CIFRI'S ENVIRONMENTIMPACT ASSESSMENT .(EIA) TECHNOLOGY

- FINDING USERS

CENTRAL INLAND CAPTURE FISHERIES RESEARCH INSTITUTE

CIFRI'S Environment ImpactAssessment (EIA) Technology

- Finding Users

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Bull.No.99 May 2000Central Inland Capture Fisheries Research Institute

(Indian Council of Agricultural Research)Barrackpore-743 101West Bengal

CIFR'S Environment Impact Assessment(EIA) Technology - Finding Users

ISSN 0970-616 X

©2000

Material contained in this Bulletin may not be reproduced, in anyform, without the permission of the publisher

I . Prepared & Composed at The Project Monitoring &Documentation SectionCIFRI, Barrackpore

Published by : The Director, CIFRI, Barrackpore

Printed at MIS. Toparts Private Ltd.812, Dr. Biresh Guha StreetCalcutta- 700017

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Background

Natural resources, for the past few decades, arebeing continuously and brutally exploited to provide fornecessities, luxury and comfort to the growing populace.Aquatic resources are the worst sufferers in this regard,being the ultimate sinks of all environmental aberrations.The waste products generated on account of culturaleutrophication are directly discharged into the' aquaticsystem, endangering the health of its denizens. Thisphenomenon has lead to accumulation of toxic substances,heavy, metals and non-biodegradable chemicals, besidesunabated organic loading of the system, affecting its biotichealth. Siltation, increased water abstraction and rivercourse modification have further compounded the problem.These unhealthy practices have lead to a significant shift inthe biotic texture of the aquatic environment with gradualdominance of economically less preferred species over thedesired ones.

The required increase in production andproductivity on a sustainable basis in future requires asense of caution at every level of production anddevelopment activities. We need to set ecologicallymotivated priorities 'for the same to anticipate and preventrather than react and cure. Environmental impactassessment studies are a tool to arrive at the requiredpriority of anticipation and prevention.

Central Inland Capture Fisheries ResearchInstitute, as a result of its work during the last decade, hasbeen able to evolve technology of Environmental ImpactAssessment of various types of changes being commonlyencountered in aquatic environment in the country.

The Institute's studies on the environmentalproblems relating to aquatic ecosystems since 1986 havebeen widely recognised in India & abroad andconsequently it is looked upon as the main consultancyagency for assessing the environmental impact of majordevelopment projects.

The various consultancy work under taken byCIFRI in this field are enlisted below:

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Title of the Project Category of Name of Periodthe Project funding

agencyBioassay Toxicity Consultancy Paradeep 1992-Studies on Paradeep Phosphate 1993Phosphate EffluentsEnvironmental situation Consultancy BOBP 1993-and threat to Marine Scheme 1994Fisheries in Bay ofBenqalStudies on fish Consultancy Narmada ------- 1992-conservation in Narmada Control 1993Sagar, Sardar Sarovar Authorityand its down stream - adesk reviewWater quality monitoring Sponsored Min. of 1993-and evaluation in River Environment 1998Ganga in West Bengal & Forest,GPO Gov!. of IndiaBiomonitoring & Sponsored Min. of 1993-Ecorestoration measures Environment 96in selected stretches of & Forests,River Ganqa & Yamuna Gov!. of IndiaPotentialities of tidal Sponsored Min. of 1993-mangrove forests of Environment 96Sundarbans & Forest,

Gov!. of IndiaStudies on the impact of Consultancy National 1993-hot water discharge from Thermal 96Singrauli - NTPC Power

CorporationEcological and Consultancy Oeptt. of 1995-conservational Fisheries, 99perspectives of river Gov!. ofNarmada with a special Maharashtrareference to SSPLikely impact on aquatic Consultancy Oeptt. of 1997-ecology in the context of Irrigation, 1999barrage construction Govt. ofU.P.across the river Gangaat KanpurEnvironmental Consultancy Min. of Agril., 1998-monitoring of oxbow Gov!. of India 2000lakes fisheries impact inthe State of Bihar andUttar Pradesh

The followinq pages will detail some of theimportant EIA consultancies successfully under taken byCIFRI.

A. Studies on the Impact of hotwater, discharge onthe aquatic life of the Rihand Reservoir

Sponsored by National Thermal PowerCorporation Ltd., New Delhi

Objectives

Scientific information on impact of hot waterdischarge from Thermal Power Station on aquatic life intropical conditions like India is scanty. The present studyaimed to evaluate the impact through cooling system ofSingrauli STPP on the aquatic life of Ripand Reservoirreported to have a 8-1o-c rise in temperature. At present,Indian regulations does not permit more than 5°C rise indischarge water tempeature over the in situ temperature.

The study covered the following aspects

Physico-chemical parameters of the reservoir waterreceiving the hot condenser cooling water.

1) Biological investigation of the reservoir.

1) Conductance of bioassay experiment for thermaltolerance.

Studying impact on aquatic organism due tothermal discharge and other such environmentalmodifications.

Evaluation of the changes if any due to operationof the once through cooling system of SingrauliSTPP on the ecology of Rihand reservoir.

Results and Recommendations

• Proper functioning of the proposed barrage is vitalfor maintaining optimum ecological behaviour ofthe river stretch, especially downstream.' .

• The barrage may not effect the movement of fishas the river stretch lack migratory fish species.However, it does effect local movements of fishand other biota. l

• The upstream of the barrage, the reservoir areamay provide relatively conducive environment forbetter growth of IMe provided there is nodislocation of breeding grounds.

• In case the discharge from the barrage fails todeliver the quantum or density of water and dilutedsewage as per prescribed norms envisaged underthe plan, the ecology of the river will be affectedotherwise their will be ecological rehabilitation.

• The fish sanctuary at Bithur with R.rita dominancemay become richer with widening of fish spectrumand can be converted into a potential recreationspot.

• The river would definitely experience shift in/

community structure of fauna and flora at lower..

trophic strata both above and below the barraqe..which needs careful monitoring in future. Furtherlikely colonization by macrophytes, E.crassipes inparticular, need to be watched carefully.

• Past experince from many river systems suggestthat any stable solid structure erected in rivers formthe ideal substrata for Trichoptera sp. introublesome swarms. Such likely developmenthave to be looked into.

• Expansion in water area above the barrage wouldsubmerge substantially large areas of virgin landson the northern bank of Ganga presently used for .vegetable cultivation, cattle raising and other day today activites by local inhabitants dominated by

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.:. In future while developing site for setting up newpower plant the discharge canal may be so locatedthat breeding of fish species is not affected.

B. Likely impact on aquatic ecology in the contextof barrage construction across the river Gangaat Kanpur.

Sponsored by Dept. of Irrigation, Govt. ofUttar Pradesh

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Objectives

The city of Kanpur is facing a number of seriousproblems, ever since the river Ganga shifted it courseaway from it. The immedate fall out of this naturalphenomenon has been felt not only asthetically, like loss ofwater front along the city, but it has also thrown upon thecity dwellers impalatable un-hygienic conditions arising outof the disposal of sewage over the dry and exposed oldriver course of the Ganga resulting in mosquito menace.Considering the public resentment and in the light of therecommendation of Chitale Committee, the Govt. of U.P.proposed to consturct a barrage across river Ganga nearKanpur with the aim to restore the water front along the cityand rduce the impact of sewage on the city dwellers. Inthe background of anticipated impacts of the barrage onvarious environmental variables likely to emanate from thechanged hydrography of the river stretch between Bithur(upstream) to Shekhpur (downstream), it was feltnecessary to conduct EIA studies. The Govt. Of U.P.assigned CIFRI this study under the project.

CIFRI carried out the assigned consultancy with thebroad objectives viz., (i) fish biodiversity assessment inaround the barrage site, (li) population dynamics ofeconomially important fish species and the likely impact ontheir fishery (iii) the suitability of the proposed fish ladder inrelation to resident and migratory fish population and(iv) tosuggest package of practices for fish species of economicimportance and harvesting sustainable yield from theui.corninq impoundments. In addition to these waterquality assessment, biodiversity and socioeconomicaspects of fishermen community were also studied.

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Results & Recommendations

t The thermal difference between inlet and dischargewater in all the seasons was above permissiblelimit of 5°C and the 12 km long hot water coolingchannel did not.lower the effluent temperature todesirable level.

/t Destructive method of fishing employed in the•. reservoir contributed to biodiversity loss .

t. Hot water discharge have created barrier formigration of fry of major carps to nursery areas ..,

t There has been siltation in plume and adjoininglotic sector of the reservoir. Shallowness createdin this sector is responsible for extending influenceof hot water deep into offshore area where atemperature range of 37°C to 39°C is recorded.This has created a thermal impact at theprospective breeding grounds.

t Long term exposure of plankton communities totemperature of 36°C and above, supresses the rateof primary production at the stressed site in thereservoir.

It has been recommended to..-

..:. Bring down present effluent discharge temperature.through spray ponds etc or by rapid mixing throughsubmerged discharge structure.

.:. Develop suitable plantations on both banks ofdischarge channel to drop water temperature by1-2°C.

.:. Possibility of developing tolerant aquatic weedsalong the channel. This may help in loweringtemperature.

.:. Silting of lotic sector, resulted in extension ofhotwater deep into offshore areas, affecting fishbreeding zones. Thus dredging has beensuggested close to the discharge channel.

fisher community. Evidently decline in income willoccur which may be compensated byoccupational shift in favour of fisheries.

c. Environmental Impact assessment of worldbank assisted shrimp and fish culture project inUttar Pradesh and Bihar.

Sponsored by World Bank

Objectives

A world bank assisted project on shrimp and fishculture is being implemented in five states of India. Thefish culture component of the project comprises 200 smallreservoirs and 37 oxbow lakes covering a surface area of3175 ha. The main purpose of the proposed EIA studies isto conduct a comprehensive ecological survey of the 37oxbow lakes covered under the World Bank assistedproject in U.P. and Bihar This will enable collection ofbaseline data for assessing the possible negative andpositive environmental impact of the fisheries developmentproject. The broad objective are :

• To monitor and evaluate the positive and negativeimpacts of the proposed development activities onthese ecosystems by utilizing the backgroundinformation and scientific database to be generatedduring the project period.

• To prepare monitoring protocol and environmentalmanagement plan specific to each or group ofecosystems.

Results and Recommendations

Two interim reports have been submitted and finalreport is in the preparatory stage.

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Environment impact assessment

Effluent discharge

Effluent draining into River Damodar

In situ toxicity studies

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