Overall
Wast e Disposal
Wit hout M itigation
Local
Short
M oderate
M inor
Wit h M it igat ion
Local
Short
Low
Insignificant
6.4.2 Aesthetics and Visual Impact
Impacts
There will be a change of landscape due to installation of solar panels and related struct ures. Visual
impact due t o glare generat ed from t he solar panel is also ant icipat ed. The change in landscape and
glare from t he panels can affect t he habit at ion as w ell as faunal of t he area.
M itigation
The solar panels will be inst alled at a low height and w ill be kept closer t o t he ground so t hat it does
not prop out of the general landscape of the area. The panels w ill be arranged in a system atic
manner w hich will give an aesthetic sense to it.
Glare due to reflection from the solar photovoltaic panels are similar to those from a corn field or a
wat er body. Reflect ions w ill be observed only during morning and evening hours w hen t he sun is
low. M oreover, the site is located aw ay from any habit ations in the close vicinity (nearest habitation
being two kilometres away. The intensity of glare from reflection is considered to be poor and shall
not have any im pact on avifauna or other small m ammals.
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Significance of Impact
The impact on aest hetics and visual aspects w ill have low intensity w ith a local spread for a long
durat ion which will result in an overall m inor impact wit hout mit igat ion. The residual minor impact ,
even aft er cont rol of int ensit y and spread, will rem ain minor ow ing t o t he durat ion of project .
Table 6-16: Impact Significance - Aesthetics and Visual
Aspect
Scenario
Spread
Duration
Intensity
Overall
Aest het ics and
Wit hout M itigation
Local
Long
Low
M inor
Visual
Wit h M it igat ion
Local
Short
Low
Insignificant
6.4.3 Water Resour ce and Quality
Impacts
3
The dom est ic wat er consum pt ion for t he Project is est imat ed t o be 2-3 m / day and will be m et
through the canal water which is also available for domestic water demands. With a cleaning
3
schedule of t wice/ t hrice a m ont h, it is est imat ed t hat approximat ely 35-40 m / day of w ater w ill be
required for cleaning purposes.
The w at er requirem ent s for t he project will be m et t hr ough groundwat er. The Bap Block falls in t he
Safe Cat egory as per t he Cent ral Ground W at er Board wit h t he st age of groundwat er developm ent in
t he Block being only 27%. Furt her, wit h t he Indira Gandhi Irrigation Canal, t he domest ic and t he
irrigation wat er requirem ent s of t he project are being met by t he canal t hereby reducing t he st ress
on t he groundwat er resour ces. The ext ract ion of t he groundwat er for t he project act ivit ies w ill
impact the availability of the groundw ater resources.
M itigat ion M easures
M et ers shall be inst alled at t he borew ells t o m onit or t he abst ract ion of wat er. The plant sit e w ill be
provided w ith adequate drainage facility to drain off w ash w astew ater and prevent any w aterlogging at sit e or in t he surroundings. Wast age of wat er during cleaning of panels shall be avoided.
Rooft op rainwat er harvest ing syst em w ill be provided for t he swit chyard cum administ rat ion
building. The w at er harvest ed will be direct ed t o a recharge pit . The st aff quart ers shall be provided
wit h sewage line and t he collect ed sew age shall be channelized t o a sept ic t ank w it h soak pit
arrangement .
Significance of Impact
The impact on wat er resources w ill have m oderat e int ensit y w it h a local spread for a long durat ion
which w ill result in an overall moderate im pact w ithout mitigation.
Table 6-17: Impact Significance - W ater Resources
Aspect
Scenario
Spread
Duration
Intensity
Overall
Water
Wit hout M itigation
Local
Long
M oderate
M oderate
Resources and
Wit h M it igat ion
Local
Long
M oderate
M oderate
Qualit y
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6.4.4 Ecology
Impacts
Solar phot ovolt aic power plant does not generat e any significant noise or air em ission during it s
operation to affect t he faunal and floral population of the area. However there is potential for avian
distraction due to glare/ reflection from solar panels. The impact to flora from the operation w ill be
limit ed t o t he rout ine clearance of veget at ion near t he solar plant t o avoid shadows and hindrance
t o sunlight on solar panels.
M itigation
Solar panels w ill absorb most of light falling on them w hich will be then converted to electricity. In
addition, solar panels w ill have an anti-reflective coating to minimize the light reflecting off of the
panels. Thus t here w ill be very less impact due t o glare from t he panels. The glare is report ed t o be
similar t o t hat of a corn field or sm all w at er body, which implies insignificant dist ract ion for t he
avifauna. Clearing of veget at ion will be limit ed t o removal of undergrow t h or shrubs at t he plant
site. It will have no impact on the flora of the area.
Significance of Impact
The impact on fauna and flora w ill have low int ensit y wit h a moderat e spread for a long durat ion
which w ill result in an overall moderate im pact w ithout mitigation.
Table 6-18: Impact Significance - Fauna and Flora
Aspect
Scenario
Spread
Duration
Intensity
Overall
Ecology
Wit hout M itigation
M oderate
Long
Low
M oderate
Wit h M it igat ion
Local
Long
Low
M inor
6.4.5 Health and Safety Risk
Impacts
Electromagnetic Fields (EM F) em anate from any wire carrying electricity. Possible effects associated
with the electric and magnetic fields from transm ission lines (or similar electrical sources) fall into
t w o cat egories:
short -t erm effect s t hat can be per ceived and may represent a nuisance
possible long-term health effects.
The issue of w hether there are long-term health effect s associated w ith exposure to fields from
transm ission lines and other sources has been investigated for several decades. There is little
evidence that electric fields cause long-term health effects. Estimates of m agnetic-field exposures
have been associated w ith certain health effects in studies of residential and occupational
populat ions. Research in t his area is cont inuing t o det erm ine w het her such associat ions m ight
reflect a causal relat ionship.
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M itigation
The list s of exposure limit s for general public/ occupat ional exposure t o elect ric and magnet ic fields
published by t he Int ernat ional Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Prot ect ion (ICNIRP) is as given
in Table 6-19 and Table 6-20.
Table 6-19: ICNIRP exposure limits for general public exposure
Frequency
Electric Field (V/ m)
M agnetic Field ( T)
50 Hz
5000
100
60 Hz
4150
83
Source: ICNIRP (1998) : “ Guidelines for limiting exposure to t ime-varying elect ric, magnetic, and elect romagnet ic fields (up
t o 300 GHz).
Table 6-20: ICNIRP exposure limits for occupational exposure
Frequency
Electric Field (V/ m)
M agnetic Field ( T)
50 Hz
10,000
500
60 Hz
8300
415
There are no specific st andards or guidance on EM F in India how ever t he Indian Elect ricit y Act and
Rules clearly st ipulat e t he minimum clearances required. Hence t he ICNIRP st andards and guidelines
have been considered. For t he general public (up t o 24 hours a day) an exposure level of 1,000 mG
or 100 µT is suggest ed. The EM F generat ed by 33 KV unit will be lesser t han t he suggest ed value.
Workers handling elect ricit y and relat ed com ponent s will be provided w it h shock resist ant gloves,
shoes and ot her prot ect ive gears. Adequat e t raining regarding healt h and safet y w ill be provided t o
t he w orkers. The sw it chyard building will be provided wit h fire ext inguishers and sand bucket s at all
st rat egic locat ions t o deal w it h any incident of fire. Safet y incident s will be recorded and m onit ored
wit h an aim t hat numbers are never significant , and gradually reduce.
Significance of Impact
The impact on healt h and safet y w ill have high int ensity w it h a local spread for a long durat ion which
will result in an overall major im pact wit hout mit igat ion. However wit h proper healt h and safet y
measures t he int ensit y of impact can be reduced t o low result ing in an overall m inor im pact .
Table 6-21: Impact Significance - Health and Safety
Aspect
Scenario
Spread
Duration
Intensity
Overall
Healt h and
Wit hout M itigation
M edium
Long
M oderate
M oderate
Safet y
Wit h M it igat ion
Local
Long
Low
Insignificant
6.4.6 Socio-economic Impacts
Impacts on Local Economy
During t he operat ional phase of t he project , t he impact on socio economic environm ent is likely t o
be posit ive as t he project will lead t o increase in local em ployment opport unit ies, increased t axat ion
revenue, increased demand for mat erials and services t hrough local cont ract ing. The pow er
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generat ed from t he Project is being t ransmit t ed t o t he local grid and is likely t o increase t he pow er
supply sit uat ion in t he region.
Up-gradation of Local Infrastructure
Although the project is not likely to involve any creation of additional infrastructure, RSEPL is likely
t o engage in comm unit y development act ivit ies like improvement of t he school, suppor t t o t he
healt h cent re and ot her such act ivit ies in coordinat ion wit h t he local Panchayat . This will lead t o a
beneficial im pact on t he upgrading of local infrast ruct ure.
M itigat ion
The m easures for improved engagement w it h comm unit y suggest ed are t o:
Collaborat e wit h local govt . and indust ry for any comm unit y developm ent program s t o share t he
resources and cut cost;
Avoid duplicat ing exist ing infrast ruct ure and emphasize on improving or upgrading t he qualit y
and quant it y of t he sam e.
Significance of Impact
The impact on socio-econom ic will have low intensity with a local spread for a long duration w hich
w ill result in an overall minor impact without m itigation. However implementation of mitigation
measures, engagement of com munit y an enhanced posit ive impact is expect ed.
Table 6-22: Impact Significance - Socio-economic
Aspect
Scenario
Spread
Duration
Intensity
Overall
Socio economic
Wit hout M itigation
Local
Long
Low
M inor
Wit h M it igat ion
Local
Long
Low
Insignificant
6.5 Cumulative Impact Assessment
ASEPL has signed a PPA for developing five projects of 20 M W each in Bap Village. Apart from this,
several other solar power projects of about 300-400 M W capacity has been proposed in Bari Seer
Region of Bap Tehsil. Thus a t ot al of 500-600 M W of solar pow er project s will be developed in t he
region. The cum ulat ive im pact assessment due t o developm ent of solar project s in t he region has
been discussed below :
6.5.1 Land Use
The land use of t he region largely com prises of barren land. Wit h t he exist ing and proposed solar
power project s in t he region, t he land use of t he region will change from barren/ agricult ural t o
industrial. Considering an average area requirem ent of 8-10 acres per M W of solar power
generation, the land use of about 3200-5000 acres of land will be altered.
The analysis of land use pattern of the region suggests that majority of the land comprises of
barren/ uncult ivable land and it is likely t hat t he solar power project s w ill be developed on such
areas. Considering t hat t he land w ill be used for som e indust rial act ivit y and will result in generat ion
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of revenue, t he change in land use is considered t o be minor posit ive. Furt her, no im pact on t he
agriculture related activities is expected.
Significance of Impact
The cum ulat ive impact on land use w ill have low int ensit y wit h a local spread for a long durat ion
which w ill result in an overall minor positive impact without m itigation.
Table 6-23: Cumulative Impact Significance – Land Use
Aspect
Scenario
Spread
Duration
Intensity
Overall
Land Use
Wit hout M itigation
Local
Long
Low
M inor
Wit h M it igat ion
Local
Long
Low
M inor
6.5.2 Water Resources
The exist ing and proposed solar pow er project s in t he region will require wat er for cleaning of
3
panels. It is estimated that about 700-1000 m / day of water w ill be required for 400-500 M W of
solar pow er. The w at er use is m ore during t he dry season as dust in at m osphere is high, owing t o t he
t opography of t he area. The w at er requirem ent for t he project s is likely t o be sourced from
groundw at er. Considering t he dem and of wat er for t he project s, t he impact is assessed t o be
significant . The impact s w ill be in t he form of m ore generat ion of w ast e wat er, deplet ion of ground
w at er.
It is recom mended t hat an applicat ion for providing wat er supply from t he indust rial line t o t he solar
power project s in t he region is submit t ed as soon as possible t o reduce t he st ress on t he
groundw ater resources of the region. Water harvesting and water conservation is to be practised at
t he sit e. Channels and culvert s are const ruct ed t o harvest rainwat er in t he plant sit e. Also, t he w at er
used for w ashing solar panels can be reused for gardening purposes.
Significance of Impact
The cum ulative impact on w ater resources is envisaged to be low intensity w ith a local spread for a
long duration w hich w ill result in an overall minor impact w ith m itigation.
Table 6-24: Cumulative Impact Significance – W ater Resources
Aspect
Scenario
Spread
Duration
Intensity
Overall
Water
Wit hout M itigation
Local
Long
M oderate
M oderate
Resources
Wit h M it igat ion
Local
Long
Low
M inor
6.5.3 Climate Change
The proposed solar farm is based on Photovoltaic technology w hich generates electricity using solar
energy from t he sun t hrough phot o-elect ric effect , which depends upon solar flux of t he area. It is
defined by t he Global Horizont al Irradiance (GHI) of t he area, wherein short wave radiat ions received
by t he surface at a high t em perat ure get absorbed and individual elect rons in bonds moves int o a
higher energy level. This absorpt ion of energy does not cause any change in t em perat ure of t he
area. It is also very well underst ood t hat t here can be an increase in t em perat ure, which will be
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confined only t o t he sit e. Also t here will be no impact on t he precipit at ion of t he area t he climat ic
condit ions (prevailing cloud cover, posit ion of t he sun) will not be alt ered due t o operat ion of solar
farms.
The solar plant s reduce carbon emission equivalent for t he sam e am ount of energy w hich would
have been generat ed by a t herm al power plant , which event ually result s in reduced pot ent ial for
climat e change.
Significance of Impacts
The cum ulat ive impact on climat e change is envisaged t o be of low int ensit y w it h a local spread for a
long duration w hich w ill result in an overall minor impact w ith m itigation.
Table 6-25: Cumulative Impact Significance – W ater Resources
Aspect
Scenario
Spread
Duration
Intensity
Overall
Clim ate Change
Wit hout M itigation
Local
Long
Low
M inor
Wit h M it igat ion
Local
Long
Low
M inor
6.6 Decommissioning Phase
Project decomm issioning would be expect ed t o comprise dism ant ling of t he solar m odules and
trackers, and all associated electrical infrastructure and site buildings. Access tracks w ould be
decommissioned and gravel st ockpiled for fut ure use. The im pacts associat ed are:
Improper disposal of demolit ion wast e and obsolet e m achineries w ill lead t o cont aminat ion
of soil and discont ent of comm unit y, because of t he ar id region.
Dem olit ion act ivit y will lead t o generat ion of dust which can be carried dow nwind t o
habitations
Such are associat ed w it h healt h and safety issues such as t rip and fall and elect rical hazard.
Dem obilisation w ill require removal of m achinery, workers and other temporary structures. Access
roads and hardst and areas w ould be rehabilit at ed. Decommissioning w ould involve a smaller w ork
force alt hough it is likely t o be undert aken over a significant ly short er t ime frame. However, t he
quant um and nat ure of t ruck m ovement s and t heir dist ribut ion/ rout es will be sim ilar t o t hat of t he
const ruct ion process. The mit igat ion m easures for demobilisat ion shall include:
The proponent shall inform t he workers and local com munit y about t he durat ion of work;
The old, redundant panels can be disposed of (at a regist ered disposal facilit ies designat ed
for t his purpose);
The w orkers shall be clearly informed about t he expect ed schedule and complet ion of each
activity;
The reduct ion in workers shall be done based only on t he requirem ent of his/ her skill set
and not guided by any ot her fact or;
All wast e generat ed from dem obilizat ion phase shall be collect ed and disposed off at t he
nearest municipal disposal sit e; and
All necessary Personal Prot ect ion Equipment (PPE) shall be used by t he w orkers during
dem olit ion work. ;
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Significance of Impact
Impact value for decomm issioning is assessed t o be m oderat e w it hout mit igat ion and minor w it h
prevent ive measures.
Table 6-26: Decommissioning Impact Significance
Aspect
Scenario
Spread
Duration
Intensity
Overall
Land Use
Wit hout M itigation
M edium
Short
M edium
M oderate
Wit h M it igat ion
Short
Short
Low
M inor
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7. Environmental Management Plan
The import ance of managing social and environm ent al performance t hroughout t he life of a pr oject
is highlight ed by t he IFC Performance Standard-1. An efficient environment al and social
management syst em ensures a cont inuous comm unicat ion process bet w een t he project proponent ,
workers (including cont ract ors), local comm unit y and ot her key st akeholders.
RSEPL is com mitted to ensure com pliance to all its comm itments towards Environment, Social,
Healt h and Safet y St andards for all t heir project s. The Environm ent and Social M anagem ent Plan
int ends t o delineat e m anagem ent m easures t o minimize such impact s by allocat ing managem ent
responsibilit y for implement at ion of t hese m easures during const ruct ion and operat ion phase.
7.1 Envir onment and Social Management System
The proposed project is being developed by RSEPL w hich is a subsidiary of ASEPL. ASEPL
M anagem ent has developed an Environm ent and Social M anagem ent Syst em (ESM S) M anual which
covers Quality system s, Environment, Health & Safety M anagem ent Systems and Social
M anagement Syst ems.
The ESM S M anual has been developed in compliance w it h t he requirem ent s of Int ernat ional Finance
Corporat ion’s (IFC) Perform ance St andard 2012 and ISO 14001: 2004 and is being amended t o
include requirements of ADB’s Safeguard Policy Statement, 2009 as well. The ESM S M anual
developed by ASEPL is a t hree t ier docum ent wit h t he policies being t he umbrella document which
defines the commitment of the managem ent for addressal of EHS and Social issues associated w ith
t he operat ions, apex m anual which lays t he object ives, program s, resource m anagem ent , product
realizat ion, measurement , analysis and im provement s. Operat ional Cont rol Procedures and
(inst ruct ional) checklist s are defined as second and t hird t ier docum ent . The M anagem ent syst em s
has been developed t o provide generic guidelines t o all fut ure and present solar project s of ASEPL
and its subsidiaries, irrespective of specific site or project conditions.
7.2 Or ganisation Str uctur e ( Envir onment, Social, Health and Safety)
The overall m anagement and coordinat ion of t he project will be m anaged t hrough Chief Execut ive
Officer (ASEPL) w ho will be support ed by t he Plant M anager and Head (HSE).The Head - EHS will
overview, monitor and control the activities of Site M anger and Safety officer.. The contractors will
be cont rolled by t he sit e manager during const ruct ion phase. The const ruct ion cont ract or shall have
an Healt h, Safet y and Environm ent supervisor in t heir t eam who shall w ork in coordinat ion wit h t he
HSE officer.The proposed organizat ional st ruct ure t o implement t he ESM P during t he const ruct ion
phase is present ed in Figure 7-1.
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Figure 7-1: Proposed Organizational Structure
Chief Executive Officer
HSE Head
Plant M anager
Site Supervisor
Operators
Safety Officer -1
Lineman
Social Officer
Helpers
7.2.1 Roles and Responsibilities
HSE Head and Safety officers
The HSE head and his/ her t eam will have t he following responsibilit ies:
Ensuring availabilit y resources and appropriat e inst it ut ional arrangement s for implementat ion of
ESM P;
Com pliance of legislative and IFC’s requirem ents;
Carryout audits, and inspection of all the project activities;
Preparat ion of necessary document s and record keeping syst em; and
Review and updat ing of ESM P for effect ive it s implem ent at ion.
Social Officer
The social officer w ill have the following responsibilities
Liaison w it h t he governm ent aut horit ies and all project st akeholders;
M anaging all grievances of the project and their outcomes;
Im plement ing, monit oring and updat ing t he ESM P;
Undertaking community development initiatives in the affected villages;
manage all t he human resource issues, cont ract or and t raining issue;
Address t raining needs of cont ract ors and ot her employees for social and com munit y issues
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7.2.2 Contractors Management
RSEPL shall t hus ensure t hat t he ESM P is implem ent ed by it s cont ract ors t hrough cont ract ual
arrangem ents. General environmental aw areness will be increased am ong the project ’s team to
encourage t he implem ent at ion of environm ent ally sound pract ices and compliance requirem ent s of
the project activities. The same level of aw areness and com mitment w ill be imparted to the
cont ract ors and sub cont ract ors prior t o t he comm encem ent of t he project .
RSEPL shall ensure t hat t he job specific t raining and HSE Induct ion Training needs are ident ified
based on t he specific requirem ent s of ESM P and exist ing capacit y of sit e and project personnel
(including t he Cont ract ors and Sub-cont ract ors) t o undert ake t he required act ions and monit oring
activities. Special emphasis w ill be placed on traffic managem ent and operation of Cranes.
An environm ent al and social managem ent t raining program me will be conduct ed t o ensure effect ive
implement at ion of t he m anagem ent and cont r ol m easures during const ruct ion and operat ion of t he
project . The t raining program me will ensure t hat all concerned members of t he t eam underst and
t he follow ing aspect s:
Purpose of action plan for the project activities;
Requirements of the specific Action Plans;
Underst anding of t he sensit ive environm ent al and social feat ures wit hin and surrounding t he
project areas; and
Aware of the potential risks from the project activities;
Occupat ional t raining program and specialt y courses should be provided, as needed, t o ensure t hat
workers are orient ed t o t he specific hazards of individual work assignment s. Training shall be
provided t o management , supervisors, w orkers, and occasional visit ors t o areas of risks and hazards.
Workers wit h rescue and first -aid dut ies shall receive dedicat ed t raining so as not t o inadvert ent ly
aggravate exposures and health hazards to themselves or their co-w orkers.
Through appropriat e cont ract specificat ions and m onit oring, t he em ployer should ensure t hat
service providers, as w ell as cont ract ed and subcont ract ed labour, are t rained adequat ely before
assignment s begin.
7.3 Community
Stakeholder Engagement and Gr ievance Redr essal
The t wo import ant elem ent s of comm unit y engagement will be disclosure and consult at ion. This
implies that as a first step, the findings of the ESIA, especially the ESM P will have to be disclosed to
t he comm unit y. The ESM P should be finalized t hrough consult at ion wit h t he comm unit y and an
act ion plan shall be developed. Furt her, t he comm unit y should be regularly updat ed about t he
implement at ion of t he ESM P and all ot her relevant informat ion pert aining t o t he const ruct ion
phase, activities and health and safety risks. The comm unity shall also be m ade aw are of the
available job opportunities from time to time.
The project w ill engage wit h t he local comm unit y t o underst and t he st akeholders concerns and
issues regarding t he proposed project .
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In order t o underst and comm unit y expect at ions and m anage any local concerns, RSEPL shall
constitute a Grievance Redressal M echanism to be managed by the Social Officer. This grievance
mechanism w ill respond to t he concerns and grievances of local communit ies, NGOs, Panchayats
and any ot her aggrieved part y or st akeholder. The project will share informat ion about t hese
mechanism s t o t he st akeholders t hrough locally appropriat e com municat ion t ools.
The Grievance Redressal procedure will also out line t he process and st eps t o be t aken and t he t im e
limit wit hin which t he issue would need t o be resolved t o t he sat isfact ion of t he complainant . The
project will endeavour t o get all complaint s recorded and addressed in a uniform and consist ent
manner. For disput es t hat cannot be int ernally resolved, t he project w ill set up an independent
mechanism wit h represent at ion from comm unit y, Panchayat s and locally respect ed cit izens of t he
area to sort these conflicts. If it has a legal implication the district adm inistration w ill be approached.
7.4 ESMP Review and Amendments
The project ESM P is a social and environm ent m anagement t ool which shall be review ed periodically
(at least once in 2 years or earlier) to address changes in the project design, life cycle processes and
activities, organisation and regulatory requirements.
7.5 Inspection, Monitor ing
Audit
In order t o implem ent t he ESM P, t he on-sit e t eam will develop a t ime-bound and act ion-orient ed
Environm ent al and Social Act ion Plan t o implem ent t he mit igat ion measures provided for each of
t he ident ified environment al and social impact s. This ESM P will have t o be monit ored on a regular
basis, quart erly or half-yearly and all out comes would need t o be audit ed in accordance wit h exist ing
EHS com mitments.
The m onit oring process will cover all st akeholders including cont ract ors, labourers, suppliers and t he
local comm unit y impact ed by t he project act ivit ies and associat ed facilit ies. Inspect ion and
monit oring of t he environm ent al and social impact s of const ruct ion and operat ion phase act ivit ies
will increase the effectiveness of suggested mitigations. Through the process of inspection, audit,
and m onit oring RSEPL shall ensure t hat all t he cont ract ors com ply w it h t he requirem ent s of
condit ions for all applicable perm it s including suggest ed act ion plans. The inspect ions and audit s
shall be done by RSEPL/ ASEPL’s t rained t eam and ext ernal agencies/ expert s. The ent ire process of
inspect ions and audit s will be docum ent ed. The inspect ion and audit findings will be implement ed
by the contract ors in their respective areas.
7.6 Repor ting and Review
RSEPL shall develop and implement a program me of report ing t hrough all st ages of t he project const ruct ion and comm issioning, operat ion and decomm issioning. Cont ract ors w ill be required t o
fully com ply wit h t he report ing requirem ent s in t erm s of t imely report submission wit h accept able
level of details. Reporting will be done in form of environmental, health, safety and social check list,
incident record regist er, environm ent al, healt h, safet y and social perform ance report s (weekly,
monthly, quarterly, half yearly, yearly etc).
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7.6.1.1
External Reporting and Communication
All complaint s and enquiries are t o be appropriat ely dealt wit h and records be maint ained in a
Complaint / Enquiry Regist er by HSE Head or ot her delegat ed st aff.
7.6.1.2
Internal Reporting and Communication
Inspect ion and audit observat ions along wit h t heir improvement program are t o be regularly
report ed t o t he senior managem ent for t heir consider at ion. The same are also t o be comm unicat ed
wit hin t he st aff w orking on t he project . To maint ain open comm unicat ion bet w een t he st aff and
management on EHS& S issues t he following shall be used:
Team Briefings,
On-sit e work group m eet ings;
Key Incident s/ accident s and lessons learnt
Work Specific Inst ruct ions; and
M eet ing wit h st akeholders.
7.7 Documentation and Recor d Keeping
Document at ion and record keeping syst em has t o be est ablished t o ensure updat ing and recording
of requirem ent s specified in ESM P. Responsibilit ies have t o be assigned t o relevant personnel for
ensuring t hat t he ESM P docum ent at ion syst em is m aint ained and t hat document cont rol is ensured
t hrough access by and dist ribut ion t o ident ified personnel in form of t he following:
Document ed Environm ent m anagem ent syst em ;
Legal Regist er;
Operat ion cont rol procedures;
Work inst ruct ions;
Incident report s;
Emergency preparedness and response procedures;
Training records;
M onitoring reports;
Audit ing report s; and
Com plaint s regist er and issues at t ended/ closed.
7.8 Pr oposed Envir onment and Social Management Plan
An Environm ent and Social M anagem ent Plan has been developed following t he delineat ion of
impact s and m it igat ion measures. These m easures will be adopt ed by t he project proponent and
imposed as condit ions of cont ract of t he sub cont ract or em ployed for respect ive phases of t he
power project . The m it igat ion measures suggest ed during operat ion will be made part of t he regular
maint enance and monit oring schedule.
The ESM P includes t he following:
M it igat ions suggest ed for adverse environment al and social im pacts and associat ed risks;
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Inst it ut ional arrangement - m anagem ent t ools and t echniques for t he implem ent at ion of
environment al impact s and risk m it igat ions;
M onit oring and report ing of requirem ent s and m echanism s for t he effect ive
implement at ion of t he suggest ed m it igat ions;
M onitoring arrangem ents for effective implementation of suggested mitigations for the
proposed project ; and
Report ing requirement t o t he regulat ory agencies and funding inst it ut es
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Table 7.1: Environment and Social M anagement Plan
Impact
Suggested M itigation
M onitoring / Training
Ident ified
M anagement
Estimated Cost
Responsibility
(INR) and Source
Sit e supervisor
Routine Activity
CONSTRUCTION PHASE
Soil Resources and Quality
Erosion and
Use of existing roads for transport of m an and m at erial t o
RSEPL’s representat ive t o make
com pact ion
t he extent possible
daily observat ions on st orage and
Cont aminat ion
Loose soil t o be prot ected from w ind and runoff
handling of soil and const ruct ion
Const ruct ion
of soil
All const ruct ion mat erial t o be kept w it hin t he foot print of
mat erial.
Cont ract or
t he area acquired.
Workers handling paint ing act ivit y
Loose const ruction material t o be covered t o avoid being
t o be briefed about t he need t o
carried int o adjoining areas by wind.
prevent cont aminat ion.
Painting of panels, sw it chyard st ructures t o be
Drivers t o be inst ructed about use
undert aken aft er covering t he land beneat h w it h a sheet
of dedicated tracks w it hin t he sit e
of impervious mat erial.
Fuel st orage for DG set s t o be done on paved surfaces
Land Use
Change of land
RSEPL has considered all aspect s of sit ing and design prior to
use from
selection of the sites
-
-
-
Routine Activity
agricult ure t o
indust rial
W aste Generation, Storage and Disposal
Accumulation
Const ruct ion w ast e t o be properly st ored and disposed off
Workers t o be inst ructed t o use
Sit e manager
of construction
t o local municipal w ast e disposal sit e
dust bins and t oilet s at t he sit e
To be mentioned in
w aste
Dom estic w ast e generat ed by w orkers t o be collected and
Cont ract ors w ill be briefed about
t he cont ract wit h t he
Runoff int o rain
com post ed at sit e
t he need for proper st orage and
const ruction
w at er channels
Ot her w ast es like w ood packaging mat erial, met al jut e
disposal const ruction w ast e
cont ract or
Unhygienic
etc. w ill be sold t o scrap dealers.
Sit e supervisor t o
condition for
Provision of segregat ed t oilets for m ale and fem ale
make observat ions
labours
w orkers in t he rat io of 1:15 and 1:10 (t oilet t o w orkers)
and convey it t o t he
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Impact
Suggested M itigation
M onitoring / Training
Ident ified
respectively;
M anagement
Estimated Cost
Responsibility
(INR) and Source
cont ract ors
Wast e oil shall be st ored on paved surfaces
Em pt y paint cont ainers shall be st ored in earmarked area
and sold t o aut horised vendors.
W ater Resource and Quality
Ground w ater
Wat er for const ruct ion t o be arranged by t he const ruction
Daily consumption of w at er t o be
Sit e manager
ext raction
cont ract ors t hrough aut horised t anker w at er suppliers.
recorded and assessed on w eekly
To be mentioned in
Runoff int o rain
Dom estic w at er requirem ent of t he w orkers at sit e t o be
basis for w ast age
t he cont ract wit h t he
w at er channels
met t hrough irrigat ion canal.
Workers t o be inst ruct ed about
const ruction
Wast age of
Adequat e arrangement for st orm w ater management
opt im al use of w ater
cont ract or
water
during const ruct ion period t o be made t o avoid sediment
St orm w at er arrangement s t o be
Sit e supervisor t o
runoff from t he sit e.
m onit ored for clogging on weekly
make observat ions
Opt imal ut ilizat ion of w ater t o be ensured t hroughout t he
basis
and convey it t o t he
Routine Activity
cont ract ors
const ruct ion phase
St orm w at er flow during monsoons t o be direct ed t o t he
exist ing channels w it h silt traps t o avoid sediment ation of
t he channels or t he receiving w at er body.
Curing chemicals t o be used t o reduce wat er requirement.
Ecology
Clearing of
Tree cut t ing w ill be limit ed t o t hose direct ly affecting t he
Const ruct ion contract or t o inst ruct
Sit e supervisor
veget ation
solar panels.
and inform w orkers about need t o
To be mentioned in
Cut t ing of trees
Workforce t o be inst ructed t o avoid any other activity
refrain from activit ies that may
t he cont ract wit h t he
Dist urbance t o
likely to affect t he local flora & fauna.
adversely affect t he ecology
const ruction
avifauna
High noise generating activities t o rest rict ed t o dayt ime
Routine Activity
cont ract or
w it h proper mit igat ion measures
Transport at ion t o be undert aken along identified pat hs
Traffic and Transport
Arbitrary
Training of drivers about road safety t o be organised ;
Necessary t raining t o t he driver of
Sit e supervisor
25,000 INR- To be
movement of
Vehicle movement and parking wit hin t he Project
const ruct ion vehicles for speed
To be mentioned in
Provisioned by
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Impact
Suggested M itigation
M onitoring / Training
Ident ified
M anagement
Estimated Cost
Responsibility
(INR) and Source
vehicles leading
premises shall be manned properly t o avoid accident s
rest rict ions and t o crew members on
t he cont ract wit h t he
RSEPL and EPC
t o congest ion
Rout es for use by const ruction t raffic t o be planned to
do’s and don’t s during const ruct ion
const ruction
Cont ract or
and accident s
m inimize impact on adjoining activities.
vehicles movement s.
cont ract or
Improper
Dedicat ed pat h w it hin t he sit e for exclusive ent ry and exit
Drivers t o be assessed for t heir
parking of
of t he construction vehicles t o be provided.
knowledge on traffic rules before
vehicles used
Regular maint enance of vehicles t o be t aken up.
engagement .
by w orkers and
for m ovement
of mat erial can
lead t o
discomfort t o
ot her users.
Atmospheric Emissions
Fugit ive dust
Dust deposit ion in adjoining areas t o
Sit e supervisor
very high w ind and covers t o be provided for loose
be physically monit ored by RSEPL
To be incorporated in
const ruction mat erial at const ruction sit e.
personals on w eekly basis.
t he cont ract wit h
Dust generat ing activit ies t o be avoided in condit ions of
Emissions from
diesel engines
and DG set s
It is t o be ensured t hat construction equipment ’s are
cont ract or
properly maint ained t o minimise smoke in t he exhaust
em issions.
M achinery t o be t urned off w hen not in use.
Housekeeping of t he area t o be maint ained
The im pact of em issions from vehicles bringing
const ruct ion mat erial t o be minimised by proper upkeep
of maintenance of vehicles, sprinkling of w at er on
unpaved roads at t he const ruction sit e and planned
movement of such vehicles.
Vehicle speed t o be restricted t o 15km/ hour at sit e t o
minimize pot ent ial for dust generat ion in t he
surroundings
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Routine Activity
Impact
Suggested M itigation
M onitoring / Training
M anagement
Estimated Cost
Responsibility
(INR) and Source
Arrangement s for noise reduct ion t o
Sit e manager
To be included in
Project Budget RSEPL and EPC
Ident ified
Trucks / dumpers t o be covered by t arpaulin sheet s during
off site transport ation of friable const ruction materials
and spoil
All the vehicles ent ering t he sit e t o be asked t o have
updat ed PUC (Pollution under cont rol) cert ificat e.
Generat or t o be opt imally used w it h proper orient at ion
and adequat e st ack height
Noise and Vibration
Dist urbance t o
Use of inherent ly quiet plant and equipment as far as
habit at ions
reasonably pract icable and regular maintenance t o ensure
be monit ored on w eekly basis
Const ruct ion
Dist urbance t o
noise emissions are maint ained at design levels.
Schedule of act ivit ies t o be
Cont ract or
fauna
Int egral noise shielding t o be used w here pract icable and
discussed and finalised bet w een site
Occupational
fixed noise sources t o be acoust ically t reated, for example
manager and t he contract or
Hazard
w it h silencers, acoust ic louvres and enclosures.
Provision of rubber paddings/ noise isolat ors at
equipment / machinery used for const ruct ion
Const ruct ion vehicles t o be w ell maint ained and not idling
equipment or vehicles when not in use.
Provision of make shift noise barriers near high noise
generat ing equipment t o minimise horizont al propagation
of noise
Loud, sudden noises t o be avoided wherever possible.
Fixed noise sources t o be locat ed aw ay - m ore t han 50m
inside from sit e boundary.
Noise prone activities w ill be rest ricted t o t he ext ent
possible during night time 2200 t o 0600 hours t o reduce
t he noise im pact .
Sit e w orkers w orking near high noise equipment use
personal protect ive devices t o minimise t heir exposure t o
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Cont ract or
Impact
Suggested M itigation
M onitoring / Training
Ident ified
M anagement
Estimated Cost
Responsibility
(INR) and Source
high noise levels
Health and Safety Hazards
Accident s
All the required safet y measures based on individual job
Proper training of t he w orkers
Sit e M anager
In house Training-
leading t o
profile t o be provided (as per w orking guidelines, use of
regarding healt h and safet y
Safet y Officer
RSEPL and EPC
Cont ract or
injuries
personal protect ive equipment s like gloves, helmet s, ear
procedures
To form part of t he
fat alities
muffs, safet y belt s et c.) for const ruction w orker t hrough
Workers t o be trained t hrough sub
cont ract or’s contract.
Occupational
t he cont ract ors.
cont ract ors regarding use of
healt h hazards
Ensure effective w ork perm it syst em for hot work,
Personal prot ect ion equipment and
electrical w ork, w orking at height , w orking in confined
it s import ance.
space etc.
Ensure personal protect ive equipment for all personnel
present at site are made available.
Arrangement for fire control measures
Display of phone numbers of t he cit y/ local fire services
and hospit als at sit e.
Ensure good housekeeping at t he const ruct ion sit e t o
avoid slips and falls.
Dropping/ low ering of construction mat erial or t ool t o be
rest rict ed and undert aken only under st rict supervision, if
required.
Provision of proper sanit at ion at t he labour camp.
Socio Economic Impacts
Access to
Comm on
Propert y
The sit e personnel is t o ensure t hat
On-sit e personnel
project activit ies. Alternative access roads w ill be
t hat during t he const ruction phase
and contract ors
const ruct ed and used;
t here are no addit ional
The project shall avoid using communit y / village roads for
Resources
encumbrances t o block access t o
Com m on village
alt ernat ive areas due t o mat erial
approach road
st orage et c.
t o t he sit e;
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-
Impact
Suggested M itigation
M onitoring / Training
Ident ified
M anagement
Estimated Cost
Responsibility
(INR) and Source
Social Officer
RSEPL is required
Access t o fuel
w ood sourcing
areas.
Increased
The project w ill init iate an early dialogue wit h t he local
Increased Communit y Expect at ions
Com m unit y
communit y t o underst and t heir concerns as w ell as
Heightened communit y
t o formulat e
Expect at ions
expect at ions from t he project ;
expect ations for em ployment and
annual CSR Budget
Heightened
The project w ill communicat e and discuss wit h t he
ot her local benefit s
communit y
communit y in a transparent manner about
expect ations for
em ployment / cont ract and ot her opport unit ies on a
employment
regular basis and dem onstrat e t he effort s being made t o
and ot her local
accommodat e as many people as possible. The project s
benefit s
w ill ensure t hat t here is a t ransparent process of giving
jobs/ cont ract s and ot her benefit s.
Influx of
Accommodation: It shall be ensured t hat a minim um
RSEPL shall ensure t hat t he onsite
RSEPL, the local
7,000 INR per
M igrant
space of 4-4.5 m 2 is allocated per person.
administ rat ion team t o look aft er
procurement t eam
Toilet w ith sanit ary
Workers
Common lat rines and bat hing facilit ies duly segregat ed for
contract ors w ill m onit or all
and t he labour
Fit t ings- t ot al cost
Social Impact s;
cont ract ors.
depends upon
m ale and fem ale labour - Num ber of toilets and sanit ary
com pliances t o t he t erm s and
Healt h Impact ;
fit t ings shall be considered as 1 t oilet , 1 urinal and 1
conditions. In addition, personnel
number of t oilet
Economic
bat hroom per 15 m ale w orkers. Arrangem ent for fem ale
w ill need t o be aw are of t he
provided- EPC
w orkers shall be 1 t oilet and 1 bat hroom per 10 fem ale
applicable regulat ory requirement s
Cont ract or
w orkers.
for ensuring compliance t o good
Wat er supply t hrough borew ells and aut horized w at er
w orking and labour law com pliance.
Im pact s.
t ankers- Adequat e provisions of w at er w it h about 150
lit res per capit a per day shall be made.
Disposal of sew age t hrough a septic t ank – soak pit
arrangement .
Arrangement s for collection of garbage in dust bins and
disposal through daily collect ion.
Provisions of food – it shall be ensured t hat t he food
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Impact
Suggested M itigation
M onitoring / Training
Ident ified
M anagement
Estimated Cost
Responsibility
(INR) and Source
RSEPL/ Cont ract or
25,000 INR- To be
provided t o w orkers cont ains an appropriat e level of
nut ritional value and shall t ake int o account t he different
religious/ cult ural backgrounds;
Supply of fuel w ood and LPG cylinders in order t o avoid
encroachment in adjoining areas
Com m unit y
Ensure proper t raining of drivers and planning for
RSEPL to provide training t o drivers,
Healt h Safet y
t ransport of const ruct ion machinery, mat erial and
w orkers and securit y personnel
and Securit y
manpower.
RSEPL and EPC
Comm on
All w orkers whet her local or migrant s w ill be instruct ed t o
Cont ract or
approach road
follow st rict code of conduct
t o t he sit e;
Local security personnel shall preferably be engaged at
Nuisance from
site.
air emissions
To t he ext ent possible, labour t o be housed in camps,
and noise due
w it h good living conditions and access t o amenities.
to
Healt h and safet y t raining of t he labour, raising aw areness
t ransport at ion;
about STDs, and HIV, and maint aining behaviour
Traffic im pact s
st andards w hile moving in t he communit y should be a
like accidents.
priorit y;
Provisioned by
Any complaint s or concerns w it h respect t o labour should
be addressed w it hout delay.
Im pact on
Ensure t hat all t he project act ivit ies are rest rict ed t o t he
RSEPL w ill need t o monit or t he
adjacent lands
exist ing sit e boundary. The use of land out side t he
com pliance of t he cont ract or t o
Crop loss during
boundary for purposes like parking of vehicles, st orage of
t hese measures and ensure t hat any
const ruction;
mat erial during const ruct ion et c w arrant s prior consent of
non-compliance is adequately
Encroachment .
t he ow ner of t hat land as well as adequat e compensat ion
addressed.
for such a use;
The project should proact ively discourage any
encroachment around t he project area and involve t he
local panchayat aut horit ies in t he same;
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RSEPL/ Contractor
-
Impact
Suggested M itigation
M onitoring / Training
Ident ified
M anagement
Estimated Cost
Responsibility
(INR) and Source
-
Any st ruct ures w hich are construct ed out side the
boundary should be dismant led aft er use.
OPERATION PHASE
W aste Disposal
Dom estic wast e
Transformer oil t o be replaced and ret ained by t he
RSEPL st aff t o be briefed about t he
Plant M anager
from st aff
supplier of t ransformers
need for proper st orage and
Safet y Officer
quart ers
Buy back arrangement wit h solar panel
disposal wast e oil
Transform er / PV
Wast e
manufact urer/ supplier
t ransformer oil
Aut horised supplier t o be ident ified for disposal
module Suppliers
and solar panels
Aesthetics and Visual Impact
Visual intrusion
Panels t o have a low profile.
Glare
Glare from panel t o be of low int ensit y
-.
Plant M anger
-
Ant i glare coat ings are provided on the panels
W ater Resource and Quality
Water
Avoid w ast age of w at er during w ashing of panels
M et ering and monit oring of ground
Safet y Officer
10,000 INR is
requirement for
Adequat e st orm w ater drainage
w at er usage
Plant manager
required for
cleaning
Daily consumption of w at er t o be
t est ing of a sample
Ground w ater
recorded and assessed on w eekly
as per IS10500
ext raction
basis for w ast age
St andards- RSEPL
Wat er logging
Workers t o be inst ruct ed about
Bact eria t est ing kit
opt im al use of w ater
Ecology
Dist ract ion t o
Solar panels t o have an anti-reflective coating t o minim ize
avifauna
t he light reflecting off of t he panels.
Rout ine
Clearing of veget at ion t o be limit ed t o removal of
clearance
undergrow t h or shrubs at t he plant sit e
-
Safet y Officer
Plant manager
Health and Safety
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-
Impact
Suggested M itigation
M onitoring / Training
Ident ified
M anagement
Estimated Cost
Responsibility
(INR) and Source
Sit e M anager
To be built in t he
Elect romagnet ic
EM F generat ed t o be of w eak in intensit y
Proper training of t he w orkers
field
Personal prot ect ive equipment t o be provided for all
regarding healt h and safet y
project cost - RSEPL
Accident s
personnel at road const ruction and transmission line.
procedures
and EPC cont ract or
leading t o
Workers t o be trained for use of
In-house Training
injury/ fat alit y
Personal prot ect ion equipment and
it s import ance.
Social
Im pact s on
In case of development of local enterprise in t he vicinit y
Local Econom y
of t he project , these should be encouraged t hrough
-
Procurement t eam
-
--
RSEPL
-
RSEPL
-
sourcing opport unit ies.
Upgrades t o
Collaborate w it h local govt. and indust ry for any
Local
communit y development programs t o share t he resources
Infrastructure
and cut cost ;
Avoid duplicat ing exist ing infrast ruct ure and emphasize
on improving or upgrading t he qualit y and quantit y of the
sam e.
DECOM M ISSIONING PHASE
Im pact s due t o
The proponent shall inform t he w orkers and local
Proper training of t he w orkers
disposal of
communit y about t he durat ion of w ork;
regarding healt h and safet y
panels,
The old, redundant panels can be disposed of (at a
procedures
cont aminat ion
regist ered disposal facilities designated for t his purpose);
Workers t o be trained for use of
of soil,
The w orkers shall be clearly informed about t he expect ed
Personal prot ect ion equipment and
generat ion of
schedule and complet ion of each act ivit y;
it s import ance.
w ast es and
The reduction in w orkers shall be done based only on the
associat ed
requirement of his/ her skill set and not guided by any
healt h and
ot her fact or;
safet y risks
All w ast e generat ed from demobilization phase shall be
collect ed and disposed off at t he nearest municipal
disposal site; and
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Impact
Suggested M itigation
M onitoring / Training
Ident ified
All necessary Personal Prot ect ion Equipment (PPE) shall
be used by t he w orkers during demolit ion w ork.
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M anagement
Estimated Cost
Responsibility
(INR) and Source
8. Conclusion and Categorization of Project
The project is assessed to generate som e environment al and social issue owing construction related
act ivit y, wat er resource requirem ent , m ovement of t raffic and requirem ent of land for t ransm ission line.
M it igat ion measures for pot ent ial impact s on various environm ent al and Socio-econom ics have been
specified t hrough proper
follow up of best pract ice of compensat ion, public disclosure, and grievance m anagement ;
planning & designing of power plant , sit e preparat ion and access rout e, const ruct ion, drainage
and traffic movem ent
application of standards for Healt h and Safety
clearances and perm it s required for each sub act ivit y
Environm ent al M anagement Plan and Social M anagement Plan describe implement at ion mechanism for
recom mended mit igat ion m easures t oget her wit h monit oring t o verify overall project perform ance. This
ESIA st udy t oget her wit h mit igat ion measures and follow up of recomm endat ions on m anagem ent
act ions w ill help RSEPL in complying w it h t he environment al st andards and m eet t he IFC perform ance
st andards.
The Project is a renew able energy project s which uses solar energy for pow er generat ion. Renewable
energy project s are considered t o be cleaner com pared t o fossil fuel based energy project s. In
accordance to the screening criteria of the IFC, AECOM has categorized Project as Category B. With
respect to ADB classification, the project has been categorised as Category B for Environment, Category
C for Involuntary Resettlem ent and Indigenous People. The basis for categorisation is as follows:
The potential environmental and social impacts of the Project are limited as the project is a clean
project and does not involve any em ission or rehabilit at ion issues.
The land for t he proposed project com prises of revenue land w hich is not used by t he comm unit y
for any purpose;
The w at er dem and due t o t he cumulat ive solar pow er generat ion proposed in t he region will im pact
t he groundw at er resource availabilit y in t he region;
The durat ion and ext ent of const ruct ion act ivit ies is also limit ed; t hereby result ing in m inimal
environment al and social impact s;
Any adverse environm ent al and social impact s may be readily addressed t hrough mit igat ion
measures as out lined in t he Environm ent al and Social M anagem ent Plan (ESM P).
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Annexure I: Tentative List of Solar Power Projects in the area
Existing Solar Projects
S. No.
1
Projects
Greent ech Power Privat e
Limit ed
2
Punj Llyod Solar Power Limit ed
3
PAR Solar
4
OPG Energy Private Limited
5
Juwi India Renewable Energies
Privat e Limit ed
6
Shri Rangam Brokers &
Holdings Lt d
7
Sun Edison
Proposed Solar Projects
1
Enfield Infrastruct ure Limit ed
2
Green Infra Solar Energy
Limit ed
3
Green Infra Solar Energy
Limit ed
4
Kiran Energy Solar Power
5
M ahindra Solar One Privat e
Limit ed
6
M ahindra Solar One Privat e
Limit ed
7
Sunborne Energy
Capacity
Location
5 MW
Baap Tehsil, Phalodi, Jodhpur
5 MW
3 MW
5 MW
26, 500 kw
Baap
Baap
Baap
Baap
10 M W
Baap Tehsil, Jodhpur
5 MW
Phalodi, Jodhpur
10 M W
20 M W
Phalodi, Jodhpur
Phalodi, Jodhpur
5 MW
Phalodi, Jodhpur
20 M W
20 M W
Phalodi, Jodhpur
Phalodi, Jodhpur
10 M W
Phalodi, Jodhpur
5 MW
Baap Tehsil, Phalodi, Jodhpur
Tehsil, Phalodi, Jodhpur
Tehsil, Phalodi, Jodhpur
Tehsil, Phalodi, Jodhpur
Tehsil, Phalodi, Jodhpur
Source: htt p:/ / w w w .pv-insider.com/ development-india/ documents/ PV-Utility-Scale-M ap-India-Final.pdf
Annexure II: District Collect or’s Allotment Letter
Rajasthan Government
Office District Collector Jodhpur
Letter No.: P-12 (3-) Raj/Allotment/ACME/14/4460
Date: 17/10/2014
-:: Allotment Order ::The recommendation for the allotment of land under Rajasthan Solar Policy-2011 was
made for the establishment of 20 Megawatt Grid Interactive Solar PV Power Project to
Messrs Ranji Solar Energy Pvt. Ltd. (Regn No. S/944/2011) for establishing a power plant
based on energy sources by Director (Technical) Rajasthan Renewable Energy Corporation
Ltd, Jaipur. After that, in compliance of the order issued by Hon’ble High Court of Rajasthan
on 03.09.2014 in response to the Writ Petition no. 7978/14 and 7974/14, the proposals for
allotment of land were sought from the depositary, Bap.
In context of the order issued by Hon’ble High Court of Rajasthan dated 03.09.2014,
the proposals for land allotment from Sub-section Officer, Bap and Depositary, Bap were
sent to Revenue Department, Rajasthan, Jaipur for the same.
Joint Administrative Secretary, Revenue (Group-3) Department, Rajasthan, Jaipur in
his Letter No. P. 2 (114) Raj-3/14, Jaipur, dated 09.10.2014, has granted state approval for
allotment of the 275.00 Bigha of land from 275 Bigha of land from khasra No. 124 type गै0
मु0 रडा (Gair Mumkin Raida), thus total Killa area 275 Bigha cancelled and assigned to
Messrs Ranji Solar Energy Pvt. Ltd. (Regn No. S/944//2011 for establishment of 20
Megawatt Grid Interactive Solar PV Power Project located in village Badi Sid, tehsil Bap
priced under the notification serial no. F-6 (28) rev.6/2014/9 Jaipur, dated 04/08/2014 of
Revision Notification Revenue (Group-6) Department, Rajasthan, Jaipur issued in Rajasthan
Land-revenue (land allotment for establishing power plants based on renewable energy
sources) Provision 2007 and Provision 2007.
In compliance of the approval granted by Joint Administrative Secretary Revenue
(Group-3) Department, Rajasthan, Jaipur through his letter no. P.2 (114) Raj-3/14, Jaipur,
dated 09.10.2014 land is allotted to Messrs Ranji Solar Energy Pvt. Ltd (Regn No.
S/944/2011) for the establishment of 20 Megawatt Grid Interactive Solar PV Power Project
as per the following details on the condition of compliance of terms and provisions of the
Revision Notification Revenue (Group-6) Department, Rajasthan, Jaipur issued in
notification of Rajasthan Land-revenue (land allotment for establishing power plants based
on renewable energy sources) Provision 2007 and Provision 2009 under Notification No.F6(28) Rev.6/2014/9 Jaipur, dated 04/08/2014 and Rajasthan Solar Policy-2011.
S.
No.
Village
Khasra Allotted DLC
Land
Rate
No.
Area
Per
In
Bigha
Bigha
Payable Rent
Details of the Deposit
for first two
years (after
two years
Challan Date
Amount
lease rent
No.
will be
charged with
an increment
of 5 percent
per annum
on the
previous
year’s rent
1
Badi
Sid
124
275.00
90405
Total Land Area 275.00 Bigha
Rent for the
GRN
land
3737482 16.10.14 24861375/2,48,61,375/Lease rent
GRN
for the first
3737627 16.10.14 1243069/year
12,43,069/Total
26104444/-
Note: Above-said lease rent is payable for two years from the date of allotment, and
after two years of allotment, the lease rent will be payable with 5 percent increment on
the previous year’s lease rent per annum.
As said above, 275 Bigha land which land in total from khasra no. 124, is allotted on
lease on the following terms:1. This land is allotted on lease for 30 years. After that period, the lease period could be
extended for 10 more years as per the rules, for which the lease holder will apply within time.
2. The moment the lease period is over the land, being free of all charges, would be re-vested
in the state government.
3. The lease holder will be bound to follow all the conditions detailed described in the lease
deed.
4. The lease holder will be liable to follow the guidelines and the allotment provisions issued
from time to time by the state government.
5. The lease holder will be allowed to set up only a renewable energy plant. The land will not
be used for any other purpose except it, otherwise it will return to the state government.
6. Without prior written permission of the leasing party, the lease holder will not be able to
give his/her lease rights mentioned in the lease deed either on under-lease or on sub-lease.
Neither would he be able to negotiate or endorse them. Though the lease holder will have the
right to assign or hypothecate his lease rights obtained under lease agreement with financial
institutions to get financial assistance from them with a view to set up the power plant for
which the land has been leased to him/her , but the first right on the land will remain to the
state government.
7. As stated, the lease rent for 275.00 Bighas of land will be Rs. 12, 43, 069/- (in words –
Twelve lakh forty-three thousand and sixty-nine rupees only) per annum and will be payable
for first two years from the date of allotment. The lease rent for the first year which is Rs.
1243069/- has been deposited in the treasury of the state through invoice no. GRN 3737627
dated 16-10-2014 in the first week of the beginning of the next year, the yearly lease rent (for
the entire allotted land) will be deposited through Tehsil, Bap, in the treasury by the lease
holder through invoice. After first two years, the lease rent with five percent increment on the
previous year’s lease rent will be deposited in the treasury. At the time of every reassessment,
the lease rent will be increased as per the norms at that time.
8. Within 2 years from the date of allotment,/determined by RREC Ltd. The establishment
work of the Solar PV Power Project must be completed and the concerned office must be
informed in written, and the project will go on incessantly. If the land is not used as per the
purpose described above, the land sans all charges will return to the favour of the state
government.
9. The allottee, within 45 days from the date of allotment, will present the lease deed in the
prescribed format which will incorporate all the conditions of the lease. If the lease deed is
not executed within the given period, the allotment will be automatically cancelled.
10. The power producer will be able to start work on the allotted land only after the lease
deed is executed.
11. Whenever the lease holder or the sub-lease holder will be found violating the terms of
lease or will be found going against Rajasthan Land Revenue Act 1956 (Act 15 of 1956) or
any provision mentioned in these norms or law related to power production, the lease will be
terminated and the land will return to the state government. In such condition, the lease
holder will remove all the construction at his/her own expenses and if he fails to do so, the
district collector will be authorised to remove all the construction at the expenses of the
developer or the applicant.
12. The allotment order having been issued, the district collector will be signing the lease
deed only after the security amount and the premium are deposited with RREC Ltd.
13. If, during the auditing, any amount is payable as per the future norms, the lease holder,
the sub-lease holder will ever be liable to deposit the payable amount.
14. The trees, shrubs, etc. present on the allotted ground would be removed only with the
permission of a competent authority. It is mandatory for the company to plant three times
more trees than the number of trees removed.
15. The power producer will have to act as per various conditions fixed by Rajasthan
Pollution Prevention/Control Board.
16. The right to create a public thoroughfare through the above-said land will be secured. The
land provided for this purpose will be free from any provision for compensation.
Accordingly, the depository, Bap, will hand over the right of the stated land allotted as per
the rules to the representative of Ranji Solar Energy Pvt. Ltd. (Regn. No. S/944/2011) and
enter the report of the execution in revenue record and also mark it in the revenue map
(Dr. Pritam B. Yashwant)
District Collector,
Jodhpur
Date: 17/10/2014
Letter No. P-12 (3-) Raj/Allotment/ACME/14/4461-68
The copy has been sent to the following for information and necessary proceedings:1. Principal Administrative Secretary, Revenue Department, Rajasthan, Jaipur.
2. Director (Technical) RREC Ltd. E-166, Yudhisthir Marg, C-Scheme, Jaipur.
3. Joint Administrative Secretary, Revenue (Group-3) Department, Rajasthan, Jaipur.
4. Officer In-charge, District Revenue Audit Branch office, Haja.
5. Sub-section Officer, Bap.
6. Depository, Bap.
7. Messrs Ranji Solar Energy Private Limited, 152, Sector-44, Gurgaon-122002
8. Guard Patravali
Signature
District Collector
Jodhpur
Annexure III: Questionnaire for Social Consultation
Quest ionnaire for Social Consult ation
A.
Location Related Information
1. Name of t he Village:
B.
2. Panchayat :
3. Tehsil:
2.
Tot al M ale Populat ion:
4. Dist rict :
Societal Set Up
1.
Tot al Population:
4.
Religion:
5.
Et hnic Group:
6.
Lit erat e Populat ion:
9.
M ain Occupat ion: (M ain & Secondary)
7.
M ale Lit erat es:
3.
Tot al Female Population:
8.
Female Lit erat es:
10. Crops Grown:
C.
Existing Public Am enities
1.
Source of Drinking
Water:
2.
Road Connect ivit y:
3.
Elect ricit y Connect ion:
4.
Sanit at ion Facility:
5.
Transport Facilit ies
Available:
6.
Health Facilities:
1
DELD 14030: ESIA ACM E Group: Solar Power Energy Projects; Rev 00
Quest ionnaire for Social Consult ation
7.
Education Facilities:
8.
Government Schemes:
9.
NGO’s in t he area:
10. Banking Facilit ies:
11. Co-operat ives (if any)
12. Vet erinary Facilit ies
13. Fert ilizer/ Seed Shop:
14. Fair Price Shop:
D.
Gender Profile
1.
Pat t ern of employment among
women?
2.
Do men migrat e out of t he village
in search of employment ?
3.
Government schemes in the area
for w omen?
4.
M edical issues and facilities for
women?
5.
At what age are girls married?
2
DELD 14030: ESIA ACM E Group: Solar Power Energy Projects; Rev 00
Quest ionnaire for Social Consult ation
E.
F.
6.
Education level among women?
7.
Access to
a. Family Planning Services
b. Toilet s
c. Water for Personal Use
8.
Any M ahila Sanghat ans (women
groups), if any?
Perception about the Project
1.
Has any land from t he village of Bari Seer
and Nayagaon acquired for t he project ?
2.
Is t he land for t he proposed access road and
t ransmission line private land?
3.
Any cult ural herit age/ archaeological sit e
near t he project area?
4.
Has t here been any change due t o t he
coming of solar project s in the area? How
has t he change affect ed you?
5.
Has land prices increased because of the
project ?
6.
What is the Communit y’s underst anding of
t he Project ?
7.
Concerns/ Issues relat ing t o t he project
8.
Benefit / Expect ation from the project
Need Assessment
(very important -5; somew hat important - 4; neut ral- 3; not very important- 2; not at all important -1)
Educational Inst it ut ions
Healt h Cent res
Infrastruct ure (roads, elect ricit y et c.)
Employment
Wat er Supply
Transport Facilit ies
3
DELD 14030: ESIA ACM E Group: Solar Power Energy Projects; Rev 00
Quest ionnaire for Social Consult ation
Skill Development
Women Empowerment (vocat ional
cent res, jobs, healthcare, educat ion
etc.)
Agricult ural Improvement
Recreat ional/ Communit y Hall etc.
Ot hers (specify) :
Remarks:
Date:
4
DELD 14030: ESIA ACM E Group: Solar Power Energy Projects; Rev 00
Annexure IV: No Objection Certificate (NOC) from Bari Seer Panchayat
Gram Panchayat Samiti Office Bap (Jodhpur)
S. No: - SPL-01/G.P/ Proposal 01
Date: - 20/09/2014
No Objection Certificate
This is certified that Khasra No 124 Rakba 275 Bigha of Village Badi Sid is situated on State Government
Land. If Government allots above mentioned land in favor of Messrs Ranji Solar Energy Pvt. Ltd., 104
Mulish Plaza, 20 Ansari Road , Daryaganj, New Delhi-110002. Then the Village Panchayat does not have
any Objection to it.
This is issued by my signature in accordance to the proposal no. 01 dated 20/09/2014 of
Gram Panchayat.
Sarpanch
Gram Panchayat Badi Sid
Annexure V: List of Person’s consulted
Annexure VI: Location of the 100 M W solar projects as provided by ASEPL
Annexure VII: ASEPL Base M ap showing GPS Tracking
245000.000000
247500.000000
3047500.000000
242500.000000
3047500.000000
240000.000000
3045000.000000
n
Private Land
3045000.000000
124
123
Boundary Wall
n
n
n
Reference Point
School
126
Water Pond
n
113
3042500.000000
3042500.000000
121
Bari Seer
n
3040000.000000
3040000.000000
!
Water Pond near Substation
n
240000.000000
Substattion
242500.000000
245000.000000
247500.000000
±
Legend
!
Bikaner
Landuse
Villages
Agriculture Land
Site Survey Tracking
n
Jaisalmer
Fallow Land
Observation Locations
Sand Dunes / Barren Land
Roads
Existing Solar Power Plant Land
National Highway
Waterbody
Metal Roads
Settlements
Non-Metal Roads
ACME Identified Site Area
Jodhpur
Khasra Numbers provided by ACME
Substation
0
0.3
0.6
1.2
1.8
Km
Scale :
1:30,000
Annexure VIII: Single Line Diagram (AC and DC Side)