Chapter 1: introduction

8.2.4 Adaptive Management of Selected Environmental Issues

8.2.4.1 Supplemental Baseline Surveys

The EIA report identified key areas in which additional information is needed to improve mitigation measures. The main supplemental baseline surveys are:

Baseline Information on the Aquatic Life and Community Water Uses of Tamor River

The baseline information on the aquatic life and community water uses of the Tamor River downstream and upstream of the Powerhouse location are not adequate. To fill this data gap KAHEP will conduct a study on the aquatic life and community water uses in the Tamor River, particularly downstream the powerhouse tailrace. The study will include fishery, phytoplankton, zooplankton and aquatic insect survey downstream of the Tamor Kabeli confluence up to 5 km downstream of the tailrace outlet once before the start of the construction to generate baseline data. Apart from this, the study will include community water uses of the Tamor River including uses of the Tamor riverine zone for various livelihoods, religious, water supply and irrigation etc. The monitoring indicators, location, methods, frequency and responsibility are described in the Table 8.12 “Baseline Monitoring Plan for Updating”.

Baseline Information on the Aquatic life of Kabeli River and Its Tributaries

Available baseline information on the aquatic life of the Kabeli River and its tributaries is fragmentary or limited only to the KAHEP directly affected sections. The distribution of various fish species and their upper habitat range is not well understood within the Kabeli basin. To fill this gap of information, KAHEP will conduct a study on the aquatic life of the Kabeli River and its tributaries in the Kabeli basin in the beginning of the construction phase. The study will include fishery, phytoplankton, zooplankton and aquatic insect survey upstream of the KAHEP diversion structure. The monitoring indicators, location, methods, frequency and responsibility are described in the Table 8.12 “Baseline Monitoring Plan for Updating” .

Baseline Information on the Status of Houses and Infrastructure along Tunnel Alignment

The assessment of risks during blasting of the tunnels identified some concerns for dwellings and other infrastructure along the tunnel alignment. This baseline study will identify all dwellings and other infrastructure in a 500 meter row along the alignment. Baseline study will include: survey of all houses and infrastructure identifying ownership, materials, use; register of the current status of all infrastructures with photographic evidence. During and especially after the tunnel construction, these dwellings and infrastructure will need to be assessed. If any damage attributable to the project is identified, the Proponent will repair or replace the damages as needed at no cost to the owners of the infrastructure.

8.2.4.2 Additional Studies

Three studies are proposed to be carried out during the construction period.

Fish Hatchery Planning Study

The water diversion projects such as KAHEP do impact the fish diversity and population through barrier and dewatering effects. The KAHEP, to minimize the impacts, has integrated fish ladder provision in the dam body. The uncertainty of the effective use of the fish ladder for upstream and downstream migration of the fish is one of the issues of concern. It is therefore, a fish hatchery annexed with an open water fish stocking is proposed for KAHEP to minimize the uncertainty risks of the fish ladder with an objective to maintain the fish diversity and population in the upstream section of the Kabeli River. The target fish species for hatching in the fish hatchery are the red list species and the migratory species of the Kabeli River (refer Table 6.10, Chapter 6 for target species). The observed target fish species have been successfully breed in captivity in Nepal. To duplicate the experience, at the KAHEP site, a fish hatchery plan will be developed by KAHEP. This proposal is made because of the transportation difficulties of the fingerlings of target species from the existing facilities in the western and central Nepal to the KAHEP site. The study will include a review of the fish hatching experience of the target fish species in Nepal; identification of suitable fish hatching site close to the KAHEP, design of the fish hatching facility with required accessories, and draw operation management and costs of the fish hatching facility for construction and operation.

Catchment Area Treatment Plan

Upland erosion and downstream sedimentation is one of the issues of concern in Himalaya including Kabeli basin. Various development activities and changing land use have accelerated downstream sedimentation activities in the basin. Construction of unplanned rural roads in the basin with the budget allocated for each VDC by the local government have also aggravated the erosion problems in the basin leading to the sediment increase.. The roads which are supposed to be labor based are now being constructed with bull dozers and excavators without any engineering design. The erroneous construction procedures of these rural roads have contributed in triggering landslides and slope instabilities in the rural area. These roads stretching all over the basin will definitely support in increasing the sediment load in the Kabeli River and its tributaries thus affecting the life and performance of the hydro plants.

To minimize the effects of erosion and sedimentation, there is a need of basin wide identification of the vulnerable areas and activities that result into the erosion and subsequent sedimentation in the basin. As of the date there are no such studies at the Kabeli Basin. The KAHEP will conduct a basin wide study for the identification of the key erosion prone areas and activities that are likely to enhance erosion and sedimentation in future. Based on such study, a catchment area treatment plan will be drawn for the Kabeli basin during the construction phase. This study will form a basis for responsibility sharing between the various development agencies including KAHEP developer for the minimization of the erosion and sedimentation in the basin. The catchment treatment plan needs to be integrated into the project activities and overall developed activities in the basin.

Cumulative Impact Assessment Study

The rapid CIA, Chapter 7 of this report, study undertaken by KAHEP at this planning stage has many limitations due to lack of information at the basin level. Nevertheless, the study has flagged a number of environmental and social issues of ongoing and planned sectoral and cross sectoral developmental activities in the basin. Further elaboration and verification of the environmental issues highlighted by the rapid CIA is essential through a detailed CIA study of the basin during the construction phase. Only such study will provide inputs for the development decision makers (government regulating agencies and the developers) within the basin for the better environmental management. KAHEP financing agency IDA has provisioned a USD 2 million Technical Assistance to the Ministry of Energy to enable the GoN to carry out any additional basin-wide studies that are necessary to design specific measures to manage potential cumulative impacts and risks at the Tamor River watershed including Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA). The proposed CIA study apart from the evaluation of the basin level development planning will also conduct the environmental flow requirements in the Kabeli dewatered stretch in different hydropower development scenario. In addition, it will conduct the efficiency of the various fish ladder designs in the Nepalese river to draw conclusions on the best design for the Nepalese fish diversity. The study will also include the feasibility of an “Functional Intact River” strategy for the Tamor River watershed in order to preserve habitats and alternate routes for fish.