Gujarat Rajkot and Surendranagar

Transcription

1 F. No. 8-48/2017-FC Sub: Diversion of ha of forest land ( ha Reserved Forest land in Rajkot District Reserved Forest land in Surendranagar District) for Development of Greenfield Airport at Rajkot in favour of Director of Civil Aviation, Government of Gujarat. 1. The State Government of Gujarat vide their letter No. FCA-1017/10-30/17/S.F-97/F dated submitted the above mentioned proposal seeking prior approval of the Central Government under Sectin-2 of the Forest (Conservation) Act, The facts related to the proposal as contained in the State Government s letter dated are given below in the form of fact sheet: FACT SHEET 1. Name of the Proposal Diversion of ha of forest land ( ha Reserved Forest land in Rajkot District Reserved Forest land in Surendranagar District) for Development of Greenfield Airport at Rajkot in favour of Director of Civil Aviation, Government of Gujarat. 2. Location (i) State (ii) District 3. Particulars of Forests: (i) Name of Forest Division and Forest area involved. Gujarat Rajkot and Surendranagar Rajkot Forest Division Surendranagar FD ha ha (ii) Legal status/sy.no. Reserved Forest 4. Vulnerability to erosion Rajkot Area is not vulnerable to erosion. Surendranagar The proposed area is undulating with small hillocks. The water drains to Beti river. 5. (i) Vegetation Limdo, Ljrayali Baval, Subaval, Sisoo, Siras, Piplo, Pipal, Khakhro, Hermo, Vikalo, Ambala, Desi, Baval, Umro, Kasid, Goras Ambali, Arduso, Ingoriya, Simdo, Sargavo, Gorad, Kher, Madhit, etc. (ii) Density (iii) No. of trees enumerated/ to be actually felled 6. Whether forms part of National park, Wildlife Sanctuary, Biosphere Reserve, Tiger Reserve, Elephant Corridor, etc. (if so, details of the area and comments of the Chief Wildlife Warden 7. Whether any RET species of flora and fauna are found in the area. If so details thereof 8. Approximate distance of the proposed site for diversion from boundary of forest. 9. Whether any protected archaeological/ heritage Rajkot <0.1 Surendranagar 15% 2180 nos. of trees (Pg-02/c) No Rajkot Nil Surendranagar Blue Bull, Indian Fox etc. Rajkot - The proposed site for diversion is Reserved forest area. Surendranagar - The proposed area is berest itself. No

2 site/defence establishment or any other important monuments is located in the area. 10. Whether any work of in violation of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 has been carried out (Yes/No). If yes details of the same including period of work done, action taken on erring officials. Whether work in violation is still in progress. 11. Whether the requirement of forest land as proposed by the user agency in col. 2 of Part-I is unavoidable and barest minimum for the project, if no recommended area item-wise with details of alternatives examined. 12. Whether clearance under the Environment (protection) Act, 1986 is required? 13. Compensatory Afforestation (i) Details of non-forest area/degraded forest area identified for CA, its distance from adjoining forest, number of patches, sixe of each patches. (ii) Map showing nonforest/degraded forest area identified for CA and adjoining forest boundaries. (iii) Detailed CA scheme including species to be planted, implementing agency, time schedule, cost structure, etc. (iv) Total financial outlay for CA (v) Certificate from the competent authority regarding suitability of the area identified for CA and from management point of view. No Rajkot - Yes Surendranagar Requirement of forest as proposed for diversion is unavoidable but not barest minimum for the proposal. Yes Detailed compensatory afforestation scheme containing the following details is not given: a) Details of equivalent non-forest or degraded forest land identified for raising compensatory afforestation. b) Delineation of proposed area on suitable map. c) Agency responsible for afforestation. d) Details of work schedule proposed for compensatory afforestation. e) Cost structure of plantation, provision of funds and the mechanism to ensure that the funds will be utilized for raising afforestation. f) Details of proposed monitoring mechanism. However. It is mentioned in the forwarded letter that compensatory afforestation has been proposed at ha forest land in Village-Kunathiya, Ta. Abdasa, Dist. Kutch and ha forest land in village-bhachunda, Ta. Abdasa, Dist. Kutch. Certificate from the competent authority regarding suitability of the area identified for CA (Pg- 77/c). However, it is not mentioned in suitability certificate whether identified CA land is free from encroachment. 14. Catchment Area Treatment NA

3 15. Rehabilitation of Oustees a) No of families involved b) Category of families c) Details of rehabilitation plan 16. Employment likely to be generated 17. Compliance of Scheduled Tribe and Other Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of Forest Rights) Act, 2006 NA NA NA Not given FRA certificates with Gram Sabha Resolution for an area of ha. (pg.58-59/c) and for an area of ha.(pg.60-61/c) are given. But the minutes of SDLC is not attached with the proposal. 18. Cost Benefit Ratio Not given 19. Total Cost of the Project Rs Crore 20. Recommendation i. DCF Recommended by DCF, Rajkot (Pg-15/c) Recommended by DCF,Surendranagar (Pg-17/c) ii. CCF iii. Nodal Officer iv State Government 21. District Profile (i) Total Geographical area of the district (ii) Total Forest area/ Divisional Forest area (iii) Total area diverted since 1980 (iv) Total CA stipulated since 1980 (Forest land) a. Forest land including penal CA b. Non Forest Land (v) Progress of Compensatory Afforestation a. Forest land b. Non Forest land Recommended (Pg-18/c) Recommended (Pg-19/c) Recommended (Pg-20/c) Rajkot Sq. Km Surendranagar Sq. km. Rajkot Sq. km Surendranagar ha Rajkot ha (72 cases) Surendranagar Rajkot Surendranagar ha Rajkot Surendranagar ha Rajkot Surendranagar ha Rajkot Surendranagar ha 3. SITE INSPECTION REPORT: The SIR has been carried out by Shri S. K. Bhandari, Chief Conservator of Forest (C), Regional Office, Bhopal for the instant proposal. The SIR is reproduced below:

4 1. Legal Status of Forest land proposed for diversion: The forest areas proposed for the diversion are Reserved Forests in both the divisions of Rajkot and Surendranagar. 2. Item wise breakup of the forest land proposed for diversion: For Greenfield Airport at Hirasar, Rajkot. The activities involved in the project are air side and city side infrastructure development. This include passenger & Cargo terminal, ATC,fire station, electric sub -station, cargo facility, water treatment plant, car parking hangers, cargo and passenger apron, taxi way,runway, administrative block, isolation bay, GSE storage, and AC plant, access internal road,hotels and commercial development, night parking, basic repair and maintenance facilities. 3. Whether the proposal involves any construction of buildings (including residential). If, yes, details there of: yes,as mentioned in sl. no. 02 above. 4. Total cost of Project: Rs.1200 crore. 5. Wild Life: Blue bull and Indian fox has been reported. Blue bull was also seen during the inspection.. 6. Vegetation: All the three patches of Reserved forest land is grassland with scattered presence of trees of species of Azaridicta indica, Acacia tortolis, Leucaena leucocephala, Delbergia sisso, Albizia lebbeck, Butea monosperma, Acacia nilotica,ficu,ailanthus excels,bombax ceiba Acacia Senegal,A. cateachu, Prosopis juliflora, etc. In total 2180 numbers of trees are required to be felled: In Rajkot Forest Division : 573 nos. (up to 60 cm. 487 nos.) In Surendranagar 1607 nos. ( up to 60 cm.1465 nos.) 7. Background note of the proposal: Since the present airport at Rajkot has no possibility of expansion because of urbanization all round the airport, the Civil Aviation department of Gujarat has come up with the proposal to construct Green field airport adjacent to NH-8(B), Rajkot-Ahmadabad Highway, about 25 k.m. away from Rajkot to cater the future needs of passengers and cargo of Rajkot and adjoining areas. The particular site has been selected due to the fact that it is close to the NH8B. Prefeasibility Study shows its suitability for the development of airport. It involves minimum private land. Huge land mass is located in one pocket. It is close to the city. There is no pre construction on the proposed site. 8. Compensatory Afforestation:

5 CA is contemplated on ha.( ha. and ha. in villages of Kunathiya and Bhachunde respectively in Tehsil Abdasha in Kutchchh district.)over 43 patches of non forest land. Out of this 14 patches of proposed CA in Konathiya village and 07 patches in Bhachunda village are adjoining to the Konathiya Forest land but remaining 22 patches of Bhachunda village are not adjoining to the forest land. These all patches are in tehsil Abdosa in the district of Kutchchh. 9. Whether proposal involves violation of Forest (Conservation) Act? No such violations were seen in field visit. The state Government has also stated this. 10. Whether the proposal involves rehabilitation of displaced people? No. 11. Reclamation Plan : details and Financial Allocation : None. 12. Details of catchment and command area under the project. Catchment area treatment plan to prevent siltation of reservoir. Not applicable. 13. Cost benefit ratio ; Not given. 14. Recommendation of Nodal officer and the State government: The Nodal Officer and the State government has recommended the proposal. 15. Utility of Project : This will cater the future expending need of passenger and Cargo of the area of Rajkot and Surendranagar. 16. Whether the land being diverted has any socio-cultural value : No. Whether any sacred grove or very old growth of trees or forests exist in the area proposed for Diversion? No. Whether the land under diversion forms part of any unique eco-system? These are isolated patch of grass land. 17. Situation with respect to any P.A.

6 As certified by the field officers and the State Government the distance from Protected area is k.m. and k.m. respectively in respect of forests patches of Rajkot and Surendranagar Forest Divisions. 18. Details of comments of the APCCF on alternate routes/alignments for locating the projects. Since this is being a non -linear project required for the specific purpose of highly technical project of establishing airport to meet the future demand of passenger and Cargo traffic and the site has been selected after undertaking prefeasibility report and justifications given by the project authority, locating the project at the present site which include 03 isolated patches of grass land is reasonable especially in view of the fact that for such diversion non forest land has been provided. 19. Recommendation of Regional APCCF along with detailed reasons: In view of the justification given by the project proponent and the forest patches intertwined with other government and private land are isolated and prone to biotic interference, these grass lands can be diverted for airport as per the norms of Air Port Authority of India. 20. Any other information related to the project: The Inspecting Officer has submitted the inspection report along with documents, photographs and the same is enclosed. Diversion of ha. of forest land ( ha.reserved Forest land in Rajkot district ha Reserved Forest land in Surendranagar district) for the development of Green field airport at Rajkot in favour of the Director of Civil Aviation, Government of Gujarat. INTRODUCTION: Since the present Airport at Rajkot has no possibility of expansion because of urbanization all round the airport, the Civil Aviation department of Gujarat has come up with the proposal to construct Green field Airport adjacent to NH-8(B), Rajkot-Ahmadabad Highway, about 25 k.m. away from Rajkot to cater the future needs of passengers and cargo of Rajkot and adjoining areas. DESCRIPTION: The project will involve a total area of ha. and the forest area is of ha. The private land involved is ha. The other Government land involved is Gauchar land,wasteland and ALC land. The project cost is Rs.1200 crore. Out of ha. of forest land, ha. Reserved Forest land is in Rajkot district and ha of ReservedForest land is in Surendranagar district under Rajkot and Surendranagar Forest Divisions respectively. METHODOLOGY: The first thing done was to refer to the map of the project area and the lay out plan of the Green field airport. These are set out at Annexure- A and Annexure-B.Three patches of forest areas are involved in the project, two in Rajkot and one in Surendranagar Forest Divisions. Proposed inspection was scheduled in a way that all the patches of forest areas are visited, seen, photographed and observed. INSPECTION: Inspection was done on 18/8/2017 in the fore noon in presence of CCF, Junagarh, Shri Sanjay Mehta, DFO, Rajkot, DFO, Surendra Nagar, executive staff and representatives of Civil Aviation Department of the government of Gujarat. All the three patches were visited and seen. At 08(eight locations photographs were taken and the same are set out at Annexure-C.

7 OBSERVATIONS: All the three patches of forests are grass lands surrounded by other private and other government lands. The area is plain with slightly undulations which are more prominent especially along the water channels. Grasses are almost small probably due to the grazing. Zizyphus is found scattered everywhere. There are scattered trees of Accacia tortolis,a.senegal, A.nilotica, Prosophis,Butea,Ailenthus,Khair,Semul,etc. It appears that these are mostly planted ones. Presence of trees are much more prominent in forests of Surendra Nagar.Along water channel tree growth is good. The first patch in Rajkot division is near NH-8(B).All the patches are approachable by road and are prone to biotic pressure. Blue bull was seen nearby habitation area. The density is less than 0.4 mostly being the grass lands. Grass land is a community mostly dominated by the grasses or grass like plants. These grass lands are not climatic climax but have developed secondarily under influence of two factors mainly edaphic and biotic. These grass lands are maintained in their present seral stage due to biotic influence. Fire alone or coupled with grazing and browsing are potent factors for the development of grass lands. These are stable pre-climax due to secondary succession where succession is arrested at seral stage. The area is fenced at most of the places, and trees are planted. CA area was seen in DSS. These are non forest land in 43 patches totaling an area of ha. and ha. in villages of Kunathiya and Bhachunde respectively in Tehsil Abdasha in Kutchchh district. The project authority has given many justifications for locating the airport at particular site and the same has been selected after prefeasibility study. RECOMMENDATION: In view of the justification given by the project authority and the forest areas surrounded by other lands and are isolated and prone to biotic interference, these grass lands can be diverted for airport as per the norms of Air Port Authority of India. The facts related to the above proposal may be placed before FAC in its next meeting to be held on for their examination and appropriate recommendation. ****