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Initial Environmental Examination (Draft)

January 2015

IND: National Grid Improvement Project

Prepared by Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd. for the Asian Development Bank. {This is an updated version of the draft originally posted in July 2011 available on http://www.adb.org/projects/documents/national-grid-improvement-project-draft.}

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CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS

(as of 19 November 2014)

Currency Unit - India rupee/s (INR) INR1.00 = $0.0161

$1.00 = INR 61.9455

ABBREVIATIONS

ADB - Asian Development Bank APs - Affected Persons CEA - Central Electricity Authority DC - District Collector EA - Executing Agency EIA - Environmental Impact Assessment ESMU - Environment and Social Management Unit FGD - Focus Group Discussions GoI - Government of India GRC - Grievance Redress Committee HVDC - High-voltage direct current IEE - Initial Environmental Examination PMU - Project Management Unit WR - Western Region NR - Northern Region

NOTE

(ii) In this report, "$" refers to US dollars. This 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. In preparing any country program or strategy, financing any project, or by making any designation of or reference to a particular territory or geographic area in this document, the Asian Development Bank does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area.

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Table of Contents

Page No.

1.0 INTRODUCTION 8

1.1 Background 9 2.0 POLICY, LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK 10 2.1 National Environmental Requirements 10 2.2 POWERGRID’s Environmental and Social Policy and Procedures 12 2.3 ADB’s Environmental Requirements 13 2.4 Comparison of POWERGRID’s ESPP 2009 and the ADB’s Safeguard

Policy Statement 2009 14 3.0 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT 16 3.1 Project Justification 16 3.2 Objective and Benefits of the Project 16 3.3 Project Highlights 16 3.4 Scope of Work 17 4.0 DESCRIPTION OF THE EXISTING ENVIRONMENT 20 4.1 Physiography 20 4.2 Climate 20 4.3 Soil 21 4.4 Water resources 21 4.5 Mineral resources 21 4.6 Protected areas 21 4.7 Forest Cover 21 4.8 Population 25 4.9 Economy 25 5.0 ANTICIPATED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES 26 5.1 Project Area of Influence 26 5.2 Impacts due to location and design 27 5.3 Impacts and mitigation measures during construction phase 31 5.4 Impacts and mitigation measures during operation phase 33 6.0 ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVES 36 6.1 Environmental Criteria for Route Selection 36 6.2 Evaluation of Alternative Route Alignment of Orai - Aligarh 765 kV D/C Transmission Line 36 6.3 Evaluation of Alternative Route Alignment of Orai - Orai (UPPTCL) 400 kV D/C

Transmission Line 38

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6.4 Evaluation of Alternate Route of LILO of Agra-Meerut 765 kV S/C Line at Aligarh Substation 39

6.5 Evaluation of Alternate Route for the LILO of Kanpur - Jhatikara 765 kV S/C Line at Aligarh S/S 40

7.0 INFORMATION DISCLOSURE, CONSULTATION, AND PARTICIPATION 42 8.0 GRIEVANCE REDRESS MECHANISM 43 9.0 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN 45

9.1 Institutional Mechanism for Mitigation and Monitoring Requirements 45 9.2 Environmental Monitoring and Management Plan 47 9.3 Institutional Mechanism for Reporting and Review 57 10.0 CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 57 List of Tables Table 2.1 Comparison of ESPP 2009 and SPS 2009 Table 4.1 Landuse in Uttar Pradesh Table 4.2 Forest Cover in Districts within the Project Area Table 7.1 Details of Public Consultation along the Proposed Transmission Line Route Table 9.1 Environmental Management Plan List of Figures Figure 3.1 Power System of Additional Components Figure 3.2 Inter-Regional System Strengthening Scheme in WR-NR (Part B) Figure 4.2 Photographs of Transmission Line Route Figure 5.1 Project’s Area of Influence Figure 5.2 Typical Plan of Transmission Tower Footings Figure 8.1 Tree/Crop Compensation Process in POWERGRID Figure 9.1 Organizational Support Structure for EMP Implementation and Monitoring List of Annexures Annexure 1 Details of Budget Estimates Annexure 2 Tree/Crop Compensation Annexure 3 ESPP and EMP as part of the Contract Annexure 4 Health and Safety Checklist Annexure 5 Details of Public Consultation

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

In 2011, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a loan of $750 million ($500 million as sovereign and $250 million as non-sovereign) to the Government of India (GoI) to support continued investment, specifically for strengthening interregional transmission system.1 The Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID) is the Executing Agency (EA) for the loan. During loan administration, there was substantial savings of about $160 million. POWERGRID requested ADB to use the loan savings to finance the following additional components, which is part of the Inter-Regional System Strengthening Scheme in Western Region (WR) - Northern Region (NR) Part B as follows:

(i) Orai – Aligarh 765 kV D/C transmission line – 320 km (ii) Orai – Orai (UPPTCL) 400 kV D/C (Quad) transmission line – 38 km (iii) LILO of Agra-Meerut 765 kV S/C transmission line at Aligarh substation (S/S) – 4.1 km (iv) LILO of Kanpur – Jhatikara 765 kV S/C at Aligarh S/S –10.6 km

All the four additional transmission lines will be located in Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state in India. Transmission line projects are considered environmentally-friendly in India and are exempted by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) from the requirements of the Environment (Protection) Act 1986. However, when transmission projects pass through forest land, clearance has to be obtained from relevant authorities under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. To address the environmental and social issues related to its power transmission projects, POWERGRID has developed its corporate environmental and social policy and procedures (ESPP) based on the principles of avoidance, minimization, and mitigation. The ESPP had been updated and revised in 2009 consistent with the World Bank policy of Use of Country System policy2, and applicable laws, legislation and guidelines of GoI. Environment category B was retained for the additional components according to ADB’s Safeguard Policy Statement (SPS) 2009 which requires the preparation of an initial environmental examination (IEE). Thus, this IEE was prepared to meet the requirements of SPS 2009. Environmental impacts associated with the four additional components are restricted to the clearing and maintenance of the right-of-way (RoW). With the development of innovative tower design being implemented by POWERGRID, the RoW requirements have been reduced from 85 m to 64 m for 765 kV S/C line and from 52 m to 46 m for 400 kV D/C line. Even with ESPP and innovative design, some residual impacts cannot be entirely avoided as about 10.7 hectares of land designated as forest (plantation along road and canal crossing) by GoI will be affected by the four additional components.

1ADB. 2011. Loan 2787/2788-IND: National Grid Improvement Project. Manila.

2Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd. Environment and Social Management Department. Environmental and Social Policy & Procedures (ESPP), p5, CC/ESMD/ESPP-09.

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Under the Forest (Conservation) Act 1980, prior approval from the MoEF shall be obtained for affected areas classified as forest that will be traversed by the transmission line after detailed survey and finalization of route through forest area in consultation with local forest authorities. Most of the forests that will be traversed by the transmission line routes are already degraded and the wildlife species present are those who have been already adapted to open or disturbed habitat. Public consultations were conducted between January to March 2014 and will continue throughout the project cycle. The grievance redress mechanism will be according to the ESPP procedures which are consistent with multilateral banks such as the World Bank and the relevant national regulations. An environmental management plan with cost estimates included in the budget as well as environmental monitoring plan are integral part of this IEE. A semiannual environmental monitoring report will be submitted to ADB and will be disclosed publicly at the ADB website.

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1.0 INTRODUCTION

In 2011, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) has approved a loan of $750 million ($500 million as sovereign and $250 million as non-sovereign) to the Government of India (GoI) to support continued investment, specifically for strengthening interregional transmission system.3The Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID) is the Executing Agency (EA) for the loan. The loan partly financed the project on expansion and augmentation of the interregional transmission networks. The investments are necessary to: (i) optimize transnational power supply and promote country-wide power transfer in an efficient manner; (ii) facilitate increased power transfers to accommodate increased demand and economic growth; (iii) have a low carbon investment. The Project consists of the following: Component 1: High-voltage direct current (HVDC) interregional transmission system between

the Western and Northern regions (Chhattisgarh and Haryana)

(i) A 800kV HVDC transmission line (approx. 1,287 km) between Champa in Chhattisgarh and Kurukshetra in Haryana;

(ii) Expansion of a substation at Champa; and, (iii) Establishment of 800 kV HVDC terminals at Champa and Kurukshetra.

Component 2: Transmission system strengthening in the Northern region (Haryana and

Punjab)

(i) A 400 kV double circuit transmission line (approx. 264 km) between the substations at Kurukshetra in Haryana and at Jalandhar via Nakodar in Punjab;

(ii) A 400 kV double circuit Line-In Line-Out (LILO) transmission line (approx. 32 km) from Kurukshetra to Abdullapur and Sonepa; and,

(iii) Establishment of a substation at Kurukshetra. Only Component 1 was financed by ADB. The project was classified as Category B on environment according to the Safeguard Policy Statement (SPS) 2009 of ADB requiring the preparation of an initial environmental examination (IEE). However, since Component 2 is considered as an associated facility within the context of project’s area of influence, environmental due diligence was also conducted following SPS 2009. The IEE was publicly disclosed to ADB website on 15 July 2011. During loan administration, there was substantial savings of about $160 million. POWERGRID requested ADB to use the loan savings to finance the following additional components, which is part of the Inter-Regional System Strengthening Scheme in Western Region (WR) -Northern Region (NR) Part B as follows:

Orai – Aligarh 765 kV D/C transmission line – 320 km Orai – Orai (UPPTCL) 400 kV D/C (Quad) transmission line – 38 km LILO of Agra-Meerut 765 kV S/C transmission line at Aligarh substation (S/S) – 4.1 km

3ADB. 2011. Loan 2787/2788-IND: National Grid Improvement Project. Manila.

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LILO of Kanpur – Jhatikara 765 kV S/C at Aligarh S/S –10.6 km The additional components are within the original scope of Component 1 - HVDC interregional transmission system strengthening scheme between the Western and Northern regions (Chhattisgarh and Haryana). Category B was retained by ADB for the additional components and this IEE, covering the additional components, was prepared following SPS 2009. This IEE describes the environmental issues that might arise due to setting up of the four additional components in the State of Uttar Pradesh and the mitigation measures that will be undertaken by POWERGRID during design, construction and maintenance stages.

1.1 Background

POWERGRID, the Central Transmission Utility (CTU) of India is engaged in power transmission with the mandate for planning, coordination, supervision and control over complete Inter-State transmission system. As on 28 February 2014, POWERGRID has established about 105,343 circuit-kilometer (Ckt-km) of transmission lines at 765 kV, 400 kV, 220 kV and 132 kV extra high voltage alternating current (EHV AC), and 500 kV HVDC levels and 178 substations (S/S) with transformation capacity of about 197,648 MVA. This transmission network, spread over length and breadth of India, is consistently maintained at an availability of over 99% through deployment of state-of-the-art Operation & Maintenance techniques at par with global standards. About 50% of total power generated in India is wheeled through transmission network. POWERGRID has been contributing significantly towards the development of India power sector by undertaking coordinated development of power transmission network along with effective and transparent operation of regional grids and through continuous innovations in technical and managerial fields.

Power demand in NR is growing exponentially. The maximum peak demand of NR has reached 45,900 MW. The demand of the region is expected to continue growing. As per the 18th Electric Power Survey (EPS) of the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), the power demand of NR would be 61,000 MW and 86,500 MW by 2016-2017 and 2021-2022, respectively. From the present generation scenario, it is observed that more and more generation is coming up in WR and imports from WR to NR are increasing. With the growth in power demand, it is expected that power transfer requirements from WR would increase. Further, during the two grid disturbances in July 2012, it was observed that there is a need to provide strengthening between NR and WR. Accordingly, the present scheme has been proposed for Strengthening of Inter-regional System between NR and WR.

The system was discussed and agreed during the 31st Standing Committee Meeting of NR held on 2 January 2013. The system was also discussed and approved during the 35th Meeting of Standing Committee of WR held on 3 January 2013.The scheme has also been agreed by the constituents in the 22nd Western Regional Power Committee meeting held on 26 February 2013 and the 28th Northern Regional Power Committee meeting held on 26 April 2013.

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2.0 POLICY, LEGAL, AND ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK Power transmission activity is undertaken within the purview of GoI’s laws keeping in mind appropriate international obligations and directives and guidelines with respect to environmental and social considerations of funding agencies. The following is a brief description of relevant laws and regulations:

2.1 National Environmental Requirements

a) Constitutional Provisions Subsequent to the 1st United Nations Conference on Human Environment at Stockholm in June 1972, which emphasized the need to preserve and protect the natural environment, the Constitution of India was amended through the historical 42nd Amendment Act 1976 by inserting Article 48-A and 51-A (g) for protection and promotion of the environment under the Directive Principles of State Policy and the Fundamental Duties respectively. The amendment, inter alia provides:

"The State shall endeavour to protect and improve the environment and to safeguard the forests and wildlife of the country". (New Article 48A) ”It shall be the duty of every citizen of India to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife and to have compassion for living creatures”. (New Article 51 A(g))

Article 21 of the constitution provides that, “no person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty except according to procedure established by law”. This article is the heart of the fundamental rights and has received expanded meaning from time to time after the decision of the Supreme Court in 1978. The Article 21 guarantees fundamental right to life – a life of dignity to be lived in a proper environment, free of danger of disease and infection. Recently, the Supreme Court has broadly and liberally interpreted the Article 21, transgressed into the area of protection of environment, and held that the protection of environment and citizens’ right to live in eco-friendly atmosphere are to be interpreted as the basic right guaranteed under Article 21. Thus, the Indian Constitution has now two fold provisions. First, it gives directive to the State for the protection and improvement of environment and second, the citizens owe a constitutional duty to protect and to improve the natural environment.

b) Mandatory Requirements (National) Ministry of Power (MoP) order/sanction under the Electricity Act of 2003 Sanction of MoP is a mandatory requirement for taking up any new transmission project under the section 68(1) of The Electricity Act 2003. The sanction authorizes POWERGRID to plan and coordinate activities to commission the new projects. Electricity act does not explicitly deal with environmental implications of activities related to power transmission. However, POWERGRID always integrates environmental protection within its project activities. Rights-of-Way (RoW) and Compensation under the Electricity Act of 2003

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The act has a provision for notifying transmission company under section 164 (B) to avail benefits of eminent domain provided under the Indian Telegraph Act, 1885. MoP, vide gazette notification dated 23rd December 2003, had already notified POWERGRID under this section of said act. Therefore, for the purpose of placing of any wires, poles, etc., POWERGRID has all the powers that the telegraph authority possesses. Thus, POWERGRID can erect and construct towers without actually acquiring the land. However, all damages due to POWERGRID activity are compensated at market rate. Power transmission schemes are always planned in such a way that the power of eminent domain is exercised responsibly.

Forest Clearance under the Forest (Conservation) Act of 1980 When transmission projects pass through forest land, clearance has to be obtained from relevant authorities under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. This Act aims to prevent rapid deforestation and environmental degradation. State governments cannot de-reserve any forest land or authorize its use for any non-forest purposes without prior approval from the Central government. POWERGRID projects, when involving forest areas, undergo detailed review and approval procedures to obtain a Forest Clearance certificate from Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) before starting any construction activity in the designated forest areas. Environmental Clearances under the Environment (Protection) Act of 1986 Transmission line projects are environmentally-clean and its operations do not involve any disposal of solid waste, effluents and hazardous substances in land, air and water. As such, transmission line projects are kept out of the purview of the Environment (Protection) Act 1986. In its notification in September 2006, the MoEF has exempted transmission line projects from environmental clearances due to the non-polluting nature of its activities. However, forest clearances under the Forest Conservation Act 1980 will be necessary in the event that transmission line passes through forest areas. In the recent amendment of the Environment (Protection) Act 1986, it was required to obtain clearance from the MoEF for power transmission projects in two districts in the Aravalis: Alwar in Rajasthan and Gurgaon in Haryana. Batteries (Management and Handling) Rules of 2001 MoEF, vide its notification on 16 May 2001 under the section of 6, 8 and 25 of the Environment (Protection) Act 1986, has put certain restrictions on disposal of used batteries and its handling. The notification provides that it is the responsibility of bulk consumer (POWERGRID) to ensure that used batteries are not disposed of, in any manner, other than by deposing with the dealer/manufacturer/registered recycler/importer/reconditioner or at the designated collection centres – and to file half yearly return in prescribed form to the concerned State Pollution Control Board. Hazardous Wastes (Management and Handling) Amendment Rules of 2003 MoEF, vide its notification on 20 May 2003 under the section of 6, 8 and 25 of the Environment (Protection) Act 1986, has put used mineral oil under the category of hazardous waste which requires proper handling and disposal. The notification provides that all used oil should be

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auctioned and/or sold to registered recyclers only and to file annual return on prescribed form to the concerned State Pollution Control Board. Ozone Depleting Substances (Regulation and Control) Rules of 2000 MoEF, vide its notification on 17 July 2000 under the section of 6, 8 and 25 of the Environment (Protection) Act 1986, has notified rules for regulation/control of Ozone Depleting Substances under the Montreal Protocol adopted by GoI on 16 September 1987. The notification provides for certain controls and regulations to be imposed on manufacturing, import, export, and use of these compounds. POWERGRID is following the provisions of the notification and is phasing out all equipment which uses these substances and planning to achieve CFC-free organization in the near future. The Biological Diversity Act, 2002 Under the United Nations Convention on Biological Diversity, signed at Rio de Janeiro on 5 June 1992 of which India is a party, MoEF has enacted the Biological Diversity Act of 2002 to provide for conservation of biological diversity, sustainable use of its components, and fair and equitable sharing of the benefits arising out of the use of biological resources, knowledge and for matters connected therewith. According to the Act, certain areas which are rich in biodiversity and encompass unique and representative ecosystems are identified and designated as Biosphere Reserve to facilitate its conservation. All restrictions applicable to protected areas like national park and sanctuaries are also applicable to these reserves. POWERGRID will abide by the provisions of act, wherever applicable, and try to totally avoid these biosphere reserves in selecting the final route alignment.

2.1.1 Relevant Policies National Conservation Strategy and Policy Statement on Environment and

Development of 1992 National Environment Policy of 2006 Policy Statement for Abatement of Pollution of 1992

2.2 POWERGRID's Environmental and Social Policy and Procedures To address the environmental and social issues related to its power transmission projects, POWERGRID has developed its corporate environmental and social policy and procedures (ESPP) in 1998 based on the principles of avoidance, minimization, and mitigation. The ESPP had been updated and revised in 2009 consistent with the World Bank policy of Use of Country System policy4, and applicable laws, legislation and guidelines of GoI. This is now referred to by POWERGRID as the ESPP 2009. ESPP 2009 outlines POWERGRID's approach and commitment in dealing with the environmental and social issues relating to its transmission projects, lays down the management procedures and protocols for the purpose that includes the framework for identification, assessment, and management of environmental and social concerns at both organizational and project levels.

4Power Grid Corporation of India Ltd. Environment and Social Management Department. Environmental and Social Policy & Procedures (ESPP), p5, CC/ESMD/ESPP-09.

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Specifically on environment, the following criteria and approach are considered in the ESPP:

(i) Avoid operations in environmentally-sensitive areas, eco-sensitive zones, forests, sanctuaries, national parks, tiger/biosphere reserves, and Coastal Regulation Zone covered coastal areas;

(ii) Consider environmental implications of location, terrain, and sensitive areas in impact identification and mitigate these with innovative and practical engineering solutions;

(iii) Application of efficient and safe technology practices; (iv) Abate pollution in all activities and operations; and, (v) Minimize energy losses and promote energy efficiency.

2.3 ADB's Environmental Requirements

The SPS 2009 describes ADB’s policy and operational procedures on three key safeguard areas: environment, involuntary resettlement, and indigenous peoples, as well as a set of specific safeguard requirements that borrowers are expected to meet when borrowing for development projects. Its objective is to ensure social and environmental sustainability of projects through avoidance, minimization, mitigation and/or compensation of adverse impacts on environment and affected peoples; and help Borrowers to strengthen their safeguard systems and to develop their capacity in managing the environmental and social risks.

SPS 2009 includes categorization of projects based on significance of potential environmental impacts. The category is determined by the project's most environmentally-sensitive component including direct, indirect, cumulative, and induced impacts within the project's area of influence. Project categorization system is given below:

Category A – an environmental impact assessment (EIA) is required for a project

that is likely to have significant adverse environmental impacts that are irreversible, diverse, or unprecedented, and may affect an area larger than the sites or facilities subject to physical works.

Category B– an initial environmental examination (IEE) is required for a project that

is likely to have adverse environmental impacts that are less adverse than those of Category A which are site-specific, few if any of them irreversible and in most cases mitigation measures can be designed more readily than Category A.

Category C – no environmental assessment is required but environmental implications

will be reviewed for a project that is likely to have minimal or no adverse environmental impacts.

Category FI – if a project involves investment of ADB funds to or through a financial

intermediary.

Based on the significance of the potential environmental impacts resulting from the additional components of Loan 2787/2788, the environment category was retained as B requiring the preparation of an IEE.

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2.4 Comparison of POWERGRID's ESPP and the ADB's SPS 2009 The table below presents a brief comparison of ESPP 2009 and SPS 2009.

Table 2.1 Comparison of ESPP 2009 and SPS 2009

Project Stage ADB Safeguard Policy

Statement 2009 POWERGRID’s ESPP Remarks

Project identification and categorization

Screening of each proposed project at initial stage using checklists and categorize the project as A,B,C,FI based on potential environmental impacts

POWERGRID does not categorize a project, and has no legislative provision

5 for screening and

categorization to define the depth of environmental assessment. However, it conducts an environmental and social screening at Project conceptualization in line with international good practices.

Under the national policy, it is not required for POWERGRID to categorize their projects to identify the environmental assessment needed

Conduct Environmental Assessment (i.e., EIA or IEE)

Assessment of all potential impacts on physical, ecological, sociological, and cultural resources.

Undertakes environmental assessment for all projects as a standard management procedure (an Initial Environment Assessment Report) Prepares Environmental Assessment and Management Plan (EAMP) in consultation with State Forest Dept. and Revenue Authority if transmission line route will pass through forest areas Operates within permissible standards of ambient air quality and noise levels as prescribed by national laws and international regulations Conducts cost-benefit analysis as part of Forest Clearance applications Use environmental and social risk management framework as part of environmental and social management strategies – creating funds to absorb risks and prepare for contingencies, maintains insurance schemes

Prepares Initial Environment Assessment Report (IEAR)/Initial Environment Examination Report (IEER) of transmission projects Content of IEAR is generally aligned with the IEE.

Assessment of Alternatives

Assessment of feasible alternatives (technical, sitting, routing, etc as appropriate)

During project planning, conducts “Bee” line survey to select the most optimum route with the least environmental impacts Uses GPS/GIS and government-published data and/or reports such as Survey of India topography sheets, Forest Atlas, etc. to select three “alternative

Prepares two or three route alternatives for detailed study and therefore, aligned with ADB’s requirements

5 The applicable legal provisions under the Electricity Act 2003 are as follows: Section 68(1) - sanction from the Ministry of Power (MoP) is a mandatory requirement for taking up any new transmission project. The sanction authorizes POWERGRID to plan and coordinate activities to commission new project. Section 164(B) – under this section of the Act, POWERGRID has all the powers that the telegraph authority possesses and can erect and construct towers without actually acquiring the land.

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Project Stage ADB Safeguard Policy

Statement 2009 POWERGRID’s ESPP Remarks

routes for analysis and select the best route (final) for detailed survey study in consultation with relevant government agencies

Prepare environmental management plan with budget estimates

Develop and implement Environmental Management Plans (EMP), Environmental Monitoring Plans and define institutional arrangement to achieve defined plans

Develop, implement, and monitor Environmental Management Plans (EMP) with proper institutional arrangement

Aligned with ADB’s requirements

Public consultation Public consultations (stakeholders including project affected groups, local NGOs, etc.) throughout the project cycle

Informal consultations are done during walkover survey for transmission line and tower spotting, during construction, and maintenance (e.g., landowners, people along the route, etc.)


Information disclosure

Environmental documents publicly disclosed at ADB website: 120-day prior to ADB Board

consideration of the project for Category A (an EIA is required) New/updated environmental assessment and corrective plan prepared during implementation Environmental monitoring reports

IEE document placed in public domain for information. Project details and EMP translated into local language and made available at the village/community level Copies of EMP available at local level for stakeholders’ inputs (as needed)


Based on the brief comparison given in Table 2.1, except for categorization of projects, ESPP 2009 is generally aligned with the requirements of ADB’s SPS 2009.

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3.0 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT

3.1 Project Justification

The maximum peak demand of NR has reached 45,900 MW and according to the 18th EPS of the CEA, the power demand of NR would be 61,000 MW and 86,500 MW by 2016-2017 and 2021-2022, respectively. The present generation scenario indicates that more generation is coming up from WR and power imports from WR to NR are increasing and given the recent two grid disturbances in 2012, there is a need to strengthen power transmission systems between NR and WR. Considering the other system developments already in progress, the following transmission projects have been agreed to cover the System Strengthening Scheme:

Jabalpur Pooling station - Orai 765 kV double circuit (D/C) transmission line Orai – Aligarh 765 kV D/C transmission line Orai – Orai(UPPTCL) 400 kV D/C (Quad) transmission line LILO of one circuit of Satna-Gwalior 765 kV D/C transmission line at Orai substation (S/S) 2x1000 MVA, 765/400 kV substation at Orai S/S LILO of Agra-Meerut 765 kV single circuit (S/C) transmission line at Aligarh S/S 765 kV Switching Station at Aligarh (GIS) LILO of Kanpur – Jhatikara 765 kV S/C at Aligarh S/S

Jabalpur is an important pooling station in WR. At Jabalpur, in addition to power from IPPs in Orissa and Chhattisgarh, power from generating stations of MB power (2x600 MW), Jhabua (2x600 MW) and SJK Power Gen (2x660 MW) are being pooled. Satna is another important substation and is connected to Vindhayachal/Sasan generating station through the 756 kV network. To transfer power from WR to NR, the Jabalpur Pooling station - Orai 765 kV D/C transmission line and LILO of one circuit of Satna - Gwalior 765 kV line at Orai S/S is proposed. To transfer power beyond Orai, the Orai – Aligarh 765 kV D/C transmission line has been envisaged, in addition to 400 kV lines. With LILO of Agra-Meerut 765 kV S/C and Kanpur – Jhatikara 765 kV S/C at Aligarh substation, 765 kV network would be available for transfer of power to National Capital Region (NCR) area and beyond.

3.2 Objective and Benefits of the Project

The additional components aim to facilitate the efficient and reliable power transfer between NR and WR. In addition, they are likely to generate direct and indirect employment opportunities, promote industrial growth, and stimulate overall development of the area.

3.3 Project Highlights

Title : Description

a) Project : Inter-Regional System Strengthening Scheme In WR-NR (Part-B)

b) Location of the Project : Northern Region and Western Region

c) Beneficiary States : Northern and Western Region Constituents

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Title : Description

d) Project Cost : INRs 5606.38 Crores at August 2013 Price Level (including IDC of INRs318.84 Crores)

e) Commissioning schedule : Transmission system is proposed to be implemented within 36 months from the date of investment approval

3.4 Scope of Work

The complete scope of the transmission system strengthening to be implemented under the scheme is as follows:

Sub-Station (Not under ADB funding)

765/400 kV Jabalpur Pooling Station Extension 2x1000 MVA, 765/400 kV substation at Orai S/S 765 kV Switching station(GIS) at Aligarh 765 kV Jhatikara Substation Extension 400 kV Orai (UPPTCL) Substation Extension

Transmission Line

Jabalpur Pooling station - Orai 765 kV D/C transmission line – 419 km Orai – Aligarh 765 kV D/C transmission line – 320 km Orai – Orai (UPPTCL) 400 kV D/C (Quad) transmission line – 38 km LILO of one circuit of Satna-Gwalior 765 kV D/C transmission line at Orai S/S – 80 km LILO of Agra-Meerut 765 kV S/C transmissionline at Aligarh S/S – 4.1 km LILO of Kanpur – Jhatikara 765 kV S/C at Aligarh S/S – 10.6 km

The transmission lines proposed for ADB funding are as follows:

(i) Orai – Aligarh 765 kV D/C transmission line – 320 km (ii) Orai – Orai (UPPTCL) 400 kV D/C (Quad) transmission line – 38 km (iii) LILO of Agra-Meerut 765 kV S/C transmission line at Aligarh S/S – 4.1 km (iv) LILO of Kanpur – Jhatikara 765 kV S/C at Aligarh S/S –10.6 km

3.1 presents the power system of additional components showing the transmission lines to be funded by ADB. Remaining scope of works shall be implemented through domestic funding.

A power in WR-N

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map showinR (Part-B) h

Figure 3.1

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Power Sy

mission gridhe above sc

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ystem of Ad

d of the Intercope of work

dditional Co

r-Regional Sks is given in

omponents

System Stren Figure 3.2

ngthening S.

Scheme

Figgure 3.2 Inter-Regioonal System

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m Strengtheening Schemme in WR-N

NR (Part-B)

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4.0 DESCRIPTION OF THE EXISTING ENVIRONMENT The proposed ADB funding scope involves four transmission lines, i.e. Orai – Aligarh 765 kV D/C transmission line, Orai – Orai (UPPTCL) 400 kV D/C (Quad) line, LILO of Agra-Meerut 765 kV S/C transmission line at Aligarh S/S, LILO of Kanpur – Jhatikara 765 kV S/C at Aligarh and two new substations at Orai and Aligarh are located in the state of Uttar Pradesh. The existing environment is described at the state level of Uttar Pradesh.

4.1 Physiography

Uttar Pradesh, the most populous state of the country, has a geographical area of about 240,928 km2 which constitutes 7.3% of the total area of India. It shares border with nine states as well as international border with Nepal. Uttar Pradesh is situated between 23°52' N -30°24' N latitude and 77°05'E - 84°38'E longitude. The state is divided into two physiographic zones: Vast Gangetic Plains having highly fertile alluvial soil Smaller Southern Hill Plateau

The land use pattern of the state is given in Table 4.1.

Table 4.1 Land use in Uttar Pradesh

Land use Area in ‘ 000 ha Percentage

Total Geographical area 24,093

Reporting Area for land utilization 24,170 100.00

Forests 1,658 6.86

Not available for land cultivation 3,268 13.52

Permanent pasture and other grazing land 65 0.27

Land under miscellaneous tree crops and groves 374 1.55

Culturable waste land 440 1.82

Fallow land other than current fallows 540 2.23

Current fallows 1,408 5.83

Net area Sown 16,417 67.92

Source: Land use statistics, Ministry of Agriculture, GoI, 2008-2009

4.2 Climate

The climate in Uttar Pradesh varies substantially. The Gangetic plain, which covers three-quarters of the state, is dry and dusty in summer. But, during the monsoons between June and September, it is transformed into carpets of lush green fields. The monsoons also spell disaster for some regions, when the Ganga and its tributaries overflow their banks and flood large tracts of land.

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Winter is severe, the Gangetic plains are fairly cold with temperatures coming down as low as 3oC though average temperatures remain around a pleasant 18oC. Summers are extremely hot in the plains with maximum temperature reaching as high as 45oC. The intensity of the summer months is magnified by the hot winds called ‘loo’ that blows across the plains in May and June, the hottest months of the year. The average annual rainfall varies from 1,000 mm to 1,200 mm while the temperature ranges from a maximum of 45oC to 35oC during summer and 25oC to 3oC during winter.

4.3 Soil

Transmission lines are passing through Indo-Gangetic plains. Predominant soil in the area is alluvial soil.

4.4 Water resources

The main rivers of the state from west to east are the Yamuna, Ganga, Ramganga, Gomati and Ghaghara. All the rivers, except the Gomati River, emerge from the Himalayas. The Yamuna River and the Ganga River flow from north-east to south-west in their upper mountainous courses, from north to the south in western parts of the state and thereafter from north-west to south-east joining at Allahabad.

4.5 Mineral resources

The state is poor in mineral resources. Only considerable deposits are of limestone, red sandstone in Mirzapur, Dolomite occurs in small quantities in Banda and Varanasi. Pyrophyllite and diaspore in Jhansi and Hamirpur Districts. Coal is available in Sonebhadra.

4.6 Protected areas

According to Protected Area Network of India, MoEF, Uttar Pradesh has one National Park and 23 Wildlife Sanctuaries (WLS) covering 5,712 km2 which constitutes 2.37% of the state's geographical area.6 The oldest Wild Life Sanctuary of the country, the Chandraprabha Wild Life Sanctuary is located in Uttar Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh has one Tiger Reserve namely, Dudhwa Katerniaghat (extension) which is also famous for Swamp Deer and Rhinoceros. Of these protected areas, the proposed transmission lines shall pass through the districts of Etah, Etawah and Mainpuri where the National Chambal WLS (Agra and Etawah Districts), Patna WLS (Etah District), and Saman Bird WLS (Mainpuri District) but they are nowhere near any of these protected areas. The nearest protected area is Patna WL Sanctuary, which is about 25 kms from proposed transmission line.

4.7 Forest Cover Based on interpretation of satellite data from October 2008 until January 2009 (as per Forest Survey of India 2011), it shows that forest cover is 14,338 km2 which is 5.95% of the state's geographical area. In terms of forest canopy density classes, the state has 1,626 km2 under very dense forest; 4,559 km2 under moderately dense forest and 8,153 km2 under open forest.

6Protected Area Network in India. http://www.moef.nic.in/downloads/public-information/protected-area-network.pdf

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The state has 27 forest types which belong to five forest type groups, viz. Tropical Semi Evergreen, Tropical Moist Deciduous, Littoral and Swamp, Tropical Dry Deciduous and Tropical Thorn Forests.

Orai – Aligarh 765 kV D/C transmission line shall pass through the districts of Jalaun, Auraiya/Etawah, Mainpuri, Etah, Firozabad, Hathras, and Aligarh.

Orai – Orai (UPPTCL) 400 kV D/C transmission line shall pass through Jalaun district.

LILO of Agra-Meerut 765 kV S/C transmission line at Aligarh S/S shall pass through Aligarh district.

LILO of Kanpur – Jhatikara 765 kV S/C transmission line at Aligarh S/S shall pass through Aligarh district.

These transmission lines will have minimum impact on forest cover as areas through which lines are proposed to pass has forest cover ranging from 0.51% to 8.05% of the total geographical area only. Details of forest cover of these districts are given in Table 4.2 while Figure 4.1 shows the existing vegetation in the alignment of the proposed transmission lines.

Table 4.2 Forest cover in districts within the project area

District Geographic

area (GA), km2

2011 Assessment (km2)

% of G.A Very

dense forest

Moderatelydense forest

Open forest

Total

1. Orai – Aligarh 765 kV D/C transmission line

Jalaun 4,565 0 65 179 244 5.35

Etawah 2,311 0 44 142 186 8.05

Mainpuri 2,760 0 1 13 14 0.51

Etah 4,446 0 9 90 99 2.23

Firozabad 2,361 0 4 43 47 1.99

Hathras 1,840 0 1 22 23 1.25

Aligarh 3,650 0 7 59 66 1.81

2. Orai – Orai (UPPTCL) 400 kV D/C transmission line

Jalaun 4,565 0 65 179 244 5.35

3. LILO of Agra-Meerut 765 kV S/C transmission line at Aligarh S/S

Aligarh 3,650 0 7 59 66 1.81

4. LILO of Kanpur – Jhatikara 765 kV S/C transmission line at Aligarh S/S

Aligarh 3,650 0 7 59 66 1.81

Source: Forest Survey Report 2011

Figure 4..1 Photogra

24

aphs of Tran

nsmission LLine Route

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4.8 Population

Based on Census 2011, the population of Uttar Pradesh is 199.58 million representing about 16.49% of the country's population. The rural and urban population is 77.72% and 22.28%, respectively. Population density is 828 persons per km2. The livestock population of the state is 60.27 million (Livestock Census 2007).

4.9 Economy

Uttar Pradesh is rich in human and natural resources. Most of State’s farm land is well watered and naturally fertile. It is the largest producer of food grains and oilseeds in the country. It leads all the states in India in the production of wheat, maize, barley, gram, sugarcane and potatoes. Wheat, rice, sugar cane, pulses, oil seeds and potatoes are its main products. Sugar cane is an important cash crop almost throughout the state and sugar mills and other cane crushers who produce Gur and Khandsari are common throughout the state. Uttar Pradesh is an important state as far as horticulture is concerned.

There are different types of minerals and several industries have come up based on these minerals. There are cement plants in the Mirzapur area in the Vindhya region, a bauxite-based aluminum plant in the Banda area, coal deposits are found in the Singrauli area. The industries include a large printing establishment units engaged in manufacturing of scales, locks, letter boxes, furniture, badges and belts, leather goods, scissors, etc. handloom, carpet, glass, electrical goods, electro-plating, building material industries are also found in this State.

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26

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27

5.2 Impacts and mitigation measures due to location and design Environmental impacts of transmission line projects are mostly localized to the RoW and can be minimized by careful route selection. To get the latest information and further optimization of route selection, modern survey techniques/tools like geographic information system (GIS), global positioning system (GPS), and aerial photography are also applied. The availability of various details, constraints like topographical and geotechnical details, forest and environmental details, etc. help in planning the effective mitigation measures including engineering variations depending upon the situation of the sites. All possible measures have been taken during the finalization of route alignment for the proposed transmission systems. However, due to the peculiarity in terrain and demography of the area, some residual environmental impacts occur as described below:

(i) Land value depreciation Based on experience, land prices are generally expected to rise in the areas receiving power. However, the proposed transmission lines generally pass through uninhabited area, agriculture fields, and forests, where the landuse is not expected to change in foreseeable future. Therefore, the value of land will not be adversely affected to a significant degree.

(ii) Historical/cultural monuments/value POWERGRID’s policy of route selection is to avoid all historical and cultural monuments. As per the preliminary assessment carried out during finalization of route alignment in consultation with State revenue authorities and Archeological Survey of India (ASI), .The determination of the final alignment was done in consultation with State revenue authorities and Archeological Survey of India (ASI) to ensure that no cultural or historical monuments are coming in the proposed route alignment.

(iii) Encroachment into precious ecological areas All precautions have been taken to avoid routing of transmission line through forest and ecologically-sensitive areas such as national park and sanctuaries. However, complete avoidance of forest area was not possible. The routes of the proposed transmission lines have been finalized in consultation with the Forest Department to ensure that forest area that may be traversed will be minimal.

Orai – Aligarh 765 kV D/C transmission line

Out of total transmission line length of 320 km, about 1.34 km (or 0.41% of the entire length) shall pass through areas designated as forest consisting of about 9 ha. The designated forest land is not natural forest but only a strip plantation along road and canal crossing.

Orai – Orai (UPPTCL) 400kV D/C transmission line

Out of total transmission line length of 38 km, about 0.108 km (or 0.28% of the entire length)shall pass through land designated as forest consisting a total of 0.5 ha. The area is not a natural forest but only a strip plantation along road and canal crossing.

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LILO of Agra-Meerut 765 kV S/C transmission line at Aligarh S/S

Out of total transmission line length of 4.102 km, about 0.059 km (or 1.45% of the entire length) shall pass through land designated as forest consisting a total of 0.4 ha. The area traversed is not a natural forest but only a strip plantation along road and canal crossing.

LILO of Kanpur – Jhatikara 765 kV S/C transmission line at Aligarh S/S

Out of total transmission line length of 10.631 km, about 0.119 km (or 1.12% of the entire length) shall pass through areas classified as forest consisting a total of 0.8 ha. The area affected is not a natural forest but only a strip plantation along road and canal crossing.

Under the Forest (Conservation) Act 1980, prior approval from the MoEF shall be obtained for affected areas classified as forest that will be traversed by the transmission line after detailed survey and finalization of route through forest area in consultation with local forest authorities. Most of the forests that will be traversed by the transmission line routes are already degraded and the wildlife species present are those who have been already adapted to open or disturbed habitat. With the provision of Compensatory Afforestation (CA), the overall forest status is expected to improve. A budget provision of INRs 119.07 lakhs for Orai – Aligarh 765 kV D/C transmission line, INRs 6.61 lakhs for Orai – Orai (UPPTCL) 400 kV D/C transmission line, INRs 5.29 lakhs for LILO of Agra-Meerut 765 kV S/C transmission line at Aligarh S/S and, INRs 10.58 lakhs for LILO of Kanpur – Jhatikara 765 kV S/C transmission line at Aligarh S/S has been included in the project cost estimates to meet the requirements of CA and Net Present Value. Annexure 1 presents the details of the budget estimates.

(iv) Encroachment into other valuable lands Impacts on agricultural land will be restricted during the construction phase and when large-scale maintenance measures are required during the operation phase. Some stretch of the transmission line will pass through agricultural fields. Agricultural land will be lost at the base of the tower, which is estimated to be about 0.2-1.0 m2 per average farm holding (see Figure 5.2).

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29

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30

Agricultural activities will be allowed to continue following the construction period. If bunds or other on-farm works are disturbed during construction or maintenance works, they will be restored to the owner's satisfaction following cessation of construction or maintenance activities. In the event that private trees are felled during construction or maintenance operations, compensation will be paid to the owner(s) in an amount determined by the estimated loss of products from the tree over an eight year period (for fruit bearing trees) and for other trees compensation is finalized in consultation with local forest authorities. Agricultural lands under private ownership will be identified, and in accordance with normal POWERGRID procedures compensation will be paid to the affected villagers (Annexure 2 – Tree/crop compensation). Budgetary provision of INRs 1855.51 lakhs (i.e., INRs. 1593.28 lakhs for Orai – Aligarh 765 kV D/C transmission line, INRs. 189.46 lakhs for Orai – Orai (UPPTCL) 400 kV D/C transmission line, INRs. 20.21 lakhs for LILO of Agra-Meerut 765 kV S/C transmission line at Aligarh S/S and INRs. 52.56 lakhs for LILO of Kanpur – Jhatikara 765 kV S/C transmission line at Aligarh S/S) is made in the project cost estimates to meet these expenses.

(v) Interference with other utilities and traffic

As per regulations enacted by GoI, it is mandatory for POWERGRID to seek clearance from the Department of Railways and Telecommunications prior to construction, and wherever necessary, from the aviation authorities that are likely to be affected by the construction of the transmission lines. Transmission lines affect nearby telecommunication circuits by causing electrical interference. A standing committee -- Power Telecom Co-ordination Committee (P.T.C.C.) has been constituted by GoI to plan and implement the mitigating measures for the induced voltage which may occur to nearby telecom circuit and suggest necessary protection measures to be adopted. PTCC suggests measures like rerouting of the telecom circuits, conversion of overhead telecom circuits into cables, etc. to minimize the interference.

The cost of such measures is determined by PTCC and is shared by POWERGRID and the Telecom Department on the basis of prevailing norms and guidelines. Though the exact cost to mitigate the impacts of induction in neighboring telecom circuits would vary from case to case, the cost on an average works out to be INRs 50,000/per km for POWERGRID. Provision to meet these expenses has been made in the cost estimate. In general, the power transmission system is planned and executed in such a way that adequate clearance is maintained between transmission lines on the one hand, and railways, civil aviation and defense installations on the other. Wherever the transmission lines pass by the airports the towers beyond specified height are painted in alternate orange and white stripes for easy visibility and warning lights (aviation) are placed atop these towers.

(vi) Interference with drainage pattern

As the transmission lines are constructed aerially and the blockage of ground surface is limited to area of tower footings, which is very small, there is little possibility of affecting drainage pattern. In the infrequent instances where drainage is affected, flow will be trained and guided to safe zones.

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(vii) Explosion/fire hazards During the survey and site selection for transmission lines and sub-stations, it has been ensured that these are kept away from oil/gas pipelines and other sites with potential for creating explosions or fires. Fires due to flashover from lines can be a more serious problem in forest. Since the forest areas that will be traversed by the transmission line routes are mostly degraded and scattered within the entire alignments, fire from flashover will be unlikely. Department of Forest also incorporate safety measures such as making fire lines to prevent spreading of fire in the affected forest area.

(viii) Accelerated use of resources for short-term gains The additional project components will not be making use of any natural resources occurring in the area during construction and operation. The construction materials such as tower members, cement, etc. shall come from factories while the excavated soil shall be used for backfilling to restore the surface. Thus, the project shall not cause any accelerated use of resources for short term gains.

(ix) Endangering of species No endangered species of flora and fauna are found to exist within the areas affected by the additional project components.

(x) Promoting undesirable rural-to urban migration

The additional project components will not result to loss of land holdings that normally trigger migration. It also does not involve acquisition of any private land holdings. Hence, there is no possibility of any migration.

5.3 Impacts and mitigation measures during construction phase

(i) Clearing of vegetation

During construction of transmission lines, clearing of vegetation will be done along the RoW. With the development of innovative tower design, RoW requirements have been reduced from 85 m to 64 m for 765 kV and from 52 m to 46 m for 400 kV D/C line. Apart from this, installation of pole type structure for 400 kV transmission line in densely populated urban area has not only reduced the RoW and base width requirement, but also improved aesthetics compared to the conventional lattice type structure. Clearing of vegetation along the RoW will be done under the supervision of the Forest Department.7. Low canopy seed trees and shrubs will be spared during vegetation clearing if they do not interfere with tower erection and line installation. The wood harvested will be sold by the Forest Department to interested parties and will retain the sale proceeds. Three-meter wide strips of land under each conductor will be cleared and maintained as maintenance

7IS: 5613, 1989, Bureau of Indian Standards, Code of Practice for Design, Installation and Maintenance of Overhead

Power Lines.

32

rows, but the remaining land will be allowed to regenerate. Lopping of trees to maintain line clearance for safety will be done also under the direction of the Forest Department. POWERGRID will provide construction crews with fuel wood or alternative fuels as a precaution against collection of fuel wood from nearby forest.

(ii) Uncontrolled silt runoff

The proposed projects involves only small scale excavation for tower foundations at scattered locations that are re-filled with excavated material, therefore, uncontrolled silt run off is not expected.

(iii) Erosion hazards due to inadequate provision for resurfacing of exposed areas Adequate measures are taken to re-surface the area where excavation works are done. Topsoil disturbed during the development of sites will be used to restore the surface of the platform. Infertile and rocky material will be dumped at carefully selected dumping areas and used as fill for tower foundations.

(iv) Nuisance to nearby properties During the site selection, due care was taken to keep the transmission line and substations away from settlements. Further, all the construction activities will be undertaken through the use of small mechanical devices such as tractors and manual labour, therefore, nuisance to nearby properties from the use of heavy equipment and vehicles, if any, is not expected.

(v) Interference with utilities, traffic and blockage of access way Access to the site will be along existing roads or village paths. Minor improvements to paths may be made where necessary, but no major construction of roads will be required either during construction or as a part of maintenance procedures.

As and when a transmission line crosses any road or railways line, the terminal towers are located at sufficient distance so as not to cause any hindrance to the movement of traffic. Stringing at the construction stage is carried out during lean traffic period, in consultation with the concerned authorities and angle towers are planted to facilitate execution of work in different stages.

(vi) Inadequate resurfacing for erosion control The proposed lines are to be constructed mostly in plain area where erosion problem is not anticipated. However, if due to terrain at some points, transmission towers may be placed on slopes and erosion-prone soils, internationally accepted engineering practices will be undertaken to prevent soil erosion. This will include cutting and filling slopes, wherever necessary while the back cut slopes and downhill slopes will be treated with revetments. Adequate steps shall be taken to resurface the area after construction. Wherever sites are affected by active erosion or landslides, both biological and engineering treatment will be carried out such as provision of breast walls and retaining walls, and sowing of soil-binding grasses around the site. Construction works are generally undertaken outside the rainy season to prevent soil erosion. The proposed line is mostly passing through plain area; hence these problems are not anticipated.

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(vii) Inadequate disposition of borrow areas

Transmission tower foundations involve excavations on small scale basis and the excavated soil is utilized for back-filling. In case of sub-stations, the sites generally are selected in such a way that the volume of cutting is equal to the volume of filling to avoid borrow areas. Therefore, acquisition and/or opening of borrow area is not needed.

(viii) Protection of worker's health and safety

Provisions for workers' health and safety will be guided by the Safety Regulations/Safety Manual of POWERGRID, and included in tender documents. Various aspects such as, work and safety regulations, workmen's compensation, insurance are adequately covered under the General Conditions of Contract (GCC) or Erection Conditions of Contract (ECC) which is part of bidding documents. As a deterrent or to minimize accidents during construction, a provision in the contract has been added that stipulates a fine or penalty of INRs 10 lakhs for each accidental death and INR 1.0 lakh per any injury incurred and is deducted from the contractor’s payment and paid to the deceased or affected family (see Annexure 3, ESPP and EMP as part of the Contract Document). POWERGRID has a dedicated unit to oversee all health and safety aspects of their projects under the Operations Service Department. POWERGRID has framed guidelines/checklist for workers’ safety as its personnel are exposed to live EHV apparatus and transmission lines. These guidelines/checklists include work permits and safety precautions for work on the transmission lines both during construction and operation (see Annexure 4, Health and Safety Checklist). This is monitored regularly by site in-charge and corporate Operations Services.

In addition, training will be conducted to the workers on fire-fighting and safety measures. Safety tools like helmet, safety belt, gloves etc. will be provided to workers in accordance with the Safety Manual. First aid facilities will be made available to workers, and doctors will be called in from nearby towns when necessary. The number of outside (skilled) labourers is expected to be about 25-30 people per group. The remaining workforce of unskilled labourers will be comprised of local people. Workers are also covered by the statutory Workmen (Compensation) Act. Regular health checkups will be conducted for construction workers. The construction sites and construction workers’ houses will be disinfected regularly, if required. In order to minimize/checking of spread of socially transmitted diseases such as HIV/AIDS, etc. POWERGRID will conduct awareness building programs on such issues for the construction workers.

5.4 Impacts and mitigation measures during operation phase

(i) O&M staff/skills less than acceptable resulting in variety of adverse effects

The O&M program in POWERGRID is normally implemented by substation personnel for both the transmission lines and substations. For long distance transmission lines such as this project, there are monitoring/maintenance offices which are located at various points en-route. Monitoring measures include patrolling and thermo-vision scanning.

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The supervisors and managers entrusted with O&M responsibilities are trained for necessary skills and expertise in handling these aspects. A monthly preventive maintenance program will be carried out to disclose problems related to cooling oil, gaskets, circuit breakers, vibration measurements, contact resistance, condensers, air-handling units, electrical panels and compressors. Any sign of soil erosion is also reported and rectified. Monitoring results are published monthly, including a report of corrective action taken, and a schedule for future action.

(ii) Noise and vibration nuisance The equipment installed at substations are mostly static and are designed to keep the noise level within the permissible limits of 85 dB as per Indian Standards 7194. POWERGRID had monitored noise/sound levels at different places in and at around reactor and transformer. The noise levels reported during normal operating conditions ranged from 60 dB to 70 dB at 2 m from the equipment. To contain the noise levels within the permissible limits in case of exceedences, measures such as providing sound and vibration dampers, and rectification of equipment will be undertaken. Planting of sound-absorbing species like Casuarinas, tamarind, and Neem will be done at the substations to reduce the sound level appreciably. It was reported that a belt of trees dense enough can reduce noise levels by as much as 6-8 dB for every 30 m-width of woodland.8

(iii) Escape of polluting materials

Equipment that will be installed on transmission lines and substations are static in nature and do not generate any fumes or waste materials.

(iv) Blockage of wildlife passage

Transmission lines are constructed aerially and usually run above 8.8 m-13 m (ground clearance for different voltage 400 kV – 765 kV) from ground level. The blockage of ground surface is limited to the area of tower footings which are very small and are placed far away from each other. Areas that will be traversed by the transmission lines are mostly agricultural, wasteland, and strip plantations along the road and canal crossing. The areas are not migration path of wildlife, therefore, the possibility of disturbance to wild life passage is nil/remote.

(v) Environmental aesthetics

Normal spacing between the towers is approx. 300 m - 400 m. This spread is not expected to cause visual aesthetics to the local areas. POWERGRID plants trees at and around their substations to buffer the visual effects and to provide better living conditions. Whenever POWERGRID considers it appropriate, discussions will be held with local Forest Department officials to determine feasibility of planting trees along roads running parallel to transmission lines to buffer visual effect in these areas. In addition, towers may be painted grey or green to merge with the background.

8 R. E. Leonard and S. B. Parr, “Tree as a Sound Barrier,” Journal of Forestry, 1970.

35

(vi) Exposure to electromagnetic fields (EMF) There have been some concerns about possible increased risk of cancer from exposure to electromagnetic radiation from overhead transmission lines and researches have been undertaken worldwide. A World Health Organization (WHO) review was held in 1996 as part of an international EMF Project and concluded that, “from the current scientific literature, there is no convincing evidence that exposure to radiation field shortens the life span of humans or induces or promotes cancer.” No EMF exposure guidelines have been drawn in India although exposure guidelines have been drawn up outside of India such as the State Transmission Lines Standards and Guidelines (USA), International Commission on Non-Ionizing Radiation Protection (ICNIRP); US National Council on Radiation, the American Conference on Government and Industrial Hygienist (ACGIH). The magnetic field below 400 kV overhead power transmission lines is estimated at a maximum value of 40 µT. The ICNIRP guidelines present limiting exposure to EMFs, although it adds that the levels quoted should not be interpreted as distinguishing ‘safe’ from ‘unsafe’ EMF levels. The ICNIRP guideline for the general public (up to 24 hours a day) is maximum exposure levels of 1,000 mG or 100 µ T. A study carried out in August 2000 by the Central Power Research Institute (CPRI) on POWERGRID lines revealed that the EMF about 1 m above ground near a 400 kV single circuit transmission line range from 3-7.2 µT in the RoW. The impact of EMF is also dependent on the duration of exposure and therefore no significant adverse impact is envisaged. POWERGRID complies with international norms for field strength limits which are certified by the Power Technologies Inc. (PTI), USA. POWERGRID is following the approved international standards and design, which are absolutely safe. Based on the studies carried out by different countries on the safety of EHV lines in reference to EMF effects, POWERGRID has also carried out such studies with the help of PTI, USA and CPRI, Bangalore on their design. The studies inferred that POWERGRID design are safe and follow the required international standard. Because of issues relating to need to ensure health and safety relating to the line such as fire safety, safe voltages on metallic parts of buildings, and safety clearances to avoid flashover, the transmission lines will not pass directly over any residential properties and as such the potential for EMF effects to occur will be further diminished. Given that it will be necessary to ensure that there are no properties in the ROW beneath and to the sides of the overhead line, automatic mitigation against EMF will be provided between the source of potentially high strengths (the transmission line) and the residential properties.

36

6.0 ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVES At the system planning stage itself one of the factors that govern the evolution of system is the possible infringement with the forest. Wherever such infringements are substantial, different alternative options are considered. The route/ site selection criteria followed by POWERGRID is detailed below. While identifying the transmission system for a generation project or as a part of National Power Grid, preliminary route selection is done by POWERGRID based on the topo sheets of Survey of India and Forest Atlas (GoI’s publication). During the route alignment, all possible efforts are made to avoid the forest area involvement completely or to keep it to the barest minimum, whenever it becomes unavoidable due to the geography of terrain or heavy cost involved in avoiding it.

6.1 Environmental Criteria for Route Selection

POWERGRID takes into consideration the following environmental criteria in selecting the optimum route:

a) The route of the proposed transmission lines does not involve any human rehabilitation.

b) Any monument of cultural or historical importance is not affected by the route of the transmission line.

c) The proposed route of transmission line does not create any threat to the survival of any community with special reference to Tribal Community.

d) The proposed route of transmission line does not affect any public utility services like playgrounds, schools, other establishments, etc.

e) The line route does not pass through any sanctuaries, national park, etc. f) The line route does not infringe with area of natural resources.

To achieve this, POWERGRID undertakes route selection for individual transmission lines in close consultation with representatives from the MoEF and the Department of Revenue. Although under national law, POWERGRID has the right of eminent domain to put a tower in private land (Section 63 of the Electricity Act 2003) yet alternative alignments are considered keeping in mind the site/route selection criteria to avoid environmentally sensitive areas and settlements at execution stage. As a rule, alignments are generally sited 10-15 km away from major towns, whenever possible, to account for future urban expansion. Similarly, forests are avoided to the extent possible, and when not possible, a route is selected in consultation with the local Divisional Forest Officer, that causes minimum damage to existing forest resources. Alignments are selected to avoid wetlands and unstable areas, national parks and sanctuaries, both for financial and environmental reasons.

6.2 Evaluation of Alternative Route Alignment of Orai - Aligarh 765 kV D/C

Transmission Line

Three different alignments were studied with the help of published data/maps such as Forest Atlas, Survey of India topographic sheets, etc. and walkover survey to arrive at the most optimum route to be considered for detailed survey and assessment. The comparative details of these alternatives are shown in the table below:

37

S.No. Description Alternative I Alternative II Alternative III

1. Route Particulars

i) Length(km) 320 352 360 ii) Terrain 85% Plain

15% Undulations 80% Plain 20% Undulations

82% Plain 18% Undulations

2. Environment Details i) Name of District/District

Detail (through which the transmission line passes)

Jalaun, Auraiya/Etawah, Mainpuri, Etah, Firozabad, Hathras, Aligarh



ii) Town in alignment (nearby)

Orai, Jalaun, Auraiya, Bharthana, Etawah, Karhal, Mainpuri, Giror, Jasrana, Poram, Awagarh, Nidholi, Kalan, Etah, Maho, Sasri, Iglas, Hathras, Khair, Aligarh

Orai, Jalaun, Auraiya, Bharthana, Fafood, Achalda, Karhal, Mainpuri, Sakit, Etah, Sikandra Rao, Akrabad, Khair, Aligarh

Orai, Jalaun, Auraiya, Bharthana, Fafood, Achalda, Karhal, Mainpuri, Sakit, Etah, Sikandra Rao, Akrabad, Khair, Aligarh

iii) Forest area affected in hectare (ha)/km

9 ha/1.34 km 11 ha/1.64 km 12 ha/1.79 km

iv) Type of forest PF(Strip plantation along road and canal crossings)

PF(Strip plantation along road and canal crossings)


v) Density of forest <0.5 <0.5 <0.5 vi) Type of Flora Kikar, Mango,

Eucalyptus, Mahua, Jamun, Babool, Peepal, Bargad, Neem

Kikar, Mango, Eucalyptus, Mahua, Jamun, Babool, Peepal, Bargad, Neem

Kikar, Mango, Eucalyptus, Mahua, Jamun, Babool, Peepal, Bargad, Neem

vii) Type of fauna Cat, Dog, Cow, etc. Cat, Dog, Cow, etc. Cat, Dog, Cow, etc. viii) Endangered species( if

any) None None None

ix) Historical/Cultural Monument

None None None

x) Any other relevant information

None None None

3. Compensation Cost ( in INRs lakhs)

i) Crop (Non-Forest) 1,593.28 1,751.79 1,791.04 ii) Forest (CA+NPV) 119.07 145.53 158.76

4. Number of Crossing

i) Railway line 7 7 7 ii) Power Line 38 42 44 iii) River Crossing, etc. 5 5 5 iv) Highway Crossing

(NH/SH) 15 15 16

5. Construction Problem Easy approach Less forest area affected.

Moderate Approach More forest area affected Moderate RoW problems

Maximum forest area affected Moderate RoW problems

38

S.No. Description Alternative I Alternative II Alternative III 6. O&M Problem O & M shall be

relatively easier due to better approaches

O & M shall be difficult due to more undulations


7. Overall Remarks Easy accessibility, less RoW problems, minimum forest area affected, and minimum crossings involved

More forest area affected, moderate RoW problems, and more crossings involved

Comparatively more forest area affected, moderate RoW problems, and maximum crossings involved

Reasons for Selection of Final Route

From the above comparison of the three alternatives, Alternative I is the most suitable route and selected for detailed survey as it involves minimum forest area, has relatively less RoW problem, and easy access.

6.3 Evaluation of Alternative Route Alignment of Orai - Orai (UPPTCL) 400 kV D/C

Transmission Line

Three different alignments were studied with the help of published data/maps and walkover survey to arrive at the most optimum route for detailed survey. The comparative details of these alternatives are given below:

S. No. Description Alternative I Alternative II Alternative III


i) Length(km) 38 39.5 40.5 ii) Terrain Plain Plain and Hilly Plain 2 Environment Details i) Name of District/District

Detail (through which transmission line passes)

Jalaun Jalaun Jalaun


Orai, Jalaun Orai, Jalaun Orai, Jalaun

iii) Forest area affected in ha/km

0.5ha/0.108km 0.5 ha/0.108 km 0.5 ha/0.108 km

iv) Type of forest PF(Strip plantation along road and canal crossings)



v) Density of forest <0.5 <0.5 <0.5 vi) Type of Flora Mango, Eucalyptus,

Jamun, Neem Mango, Eucalyptus, Jamun, Neem

Mango, Eucalyptus, Jamun, Neem


any) None None None


None None None


None None None


i) Crop (Non-Forest) 189.46 196.96 201.96 ii) Forest (CA+NPV) 6.61 6.61 6.61 4. Number of Crossing

39

S. No. Description Alternative I Alternative II Alternative III i) Railway line 1 1 1 ii) Power Line 5 7 7 iii) River Crossing, etc. None None Noneiv) Highway Crossing

(NH/SH) 3 3 3

5. Construction Problem Easy approach Less forest area affected

Moderate approach Moderate RoW problems

Moderate approach Moderate RoW problems

6. O&M Problem O & M shall be relatively easier due to better approaches


O & M shall be relatively easier due to better approaches

7. Overall Remarks Less forest area affected, minimum crossings

Moderate RoW problems, comparatively more crossings

Moderate RoW problems, comparatively more crossings


Given the above comparisons, Alternative I is the most suitable route and selected for detailed survey and assessment as it involves less forest area, has relatively less RoW problems, and minimum crossings.

6.4 Evaluation of Alternate Route of LILO of Agra-Meerut 765 kV S/C Line at Aligarh

Substation

Three different alignments were studied with the help of published data/maps and walkover survey to arrive at most optimum route for detailed survey. The comparative details of these alternatives are given below: S.No. Description Alternative I Alternative II Alternative III


i) Length(km) 4.102 4.1055 4.395 ii) Terrain Plain Plain Plain 2 Environment Details i) Name of District/District

Detail (through which line passes)

Aligarh Aligarh Aligarh


Khair Khair Khair


0.4 ha/0.059km 0.5 ha/0.074km 0.6 ha/0.089km

iv) Type of forest PF(Strip plantation along road & canal

crossings)

PF(Strip plantation along road & canal

crossings)


crossings) v) Density of forest <0.5 <0.5 <0.5 vi) Type of Flora Kikar, Mango,

Eucalyptus Kikar, Mango, Eucalyptus

Kikar, Mango, Eucalyptus


any) None None None

40

S.No. Description Alternative I Alternative II Alternative III ix) Historical/Cultural

Monument None None None


None None None



i) Railway line None None Noneii) Power Line 4 4 4 iii) River Crossing, etc. None None Noneiv) Highway Crossing

(NH/SH) 1 1 1

5. Construction Problem Less forest area affected Easily approachable

More forest area affected Easily approachable

Maximum forest area affected Difficult approach

6. O&M Problem O & M shall be easy O & M shall be easy O & M shall be easy

7. Overall Remarks Less forest area affected

More forest area affected

Maximum forest area affected


Based on the comparisons above, Alternative I is the most suitable route and selected for detailed survey and assessment as it involves minimum forest area and is easily approachable.

6.5 Evaluation of Alternate Route for the LILO of Kanpur - Jhatikara 765 kV S/C Line at Aligarh S/S

Three different alignments were studied with the help of published data/maps and walkover survey to arrive at most optimum route for detailed survey. The comparative details of these alternatives are given below:

S.No. Description Alternative I Alternative II Alternative III


i) Length (km) 10.631 10.893 10.802 ii) Terrain Plain Plain Plain2 Environment Details i) Name of District/District

Detail (through which line passes)

Aligarh Aligarh Aligarh


Khair Khair Khair


0.8ha/0.119km 0.9 ha/0.134km 1.0 ha/0.149km

iv) Type of forest PF(Strip plantation along road & canal

crossings)


crossings)


crossings) v) Density of forest <0.5 <0.5 <0.5

41

S.No. Description Alternative I Alternative II Alternative III vi) Type of Flora Kikar, Mango,

Eucalyptus Kikar, Mango, Eucalyptus

Kikar, Mango, Eucalyptus


any) None None None


None None None


None None None



i) Railway line None None None ii) Power Line 5 5 5 iii) River Crossing, etc. None None None iv) Highway Crossing

(NH/SH) 1 1 1

5. Construction Problem Less forest area affected



6. O&M Problem O & M shall be easy O & M shall be easy O & M shall be easy

7. Overall Remarks Less forest area affected




From the above comparison of three alternatives, Alternative I is the most suitable route and selected for detailed survey and assessment as it involves minimum forest area and is easily approachable.

42

7.0 INFORMATION DISCLOSURE, CONSULTATION, AND PARTICIPATION Public consultation/information is an integral part of the project implementation. Public is informed about the project at every stage of execution. During survey, POWERGRID’s site officials meet people and inform them about the routing of transmission lines. During the construction, every individual, on whose land tower is erected and people affected by ROW, is consulted.

Aside from this, public consultation using different techniques like public meeting, small group meeting, and informal meeting following the POWERGRID’s ESPP shall also be carried out during different activities of project cycle. During such consultation, the public will be informed about the project in general and in particular about the following: Complete project plan (i.e., its route and terminating point and substations, if any, in

between); POWERGRID design standards in relation to approved international standards; Health impacts in relation to EMF; Measures taken to avoid public utilities such as school, hospitals, etc.; Other impacts associated with transmission lines and POWERGRID’s approach to minimizing and solving them; Land acquisition details, proposed R&R measures and compensation packages in line with POWERGRID’s policy; and, Trees and crop compensation process.

Public meetings were also organized along the routes of transmission lines (see Table 7.1). To get the maximum participation during the Public Consultation Program, a notice was served well in advance to the villagers (see Annexure 5, Details of public consultation both in Hindi and English, and photographs). The details of lines and its importance were explained to the villagers. The villagers including the Village Panchayat representatives and POWERGRID representative participated in the program. The program was arranged in an interactive way and queries like crop compensation, route alignment, etc. were addressed. Most of the participants were small farmers and were worried about their land through which the transmission line will pass. They were informed that POWERGRID will not acquire their land for construction of transmission lines. Only towers will be spotted in their fields where they can do farming without any fear because the tower height is very high and even tractor can pass below the tower. Moreover, it was explained that there is no risk of passing current from the transmission line as there is foolproof system of earthing for towers. The consultation process was appreciated by the villagers and were happy to know about the transparent policy of POWERGRID for the execution of the project and promised to extend their cooperation during construction of the transmission line. The process of such consultation and its documentation shall continue during project implementation and even during O&M stage.

43

Table 7.1 Details of public consultation along the proposed transmission lines

8.0 GRIEVANCE REDRESS MECHANISM Grievance redressal is normally built in the process of crop and tree compensation. However, other complaints and/or concerns related to environmental aspect and the overall project’s environmental performance will also be governed by this grievance redress mechanism. Generally for the compensation of crops and trees, a notice under the Indian Telegraph Act is served to the affected land owners informing that the proposed transmission line is being routed through the property of the individual concerned. A copy of said notice is further issued to the Revenue Officer, who has been authorized by the State Government for the purpose of assessment/valuation and disbursement of compensation to the affected parties (refer to Figure 8.1 for POWERGRID’s procedure on tree and crop compensation). However, the owner is given a chance to substantiate the claim if he is not satisfied with the assessment. If the owner is not satisfied, he/she is allowed to access the higher authority for any grievance towards compensation that is generally addressed in an open forum and in the presence of many witnesses. Process of spot verification and random checking by the District Collector (DC) or its authorized representative also provides forum for raising the grievance towards any irregularity/complaint. Apart from this, POWERGRID officials also listen to the

Transmission Line

Date of meeting

No. of villagers

who attended

Name of Village

Remarks

Orai – Aligarh 765 kV D/C transmission line

24.01.14 8 Chawanpura Village Panchayat representatives, farmers, teachers and others attended the meeting. Compensation for Crops/trees, were main concerns which were clarified during meeting.

25.01.14 10 GauraSurawali 25.01.14 8 Gautampura 14.03.14 14 Andani 14.03.14 14 Takrau 15.03.14 16 Navada 15.03.14 12 KalharPancha 15.03.14 14 Padham 21.03.14 13 PatparNagla

Orai – Orai (UPPTCL) 400 kV D/C transmission line

24.01.14 8 Chawanpura Village Panchayat representatives, farmers, teachers and others attended the meeting. Compensation for Crops/trees, were main concerns which were clarified during meeting.

LILO of Agra-Meerut 765 kV S/C line at Aligarh S/S and LILO of Kanpur – Jhatikara 765 kV S/C transmission line at Aligarh S/S

01.02.14 11 Bamani Village Panchayat representatives, farmers, teachers and others attended the meeting. Compensation for Crops/trees, were main concerns which were clarified during meeting.

01.02.14 6 Bhanera 01.02.14 5 Bajidpur 01.02.14 10 KheraSatu

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44

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45

9.0 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN

9.1 Institutional Mechanism for Mitigation and Monitoring Requirements Monitoring is a continuous process for POWERGRID at all the stages of its project cycle. Aside from the site managers reviewing the progress on a daily basis, regular project review meetings will be held at least on a monthly basis which will be chaired by the Executive Director of the region wherein apart from construction issues, the environmental aspects of the projects are discussed and remedial measures taken, wherever required. The exceptions of these meetings will be submitted to the Directors and Chairman and Managing Director of POWERGRID. The progress of various ongoing projects is also informed to the Board of Directors. Following is the organization support system for proper implementation and monitoring of the environmental and social management plan. Figure 9.1 shows the organization support structure at POWERGRID.

a) Corporate Level An Environmental Management Cell at corporate level was created within POWERGRID in 1992 and subsequently upgraded to an Environment Management Department (EMD) in 1993 and in 1997 it has been further upgraded to Environment and Social Management Department (ESMD). A brief description of ESMD's responsibilities includes: Advising and coordinating RHQs and Site to carry out environmental and social surveys

for new projects. Assisting RHQs and site to finalize routes of entire power transmission line considering environmental and social factors that could arise en-route Help RHQs and Site to follow-up with the state forest offices and other state departments in expediting forest clearances and the land acquisition process of various ongoing and new projects Act as a focal point for interaction with the MoEF for expediting forest clearances and follow-ups with the Ministry of Power. Imparts training to POWERGRID’s RHQs &Site officials on environment and social issues and their management plan.

b) Regional Level

At each Regional Office, POWERGRID has an Environmental and Social Management Cell (ESMC) to manage environmental and social issues and to coordinate between ESMD at the Corporate level and the Construction Area Office (CAO). The key functions of ESMC include: Advising and coordinating field offices to carry out environmental and social surveys for

new projects envisaged in the Corporate Investment Plan Assisting the ESMD and CAOs to finalize routes of entire power T/L considering the environmental and social factors that could arise en-route To follow-up forest clearances and land acquisition processes with state forest offices and other state departments for various ongoing and new projects Acting as a focal point for interaction with the ESMD and CAOs on various environmental and social aspects.

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46

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47

and social impact and its proper management is given in Table 9.1. Since many provisions of EMP are to be implemented by the contractor, monitoring of EMP implementation is included in the contract document.

9.2 Environmental Monitoring and Management Plan

A comprehensive and a detailed Environment Management Plan (EMP) including monitoring plan for proper mitigation is given in Table 9.1 for all identified environmental and social impacts has been enclosed with the subject IEE which shall be implemented during various stages of project.

48

Table 9.1 Environmental Management Plan

Project activity/stage Potential impact Proposed mitigation

measure Parameter to be

monitored Measurement and frequency

Institutional responsibility

Implementation schedule

Pre-construction

Location of transmission towers and transmission line alignment and design

Exposure to safety related risks

Setback of dwellings to overhead line route designed in accordance with permitted level of power frequency and the regulation of supervision at sites.

Tower location and line alignment selection with respect to nearest dwellings

Setback distances to nearest houses - once

POWERGRID Part of tower siting survey and detailed alignment survey and design

Transmission line design Exposure to electromagnetic interference

Transmission line design to comply with the limits of electromagnetic interference from overhead power lines

Electromagnetic field strength for proposed line design

Line design compliance with relevant standards - once

POWERGRID Part of detailed alignment survey and design

Location of transmission towers and transmission line alignment and design

Impact on water bodies and land

Consideration of tower location at where they could be located to avoid water bodies or agricultural land.

Tower location and line alignment selection (distance to water and/or agricultural land)

Consultation with local authorities and land owners - once

POWERGRID Part of tower siting survey and detailed alignment survey and design

Social inequities Careful route selection to avoid existing settlements

Tower location and line alignment selection (distance to nearest dwellings or social institutions)


POWERGRID Part of detailed tower siting and alignment survey and design

Minimise need to acquire agricultural land

Tower location and line alignment selection (distance to agricultural land)


POWERGRID Part of detailed tower siting and alignment survey and design

Encroachment into precious ecological areas

Loss of precious ecological values/ damage to precious species

Avoid encroachment by careful site and alignment selection

Tower location and line alignment selection (distance to nearest designated ecological protection area)

Consultation with local forest authorities - once

POWERGRID Part of detailed siting and alignment survey /design

Transmission line through forestland

Deforestation and loss of biodiversity

Avoid encroachment by careful site and alignment selection

Tower location and line alignment selection (distance to

Consultation with local authorities - once

POWERGRID Part of detailed siting and alignment

49






Minimise the need by using existing towers, tall towers and RoW, wherever possible

nearest protected or reserved forest)

Consultation with local authorities and design engineers - once

survey/design

Obtain statutory clearances from the Government

Statutory approvals from Government

Compliance with regulations – once for each subproject

Encroachment into farmland

Loss of agricultural productivity

Use existing tower footings/towers wherever possible

Tower location and line alignment selection



Avoid siting new towers on farmland wherever feasible

Tower location and line alignment selection


Part of detailed siting and alignment survey /design

Farmers compensated for any permanent loss of productive land

Design of Implementation of Crop Compensation (based on affected area)

Consultation with affected parties – once in a quarter

Prior to construction phase

Farmers/landowners compensated for significant trees that need to be trimmed/ removed along RoW.

Design of Implementation of Tree compensation (estimated area to be trimmed/removed)


Prior to construction phase

Statutory approvals for tree trimming /removal

Compliance with regulations – once for each subproject

Part of detailed siting and alignment survey /design

Noise related Nuisance to neighbouring properties

Substations sited and designed to ensure noise will not be a nuisance.

Noise levels Noise levels to be specified in tender documents - once

POWERGRID Part of detailed equipment design

Interference with drainage patterns/Irrigation channels

Flooding hazards/loss of agricultural production

Appropriate siting of towers to avoid channel interference

Tower location and line alignment selection (distance to nearest flood zone)



Construction Equipment layout and installation

Noise and vibrations

Construction techniques and machinery selection

Construction techniques and

Construction techniques and

POWERGRID (Contractor

Construction period

50






seeking to minimize ground disturbance.

machinery machinery creating minimal ground disturbance - once at the start of each construction phase

through contract provisions)

Physical construction Disturbed farming activity

Construction activities on cropping land timed to avoid disturbance of field crops (within one month of harvest wherever possible).

Timing of start of construction

Crop disturbance –Post harvest as soon as possible but before next crop - once per site

POWERGRID (Contractor through contract provisions)

Construction period

Mechanized construction Noise, vibration and operator safety, efficient operation

Construction equipment to be well maintained.

Construction equipment – estimated noise emissions

Complaints received by local authorities - every 2 weeks


Construction period

Noise, vibration, equipment wear and tear

Turning off plant not in use. Construction equipment – estimated noise emissions and operating schedules

Complaints received by local authorities - every 2 weeks


Construction period

Construction of roads for accessibility

Increase in airborne dust particles

Existing roads and tracks used for construction and maintenance access to the line wherever possible.

Access roads, routes (length and width of new access roads to be constructed)

Use of established roads wherever possible - every 2 weeks


Construction period

Increased land requirement for temporary accessibility

New access ways restricted to a single carriageway width within the RoW.

Access width (meters) Access restricted to single carriageway width within RoW - every 2 weeks


Construction period

Temporary blockage of utilities

Overflows, reduced discharge

Temporary placement of fill in drains/canals not permitted.

Temporary fill placement (m

3)

Absence of fill in sensitive drainage areas - every 4 weeks


Construction period

Site clearance Vegetation Marking of vegetation to be removed prior to clearance, and strict control on clearing activities to ensure minimal clearance.

Vegetation marking and clearance control (area in m

2)

Clearance strictly limited to target vegetation - every 2 weeks


Construction period

51






Trimming/cutting of trees within RoW

Fire hazards Trees allowed growing up to a height within the RoW by maintaining adequate clearance between the top of tree and the conductor as per the regulations.

Species-specific tree retention as approved by statutory authorities (average and maximum tree height at maturity, in meters)

Presence of target species in RoW following vegetation clearance – once per site


Construction period

Loss of vegetation and deforestation

Trees that can survive pruning to comply should be pruned instead of cleared.

Species-specific tree retention as approved by statutory authorities

Presence of target species in RoW following vegetation clearance – once per site


Construction period

Felled trees and other cleared or pruned vegetation to be disposed of as authorized by the statutory bodies.

Disposal of cleared vegetation as approved by the statutory authorities (area cleared in m

2)

Use or intended use of vegetation as approved by the statutory authorities – once per site


Construction period

Wood/vegetation harvesting

Loss of vegetation and deforestation

Construction workers prohibited from harvesting wood in the project area during their employment, (apart from locally employed staff continuing current legal activities).

Illegal wood/vegetation harvesting (area in m

2, number of

incidents reported)

Complaints by local people or other evidence of illegal harvesting - every 2 weeks


Construction period

Surplus earthwork/soil Runoff to cause water pollution, solid waste disposal

Soil excavated from tower footings disposed of by placement along roadsides, or at nearby house blocks if requested by landowners.

Soil disposal locations and volume (m

3)

Acceptable soil disposal sites - every 2 weeks

POWER GRID (Contractor through contract provisions)

Construction period

Site clearance Vegetation Tree clearances for easement establishment to only involve cutting trees off at ground level or pruning as appropriate, with tree stumps and roots left in place and ground cover left undisturbed.

Ground disturbance during vegetation clearance (area, m

2)

Amount of ground disturbance - every 4 weeks


Construction period

Statutory approvals Statutory approvals for tree clearances – once for each site


Construction period

Tower construction – disposal of surplus earthwork/fill

Waste disposal Excess fill from tower foundation excavation disposed of next to roads or

Location and amount (m

3) of fill disposal

Appropriate fill disposal locations - every 2 weeks

POWERGRID (Contractor through contract

Construction period

52






around houses, in agreement with the local community or landowner.

provisions)

Storage of chemicals and materials

Contamination of receptors (land, water, air)

Fuel and other hazardous materials securely stored above high flood level.

Location of hazardous material storage; spill reports (type of material spilled, amount (kg or m

3) and

action taken to control and clean up spill)

Fuel storage in appropriate locations and receptacles - every 2 weeks


Construction period

Construction schedules Noise nuisance to neighbouring properties

Construction activities only undertaken during the day and local communities informed of the construction schedule.

Timing of construction (noise emissions, [dB(A)])

Daytime construction only - every 2 weeks


Construction period

Provision of facilities for construction workers

Contamination of receptors (land, water, air)

Construction workforce facilities to include proper sanitation, water supply and waste disposal facilities.

Amenities for Workforce facilities

Presence of proper sanitation, water supply and waste disposal facilities - once each new facility


Construction period

Encroachment into farmland

Loss of agricultural productivity

Use existing access roads wherever possible

Usage of existing utilities

Complaints received by local people/authorities - every 4 weeks


Construction period

Ensure existing irrigation facilities are maintained in working condition

Status of existing facilities

Protect/preserve topsoil and reinstate after construction completed

Status of facilities (earthwork in m

3)

Repair/reinstate damaged bunds etc. after construction completed

Status of facilities (earthwork in m

3)

Social inequities Compensation for temporary loss in agricultural production

Implementation of Crop compensation (amount paid, dates, etc.)


POWERGRID Prior to construction

Uncontrolled erosion/silt runoff

Soil loss, downstream siltation;

Need for access tracks minimised, use of existing roads.

Design basis and construction procedures (suspended solids in receiving waters; area

Incorporating good design and construction management practices – once


Construction period

Limit site clearing to work areas

53






Regeneration of vegetation to stabilise works areas on completion (where applicable)

re-vegetated in m2;

amount of bunds constructed [length in meter, area in m

2, or

volume in m3])

for each site

Avoidance of excavation in wet season Water courses protected from siltation through use of bunds and sediment ponds

Nuisance to nearby properties

Losses to neighbouring land uses/ values

Contract clauses specifying careful construction practices.

Contract clauses Incorporating good construction management practices – once for each site


Construction period

As much as possible existing access ways will be used.

Design basis and layout

Incorporating good design engineering practices – once for each site

Productive land will be reinstated following completion of construction

Reinstatement of land status (area affected, m

2)

Consultation with affected parties – twice – immediately after completion of construction and after the first harvest

Social inequities Compensation will be paid for loss of production, if any.

Implementation of Tree/Crop compensation (amount paid)


POWERGRID Prior to construction

Inadequate siting of borrow areas

Loss of land values

Existing borrow sites will be used to source aggregates, therefore, no need to develop new sources of aggregates

Contract clauses Incorporating good construction management practices – once for each site


Construction period

Health and safety

Injury and sickness of workers and members of the

Contract provisions specifying minimum requirements for construction camps

Contract clauses (number of incidents and total lost-work days caused by

Contract clauses compliance – once every quarter


Construction period

54






public Contractor to prepare and implement a health and safety plan.

injuries and sickness)

Contractor to arrange for health and safety training sessions

Inadequate construction stage monitoring

Likely to maximise damages

Training of POWERGRID environmental monitoring personnel

Training schedules Number of programs attended by each person – once a year

POWERGRID Routinely throughout construction period

Implementation of effective environmental monitoring and reporting system using checklist of all contractual environmental requirements

Respective contract checklists and remedial actions taken thereof.

Submission of duly completed checklists of all contracts for each site - once

Appropriate contact clauses to ensure satisfactory implementation of contractual environmental mitigation measures.

Compliance report related to environmental aspects for the contract

Submission of duly completed compliance report for each contract - once

Operation and Maintenance Location of transmission towers and transmission line alignment and design

Exposure to safety related risks

Setback of dwellings to overhead line route designed in accordance with permitted level of power frequency and the regulation of supervision at sites.

Compliance with setback distances (“as-built” diagrams)

Setback distances to nearest houses – once in quarter

POWERGRID During operations

Inadequate provision of staff/workers health and safety during operations

Injury and sickness of staff /workers

Careful design using appropriate technologies to minimise hazards

Usage of appropriate technologies (lost work days due to illness and injuries)

Preparedness level for using these technologies in crisis – once each year

POWERGRID Design and operation

Safety awareness raising for staff.

Training/awareness programs and mock drills

Number of programs and percent of staff /workers covered – once each year

Preparation of fire emergency action plan and training given to staff on implementing emergency action plan

55






Provide adequate sanitation and water supply facilities

Provision of facilities Complaints received from staff /workers every 2 weeks

Electric Shock Hazards Injury/mortality to staff and public

Careful design using appropriate technologies to minimise hazards

Usage of appropriate technologies (number of injury incidents, lost work days)

Preparedness level for using these technologies in crisis – once a month

POWERGRID Design and Operation

Security fences around substations

Maintenance of fences

Report on maintenance – every 2 weeks Barriers to prevent climbing

on/dismantling of transmission towers

Maintenance of barriers

Appropriate warning signs on facilities

Maintenance of warning signs

Electricity safety awareness raising in project areas

Training /awareness programs and mock drills for all concerned parties

Number of programs and percent of total persons covered – once each year

Operations and maintenance staff skills less than acceptable

Unnecessary environmental losses of various types

Adequate training in O&M to all relevant staff of substations and transmission line maintenance crews.

Training/awareness programs and mock drills for all relevant staff

Number of programs and percent of staff covered – once each year

POWERGRID Operation

Preparation and training in the use of O&M manuals and standard operating practices.

Inadequate periodic environmental monitoring.

Diminished ecological and social values.

Power Grid staff to receive training in environmental monitoring of project operations and maintenance activities.

Training/awareness programs and mock drills for all relevant staff

Number of programs and percent of staff covered – once each year

POWERGRID Operation

Equipment specifications and design parameters

Release of chemicals and gases in receptors (air, water, land)

Processes, equipment and systems using cholofluorocarbons (CFCs), including halon, should be phased out and to be disposed of in a manner

Process, equipment and system design

Phase out schedule to be prepared in case still in use – once in a quarter

POWERGRID Operations

56






consistent with the requirements of the Government.

Transmission line maintenance

Exposure to electromagnetic interference

Transmission line design to comply with the limits of electromagnetic interference from overhead power lines

Required ground clearance (meters)

Ground clearance - once


Noise related Nuisance to neighbouring properties

Substations sited and designed to ensure noise will not be a nuisance.

Noise levels (dB(A)) Noise levels at boundary nearest to properties and consultation with affected parties if any - once


57

9.3 Institutional Mechanism for Reporting and Review POWERGRID, through the PMU, will be responsible for internal monitoring of EMP implementation, and will forward semiannual progress reports of the components financed by ADB to ADB and the GoI (if required). The reports will cover EMP implementation with attention to compliance and any needed corrective actions. Ongoing consultation measures will be incorporated in the EMP. Construction contractors will be responsible for the implementation of mitigation measures during the construction stage. The IEE will be made publicly available by POWERGRID on its website. ADB will (i) review and endorse updates of IEE (if needed) and EMPs before contracts are finalized and work begins; (ii) review environmental monitoring reports; and (iii) officially disclose environmental safeguards documents on its website as necessary. Periodic review by corporate ESMD and higher management including review by POWERGRID CMD of all environmental issues will be undertaken to ensure that EMP and other measures are implemented at site. Annual review by independent auditor under the ISO:14001 shall also be undertaken for compliance of agreed policy and management plan. 10. CONCLUSION AND RECOMMENDATION None of the four additional components is in environmentally-sensitive areas. Careful route selection has minimized involvement of forest area to the extent possible but could not be completely avoided due to terrain and other reasons such as strip plantation along the road and canal crossings. No major impact on wildlife is envisaged as the forest is not the habitat of any endangered or endemic species of fauna and flora. The project will not result in any long-term significant adverse impacts. Minimal environmental impacts are anticipated, mostly during construction. These can be mitigated successfully by implementing the EMP with estimated costs for implementation. Environmental and social benefits of the project and long-term investment program objectives outweigh the temporary negative impacts.

BUDGETA

T ESTIMATE

58

ANNEXUREE FOR MITI

E 1 GATION MEEASURES

61

ANNEXURE 2 TREE/CROP COMPENSATION

In exercise of the powers vested with Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (POWERGRID) under Indian telegraph Act 1885, part 3, section 10 to 19 conferred under section 164 of the Electricity Act 2003 through Gazette by India, extra ordinary dated 24th December 2003, has the authority to place and maintain transmission lines under over along or across and posts in or upon, any immoveable property. As per the provisions of Indian Telegraph Act 1885 Part III Section 10 (b) which prohibits acquisition of any rights other than that of use only, land for tower and right of way is not acquired and agricultural activities are allowed to continue. However, as per clause 10 (d) of same act stipulates that the user agency shall pay full compensation to all interested for any damages sustained during the execution of said work. Accordingly, POWERGRID pays compensation to land owners towards damages if any to trees or crop during implementation of transmission project as well as during operation and maintenance phase. The procedure followed for such compensation is as follows: POWERGRID follows the principle of avoidance, minimization and mitigation in the construction of line in agricultural field having crop due to inherent flexibility in phasing the construction activity and tries to defer construction in cropped area to facilitate crop harvesting. However, if it is unavoidable and is likely to affect project schedule, compensation is given at market rate for standing crops. All efforts are also taken to minimize the crop damage to the extent possible in such cases. As regards trees coming in the Right Of Way (RoW) following procedure is adopted for enumeration:

1. All the trees which are coming within the clearance belt of RoW on either side of the center line are identified and marked/numbered from one AP to the other and documented.

2. Type, Girth (measured 1 m above ground level), approximate height of the tree is also noted for each tree

3. Trees belonging to the government, Forest, Highways and other local bodies may be separately noted down or timely follow up with the concerned authorities for inspection and removal.

4. Cashew, Guava, Lemon and other hybrid trees which are not of tall growing nature are not marked for cutting since these trees can be crossed using standard tower extensions if required.

A notice under Indian Telegraph Act is served to the land owners informing that the proposed transmission line is being routed through the property of the individual concerned. The notice shall contain the particulars of the land, ownership details and the details of the trees/crops inevitability likely to be damaged during the course of the construction of the proposed transmission line and acknowledgement received from land owner. A copy of said notice is further issued to the Revenue Officer, who has been authorized by the State Government for the purpose of assessment/valuation and disbursement of compensation to the affected parties. The revenue officer shall further issue a notice of intimation to the concerned land owner and inspect the site to verify the documents related to the proof of ownership and a detailed Mahazar is prepared for the identified trees and crops inevitability damaged during the course of the construction. For assessing the true value of timber yielding trees help of forest officials is taken and for fruit bearing trees help of Horticulture department is taken. The Mahazar shall contain the land owner details type of tree/crop, its present age, variety, yielding pattern etc. and the same is prepared at site in the presence of the land owner. These Mahazars are further compiled and a random verification is conducted by the concerned District Collector OR his authorized representative in order to ascertain the assessment carried out by the revenue office is genuine and correct. After this process the District collector issues a tree cutting permit to Power Grid Corporation to enable removal/damage to the standing tree/crop identified in the line corridor.

62

Once the tree/crop is removed/damaged, POWERGRID shall issue a tree cutting/crop damaged notice to the land owner with a copy to the Revenue Officer to process the compensation payment. Based on the above the compensation payment is generated by means of a computerized programme developed by the National Informatics Center exclusively for this purpose. The detailed Valuation statement thus generated using this programme is verified at various levels and approval of payment of compensation is accorded by the concerned District Collectors. On approval of compensation, the revenue officer shall further intimate the amount payable to the different land owners and POWERGRID arranges the payment by way of Demand Draft to the affected parties. The payment is further disbursed at the local village office after due verification of the documents in presence of other witnesses. Procedure exclusively followed in Kerala State: Due to typical demography of Kerala state and presence of several orchards of coconut and rubber, State Government in consultation with Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) have devised a formula for arriving the compensation which is as follows: Compensation = yield X constant factor X average market value X future age. The constant factor is to arrive the net return component for the particular variety of tree in line with the annuity ratio slab prescribed for the balance life of the tree. A sample calculation sheet using the said formula to arrive at compensation towards trees/crop is enclosed for ready reference.

Another measure adopted in Kerala to expedite assessment and disbursement by POWERGRID is to appoint a Special Revenue Officer and associated staff on deputation from State Government exclusively for the project under execution. This has helped in timely assessment and distribution of compensation amount to affected farmer. Moreover, it has further contributed in simplifying the process as affected farmer need not to visit revenue official again and again and his case is processed at site quickly.

63

TREE/CROP COMPENSATION PROCESS

Association of Forest/Horticulture

Department for assessment of value

of timber and fruit bearing trees respectively.

Grievance Procedure AP may represent if not satisfied with assessment to revenue or to DC for revision/review.

If he/she is still not satisfied may move to court.

Local Court

If the line passing through private cultivable areas.

Walk over/preliminary survey of route alignment

Detailed/Check Survey of final route alignment to fix the angle point and

tower spotting

Issue of Notice under Indian Telegraph Act to the land owner

Preparation of Mazhazer by Revenue official at site in presence of land owner,

POWERGRID and two witnesses.

Inspection/verification by District Commissioner (DC) or his authorized representative

Issue of tree cutting permit by DC

Cutting of trees by POWERGRID and issue of cutting certificate to land owner and revenue official by POWERGRID

Preparation of checklist and valuation statement by revenue official

Approval of valuation statement by DC

Disbursement of compensation to affected farmers and acknowledgement

ESPP ANDA

D EMP AS P

64

ANNEXUREPART OF CO

E 3 ONTRACT DDOCUMENTT

79

ANNEXURE 4 HEALTH AND SAFETY CHECKLIST

Safety Related Check List during Construction of Transmission Lines Region : ............ Name of DHQ/GHQ: ............................ Date of Safety Audit:..................... Name of Tr. Line: ..............................................................................................................……… Loc. No: ...............................………………………………………Voltage Level: .................... Name of Contractor: ..........................................................................................................…… Name of Sub Contractor: .................................................................................................……… A. DURING TOWER FOUNDATION :

SN Description of Activity Feed back Remarks

I) EXCAVATION :

1. Dumping of Excavated soil. (Minimum 1.5 Mts. or half the depth of the pit which ever is more)

Yes / No.

2. Whether angle of repose of soil as per design in the foundation is maintained or not.

Yes / No.

3. De watering arrangement is available ( If necessary) Yes / No.

4. Working area has been protected properly to avoid against fall of passerby or animal in the excavated pit.

Yes / No.

5 Shoring & Shuttering to protect the loose rock / soil against fall exists. Yes / No.

6 Arrangement of illumination at construction site is available. (if required ) Yes / No.

7 Check proper/adequate arrangement is made for extension of electric supply. (Proper size of cable, Use of fuse, No loose connection for De-watering Pumps/ Illumination / Electric compressors etc. if applicable).

Yes / No.

8 Check for damage / Uneven settlement of foundation. Yes / No.

9 Ensure Life saver arrangements have been made during construction of well foundation in river bed. (Where necessary)

Yes / No.

10 Check that the adequate arrangement is made for the storage of blasting material at safe place. (if required)

Yes / No.

11 Check that the blasting materials is handled with due care at site. ( If required )

Yes / No.

12 Check that during blasting operation, Labour / Workmen / Passerby are at safe places and arrangement is made to inform public by caution markings (Red Flag) / Public Notices.

Yes / No.

13 Check that the Blaster is holding the proper license issued by the appropriate authority. as per the Indian Explosive Act.

Yes / No.

14 Check that the length of the fuse wire used during blasting operation is adequate.

Yes / No.

15 Ensure Laying of temporary cable used for operation of Machines used during construction should not cause any danger for electrocution of workmen.

Yes / No.

16 Check that PPEs i.e. Safety helmets, Safety Shoes, is used by blaster and their gang members during blasting.

Yes / No.

17 Ensure that Shuttering and timbering has been made as detailed in I:S: 3764.

Yes / No.

18

Ensure that before undertaking excavation, the soil has been tested and in case of availability of any explosive/dangerous gas, necessary

Yes / No.

80


arrangement must be made to remove/dilute such gases.

19

The positions of underground installations such as sewers, water pipes and electrical cables have been verified and in case of their existence, they must be isolated.

Yes / No.

20

Arrangement shall be made to prevent external vibrations due to rail/road traffic (If required).

Yes / No.

21

Safety is ensured during the construction of Tr. Lines for buildings, structures etc. which are coming in the vicinity of the excavated area from collapse. ( If required )

Yes / No.

22 Check that sufficient strong ladder of suitable length is available for ingress/outgress of persons in the pit

Yes / No.

23 Lone worker should not be allowed to work in the excavated area beyond shoulder level.

Yes / No.

24

Check for any possibility of seepage of water from nearby pond / river should be estimated and taken care of.

Yes / No.

25 After excavation the work has been completed speedily and back filling done at the earliest.

Yes / No.

II) CASTING OF FOUNDATION / CONCRETING :

1

Check construction materials are stacked at safe place and also does not cause any danger. (Away from pit by 1.5 Mtrs. Or half the depth of pit, which ever is more. )

Yes / No.

2 Check arrangement of illumination at Construction Site. (If required). Yes / No.

3

Ensure life saver arrangements have been made during construction of Well foundation in River Bed.

Yes / No.

4

Check that the Concreting Mixer machine is placed at a safe place. (Not very near to pit.)

Yes / No.

5

Check proper / adequate arrangement is made for extension of electric supply. (Proper size of cable, Use of fuse, No loose connection for De watering Pumps / Illumination / Electric compressors etc. if applicable).

Yes / No.

6 Check that laying of temporary cables used during construction activities should not cause any danger for electrocution to workmen. Yes / No.

7

Inspection of excavations shall be made by a Competent Person every day. In case, possible cave in or slide is apparent, all working in the excavation shall be seized until the necessary precautions have been taken to safeguard the possible cave in or slide.

Yes / No.

8

Jacks and vertical supports shall be positioned in such a manner that the vertical loads are distributed equally and do not exceed the capacity of the jacks and the jacks are placed away from pit edge etc.

Yes / No.

9 Proper Jacking arrangement is made to take the entire load of template. Yes / No.

10 In case of long template in stub setting, more jacks have been provided and check that the Jacks are placed on levelled and hard surface to avoid the unbalancing and fallen.

Yes / No.

11 Wire mesh rolls shall be secured in order to prevent dangerous recoiling action.

Yes / No.

12 Lone worker should not be allowed to work in the excavated area. Yes / No.

13 Check that sufficient strong ladder of suitable length is available for ingress / outgress of persons in the pit

Yes / No.

B. TOWER ERECTION :


1 Check proper communication facility is available at site during Tower erection. (If required)

Yes / No.

2. Check damages or uneven settlement of foundation. Yes / No.

3. Ensure the derrick used before tower erection has been checked for Yes / No.

81


adequate strength/ size. Ensure for copy of test certificate for all the lifting machines and tackles.

4. Ensure that the pulleys used before tower erection has been checked for adequate strength / proper size (diameter). Also in case of open type pulleys proper locking arrangements like providing of Safety Pin is made. Ensure for copy of test certificate for all the lifting machines and tackles.

Yes / No.

5. Ensure that the ropes used before tower erection has been checked for adequate strength / physical condition (Free from break of strands and knots etc.

Yes / No.

6. Check that the lifting tools and tackles i.e. Winch Machine, Chain Pulley Block, Trifor, D - Shackle etc. are in healthy condition and has been tested periodically. (Attach copy of test certificate).

Yes / No.

7. Ensure that permission has been obtained from Aviation Authority for erection of special towers. (Where necessary).

Yes / No.

8.

Ensure that permission has been obtained form Aviation Authority for erection of towers which comes in the vicinity of flying zone. (Where necessary)

Yes / No.

9. Check that the safety measures has been taken before undertaking for the Road / Rail / River Xing jobs involving like wise stretches.

Yes / No.

10. For rail or road crossing check whether written working plan is available at site with specific reference to safety e.g. local earthing, skilled & experience manpower, proper T&P, strength and height of scaffolding to maintain the required clearance etc.

Yes / No.

11. Ensure that all the members and proper size of Nuts and Bolts of lower section are fitted properly before erection of the upper section of tower is taken up.

Yes / No.

12. Check that the anti climbing devices are provided in the tower after erection job.

Yes / No.

13. Check that the danger plates have been provided. Yes / No.

14. Check that only erection team members are allowed to stand near the tower while erection is in process and should wear the safety helmet/ Safety Shoes.

Yes / No.

15. Working area of the tower has been demarcated during erection. Yes / No.

16 Check that proper guying arrangement has been made. And also to see that proper size of the crow bars has been used which has been fixed at hard surface in case of sandy soil or loose soil.

Yes / No.

17 Check that proper arrangement is made while lifting the tower members and fixing them at height i.e. Proper size and strength of the hook used for lifting the tower members.

Yes / No.

18

Check sufficient numbers of guys are made while lifting the assembled cross arm and also avoiding use of single sheeve pulleys while lifting the assembled cross arm / heavy load.

Yes / No.

C. CONDUCTOR STRINGING:


1. All drivers and plant operators are holding the valid driving license. Yes / No.

2.

Check that the permit has been obtained from the Competent Authority for stringing of conductor while crossing through Road/Rail/River/Venerable areas etc. (Where necessary )

Yes / No.

3.

Check that required painting has been made on tower falling in the vicinity of aviation zones. (Where necessary.)

Yes / No.

4.

Check that all safety measures have been taken during stringing of conductor crossing the EHV/HV/LT lines (Earthing of existing lines etc.)

Yes / No.

5.

Ensure that proper size of Nuts and Bolts is rigidly tightened and punching / tacking / tack welding is done in towers before undertaking stringing job.

Yes / No.

82


6.

Ensure that proper scaffolding arrangements made during stringing of conductor (While Road Xing/Power Line Xing etc.

Yes / No.

7.

Ensure that all members are fitted in tower before undertaking conductor stringing work.

Yes / No.

8. Check that the back filling of the foundation has been done as per specification.

Yes / No.

9. Ensure that the discharge rod is electrically tested before use. Yes / No.

10. Stringing Machine/Tension pull or Machine are properly earthed. Yes / No.

11. Check the brake arrangement of the TSE Machines is working. Yes / No.

12. Ensure that the pulleys used before conductor stringing has been checked for adequate strength/proper size (diameter), also in case of open type pulleys proper locking arrangements like providing of Safety Pin is made Ensure for copy of test certificate for all the lifting machines and tackles.

Yes / No.

13. Ensure the ropes used before conductor stringing has been checked for adequate strength/physical condition (Free from break of strands and knots etc.

Yes / No.

14.

Check that the lifting tools and tackles i.e. Winch Machine, Chain Pulley Block, Trifor, D - Shackle etc. are in healthy condition and has been tested periodically. (Attach copy of test certificate).

Yes / No.

15.

Check for the brake arrangement of the Drum reel of conductor during laying/paying out of conductor.

Yes / No.

16. Check that proper communication facility is available at site during of stringing of conductor ( If required )

Yes / No.

17. Whether the tower has been permanently earthed. Yes / No.

18. Check that Sag Board is provided at two locations. Yes / No.

19.

Check that the Sag Board arrangement is made by the experienced/trained persons.

Yes / No.

20. Check approved Sag tension chart is available and followed at site. Yes / No.

21. While clamping of conductor / EW to be done, check for earthing. Yes / No.

22.

Ensure sending signal to puller to stop when last layer of conductor / EW being pulled.

Yes / No.

23.

Check tension applied on the dynamo meter dial and check values with approved data.

Yes / No.

24.

Before stringing starts check that the villagers do not come underneath the job of the concerned section.

Yes / No.

25.

Only nylon or polypropylene ropes should be used during conductor stringing in vicinity of live overhead lines.

Yes / No.

26. Ensure that PTW has been taken from the concerned authority. Yes / No.

27. Ensure that Winch, Pulleys etc. are properly earthed. Yes / No.

28.

For LT lines, whether special persons are posted at each point of isolation till return of permit (PTW).

Yes / No.

29.

Whether the network of LT lines has been thoroughly checked and precautions taken Against inadvertent charging.

Yes / No.

30. Check that proper arrangement is made/available for development and use of a Portable Earthing and Short – Circuiting Devices which can be engaged and disengaged to and from the LT lines, keeping away from the LT lines, until all operations on the same are completed and all men and materials are removed from LT lines.

Yes / No.

31. Check the provision and proper positioning for the guying and back staying (Where necessary).

Yes / No.

32. Check demarcation of feeder is done for D/c Line. Yes / No.

33. Ensure that all the insulator strings are thoroughly checked for availability and proper fixing of cotter / split pins before hoisting the same.

Yes / No.

83

General Points common for all activities during Excavation, Casting of Foundation

A. ERECTION OF TOWER AND STRINGING OF CONDUCTOR :


1.

Check whether the contractor had procured required quantity of PPEs considering maximum numbers of erection gangs deployed at one time.

Yes / No.

2.

Supervisors/Workmen have been provided with required healthy PPEs, like Safety helmet/Safety Belts/Safety Shoes/Gum Boot etc. as applicable.

Yes / No.

3. Availability of First Aid Box with required medicines at site. Yes / No.

4. Instruction register is available at site. Yes / No.

5.

Ensure that Supervisor / Gang Leader always issues instruction to the Workmen before start of work.

Yes / No.

6.

Ensure that supervisory staff from Power Grid is available at site during construction.

Yes / No.

7. All driver and plant operators are holding valid driving license. Yes / No.

8. Check the vehicle for rescue is available at site. Yes / No.

9. Ensure engaged labour are aware of the job. Yes / No.

10. Check that the unskilled labourers are not engaged in skilled job. Yes / No.

11.

Ensure that supervisor / workmen engaged in the field are aware of First Aid Techniques ( Such as in case of Electric Shock, Fall from the height, Snake bite and the person rescued from buried under the debris etc.

Yes / No.

12. Check for nearby Hospital / Doctor in case of emergencies arises. Yes / No.

13.

While transporting heavy consignment of conductor / EW drums from central store to site by the use of Cranes, Truck, and Tractor. The safety aspect for construction and failure of brake system of moving machinery is to be checked.

Yes / No.

14.

At least one dry powder type of portable fire extinguisher shall be provided especially where explosive or blasting agents are used for excavation.

Yes / No.

15.

Check the competence (Qualification / Experience) of supervisor / gang leader of contractor.

Yes / No.

REMARKS IF ANY:

Signature

Name :

Designation :

Representative of Contractor

Signature

Name :

Designation:

Power Grid Rep. from Site.

Signature

Name :

Designation:

Power Grid Rep. from RHQ.

Safety Related Check List during Construction of Sub - Station

Region: ..........…. Name of DHQ / GHQ: ............................ Date of Safety Audit:...................... Name of Sub Stn/Switching Stn.: .......................................................................................……… Name of Contractor: ..........................................................................................................………. Contractor License / Registration No.:……………….............................Validity...............…….....

84

Name of Sub Contractor : .................................................................................................………. A. SUB STATION CIVIL WORKS :


I): SAFETY DURING EXCAVATION :

1. Check Sub station area has been protected by constructing boundary wall all around the sub station to avoid entry of passerby / unauthorized person or animal in the sub station.

Yes / No.

2. De watering arrangement is available ( If necessary ) Yes / No.

3. Check proper / adequate arrangement is made for extension of electric supply. (Proper size of cable, Use of fuse, No loose connection and no naked wire connection to Pumps / Illumination / Electric compressors etc. if applicable).

Yes / No.

4. Check arrangement of illumination at construction site is available. Yes / No.

5. Check dumping of Excavated soil (Minimum 1.5 Mts. Or half the depth of the pit which ever is more from the edge of the pit.)

Yes / No.

6. Check Shoring & Shuttering to protect the loose rock / soil against fall. (if required).

Yes / No.

7. Check lone worker is not be allowed to work in the excavated area. Yes / No.

8. Ensure Laying of temporary cables used for operation of Machines used during construction should not cause any danger for electrocution of persons / animals.

Yes / No.

9. Ensure that before undertaking excavation, the soil has been tested and in case of availability of any explosive / dangerous gas, necessary arrangement must be made to remove / dilute such gases.

Yes / No.

10. The positions of underground installations such as sewers, water pipes and electrical cables has been verified and in case of their existence, they must be isolated before further excavation works to ensure Human Safety.

Yes / No.

11. Check that the scaffolds are not overloaded in any case. Scaffolds are to be erected and supported properly.

Yes / No.

12. Stability of the soil of the excavated pit for safe working is to be checked and certified by a competent person daily before start of work. A register at site is maintained where competent person can certify accordingly. No manhole should remain uncovered during night & off days.

Yes / No.

13. Check the provision of sufficient strong ladder of suitable length is available near the working place during excavation.

Yes / No.

14. Check if any permission is required from local statutory body before excavation.

Yes / No.

15. Check for No undercutting / toe cutting in soil. Yes / No.

16. Check after excavation the work should be speedily completed without delay and back filling done at the earliest.

Yes / No.

17. Check for any possibility of seepage of water from nearby pond / river has been estimated and taken care of. Yes / No

18. Check to avoid slide / collaps of side walls of excavated pit, the excavation is to be done in trapezoidal cross – section. Yes / No.

II): SAFETY PRECAUTION DURING STORAGE, HANDLING AND USE OF BLASTING MATERIAL:

1 Check that the adequate arrangement is made for the storage of blasting material at safe place. (Temporary Magazine is to be installed observing all norms) as per Indian Explosive Act.

Yes / No.

2. Check that the blasting materials is handled by licensed blaster with due care at site. (If applicable)

Yes / No.

3. Check smoking is prohibited in the vehicle carrying explosives. Yes / No.

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4. Check that the Blaster is holding proper license issued by the appropriate authority. As per Indian Explosive Act.

Yes / No.

5. Check that the length of the fuse wire used during blasting operation is adequate.

Yes / No.

6. Check while transportation, no unauthorized person is allowed in vehicle carrying explosives.

Yes / No.

7. Check that the loading and unloading of explosives is being done carefully.

Yes / No.

8. Check explosives and detonators or blasting caps is not being transported in the same vehicle.

Yes / No.

9. Check while transportation the detonators and explosives are not carried loose or mixed with other materials.

Yes / No.

10. Check surplus explosives shall not be stacked near working area during loading / unloading.

Yes / No.

11. Check explosives shall not be held in hands when lightening the fuse. Yes / No.

12. Check that blasting in the open has been carried out during the fixed hours every day or on fixed days in the week so that the public at large should know about this.

Yes / No.

13. Check that arrangement has been made to display sufficient warnings / sign board to enable the people to get out of the blasting area to get off the danger zone

Yes / No.

14. Check that the danger zone has been suitably cordoned off. Yes / No.

15. Check during blasting operations begin / after the firing of explosives shall follow the loud siren.

Yes / No.

16. Check that during blasting operation, Labour / Workmen / Passerby are at safe places and arrangement is made to inform public by caution markings ( Red Flag ) / Public Notices etc.

Yes / No.

17. Check that PPEs i.e. Safety helmets, Safety Shoes, is used by blaster and their gang members during blasting and also the persons supervising the blasting operations.

Yes / No.

18. For covered blasting ensure placement of cover plates of proper thickness and sufficient numbers of sand filled bags.

Yes / No.

19. Ensure that permission for blasting has been obtained from the appropriate authority.

Yes / No.

III) SAFETY DURING CASTING OF FOUNDATION / CONCRETING :

1. Check construction materials are stacked at safe place and also does not cause any danger. (Away from pit) i.e. 1.5 Mtrs. or half the depth of the pit which ever is more.)

Yes / No.

2. Check proper arrangement of illumination at Construction Site of Sub station is available.

Yes / No.

3. Check that the Concreting Mixer/ Vibrator machines etc are placed at a safe place (Not very near to any pit at least 1.5 Mtr. from the edge of the pit) to avoid transfer of vibrations and should be operated by skilled persons.

Yes / No.

4. Check proper / adequate arrangement is made for extension of electric supply. (Proper size of cable, Use of fuse, No loose connection for De watering Pumps / Illumination / Electric compressors etc. if applicable).

Yes / No.

5. Check for laying of temporary cables used during construction activities should not cause any danger for electrocution to persons / animals.

Yes / No.

6. All bracing, struts and shuttering in excavations shall be adequately secured so as to prevent their accidental displacement.

Yes / No.

7. Ensure Shuttering and timbering has been made as detailed in I:S: 3764 for protecting the loose rock / soil against fall.

Yes / No.

8. Check for proper placing of Hydraulic jacks with stability and constant watch of these instruments (which are continuously loaded) to avoid any danger of displacement causing sever accident.

Yes / No.

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B. SAFETY DURING STRUCTURE, EQUIPMENT ERECTION & CABLE LAYING ETC. :

SN Description of Activity Feedback Remarks

1. Check Back filling done prior to erection activity. Yes / No.

2. Check the derrick used before structure erection has been checked for adequate strength / size and no joints are permitted. Yes / No.

Test certificate is required apart from visual inspection.

3. Check that the pulleys used before structure erection / Equipment Erection has been checked for adequate strength / proper size (diameter), also in case of open type pulleys proper locking arrangements like providing of Safety Pin is made Safe working load should be punched.

Yes / No.


4. Check the ropes used before structure erection / Equipment Erection has been checked for adequate strength / physical condition (free from break of strands and knots etc.

Yes / No. Test certificate is required apart from visual inspection.

5. Check that the lifting tools and tackles are in healthy condition and has been tested periodically. Yes / No.


6. Check permission has been obtained from Aviation Authority for erection of Lightning Mast which comes in the vicinity of flying zone. (Where necessary )

Yes / No.

7. Check that all Nuts and Bolts are fitted in the structure before undertaking the job of other section of the structure and are tightened.

Yes / No.

8. Check area has been cordoned off to prevent injuries to unauthorized persons from hitting against structural component or falling in the excavated pits.

Yes / No.

9. Check that danger plates are available on all the equipment & structures in the switchyard. Yes / No.

10. Check demarcation of feeder is done for Double Circuit Line. Yes / No.

11. Check only erection team members are allowed to stand near the structure / Equipment while erection is in process and should wear the safety helmet / Safety Shoes.

Yes / No.

12. Check proper guying arrangement has been made while lifting structure / Equipment, if necessary.

Yes / No.

13. Check that proper arrangement is made while lifting the structure members and fixing them at height i.e. Proper size and strength of the hook used for lifting the structure members.

Yes / No.

14. Check sufficient numbers of guys are made while lifting the assembled structure / heavy loads and also avoiding use of single sheeve pulleys while lifting the assembled structure / heavy load.

Yes / No.

15. Check arrangement has been made for equipment identification. Yes / No.

16. Check that required painting made on tower falling in the vicinity of aviation zones. (Where necessary.)

Yes / No.

17 Check no live wires nearby. Take shut down if necessary. Yes / No.

18. Check the structure has been permanently earthed. Yes / No.

19. Check crane are preferably be used for erection of pipe structure in the sub station building works ( if required.)

Yes / No.

20. Check all safety procedures for erection work like use of safety helmets, Safety belts, use of guy wires, lowering / lifting of tools by rope etc. are strictly adhered to during structure erection works is in progress in the switchyard.

Yes / No.

21. Check that correct size of spanner (Box or ring type) as well as DE spanners is being used.

Yes / No.

22. Check working area of the structure has been demarcated during erection.

Yes / No.

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23. Check heavy structures are lifted with crane with proper safety. Yes / No.

24. Only polypropylene ropes are to be used to tie the aluminium tube / Bus bar since this is soft material and will not damage aluminium tube / Bus bar during erection.

Yes / No.

25. Ensure that R clips in insulator caps are fixed properly to avoid disconnection of insulator discs.

Yes / No.

26. Ensure that all the necessary security pins (split pins) are fixed. Yes / No.

27. Check all nuts of jumper fittings are properly tightened and live metal clearance have been maintained as per POWERGRID specification.

Yes / No.

28. In case of tension fitting dead end joint dimensions before & after the compression are checked and recorded.

Yes / No.

29. No damaged component of any hardware fitting should be used on works.

Yes / No.

30. Length of jumpers has been measured properly to give it a parabolic shape. No sharp bend should exist.

Yes / No.

31. Check surge counter erection facilitates proper reading and that earthing is done with minimum bends.

Yes / No.

32. Check Surge monitor has been earthed by connecting it to main earth mat with (G I Flat 75 x 12 mm) and earth pit separately as per drawing.

Yes / No.

33. Check the alignment of earth switch with isolator, earth switch of isolator is put into operation and the contacts are cleaned. After completion of pre commissioning checks and formats are dully filled and signed.

Yes / No.

34. Ensure that the rubber beedings are kept in good condition. Yes / No.

35. Check CT has been placed on the support structure very carefully and all nuts have been tightened. Earthing is done as per drawing.

Yes / No.

36. Ensure the lattice structure of CT has been earthed at two points. Yes / No.

37. Check the marshalling box in the switchyard has proper illumination arrangement.

Yes / No.

38. Check the capacitor unit is short circuited & earthed, until erection and commissioning works are being done on CVT. (The capacitor get charged by the electrical fields in the vicinity and they keep these charges for a long time, which can be dangerous to human life. Hence the shorting of capacitor unit is necessary). It should be removed before tests / use.

Yes / No.

39. Check Fuses in the marshaling box are OK. Yes / No.

40. Check proper earthing of CVT tank has been done. Yes / No.

41. Check all housing accessories, mounting stools including bolts/ Nuts for fixing Line Trap and insulators are of non magnetic material.

Yes / No.

42. Check H.F. point of CVTs on which the coupling device is not mounted has been earthed.

Yes / No.

43. Check the remaining CVTs have been earthed thro’ coupling device.

Yes / No.

44. Cable drums after visual inspection should be stored preferably in the covered area. Cable ends should be clamped.

Yes / No.

45. Ensure each cable and conduit run should be tagged with cable identity numbering as per the approved that appear in the cable and conduit schedule.

Yes / No.

46. The tag should be of aluminium plate with ID number punched on it and securely attached to the cable conduit by not less than two turns. Cable tags should of rectangular shape for power cables and of circular shape for control cables.

Yes / No.

47. Check underground cable markers should project 150 mm above Yes / No.

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ground and spaced at an interval of 30 Mts. They shall be located on both sides of road and drain crossing and also at every change in direction.

48. Check cable tags should be provided inside the switchgear, motor control centres, control and relay panels etc. wherever required for cable identification, where a number of cables enter together through a gland plate.

Yes / No.

49. The cable (power and control) between LT stations, Control room, DG set building and fire fighting pump house should be laid in the buried cable trenches. In addition to the above, for lighting purpose also, buried cable trench can be used in outdoor area.(as per Technical specification of specific contract )

Yes / No.

50. Cable route and joint markers and RCC warning covers should be provided wherever required. The voltage grade of cables should be engraved on the marker.

Yes / No.

51. Tray Identification Number on each run of trays at an interval of 10 Mtrs should be painted.

Yes / No.

52. In case the outer sheath of a cable is damaged during handling / installation, the same should be repaired to the satisfaction of the site. In case any other part of a cable is damaged, the same should be replaced by a healthy cable. Power cables should be at the top most layers. The armor of control cable is to be earthed.

Yes / No.

53. All cable termination should be appropriately tightened to ensure secure and reliable connections. All the exposed parts of cable lugs should be covered with tape, sleeve or paint.

Yes / No.

54. Power and control cables are laid on separate cable trays Yes / No.

55. Co-axial cable is laid separately from power cable. Yes / No.

56. All cable trays, racks and metallic ducts have been grounded by connecting each to earth / mat. ( As per Scheme )

Yes / No.

57. Check sections of cable trays have been bridged by copper jumpers/ G I to retain continuity of earthing. (As per Scheme)

Yes / No.

58. Check earthing of panel is done by the erection contractor for connecting it with switchyard earth mat. ( As per Scheme )

Yes / No.

59. Auxiliary bus wiring for AC and DC supplies, Voltage Transformer circuits, annunciation circuits and other common services is provided near the top of the panels running throughout the entire length of the panels.

Yes / No.

60. All internal wiring to be connected to external equipment is terminated on terminal blocks, preferably vertically mounted on the side of each panel.

Yes / No.

61. Check whether Mimic Diagram is available preferably made of anodized aluminium or plastic of approved fast colour material and screwed on to the panel that can be easily cleaned.

Yes / No.

62. Check the panels all equipment mounted on front and rear side as well as equipment mounted inside are provided with individual name plates with equipment designated engraved.

Yes / No.

63. Check on top of each panel on front as well as rear side, large and bold name plates are provided for circuit / feeder designation.

Yes / No.

64. Check all front mounted equipments are provided at the rear with individual name plates engraved with tag numbers corresponding to panel internal wiring to facilitate easy tracing of the wiring.

Yes / No.

65. Check the name plates mounted directly by the side of the respective equipments should not be hidden by equipment wiring.

Yes / No.

66. Check availability of 240V single phase 50 HZ, AC socket with switch suitable to accept 5 Amps and !5 Amps pin round standard plug, is provided in the interior of each cubicle with ON-OFF switch for connection of hand lamps.

Yes / No.

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67. Check that panels are provided with a fluorescent lighting fixture rated with 240 Volts single phase, 50 Hz supply for the interior illumination of the panel during maintenance. The fittings are complete with switch fuse unit and switching of the lighting is controlled by the respective panel door switch. Adequate lighting with fuse unit is also provided for the corridor in control panels.

Yes / No.

68. Check control panels are provided with necessary arrangements for receiving, distributing, isolating and fusing of DC and AC supplies for various control, signalling, lighting and space heater circuits. The incoming and sub circuits are separately with switch fuse units.

Yes / No.

69. Check panels are provided with a space heater rated for 240 V, single phase, 50 Hz, AC supply for the internal heating of the panel to prevent condensation of moisture.

Yes / No.

70. Check all panels are equipped with an earth bus securely fixed Yes / No.

71. Check when several panels are mounted adjoining each other, the earth bus is made continuous with necessary connectors and clamps for this purpose.

Yes / No.

72. Check provision is made for extending the earth bus bars to adjoining panels on either side.

Yes / No.

73. Check provision is made on each bus bar of the end panels for connecting earthing grid.

Yes / No.

74. Check all metallic cases of relays, instruments and panel mounted equipment including gland plates are connected to the earth bus by copper wires of specified size.

Yes / No.

75. Check the colour code of the earthing wire is green. Yes / No.

76. Check that earthing made with equipment is with Nuts and Bolts i.e. For such connection lugs should be pressed and tightened to the terminals through Nuts and Bolts.

Yes / No.

77. Check that no equipment is mounted on the panel doors. Yes / No.

78. Check each switch should bear clear inscription identifying its function.

Yes / No.

79. Check those who have sufficient knowledge of steel structural job have been employed in steel structural works only.

Yes / No.

80. Check necessary instruction has been communicated by supervisor before start of the day’s works to workmen under his control.

Yes/ No.

81. Storing of equipments is to be made properly to avoid any accident during handling.

Yes / No.

82. Check all Nuts and bolts are properly raised or lowered preferably using closed loop pulleys and gully bags / hand bags tied at the end for carrying nuts and bolts.

Yes / No.

83. Check that Fire resistant sheets are used before entrance of control cable in control room.

Yes / No.

84. Check air compressor tubing properly tightened. Yes / No.

85. Check all carrying connectors / clamps properly tightened. Yes / No.

C. CONDUCTOR LAYOUT DURING CONSTRUCTION STAGE :


1. Check all members are fixed in structure and ensure proper size of Nuts and Bolts are rigidly tightened and punching / tacking / tack welding is done in towers / structures before undertaking conductor laying job.

Yes / No.

2. Ensure proper scaffolding arrangements made during laying of conductor (While Power Line crossing etc).

Yes / No.

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3. Ensure that all members are fitted in structure before undertaking conductor laying work.

Yes / No.

4. Ensure that the discharge rod is electrically tested before use. Yes / No.

5. Ensure whether the structure is properly earthed. Yes / No.

6. Only nylon or polypropylene ropes should be used during conductor laying in vicinity of live overhead lines.

Yes / No.

7. Ensure that PTW has been taken from the concerned authority when extension of existing sub station is under execution.

Yes / No.

8. Ensure that Winch, Pulleys etc. are properly earthed. Yes / No.

9. For LT lines, check whether special persons are posted at each point of isolation till return of permit (PTW) if positioning of person is not possible then it is to be seen that all the point of isolation has been kept in the locked position till the work is in progress.

Yes / No.

10. Whether the network of LT lines has been thoroughly checked and precautions taken against inadvertent charging.

Yes / No.

11. Check that proper arrangement is made / available for grounding LT lines coming across during conductor laying. (This can be done by way of portable earthing and short circuiting devices which cab be engaged to and disengaged from LT lines, keeping away from the LT lines until all operations on the same are completed and all man and materials are removed from the LT lines).

Yes / No.

12. Check the provision and proper positioning for the guying and back staying (Where necessary).

Yes / No.

13. Check working of hydraulic crimping machine. Yes / No.

14. Check before and after crimping, dimensional changes in clamps and are in accordance with the drawings and specifications.

Yes / No.

D SWITCHYARD EARTHING DURING CONSTRUCTION STAGE:


1. Check that while earthing conductor crossing the road is laid 300 mm below the road or at greater depth depending upon the site conditions.

Yes / No.

2. Check that while laying the Earthing conductor in outside area is buried at least 600 mm below the furnished ground level.

Yes / No.

3. Check that the earthing pads have been provided for the apparatus/ equipments at accessible position.

Yes / No.

4. Check all steel columns, metallic stairs are connected to nearby earthing grid conductor by two earthing leads.

Yes / No.

5. Check of earthing of lightening fixtures, receptacles switches, junction boxes lighting conduits has been done by a separate earthing conductor.

Yes / No.

6. Check that the railway tracks within switchyard area has been earthed at a spacing of 30 Mts. / specified distance and also at both ends.

Yes / No.

7. Check cable trays has been connected to earthing flat of 50X6 mm / specified sized earthing flat at intervals specified in approved drawing.

Yes / No.

8. Check that this earthed flat is earthed at about 30 Mts. distance. Yes / No.

9. All accessories in transformer and reactor like radiators tank, cooling banks etc are connected to the earthing grid at minimum two points.

Yes / No.

10. Check metallic conduits are not used as earth continuity conductor. Yes / No.

11. Check flexible earthing connectors should be provided for the moving parts.

Yes / No.

12. Check sheath and armor of single core power cable is earthed at switchgear end and equipment side.

Yes / No.

13. Check contact surface of earthing pads for jointing free from scale, paint, enamel, grease, rust or dust.

Yes / No.

14. Check that light poles, junction boxes on the poles, cable and cable boxes / glands, lockout switches etc. are connected to the earthing conductor

Yes / No.

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running along with the supply cable which intern is connected to the earthing grid conductor at a minimum two points.

15. Check earthing conductor which is generally buried 2000 mm outside the switchyard fence. All the gates and every alternate post of the fence are to be connected to earthing grid.

Yes / No.

16. Check megger used for measuring soil resistivity is calibrated with desired accuracy.

Yes / No.

17. The earth resistivity has been measured in dry weather condition. Yes / No.

18. Check the earthing of Transformers and Shunt reactor, earth pits are constructed as per relevant standard / approved drawing.

Yes / No.

19. Check that the measured value of combined earth resistance should be less than 1 Ohm.

Yes / No.

20. Check that for earth electrode and individual earth pits, this value should not be more than one Ohm.

Yes / No.

21. Check all non current carrying metal parts shall be effectively earthed by two separate and distinct earth connections (Indian Electricity Rule 61,67 )

Yes / No.

22. Check that all pylon supports in the Fire Fighting HVSW system has been earthed to the earthmat.

Yes / No.

E: GENERAL POINTS COMMON FOR ALL ACTIVITIES DURING EXCAVATION, CASTING OF FOUNDATION

Erection of structures, laying of conductor, storage and transportation of material:


1. Check Supervisors/Workmen have been provided with required healthy PPEs. Like (Safety helmet/Safety Belts/Safety Shoes/Gum Boot etc. as applicable )

Yes / No.

2. Check availability of First Aid Box with required medicines at site. Yes / No.

3. Check Site Instruction register is available at site. Yes / No.

4. Ensure Supervisor/Gang Leader always issues instruction to the Workmen including contractor labour before start of work.

Yes / No.

5. Ensure supervisory staff from Power Grid is available at site during construction.

Yes / No.

6. Check all driver and plant operators are holding valid driving license. Yes / No.

7. Check the vehicle for rescue is available at site. Yes / No.

8. Ensure engaged labour are aware of the job. Yes / No

9. Ensure supervisor/workmen engaged in the field are aware of First Aid Techniques (Such as in case of Electric Shock, Fall from the height, Snake bite and the person rescued from buried under the debris, rescue of person from drowning etc.

Yes / No.

10. Check for availability and to keep a record of nearby Hospital/Doctor in case of emergencies arises.

Yes / No.

11. While transporting heavy consignment of conductor/EW drums from central store to site by the use of Cranes, Truck, Tractor. The safety aspect for construction and failure of brake system of moving machinery is to be checked.

Yes / No.

12. At least one dry powder type of portable fire extinguisher shall be provided especially where explosive or blasting agents are used for excavation. ( If applicable )

Yes / No.

13. Check the competence (Qualification/experience) of supervisor / gang leader of contractor.

Yes / No.

14. Wire mesh rolls shall be secured in order to prevent dangerous recoiling action.

Yes / No.

15. Proper unloading arrangement has been made at site (Preferably with crane) to unload the material.

Yes / No.

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16. After unloading the material visual inspection of the materials has been carried out along with the erection contractor to check that the material has not been damaged or not (Galvanizing is proper or not)

As per approved Field Quality Plan etc.

Yes / No.

17. While transporting the heavy laden equipment like transformer/Reactor by road from Rly Stn to Substation check whether for all safety precaution taken. Like safe lifting capacity of crane, safe load on culvert/Bridge/Nala/ Drain etc.and working plan is available at site with specific reference to safety e.g. local earthing, skilled & experience manpower, proper T&P, strength and LT wires/HT wires interrupting the height of equipment and the required clearance maintained etc. Permission to be obtained from concerned authority if required. “Impact recorder on the equipment like Reactor/Transformer must be installed during transportation”

Yes / No.

18. Check that the adequate and safe means of access and aggress has been provided for all work places as far as reasonably practicable and is being used by the workers.

Yes / No.

19. Check proper illumination is provided at the work places and their approaches including passage ways.

Yes / No.

20. Check that the lamps have been protected by suitable guards where necessary to prevent danger, in case the lamp breaks.

Yes / No.

21. Check loose materials which are not required for use shall not be placed or left so as dangerously to obstruct work places or passage ways.

Yes / No.

22. Check all projected nails has been removed or bent over to prevent injury. Yes / No.

23. Check scrap, waste and rubbish has not been allowed to accommodate on the site or the scrap materials has been stored at the isolated place.

Yes / No.

24. Check that the worker while working at height scaffold materials, waste materials and tools are not being thrown by them to cause injury to any person.

Yes / No.

25. Check whether contractor has procured required quantity of PPE considering maximum number of erection gangs deployed at one time. Check the quantity of PPEs.

Yes / No.

26. Check that the PPEs required by the workmen are being utilized by them always.

Yes / No.

27. Check the worker is under constant surveillance by the other person while working at height.

Yes / No.

28. Check construction site has been barricaded for unauthorized persons / animals.

Yes / No.

29. Check that lifting appliances and machines and vehicles used on the construction site is of sound material and good quality and is free from patent defects and is strong enough to with safely the load and stresses to which they will be subjected.

Yes / No.

30. Check structures and equipment is being used only for the purpose for which they were intended.

Yes / No.

31. Check equipment has been operated by the competent person. Yes / No.

32. Check portable ladders shall not exceed 9 Mts. in length, other wise may cause danger while climbing of person and back legs shall be equally braced.

Yes / No.

33. Check unskilled labour are not utilized for skilled jobs and only experience persons are deployed for erection.

Yes / No.

34. Check a well planed and documented procedure for the entire Construction works of Substation shall be prepared by contractor and get approved from Power Grid for distribution to Contractors’ field staff and Power Grid for follow up.

Yes / No.

35. Check no metallic measuring tapes are being used during expansion of charged bays.

Yes / No.

36. Check metal ladders are not being used in the vicinity of exposed live electrical equipment.

Yes / No.

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37. Check one bore well is available for water supply in case Municipal Construction supply is not available

Yes/No.

38. Check charged area of a yard should be properly fenced off. Yes/No.

39. Check ladders/lengthy articles / lengthy equipment, etc. should always be carried in horizontal position.

Yes/No.

40. Check insurance by contractor for the labour to provide adequate coverage for any accident etc.

Yes/No.

REMARKS IF ANY:

Signature

Name :

Designation:

Power Grid Rep.

Signature

Name :

Designation:

Rep. from Contractor

Signature

Name :

Designation :

Rep. from

DETAAILS OF PUB

A

BLIC CONS

94

ANNEXURE

SULTATION

E 5

(JANUARYY TO MARCH 2014)

124

Details of Public Consultation (Translated in English)

Village: Chawanpura, Date: 24.01.14, Time: 03:30 pm Major Issues raised during Public Consultation:

1. What will happen if tower is erected on land of gram panchayat?

If tower is erected on land of gram panchayat, then, compensation for crop damage is paid to gram panchayat.

2. Will the gram pradhan be informed before construction of line?

Gram Panchayat and District Administration are informed during survey of line about

construction of line.

3. If the line passes over house, then what will happen?

Adequate compensation shall be paid for the house as per norms.

4. What will happen to the trees coming along the route of the line?

Adequate compensation shall be paid for the trees as per norms. Village: GauraSurawali, Date: 25.01.14, Time: 10:30 am

1. What will happen to the crop damaged below the line and towers?

After assessment of crop damages occur during construction by Gram Pradhan/Tehsil/ Revenue Department at the request and initiative of POWERGRID, compensation for crops will be paid to affected persons.

2. What will happen to the trees coming below the towers?

If the trees which are coming below the line need to be cut, then compensation for trees shall

be paid to affected person after assessment of damages.

3. What benefit would the villagers get from this line?

The construction of the line would benefit the villagers as well as entire country and the power will be provided to Orai, UPPC, which will benefit in development in the field of power for entire Jalaun area.

4. What will happen if the line passes over house?

During survey of line, POWERGRID tries to avoid routing of line above houses. If the line

passes above house due to certain constraints, adequate compensation shall be paid for the house as per norms.

125

Village: Gautam Pura, Date: 25.01.14, Time: 02:00 pm

1. What will happen if the line passes over house?

During survey of line, POWERGRID tries to avoid routing of line above houses. If the line passes above house due to certain constraints, adequate compensation shall be paid for the house as per norms.


The construction of the line would benefit the villagers as well as entire country and the power

will be provided to Orai, UPPC, which will benefit in development in the field of power for entire Jalaun, Auraiya and Etawah area.

3. What will happen to the trees coming below the towers?

If the trees which are coming below the line need to be cut, then compensation for trees shall

be paid to affected person after assessment of damages.

4. What will happen to the crop damaged below the line and towers?

After assessment of crop damages occur during construction by Gram Pradhan/ Tehsil/ Revenue Department at the request and initiative of POWERGRID, compensation for crops will be paid to affected persons.


If tower is erected on land of gram panchayat, then, compensation for crop damage is paid to

gram panchayat. Village: Takrau, Date: 14.03.14, Time: 12:30 pm


If the line passes above house, adequate compensation shall be paid for the house as per norms.


The construction of the line would benefit the people for which your support is required.

3. What will happen if our trees are cut?

Adequate compensation shall be paid for the trees after cutting of trees.

4. Will the gram pradhan be informed during survey?

Gram Pradhan is informed during survey of line about construction of line.

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If tower is erected on land of gram panchayat, then, compensation for crop damage is paid to gram panchayat.

Village: Bhanera, Date: 01.02.14, Time: 02:00 pm


If the line passes above house, adequate compensation shall be paid for the house as per norms.


The construction of the line would benefit the people for which your support is required.

3. What will happen if our trees are cut?

Adequate compensation shall be paid for the trees after cutting of trees.

4. Will the gram pradhan be informed during survey?

Gram Pradhan is informed during survey of line about construction of line.


If tower is erected on land of gram panchayat, then, compensation for crop damage is paid to

gram panchayat.

PHOTTOGRAPHS

131

OF PUBLIC

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44426-014: national grid improvement project€¦ · orai – orai (upptcl) 400 kv d/c (quad)...

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