CEYLON ELECTRICITY BOARD

Transcription

1 DEMOCRATIC SOCIALIST REPUBLIC OF SRI LANKA CEYLON ELECTRICITY BOARD SUSTAINABLE POWER SECTOR DEVELOPMENT PROJECT SUB PROJECT 03 Improvement of Transmission System Reliability INITIAL ENVIRONMENTAL EXAMINATION PREPARED FOR ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK ENVIRONMENT UNIT CEYLON ELECTRICITY BOARD COLOMBO SRI LANAKA March 2008

2 Abbreviations ADB - Asian Development Bank BoI - Board of Investment CDM - Clean Development Mechanism CEA - Central Environmental Authority CEB - Ceylon Electricity Board db(a) - A-Weighted sound measurement in decibels DS - Divisional Secretary EIA - Environmental Impact Assessment EPL - Environmental Protection License GIS - Gas Insulated Substation GN - Grama Niladhari GS - Grid Substation IEC - International Electrotechnical Commission IEE - Initial Environmental Examination IPP - Independent Power Producer JICA - Japan International Co-operation Agency km - kilometer kv - kilovolt m - meter MOH - Medical Officer of Health MVA - Megavolt Ampere MW - Megawatt NEA - National Environment Act PSS/e - Power System Simulation REA - Rapid Environmental Assessment ROW - Right of Way Page 1

3 CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION The Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) 8 2 DESCRIPTION OF THE SUB-PROJECT Scope and Outcome of the Sub-project Summary Scope Detailed Scope First Priority Scope Project Description GSs to be Augmented New Grid Substations New Transmission Lines Type of Project and the Category Need for the Project Policy Focus Expansion of Grid Substation Capacity New Transmission Lines 27 3 STUDY METHODOLOGY, SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS 27 4 RAPID ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT 28 5 DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT Three New Grid Substations to be Built Eight Existing Grid Substations to be Augmented Description of the Environment Along the Proposed Transmission Lines Galle- Matara 132 kv Transmission Line Habarana-Valachchenai 132 kv Line Puttalam-Maho 132 kv Transmission Line Ukuwela-Pallekelle 132 kv Transmission Line Proposed In and Out Connection at Naula 52 6 POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND PROPOSED MITIGATION MEASURES Grid Substations Project Siting Potential Environmental Impacts of GSs and Mitigatory Measures Potential Environmental Enhancement Measures Transmission Lines Potential Environmental Impacts and Mitigatory Measures Galle-Matara 132 kv Transmission Line Habarana-Valachchenai 132 Transmission Line Puttalam-Maho 132 Transmission Line Ukuwela-Pallekelle 132 kv Transmission Line Transmission Line for Naula In and Out Connection 67 7 SRI LANKA LEGAL REQUIREMENTS Environmental Acts and Regulations Environmental Approval Procedure 69 Page 2

4 7.2.1 Augmentation of Eight Grid Substations Construction of Three New Grid Substations Transmission line for in and out Connection to Naula GS Transmission Lines 71 8 INSTITUTIONAL REQUIREMENTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING PLAN Procedure to Handle Public Complaints Environmental Management and Monitoring Plan 72 9 PUBLIC CONSULTATION AND INFORMATION DISCLOSURE Grid Substations Right-of-Way of the Transmission Line Preliminary Work Conducted Sri Lanka Environmental Approval Process Formal Notice and Route Confirmation Public Consultation and Appeal Procedure to Address Grievances Procedure to Handle Public Complaints During Implementation Phase FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS Project Justification Environmental Impacts of GS Augmentation Transmission Lines CONCLUSIONS 88 ANNEX 1: RAPID ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (REA) CHECKLIST 90 Page 3

5 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1.1- CEB Existing Transmission System Figure 2.1- Space Available for the Augmentation at Horana GS 14 Figure 2.2- Space at Kurunegala GS for the Augmentation 15 Figure 2.3- Space at Panadura for New 33 kv Bay and the New Transformer 16 Figure 2.4- Space at Veyangoda GS Available for the Augmentation 17 Figure 2.5- Sri Lanka Transmission Map (2011) Showing the Elements of the Subproject 18 Figure 2.6- Proposed Route for the New Galle-Matara Transmission Line 21 Figure 2.7- Proposed Route for the Habarana-Valachchenai Line 22 Figure 2.8- Proposed Traverse of the Puttalam-Maho Line 23 Figure 2.9- Ukuwela-Pallekelle Line Trace 24 Figure Population Based on Gender in Each Area 30 Figure 5.2 Population Composition based on Ethnicity 33 Figure 6.1- Optional Routes for the Galle-Matara Transmission Corridor 58 Figure 6.2- Alternatives Routes for the Habarana - Valachchenai Transmission Corridor 60 Figure 6.3- Optional Routes for the Transmission Corridor Between Puttalam and Maho 63 Figure 6.4- Optional Routes for the Transmission Corridor between Ukuwela & Pallekelle 65 LIST OF TABLES Table 2.1- Summary Scope of the Subproject 10 Table 2.2- Land Use in the Galle-Matara Line Corridor 20 Table 2.3- Land Use Along the Habarana-Valachchenai Line Route 22 Table 2.4- Land-use Along the Puttalam-Maho Line Corridor 23 Table 2.5- Land Use Table 24 Table 5.1 Location of New Grid Substations in terms of DS Division 29 Page 4

6 Table Head Count Index of the DS Division Where the Selected GSs are Located 30 Table Percentage Distribution of Educational Attainment by District 31 Table 5.4 Grid Substations Proposed to be Augmented 31 Table Head Count Index of the DS Division Where the Selected GSs are Located 35 Table Percentage Distribution of Educational Attainment by District 35 Table 5.7- Agricultural Activities in Galle-Matara Districts 38 Table 5.8- Socio-economic Conditions in Galle and Matara 39 Table 5.9- Agricultural Land Use in Polonnaruwa and Batticaloa 43 Table Summaried Socio-economic Information on Polonnaruwa and Batticaloa 43 Table Details of Agricultural Activities Along the Puttalam-Maho Line 47 Table Socio-economic Conditions in Puttalam and Kurunegala Districts 48 Table Socio-economic Conditions in the Kandy District 52 Table 6.1- Land-use Pattern Along the Three Optional Routes for Galle-Matara 59 Table 6.2- Land-use Pattern Along the Three Optional Routes for Habarana-Valachchenai 61 Table 6.3- Land-use Pattern Along the Three Optional Routes for Puttalam Maho 64 Table 6.4- Land-use Pattern Along the Three Optional Routes for Ukuwela-Pallekelle 66 Table 8.1- Environmental Monitoring Plan 73 Table 8.2- Cost Estimates for the Environmental Mitigation and Monitoring Plan 82 Page 5

7 1 INTRODUCTION The project proponent, The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) is the national electricity utility in Sri Lanka responsible for generation and transmission of electricity in the country, and is also responsible for the distribution and supply of electricity to about 90% of the customers. About 37% (2006) of electricity is generated by Independent Power Producers (IPPs) and Small Power Producers (SPPs), while the balance generation and the entire transmission system is owned and operated by CEB. The transmission system comprises 220 kv and 132 kv transmission lines interconnecting Grid Substations (GSs) and power stations. By end 2006, the CEB transmission system consisted of 50 grid substations and about 2050 km of transmission lines. The existing transmission network and the GSs are shown in Figure 1.1. Over the past 10 years, the demand for electricity in Sri Lanka has been growing at annual rates between 5.1% and 13.3%, except in when there were rolling blackouts to overcome generation shortages. With the rapid expansion of rural electrification, this demand growth is recorded in the provincial centres as well, where electricity use for residential, commercial and industrial activities are on the rise. The trend is expected to continue for several years into the future, owing to the Government s declared policy of providing electricity to at least 85% of households by year The present electrification ratio stands at 76.7% 1. To satisfy the declared policy goals in electrification and to meet the underlying growth in demand from existing and new customers, CEB prepares regional demand forecasts using a combination of trend analysis and information available on expected spot loads for new industrial and commercial developments. Based on these 10-year regional demand forecasts, and the annually updated generation expansion plan, the CEB s Transmission Planning Branch prepares a 10-year transmission expansion plan. This plan is updated every year. This plan is prepared at a national level and is a comprehensive plan, using tools such as Power System Simulation Software (PSS/e), and provides information with regard to security analysis, stability, fault levels and reliability of the system. The plan also provides information on the weak points in the system and proposes new projects to accommodate the new generation additions as well as to improve the quality and reliability of supply to customers. The main issues considered for transmission development are: Transmission lines and inter-bus transformer overloading under normal and single outage (n-1) operating conditions Overloading of transmission equipment under normal and single outage (n-1) operating conditions Corrective measures for voltage criteria violations under normal and single outage (n-1) operating conditions Corrective measures for transient stability criteria violations 1 Statistical Digest, Ceylon Electricity Board, 2006 Page 6

8 Figure 1.1- CEB Existing Transmission System 2007 CHUNNAKAM 220kV Line 132kV : Underground Cable 132kV Line 132kV Line (not in operation) 220/132 kv Sub Station 132kV GS Hydro Power Station Thermal Power Station KILINOCHCHI KOTUGODA VAVUNIA TRINCOMALEE BARGE PS KELANIYA S'KANDA BIYAGAMA ANURADHAPURA NEW ANURADHAPURA KELANITISSA KHD LAKDANAWI FORT KOLONNAWA PUTTALAM HABARANA KOLLUPITIYA MARADANA ATURUGIRIYA VALACHCHANAI HAVELOCK TOWN ORUWALA DEHIWALA PANNIPITIYA BOWATENNA MADAMPE KURUNEGALA RATMALANA UKUWELA BOLAWATTA KOTUGODA KIRIBATHKUMBURA VEYANGODA RANDENIGALA THULHIRIYA VICTORIA RANTEMBE BIYAGAMA KOTMALE AMPARA INGINIYAGALA KELANITISSA LAXAPANA KOLONNAWA SRI JAYAWARDHANAPURA RATMALANA SAPUGASKANDA ATURUGIRIYA ORUWALA PANNIPITIYA POLPITIYA SITHAWAKA KOSGAMA WIMALASURENDRA NEW LAXAPANA N'ELIYA CANYON BADULLA PANADURA HORANA RATNAPURA BALANGODA SAMANALAWEWA MATUGAMA KUKULE DENIYAYA EMBILIPITIYA GALLE HAMBANTOTA MATARA Page 7

9 The plan identifies specific network and substation development requirements and their timing, and provides cost estimates for the proposals. These proposals are then submitted for financing. In addition to the regular transmission planning studies regularly conducted by CEB, a Master Plan Study for the development of the transmission system in Sri Lanka was completed by CEB with technical assistance from Japan International Co-operation Agency (JICA) in January The Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) This IEE report is prepared at the inception of the process of submitting this sub-project for consideration of financing by the Asian Development Bank. To the best possible extent, this report follows the ADB guidelines on the preparation of IEEs. The sub-project (or the relevant elements of it) has been submitted to the Central Environmental Authority for approval under the Sri Lanka Environmental Act, and the approval process has commenced. Field visits and public consultations were completed for all transmission lines. The final approval is expected within the next two months. The designs for the eight GSs to be augmented under this sub-project are in progress, including the preparation of bid documents. Land for the three new GSs to be built has been identified. Routes for the five new transmission lines have been identified (three optional routes for each line excepet for Naula inter connection for which only two optional routes). Information provided in this IEE report is based on site visits by CEB engineers from planning and design divisions, and from the CEB environmental officers. 2 DESCRIPTION OF THE SUB-PROJECT The process of identifying the transmission development needs was explained in Chapter 1. The contents of the sub-project is explained in this chapter, to further clarify the specific elements covered in this IEE report. This sub-project covers the following: Augmentation of eight existing GSs Building three new GSs Construction of five new transmission lines 2.1 Scope and Outcome of the Sub-project Summary Scope Table 2.1 summarises the existing capacity and the status after augmentation, at the eight GSs. The Sri Lanka map with the relevant GSs covered in this sub-project, is shown in Figure 2.5. Page 8

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11 Table 2.1- Summary Scope of the Subproject Existing Transformer Capacity Key Investment Transformer Capacity after the Proposed Investment First Priority Scope 1 Ampara 2 x 31.5 MVA Augment with one 31.5 MVA transformer 3 x 31.5 MVA 2 Habarana 2 x 31.5 MVA Augment with one 31.5 MVA transformer 3 x 31.5 MVA 3 Horana 2 x 31.5 MVA Augment with one 31.5 MVA transformer 3 x 31.5 MVA 4 Kurunegala 2 x 31.5 MVA Augment with one 31.5 MVA transformer 3 x 31.5 MVA 5 Matara 2 x 31.5 MVA Augment with one 31.5 MVA transformer 3 x 31.5 MVA 6 Panadura 2 x 31.5 MVA Augment with one 31.5 MVA transformer 3 x 31.5 MVA 7 Valachchenai 2 x 10 MVA Augment with one 31.5 MVA transformer 2 x x 31.5 MVA 8 Veyangoda 2 x 31.5 MVA Augment with one 31.5 MVA transformer 3 x 31.5 MVA 9 Maho - Construction of new Grid Substation 1 x 31.5 MVA 10 Pallekelle - Construction of new Grid Substation 2 x 31.5 MVA 11 Naula - Construction of new Grid Substation 1 x 31.5 MVA 12 Habarana- - Construction of 132kV D/S Transmission Line - Valachchenai (100km) 13 Puttalam- - Construction of 132kV D/S Transmission Line - Maho (42km) 14 Ukuwela- - Construction of 132kV D/S Transmission Line - Pallekelle (18km) 15 Galle-Matara - Construction of 132kV D/S Transmission Line (34km) - 16 Naula in and out connection = Construction of 132kV D/S Transmission Line for in an out connection from Naula GS (0.5km) Detailed Scope First Priority Scope Augmentation of Existing Grid Substations Ampara Grid Substation Transformer Capacity: 2x31.5 MVA increased to 3x31.5 MVA Other additions: one 132kV single busbar transformer bay, one 132kV bus section bay, one 33kV transformer bay, 4x33 kv feeder bays and one 33kV bus section bay, Installation of 30MVAr power factor controlled breaker switched capacitors at 33kV bus Matara Grid Substation: Transformer Capacity: 2x31.5 MVA increased to 3x31.5 MVA Other additions: one 132kV single busbar transformer bay, one 33 kv bus section bay, one 33kV transformer bay, 4x33 kv feeder bays) Page 10

12 Panadura Grid Substation Transformer Capacity: 2x31.5 MVA increased to 3x31.5 MVA Other additions: one 132 kv single busbar transformer bay, one 33 kv bus section bay, one 33 kv transformer bay, 4x33 kv feeder bays Veyangoda Grid Substation Transformer Capacity: 2x31.5 MVA increased to 3x31.5 MVA Other additions: one 132 kv double busbar transformer bay, one 33 kv transformer bay, 4x33 kv feeder bays New Grid Substations Maho Grid Substation Transformer Capacity: 1x31.5 MVA Others: 1x132 kv single busbar transmission line bay, 1x132kV single busbar transformer bay, 1x33 kv transformer bay, 4x33 kv feeder bays, Pallekele Grid Substation: Transformers Capacity: 2x31.5 MVA Others: 2x132 kv single busbar transmission line bays, one 132 kv bus section bay, 2x132 kv single busbar transformer bays, 2x33k V Transformer bays, one 33 kv bus section bay, 8x33 kv feeder bays, Installation of 4x5 MVAr, power factor controlled breaker switched capacitors New Transmission Lines Habarana-Valachchenai Construction of 132kV transmission line from Habarana to Valachchenai (100 km, Zebra, one circuit stringing out of two circuits) Construction of 1x132 kv single busbar transmission line bay at Habarana Grid Substation Construction of 1x132 kv single busbar transmission line bay at Valachchenai Grid Substation Puttalam-Maho Construction of Puttalam-Maho 132kV transmission line (one circuit stringing out of two circuits, 42 km, Zebra) Construction of 1x132 kv, single busbar transmission line bay at Puttalam Grid Substation Ukuwela-Pallekelle Construction of Ukuwela-Pallekele 132 kv transmission line (two circuits, 16 km, Zebra) Construction of 2x132 kv double busbar transmission line bays at Ukuwela Grid Substation. Page 11

13 2.2.2 Second Priority Scope Augmentation of existing Grid Substations Habarana Grid Substation Transformer Capacity: 2x31.5 MVA increased to 3x31.5 MVA Other additions: one 132kV S/B transformer bay, one 33kV transformer bay, 1x33kv bus section bay, 4x33 kv feeder bays Horana Grid Substation: Transformer Capacity: 2x31.5 MVA increased to 3x31.5 MVA Other additions: one 132kV single busbar transformer bay, one 33kV bus section bay, one 33kV transformer bay, 4x33 kv feeder bays Kurunegala Grid Substantiation: Transformer Capacity: 2x31.5 MVA increased to 3x31.5 MVA Other additions: one 132kV, single busbar transformer bay, one 33kV bus section bay, one 33kV transformer bay, 4x33 kv feeder bays Valachchenai Grid Substation Transformer Capacity: 2x10 MVA increased to 2x10 MVA+1x31.5 MVA Other additions: one 132 kv single busbar transformer bay, one 132 kv bus section bay, one 33 kv transformer bay, 4x33 kv feeder bays and one 33 kv bus section bay New Grid Substations Naula Grid Substation Transformer Capacity: 1x31.5 MVA Others: 2x132 kv single busbar transmission line bay, 1x132 kv single busbar transformer bay, 1x33 kv transformer bay, 4x33 kv feeder bays Transmission interconnection: Construction of single in-out connection from Ukuwela- Habarana 132 kv transmission line (2cct, 0.5 km, Zebra) New Transmission Lines Galle-Matara Construction of Galle-Matara 132 kv transmission line (two circuits, 36 km, Zebra). Construction of 2x132 kv, Double Busbar transmission line bays at Galle GS. Construction of 2x132 kv, Single Busbar transmission line bays at Matara GS. Naula in and out connection Construction of 0.5km long 132 kv transmission line for in and out connection to Naula Grid Substation from existing Ukuwela Habarana 132kV Transmission Line(two circuits, 0.5 km, Zebra). Page 12

14 2.3 Project Description Owing to the common features of the eight GSs that are to be augmented, their features are described in the first subsection below. The second subsection will carry a description of the three new GSs to be built and the third subsection explains the four new transmission lines to be built under this sub-project GSs to be Augmented (i) Ampara The GS is located in the Eastern Province, in the outskirts of Ampara town along the Ampara-Kalmunai road, within Ampara city limits, and serves most parts of the vast Ampara District through a network of 33 kv lines. It is located in the Mihidupura Grama Niladhari (GN) division. From the Ampara-Kalmunai road, the access to the GS is along a local road for a distance of 1 km. Land in the immediate vicinity of the GS is all privately owned, but the area is sparsely populated. There is an Army Camp on one end of the GS land, and this would be re-located to make the space available for the proposed augmentation. The alternative space to relocate the Army Camp is presently being identified. As the land available on site under CEB ownership is adequate, no land acquisition would be required. The GS is presently Gas Insulated Substation (GIS) on the 33 kv side, and this GIS will be extended to accommodate the augmentation. The GIS building would require to be extended for this purpose. Once the final designs are completed, it may be required to completely shift the GIS system and the building to a different location within the GS and re-arrange the equipment to make maximum use of the available space. (ii) Habarana: The Habarana GS is located in Anuradhapura District in the North Central Province, alongside the A6 highway in the outskirts of the Habarana town, away from commercial activities in the town, in the GN division of Hiriwadunna. Access to the GS is from the public highway through a 200m minor road owned and maintained by CEB. The land space at the GS is adequate for the planned augmentation with one 31.5 MVA transformer, while more land is available at site for further expansion. The land is sloping downwards from the access road and would require some filling to accommodate the 33 kv bus extension required for the augmentation. The GS is located on two levels. A new control building would be required to accommodate the services required for the augmented GS. Around the perimeter of the GS, the adjoining land is privately owned, with one house in the immediate vicinity while the other lands are unused and overgrown. There are no places of public or historic importance in the vicinity of the GS. The material for the land filling, building of the retaining wall and other structures will be transported along the main highway, thereafter along the 200 m access road and directly into the CEB premises, thus avoiding the use of any minor roads in the area except CEB s own access road. Page 13

15 Improvement and rearrangement of the storm water system will be included in the augmentation project. The land and other adjacent properties in the vicinity are sloping towards the adjoining land, away from the access road. The storm water outlet is presently directed to a natural waterway in the adjoining land, and this practice will continue, which will not cause any hindrance to the population, as the land is not occupied. (iii) Horana The GS is located away from the expanding Horana town, about 10 km along the Horana- Ingiriya Road. The GS is about 500 m away from the public highway, along an access road owned by the Board of Investment (BoI). Within a few km from the GS towards Ingiriya, there is the Horana industrial zone and the Horana power plant, which is an IPP. However, the GS is located away from the power plant and the industrial zone, but serves the zone. The GS is located on a land owned by the BoI, which is the usual practice when special industrial zones are established by the BoI. There are no private houses or any other buildings along the access road to the GS from the main road or in the vicinity of the GS. The adjoining lands all round the GS are unoccupied and they belong to BoI, but some rubber cultivation is present on the adjoining land, intermittently. There are no public offices and schools, or places of religious or historic interest in the area. For the planned augmentation, the land to be used is already allocated to CEB as a part of the existing GS, presently unused. The land is sloping and may require some cutting to prepare the space for the augmentation. There are no rock outcrops and the ground is soft, and therefore, no rock blasting will be required during land preparation. Storm water drainage is presently towards the access road, to an already available road-side drain. The storm water system within the GS will be extended to cover the new area for the augmentation. There will be no hindrance to the adjoining rubber cultivation owing to storm water from the GS. Figure 2.1- Space Available for the Augmentation at Horana GS Page 14

16 (iv) Kurunegala The access to the GS is from the main Kurunegala-Kandy (A10) highway up to Mawathagama, then along the Mawathagama-Ritigama Road (200 m) and a further 100 m along a minor local road. There are private houses along the minor road. The area is predominantly residential, with mixed agriculture including paddy and other crops. There are no public offices and schools, or places of religious or historic interest in the area. The GS fence presently does not enclose the entire land owned by CEB, and for the extension, the fence will be extended to the boundary of the CEB-owned property. Once the fence is extended, there will be one house immediately beyond the fence. Furthermore, there are three CEB-owned housing units within CEB property, and they too will remain outside the fence after the augmentation. The land where the augmentation is to be located within the GS is already prepared and leveled, and the new transformer and other structures will be located within the available space. Presently this space is unoccupied and lies entirely within CEB s property, but outside the existing fence. The GS is gas-insulated on the 33 kv side and will remain so with the augmentation. Improvement and rearrangement of the storm water system will be included in the augmentation project. The GS land and the adjoining lands are sloping towards the paddy lands in the adjoining properties. The storm water outlet is directed to a natural waterway in the adjoining paddy land, and this will not cause any hindrance to the population. Figure 2.2- Space at Kurunegala GS for the Augmentation (v) Matara The Matara GS is located in the Southern Province, within Matara City limits, in the GN division of Hittetiya North. The access to the site is from the Galle-Matara highway (A2), then along Akuressa Road for 300 m, and then for 1 km along a city road. The proposed augmentation will lie entirely within the space already allocated for the GS. The area is Page 15

17 predominantly residential. The back of the GS land is a marsh, while there are houses in front of the GS along the access road as well as along the boundaries. The control building requires to be modified to accommodate the extended GIS system on the 33 kv side. The land is located within a marsh, and it is expected that specialised foundations would be required for the proposed augmentation. A piled foundation is expected. If the detailed designs confirm the need for a piled foundation, special precautions would be required to conduct such work with the minimum disturbance to the people living in the vicinity. Storm water drainage is towards the marsh at the back of the GS, and the drainage system will be extended to cover the augmentation, but will discharge to the marsh. There will be no hindrance to the adjoining houses owing to storm water discharge from the GS. (vi) Panadura The Panadura GS is located in the Western Province in the District of Kalutara. The GN division is Malamulla. It is located off Panadura-Malamulla road. The turn off from the A2 highway is at Panadura hospital. At 300 m along the Malamulla Road, turn right into a local authority road and the GS is located about 3 km along this road. There is land available within the GS premises to accommodate the augmentation, but some re-orientation work will be required because there is limited space on the 33 kv side for the planned augmentation. The GS is located in a residential area. The access road is highly populated. There are houses in front of the GS on the roadside. On the sides of the GS, there is one house 3 m away from the boundary, and another 10 m away. The site is already flat and no additional site preparation work is expected. No special foundations are required. The flow of storm water is towards the roadway and the augmented GS would also discharge storm water to the same location. There are no public buildings and schools in the vicinity of the GS. Similarly there are no places of religious or historic importance in the area. Figure 2.3- Space at Panadura for New 33 kv Bay and the New Transformer Page 16

18 (viii) Veyangoda This GS is located in the Gampaha District in Western province,. The location is reached from Venyangoda town along the Minuwangoda road, turning off at Naiwala junction, and a further 200m away on a provincial highway. The access to the site not directly from the provincial highway, but would use a minor road for a further distance of 200 m. The GS is located in a coconut growing area, surrounded by coconut palms with no houses in the immediate vicinity. On one border of GS, there is a paddy field. There are no public buildings and schools in the immediate vicinity of the GS. Similarly there are no places of religious or historic importance in the area. There is land available within the GS premises to accommodate the augmentation. The site is already flat and no additional site preparation work is expected. No special foundations are required. The flow of storm water is towards an existing waterway in the adjoining paddy land and the augmented GS would also discharge storm water to the same location. Figure 2.4- Space at Veyangoda GS Available for the Augmentation Page 17

19 Figure 2.5- Sri Lanka Transmission Map (2011) Showing the Elements of the Subproject 220kV Line 220kV UG Cable 132kV : Underground Cable 132kV Line CHUNNAKAM 220/132 kv Sub Station 132kV GS Hydro Power Station KILINOCHCHI Thermal Power Station Grid substations to be augmented under the subproject New Lines to be built under the subproject KOTUGODA New Grid substations to be built under the subproject VAVUNIA ANIYAKANDA TRINCOMALEE KERAWALAPITIYA BARGE PS KELANIYA S'KANDA BIYAGAMA ANURADHAPURA NEW ANURADHAPURA KELANITISSA KOTAHENA KHD FORT SUB B KOLONNAWA PUTTLAM PS PUTTALAM HABARANA KOLLUPITIYA MARADANA SRI J'PURA ATURUGIRIYA MAHO POLONNARUWA VALACHCHANAI HAVELOCK TOWN ORUWALA DEHIWALA PANNIPITIYA NAULA BOWATENNA MADAMPE KURUNEGALA PADDIRIPPU RATMALANA PANNALA UKUWELA BOLAWATTA KATANA KOTUGODA KERAWALAPITIYA ANIYAKANDA VEYANGODA KIRIBATHKUMBURA THULHIRIYA KEGALLE BIYAGAMA PALLEKELE RANDENIGALA MAHIYANGANE VICTORIA RANTEMBE KOTMALE AMPARA INGINIYAGALA KELANITISSA KOLONNAWA SRI J'PURA DEHIWALA RATMALANA PANADURA SAPUGASKANDA POLPITIYA ATURUGIRIYA ORUWALA SITHAWAKA KOSGAMA PANNIPITIYA HORANA LAXAPANA WIMALASURENDRA NEW LAXAPANA N'ELIYA CANYON BALANGODA BADULLA MEDAGAMA RATNAPURA SAMANALAWEWA MATUGAMA KUKULE DENIYAYA AMBALANGODA EMBILIPITIYA HAMBANTOTA BELIATTA GALLE MATARA Page 18

20 2.3.2 New Grid Substations (i) Maho The new Maho GS will be located on approximately 2 ha of land. The block of land earmarked for the GS is presently owned by the Government, and the procedure to have the land allocated to CEB has already commenced with the application being made to the DS of the area. The site is located in Wilawa GN division in the District of Kurunegala, in the Northwestern province, on the Maho-Nikaweratiya public highway, 2 km away from the Maho town. Access to the land will be directly from the public highway. The land is presently bare with no appreciable cultivations and is covered in shrubs. It is flat and is not expected to require any appreciable earthworks. The storm water from the GS would be directed to the main culvert along the road. There are no public offices or schools in the vicinity. Similarly, there are no places of religious or historic importance in the immediate vicinity of the proposed site. There are no houses or other buildings that would border the site. (ii) Naula The new Naula GS is proposed to be located on approximately 2 ha of land. The block of land earmarked for the GS is presently owned by the Mahaweli Authority (a Government institution), and the procedure to have the land allocated to CEB has already commenced with the application being made to Mahaweli Authority. The site is reached from the Naula Town by first traveling 1 km along the Elahera Road, and then along a 1 km roadway to be upgraded and developed by CEB under this project. The first 50 m of the proposed 1 km roadway has a concrete surface while the balance presently has a gravel surface. On another boundary, there is a forest reservation, and on the remaining boundary, there are 10 houses within a short distance from the land. CEB s 220 kv Kotmale-Anuradhapura transmission line passes in the visible range from this land, traversing the forest reserve. Similarly, the 132 kv line from which the new GS would be fed passes within 500 m from the site. On one side of the land is a stream and it would be required to build a retaining wall. The filling depth against the retaining wall is estimated to be 5 m at the boundary with the stream, and would be progressively lower towards the middle of the land. The land is presently bare with no appreciable cultivation and is covered in shrubs, and at times used by Mahaweli Authority as dumping grounds. The storm water from the GS would be directed to the stream flowing along one boundary. There are no public offices or schools in the vicinity. Similarly, there are no places of religious or historic importance in the immediate vicinity of the proposed site. Page 19

21 (iii) Pallekelle The new Pallekelle GS will be located on approximately 2 ha of land. The block of land earmarked for the GS lies within the Pallekelle industrial zone of the Board of Investment (BoI), and the land is already allocated to CEB. The site is reached from the Kandy-Digana Road, along the access road to the industrial zone, and then along an internal road of the zone. On one boundary, there is a private land, and on another boundary, there is a bare land. There is a factory located across the zone s internal road, when looking from the land. The land is presently bare with no appreciable cultivations and it is flat. The storm water from the new GS would be directed to the internal drainage system maintained by the BoI. There are no public offices or schools in the vicinity. Similarly, there are no places of religious or historic importance in the immediate vicinity of the proposed site New Transmission Lines (i) Galle- Matara The proposed 132 kv transmission line from Galle to Matara will be about 34 km in length. The line will start at the GS in Galle and generally proceed eastwards mostly over developed areas and semi-natural habitats. The proposed line corridor will cross a mix of landscapes comprising home gardens, agricultural lands, paddy fields and scrublands in reaching the GS in Matara. The general layout of the proposed transmission line is shown in Figure 2.6. The composition of land use across the line corridor is paddy land (58%), home garden & village settlements (33%), and scrub and marsh (9%). The corridor will cross two A-class roads, 4 B-class roads, several minor roads and the river called Polwatte Ganga. Table 2.2- Land Use in the Galle-Matara Line Corridor Selected Option 1 Approximate line length (km) 36 Land use type (% of line length) Paddy field 58.1 Marsh/Swamp 5.0 Tea 1.7 Coconut 2.8 Other cultivations 6.7 Home garden 20.0 Shrub 3.7 Village settlements 2.0 River crossings 3 Road crossings (A & B class and minor roads) 20 Note: Line length was scaled from the map and may differ from the nominal length given in the text Page 20

22 Figure 2.6- Proposed Route for the New Galle-Matara Transmission Line (ii) Habarana-Valachchenai The proposed 132 kv transmission line from Habarana to Valaichchenai will be about 100 km in length. The line will start at the existing Habarana GS located at the 110 km post on the A6 road to Trincomalee. Site of the Habarana GS is almost on the edge of the Polonnaruwa district. The line corridor will cross the districts of Polonnaruwa and Batticaloa in reaching the GS in Valaichchenai. The general layout of the proposed transmission line is shown in Figure 2.7. The percentage composition of the land use across the line corridor is; Chena 2 and shrub land (40%), forest (11%), paddy land (33%) and village settlements & home garden (10%). The corridor will cross 2 A-class, 2 B-class and several minor roads, and the Mahaweli river about 3 km north of Manampitiya bridge. 2 Chena is generally degraded forest, used informally for shifting agriculture in subsistence farming Page 21

23 Table 2.3- Land Use Along the Habarana-Valachchenai Line Route Selected Option 1 Approximate line length (km) 100 Land use type (% of line length) Paddy field 33.0 Marsh/Swamp 1.4 Grass lands 2.5 Chena 1.3 Other cultivations 2.3 Home garden 5.5 Shrub 38.8 Forest 11.0 Village settlements 4.2 River crossings 7 Road crossings (A & B class and minor roads) 16 Railway crossings 3 Figure 2.7- Proposed Route for the Habarana-Valachchenai Line (iii) Puttalam-Maho 132 kv Transmission Line Proposed 132 kv transmission line from Puttalam to Maho will be 42 km in length. The line will start at the GS situated in Kalladi in the Puttalam DS division and traverse the DS Page 22

24 divisions of Anamaduwa and Kotawehera in reaching the proposed GS in Maho. The line corridor will cross the A 10 road that joins Puttalam with Anamaduwa, and also three other B-class roads in its passage to Maho. General layout of the proposed transmission line is shown in Figure 2.8. About 70% of the line will pass over Chena, paddy and grasslands. Rest of the line will go over isolated villages situated closer to Maho end of the line. Land use types and the roads crossed by the proposed corridor are described in Table 2.4. Figure 2.8- Proposed Traverse of the Puttalam-Maho Line Table 2.4- Land-use Along the Puttalam-Maho Line Corridor Selected Option 1 Approximate line length (km) 42.0 Land use type (% of line length) Paddy field 33.7 Grass lands 4.6 Chena/Shrub 30.5 Other cultivations 2.5 Home garden 26.0 Village settlements 0.5 Tanks/abandoned tanks 2.0 Road crossings (A & B class and minor roads) 8 (iv) Ukuwela-Pallekelle The proposed 132 kv transmission line from Ukuwela to Pallekele will be 18 km in length. The line will start at the GS situated near the Ukuwela power station and proceed in a southeasterly direction in reaching the proposed GS to be sited within the Pallekele Industrial Page 23

25 Zone. The line will traverse developed areas in the Kandy district. The corridor has been selected in a way that maximises the passage through scattered patches of paddy fields. Nearly 50% of the line will pass over paddy fields and the balance comprises home gardens and village settlements. Proposed line corridor will cross the roads B 36 (twice) and B 37. The general layout of the proposed transmission line is shown in Figure 2.9. Figure 2.9- Ukuwela-Pallekelle Line Trace Table 2.5- Land Use Table Selected Option 1 Approximate line length (km) 16.5 Land use type (% of line length) Paddy field 48.8 Home garden 45.8 Village settlements 5.5 Road crossings (A & B class and minor roads) 10 Railway crossings 2 (v) Naula in - out connection The proposed in and out connection to Naula GS (described under para above) from existing Ukuwela - Habarana 132kV transmission line will be a short 132 kv transmission line approximately 0.5 km in length. The line will start at the closest angle tower (to proposed Naula GS) of the existing transmission line, and will be terminated at the proposed Page 24

26 GS. The proposed line corridor (of 0.5Km) consist of mainly shrubs, chenas and a few home gardens only The composition of land use across the line corridor is shrub (40%), chenas (33%) and home gardens (27%). The corridor will cross a single B-class road and a minor road only. Figure Line Trace for Naula In and Out Connection Table 2.6- Land Use Table Selected Option 2 Approximate line length (km) 0.5 Land use type (% of line length) Home garden 27 Shrub 40 Chena 33 Schools Nos. - Road crossings (B class and minor roads) Nos. 2 Page 25

27 2.4 Type of Project and the Category This subproject consists of augmentation of eight existing GSs, building three new GSs, and building four new transmission lines along a new corridor developed for each new line. According to the ADB Environmental Assessment Guidelines 3 (clause 142), this subproject can be classified as follows: Project type: Electrical Transmission Category: B 2.5 Need for the Project Policy Focus The policy focus for the development of the national grid is stated in the National Energy Policy of Sri Lanka (2006) 4. The policy states as follows (clauses 2.1 and 2.8) under the policy elements: Providing Basic Energy Needs: Energy requirements to fulfill the basic needs of the people, and to enhance their living standards and opportunities for gainful economic activity will be adequately and continually satisfied at the lowest possible cost to the economy. Enhancing the Quality of Energy Services: The quality of energy services will be ensured through imposition of appropriate quality standards and regulatory interventions. Furthermore, under targets and milestones, the policy states as follows (clause 4.1): Medium-term targets to achieve rural electrification through grid extensions shall be 75% by 2008, 80% by 2010 and 85% by Expansion of Grid Substation Capacity The proposed subproject encompasses a group of grid strengthening project elements, which serve the purpose of providing capacity for expanding rural electrification networks, and to improve the quality of supply to already connected customers, both rural and sub-urban. Rural Areas: Augmentation of the grid substations in Ampara, Habarana, Kurunegala, Valachchenai and Veyangoda specifically address the capacity requirements to improve the service to predominantly rural customers. Augmentation of Ampara GS and Valachchenai GS would improve the service to vast areas of the Eastern Province, serving predominantly rural customers, who are presently served with a capacity constraint. The new grid substations at Maho and Naula would serve predominantly rural areas in the North western and Central provinces, respectively, and improve the quality of supply to existing rural customers and provide capacity to serve new customers in the two provinces, and in the adjoining provinces. 3 Environmental Assessment Guidelines, Asian Development Bank, Ministry of Power and Energy, Colombo, Sri Lanka. October See Page 26

28 Mixed Rural and Industrial Areas: Capacity expansion at Horana GS and the new Pallekelle GS serve the adjoining industrial zones, as well as the retail customers in the areas who remain predominantly rural, in spite of the industrial developments over the past few years. Suburban Developments: Matara and Panadura GSs serve suburban customers of all types and augmentation of these would strengthen the capacity to improve reliability to these customers New Transmission Lines Three of the five transmission lines to be built under this sub-project would serve the new GSs at Maho and Pallekelle and Naula. The Habarana-Valachchenai line, along with the augmentation of the Valachchenai GS would help increase the capacity to serve the northern sector of the Eastern province. The other transmission line under this project, Galle-Matara, would improve the reliability of the service to both Galle and Matara, both of which are rapidly growing. The necessity and the capacity of all the GS developments and new transmission lines have been identified by extensive planning studies conducted over the past few years, and many of the proposed developments are already behind schedule. 3 STUDY METHODOLOGY, SCOPE AND LIMITATIONS This grid substation component of this subproject is at a relatively advanced stage, with detailed designs of the eight grid substations already in progress, inclusive of the bid documents. This study used the information collected by CEB staff during the design phase. In case of the transmission lines, the work is presently at a preliminary level. The technical specifications of the lines have been finalised, and preliminary identification of the line routing has been completed with map-based assessments followed by field visits by CEB engineering staff and Environmental Officers. This study extensively draws upon the experience of CEB staff who have been working on the planning and design phases of the GSs, and the information collected during site visits. In case of transmission lines, the study draws on the experience of CEB design engineers about the route, and the information obtained from other experts in areas such as biodiversity impacts along the proposed corridor. This study is limited to the information available from different sources stated above at the time of writing. A specific limitation exists with regard to the finalisation of corridor for the five transmission lines under this project, which will be done at the next phase of project development. While the selected alternative for each line corridor is acceptable to the CEB, specific conditions stipulated during the environmental approval process and the subsequent process of addressing grievances of affected persons, may require minor deviation from the proposed routing, and these deviations can only be confirmed after the detailed route surveys have been completed, notices are issued in accordance with Electricity Act, and objections are resolved by relevant DSs. Thus the impacts and mitigatory measures stated in this report have been based on CEB s previous experience with similar projects. Page 27

29 Any major deviation (including changing the alignment to an alternative route at a latest stage) is unlikely as Environmental Scoping Committee has already accepted the selected route (with only a minor deviation in Habana - Valachchanai transmission line only). In case, there will be a need to opt for an alternative route, CEB will re-submit an environmental clearance request to the Environmental Scoping Committee. At the same time CEB will submit a revised IEE to ADB to reflect changes in the route alignment. 4 RAPID ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT The ADB format was used in conducting the Rapid Environmental Assessment (REA). As the GSs to be augmented are already within premises owned by CEB with an established operational procedure, the number of different potential environmental impacts identified were limited to the following: Project Siting: All the eight grid substations to be augmented are within the existing land space of each GS. Except for an adjoining forest reserve at the new GS site at Naula, none of the GSs is adjacent to a natural reserve, and no impacts are expected. The Habarana- Valachchenai line passes through a significant forest reserve, and efforts have been made to minimise impacts by traversing the existing line and then deviating to a new corridor. Potential Environmental Impacts: These were identified to the best possible extent during the REA, and the description of the environment, and potential impacts and mitigatory measures (Chapters 5 and 6) describe the findings of the REA. 5 DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT Information in this section is presented for groups of substations where appropriate, to avoid repetition of common information. Wherever special situations exist, they are separately stated. The subproject encompasses building three new grid substations while eight existing grid substations will also be augmented. Since GS augmentations will be done at their present premises, within the available land space already owned by CEB, there will be no additional land acquisition. 5.1 Three New Grid Substations to be Built The three new grid substations to be built within the Sub Project are to be located at Maho, Naula and Pallekele, all rural areas with subdued socio economic activities. Both Maho and Naula grid substations will specifically serve rural electricity loads while in Pallekele, the industrial zone will also be benefited by the new grid substation in addition to the predominantly rural electricity consumer. Page 28

30 Available Infrastructure Facilities: All three new grid substations will be linked to the national road network through A and B class roads. Location of Maho GS will be 3km away from an A class road linking Anuradhapura and Kurunegala while the rail network also traverse through Maho. Naula GS will be located close to the A class road between Dambulla and Matale. Being close to Dambulla, which is a central location connecting Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa, Kandy (via Matale) and Colombo (via Kurunegala), Naula GS will be easily accessible from all these major townships. Pallekele GS will be located close to the A class road connecting Kandy and Mahiyangana. Due to the presence of the Industrial Zone, the road accessibility of Pallekele area is maintained with high priority. All the three grid substations are planned to be built in areas already having grid electricity, though at the distribution voltage of 33kV. Both Maho and Pallekele are to be built in association with new transmission lines to connect these areas to the high voltage (132kV) electricity grid while Naula GS will be supplied with high voltage (132kV) supply by tapping off the existing Ukuwela-Valachchena line. Maho is an irrigated land area with adequate rainfall to maintain a constant water supply while Naula and Pallekele have constant water supply due to their location within the Central Province, which has abundant water resources in the form of streams and constant rainfall. Industrial Activities: Both Maho and Naula are areas with minimal industrial activities. Agriculture is the main source of income in these two areas. In contrast, an Industrial Zone is located in Pallekele housing about 20 industrial enterprises mainly focused on export production. However, except for this Industrial Zone, even Pallekele is predominantly an agricultural area with tea and vegetables being grown in large scale. Land Use: While the land area used for agriculture is the primary usage in terms of land use in all three areas of concern, the unused land area is considerably higher than the used land. Except for the industrial zone extending to 83 ha in Pallekele, no other major land uses are recorded in all three areas in addition to the patches of settlements in isolated locations close to the town area. In general, ample free land is available (mostly government owned) in the selected locality for the three new gird substations. Social and Cultural Resources: The main benefit of the proposed three new grid substations is the quality improvement of grid electricity supply provided to the area in terms of grid power reliability and power quality. In this aspect, the improvement of the power quality would benefit the present rural communities already electrified and enable further electrification of more households and new industries. Therefore, the present status of the respective areas in terms of availability and nature of social and cultural resources are discussed here, mainly to use as a baseline to assess the positive or negative impacts the proposed construction works can create. The analysis of social and cultural resources is confined to the locality of the proposed construction by considering only the Divisional Secretariat (DS) area of the corresponding project locations (Table 5.1 presents the locality of the proposed projects in terms of DS division. Table 5.1 Location of New Grid Substations in terms of DS Division New Grid Substation Province District DS Division Maho North Western Kurunegala Maho Naula Central Matale Naula Pallekele Central Kandy Kundasale Page 29

31 Demographic Data: As Figure 5.1 suggests, the size of the area in terms of population is significantly different especially in the case of Naula where the total population is less than 30,000 while in Pallekele, it is more than 100,000. However, the gender mix is consistent in all the areas with equal proportions of males and females. Another demographic feature in the considered areas is the age group of the population. More than 35% of the population is less than 19 years of age. Figure Population Based on Gender in Each Area 120,000 Male Female 100,000 80,000 Population 60,000 40,000 20,000 0 Maho Naula Kundasale (Pallekele) Grid Substaion Location (DS Division) Socio-economic Conditions: The head count index, a useful indicator of the socio economic condition of a population, is used here to understand the economic condition of communities in the local area. Considering the national average head count index of 23%, it can be considered that both Maho and Pallekele are relatively poor areas. Table Head Count Index of the DS Division Where the Selected GSs are Located Grid Substation District DS Division Head Count Index (% population below poverty level) Maho Kurunegala Maho 20.9% Naula Matale Naula 24.3% Pallekele Kandy Kundasale 19.2% Education Facilities: In general, the education system and the facilities in Sri Lanka are considered better than in most of the counties in the region. In the areas where the new grid substations are to be located, the level of education is comparable to the national standard. Table 5.3 provides information on the education level of each district where the construction works are to be located. In general, more than 70% of the population in all three districts have obtained school education beyond grade 5. Page 30

32 Table Percentage Distribution of Educational Attainment by District Kurunegala (Maho GS) Matale (Naula GS) Kandy (Pallekele GS) No Schooling Attending Grade 1 Passed Grade Passed Grade Passed GCE O/L Passed GCE A/L Degree and Above Not Stated Historic or Archaeological Structures: There are no places of worship, historic or archaeological places of interest in the immediate vicinity of the GSs concerned. Background Levels of Water Quality, Air Quality and Noise : Quantitative information on the background levels of air and water quality are not available. As these grid substations are extension to existing facilities there is no explicit requirement to conduct any measurements on background levels of water and air quality. Such measurements are required only if the proposed projects are expected to make any emissions. As explained in the IEE, the projects do not have any industrial emissions that would have any impacts on air or water quality. None of the locations are in industrial environments with an existing background noise level. In case of any complaint, it is possible to switch-off the power transformers and establish the background noise level without the transformers. 5.2 Eight Existing Grid Substations to be Augmented In addition to the above three grid substations proposed to be constructed new, eight existing grid substations are also to be augmented within the subproject. However, compared to building new substations, augmentation of existing ones have very little effect on the environment, since all construction works will be within the perimeter of the respective substation land already owned by the CEB. Following are the grid substations, proposed to be augmented. Table 5.4 Grid Substations Proposed to be Augmented Grid Substation Province District DS Division Ampara Eastern Ampara Ampara Habarana North Central Anuradhapura Palugaswewa Horana Central Kalutara Horana Kurunegala North Western Kurunegala Mawathagama Matara Southern Matara Matara Panadura Western Kalutara Panadura Valachchena Eastern Batticaloa Korale Pattu Veyangoda Western Gampaha Attanagalla Page 31

33 Available Infrastructure Facilities: Amapara GS is located in Mihindupura, within Ampara town area. Ampara is reachable through Monaragala and Batticaloa through A-class roads. However, the availability of infrastructure facilities in Ampara is relatively low compared to most parts of the country. The Ampara Tank, also located within the town area provides water to the area for basic water needs and for agriculture. Habarana GS is located central to Anuradhapura, Polonnaruwa and Trincomalee, the three main urban centers in that part of the country. In this aspect, Habarana is a key node in the road network, while the railway line also traverses through Habarana on its way to Polonnanruwa and Trincomalee. Located in the dry zone, the irrigation reservoirs are the main source of water supply. However, the general infrastructure availability in Habrana is low, especially due to the low population density and subdued economic activities. Horana is a township on the Panadura-Ratnapura main road. This suburban area which is quite close to the main city Colombo has good infrastructure facilities in the form of pipe born water, communication facilities and good health and educational facilities. The presence of the industrial zone in the area also adds to the emphasis on maintaining the infrastructure facilities properly. Kurunegala GS is located in Mallawapitiya, in the Mawathagama Division, on the Kurunegala-Kandy main road. Kurunegala is a highly urbanized city with very good infrastructure facilities. Good rainfall and couple of reservoirs and streams within the district provides a good water supply while very good education and health facilities are also available within the town limits. Matara is also a highly urbanized city (similar to Kurunegala), located in the Southern province, along the A class road connecting the southern part of the country to Colombo. Good rainfall and Nilwala river provides ample water supply to the area. Matara is also the termination point of the Southern railway line. Basic infrastructure facilities are of very high standard. Panadura GS is located in Malamulla, a suburban area outside the Panadura town limits. The GS is located about 4 km off from the Panadura-Horana main road. Valachchenai is in the Baticaloa District, an area with very low level of infrastructure facilities. The location of the grid substation is central to Batticaloa, Polonnaruwa and Trincomalee districts, on the main A-class road connecting Batticaloa to these two neighboring districts. In addition to the road access, the railway line to Baticaloa also passes through Valachchenai. Veyangoda is in Gampaha district, approximately 5 km off from the Colombo-Kandy main road. Veyangoda is also accessible through the railway network. It is a rapidly developing suburban area with good infrastructure facilities. Industrial Activities: Ampara was actively involved in the sugar industry during the operational days of Hingurana Sugar Factory. However, with the closing down of the factory, the industry and the sugar cane cultivation collapsed in the area. At present, Paddy cultivation and the rice milling industry is the main income source of the district with a high portion of the national rice demand being met within the area. Habarana, though centrally located between Anuradhapura and Polonnaruwa, is predominantly a jungle area with very Page 32

34 little industrial activities other than the hospitality industry. In contrast, Horana can be considered a relatively active industrial area with an industrial park operating within the area while several other factories operate outside the industrial park. In addition to these recent developments in industrial facilities, historically, rubber plantation had been the major income source for the area. Kurunegala is well known for its paddy and coconut cultivation and the desiccated coconut industry. Agriculture is a dominant income source for Matara as well. Paddy and tea are grown in Matara district while an industrial park in Koggala area adds an industrial base to the district. There are few industries scattered around Panadura area making it a moderately industrialised area. At present, Valachchenai can be considered an area with minimal industrial activities, though famous for being the location of the largest paper factory in the country. With the existing unstable political situation in the area, paper factory is not operated at present. Similarly, the Veyangoda textile mill, which was a landmark industry in Veyangoda area is also non operational. The general pattern of industrialisation of the country is reflected in the areas in concern as most of the areas are mostly involved in agriculture while the industrial base of the country is concentrated in Colombo and the suburbs. Land Use: All the augmentation projects will be carried out at the existing grid substation locations. Therefore, the augmentation component of the subproject will not have any bearing on the land use pattern of the respective area. Social and Cultural Resources: Demographic Data: Considering the dispersion of the GSs of concern around the country, it is interesting to note the ethnic mix of different areas, which has some unique features in areas like Ampara and Valachchena. Figure 5.2 Population Composition based on Ethnicity 180, , , , ,000 80,000 60,000 40,000 20,000 0 Ampara Palugaswewa (Habarana GS) Horana Mawathagama (Kurunegala GS) Matara Panadura Attanagalla (Veyangoda GS) Sinhalese Sri Lankan Tamil Indian Tamil Sri Lankan Moor Burgher Malay Sri Lankan Chetty Bharatha Other Socio-economic Conditions: The head count index, a useful indicator of the socio economic condition of a population, is used here to understand the economic condition of communities Page 33

35 in the local area. Considering the national average head count index of 23%, it is evident that Gampaha District, where Veyangoda GS is located is in a very good socio economic condition compared with most other GS locations. However, the two Eastern Province districts, Ampara and Baticaloa of which data are not available, are generally in a far worse socio economic condition relative to other parts of the country. It is believed that Baticaloa is among the poorest regions of the country with a head count index more than 35%. Page 34

36 Table Head Count Index of the DS Division Where the Selected GSs are Located Grid Substation District DS Division Head Count Index (% population below poverty level) Ampara Ampara Ampara Data not available Habarana Anuradhapura Palugaswewa 20% Horana Kalutara Horana 20% Kurunegala Kurunegala Mawathagama 25% Matara Matara Matara 27% Panadura Kalutara Panadura 20% Valachchena Batticaloa Korale Pattu Data not available Veyangoda Gampaha Attanagalla 11% Education Facilities: From the data presented above, it is clear that the grid substations in consideration are located in area having different socio-economic conditions. The contrast between Veyangoda, Panadura, Horana against Ampara and Valachchena in socio economic condition is visible in the other services available in these areas such as education and health. Table 5.6 provides a comparison of the level of education attained by the population of each area. The percentage of population with an educational attainment beyond GCE O/L in Gampaha district is almost double that of Ampara District, which shows the extreme level of educational facilities available at each area. Table Percentage Distribution of Educational Attainment by District Ampara Anuadhapura (Habarana GS) Kalutara (Horana and Panadura GSs) Kurunegala Matara Gampaha No Schooling Attending Grade 1 Passed Grade 1-5 Passed Grade 6-10 Passed GCE O/L Passed GCE A/L Degree and Above Not Stated Historic or Archaeological Structures: There are no places of worship, historic or archaeological places of interest in the immediate vicinity of the GSs to be augmented. Even Habarana GS, which is located in an area known for archaeological structures of historic importance, is not in close proximity to any identified archeological sites. Page 35

37 Background Levels of Water Quality, Air Quality and Noise : Quantitative information on the background levels of air and water quality are not available. As these grid substations are extension to existing facilities there is no explicit requirement to conduct any measurements on background levels of water and air quality. Such measurements are required only if the proposed projects are expected to make any emissions. As explained in the IEE, the projects do not have any industrial emissions that would have any impacts on air or water quality. None of the locations are in industrial environments with an existing background noise level. In case of any complaint, it is possible to switch-off the power transformers and establish the background noise level without the transformers. 5.3 Description of the Environment Along the Proposed Transmission Lines Galle- Matara 132 kv Transmission Line Environmental description presented in this section covers the districts of Galle and Matara, which are the administrative areas within which the proposed project elements will be sited. Water Resources: Surface water availability in Galle and Matara districts is influenced by the annual rainfall and its distribution over the year. Mean annual rainfall in the two districts is about 2600 mm and the monthly rainfall remains above 150 mm for about 75% of the year. Also two large rivers; Nilwala ganga and Gin ganga originating in the Sinharaja rain forest flow across the two districts. Therefore, the surface water availability in the region is generally favourable. Ecological Resources: The proposed transmission line from Galle to Matara would traverse mostly paddy fields, some village gardens, a few settlements, and semi-natural habitats generally found in Galle and Matara districts in south-west part of the country. The beginning of the trace is located north of Galle-Akuressa main road and later it cuts across the road and takes a southward position along a narrow stretch of paddy fields. It travels north of Koggala lake, mainly along semi-developed areas. In Matara district the transmission line goes over a few semi-developed areas and large stretches of paddy fields. The proposed trace cuts across several habitats such as home gardens, agricultural lands, active paddy fields, abandoned paddy fields, scrublands, habitats adjacent to water bodies, flood plains, marshes and abandoned chena. Protected areas or animal migratory pathways were not recorded along the proposed project area. Agro-ecologically the project area lies in the WL4 (wet lowlands). The wet zone receives moderately high mean annual rainfall of over 2500 mm with no rain shadow effect during monsoons and comprises the south-west quadrant of the island. The major soil types in the project area are Red-Yellow Podzolic with soft and hard laterite, and bog and half bog. In addition, Alluvial soils of variable drainage and texture are found along the rivers and small streams in the project area. The entire trace is found in the Floristic Region seven -southern lowland hills and the characteristic natural climax vegetation is tropical wet evergreen (Dipterocarpus community, Mesua-Shorea Community). The most common habitats are paddy fields, home gardens, road side vegetation and agricultural lands. Page 36

38 Plant species such as Hygrophila schulli, Alternanthera sessilis, Alocasia macrorrhizos, Colocasia esculenta, Ageratum conyzoides, Eclipta proatrata, Mikania cordata, Sphaeranthus indicus, Vernonia cinerea, Wedelia trilobata, Xanthium indicum, Heliotropium indicum, Cleome viscose, Commelina diffusa, Commelina sp., Ipomoea aquatica, Cyperus rotundus, Eleocharis spp, Fimbristylis spp., Breynia vitis-idaea, Croton bonplandianus, Croton hirtus, Glochidion zeylanicum, Phyllanthus reticulates, Aeschynomene aspera, Alysicarpus vaginalis, Cassia occidentalis, Cassia tora, Crotalaria laburnifolia, Desmodium triflorum, Macroptilium lathyroides, Sesbania bispinosa, Tephrosia purpurea, Hyptis suaveolens, Ocimum americanum, Limnocharis flava, Marsilia quadrifolia, Ludwigia perennis, Ludwigia peruviana, Pandanus kaida, Axonopus compressus, Chrysopogon aciculatus, Cynodon dactylon, Imperata cylindrical, Oryza stiva, Panicum maximum, Panicum repens, Polygonum tomentosum, Monochoria vaginalis, Salvinia molesta, Limnophila aquatica, Scoparia dulcis, Physalis micrantha, and Phyla nudiflora are found in paddy fields and associated habitats. In home gardens, road side vegetation and agricultural lands, plant species such as Achyranthes aspera, Aerva lanata, Amaranthus spinosus, Amaranthus viridis, Gomphrena celosioides, Anacardium occidentale, Lannea coromandelica, Mangifera indica, Spondias dulcis, Cananga odorata, Polyalthia longifolia, Alstonia macrophylla, Alstonia scholaris, Nerium oleander, Thevetia peruviana, Alocasia macrorrhizos, Areca catechu, Borassus flabellifer, Caryota urens, Cocos nucifera, Calotropis gigantean, Pergularia daemia, Wattakaka volubilis, Asparagus racemosus, Ageratum conyzoides, Eupatorium odoratum, Mikania cordata, Tridax procumbens, Vernonia cinerea, Vernonia zeylanica, Ceiba pentandra, Cleome viscose, Crateva adansonii, Carica papaya, Garcinia quaesita, Terminalia cattappa, Argyrea nervosa, Merremia hederacea, Elaeocarpus serratus, Breynia vitis-idaea, Bridelia retusa, Croton aromaticus, Macaranga peltata, Manihot esculenta, Ricinus communis, Abrus precatorius, Cassia alata, Gliricidia sepium, Leucaena leucocephala, Peltophorum pterocarpum, Samanea saman, Sesbania grandiflora, Tamarindus indica, Dicranopteris linearis, Neolitsea cassia, Thespesia populnea, Artocarpus hetarophyllus, Artocarpus incisus, Swietenia macrophylla, Melia azedarach, Ficus religiosa, Musa x paradisiacal, Bambusa vulgaris, Coffea Arabica, Aegle marmelos, Toddalia asiatica, Solanum trilobatum, Grewia damine, Muntingia calabura, Trema orientalis, Lantana camara, Stachytarpheta jamaicensis, and Tectona grandis are found. The bird species recorded in paddy field and associated habitats in the proposed trace for transmission line are Alcedo atthis (Common Kingfisher), Halcyon smyrnensis (White-throated Kingfisher), Casmerodius albus (Great Egret), Mesophoyx intermedia (Intermediate Egret), Bubulcus ibis (Cattle Egret), Ardeola grayii (Pond Heron), Egretta garzetta (Little Egret), Anastomus oscitans (Asian Openbill), Vanellus indicus (Red-wattled Lapwing), Anthus rufulus (Paddyfield Pipit), Halcyon capensis (Stork-billed Kingfisher), and Amaurornis phoenicurus (White-breasted Water hen). In home - gardens, semi- urban areas and agricultural lands bird species such as Pycnonotus luteolus (White-browed Bulbul), Acridotheres tristis (Common Myna), Orthotomus sutorius (Common Tailorbird), Turdoides affinis (Yellow-billed Babbler), Haliastur Indus (Brahminy Kite), Spilornis cheela (Crested Serpent Eagle), Accipiter badius (Shikra), Centropus sinensis (Greater Coucal), Streptopelia chinensis (Spotted Dove), Corvus macrorhynchos (Large-billed Crow), Columba livia (Rock Pigeon), Corvus splendens (House Crow), Oriolus xanthornus (Black-hooded Oriole), Dicrurus caerulescens (White-bellied Drongo), Eudynamys scolopacea (Asian Koel), Megalaima zeylanica (Brown-headed Barbet), Merops orientalis (Green Bee-eater), Copsychus saularis (Oriental Magpie Robin), Dicaeum erythrorhynchos (Pale-billed Flower pecker), Nectarina zeylonica (Purple-rumped Sunbird), Nectarina asiatica (Purple Sunbird), Page 37

39 Psittacula krameri (Rose-ringed Parakeet), and Pycnonotus cafer (Red-vented Bulbul) are recorded. The mammals species recorded from the proposed project site are Macaca sinica (Sri Lanka toque monkey), Herpestes smithii (Black-tipped or Ruddy mongoose), Sus scrofa (Wild boar), Funambulus palmarum (Palm squirrel), Lepus nigricollis (Black-naped hare) and Pteropus giganteus (Flying fox). Infrastructure Facilities: Galle-Matara region has a network of roads that lead to most interior parts of the two districts, though the quality of minor roads is not very high. The total length of roads in the Southern province that encompasses the two districts is 1290 km. At the provincial level, the household electrification rate remains 77%. Monthly electricity consumption per household varies from kwh per month in both districts. Industrial Activities: Industrial activities are relatively high in both districts. About 90% of the industrial establishments in the two districts are small-scale industries that employ about 60% of the total number of persons engaged in the industrial sector. Land Use: Land use pattern in the two districts is characterised by agricultural land under tea, rubber, paddy and cinnamon interspersed with home gardens/human settlements. Tea is primarily grown in higher elevations in the two districts, rubber and spices in middle elevations and paddy in valleys. Agriculture: Agriculture plays a major role in the two districts and cultivation of tea, rubber, paddy and cinnamon account for nearly 60% of the land under agriculture. Average size of a holding is about 0.5 ha for tea, ha for rubber and 0.4 ha for paddy. This indicates that agriculture is a small-scale operation in the two districts, which is the common situation in most parts of rural Sri Lanka. Some data on agricultural aspects are presented in Table 5.8. Table 5.7- Agricultural Activities in Galle-Matara Districts Galle Matara Number of agricultural holdings 191, ,243 Total extent of land under agriculture (ha) 88,323 81,246 Number of holdings cultivated with tea 58,549 46,152 Extent of land under tea (ha) 25,629 23,704 Average size of a tea holding (ha) Number of holdings cultivated with rubber 3,457 2,497 Extent of land under rubber (ha) 6,676 3,731 Average size of a rubber holding (ha) Number of holdings cultivated with paddy 38,614 39,935 Extent of land under paddy (ha) 15,091 14,676 Average size of a paddy holding (ha) Extent of land under Cinnamon (ha) 10,065 7,269 Source: Census of Agriculture 2002 Demographic Data: Population and the number of households in the Galle and Matara districts are 1,751,775 and 350,355 respectively. Population density (population per km 2 ) in the two districts is close to 600, which is double the national average. Literacy rate of 90% is close to the national average. Page 38

40 Socio-economic Conditions: Only a minor part of the population has had no education at all (6-8%). About 65% of the population has had secondary education. Unemployment rate of 10-12% is slightly on the high side given the development status of the region. About 80% of the population derives their income by working in the private sector and through selfemployment. Permanent houses account for over 70% of the houses in the district. Over 70% of the houses are built with brick walls, tiled roof and having water-sealed toilets. About 55% of the houses have access to drinking water from a protected well situated within the premises or in close proximity. Close to 90% of the houses are owned by a member of the family. Brief information on the socio-economic conditions in the two districts is presented in Table 5.9. Table 5.8- Socio-economic Conditions in Galle and Matara Galle Matara Total population (2002) 990, ,236 Households (estimated) 198, ,247 Literacy rate (as % of population over 10 years age) 92.9% 89.8% % of population that had: No schooling or attended only Grade 1 5.9% 8.0% Passed Grade % 22.8% Passed Grade % 41.0% Passed GCE (O/L) 20.5% 16.7% Passed GCE (A/L) 9.5% 8.3% Unemployment rate 12.0% 10.5% Employment ector: Government / semi-government service 17.8% 17.8% Private sector 45.4% 41.5% Self-employed /unpaid family worker 34.8% 39.0% Source: Census of Population and Housing Health Facilities: State sector is the main source of health care for the people in these districts. Curative services are provided through two teaching hospitals situated in Galle, and one Provincial hospital in Matara. There are 14 district hospitals, 13 peripheral units and 13 rural hospitals in the two districts. Well-organised preventive health services are provided through a network of institutions staffed by medical officers (MOH) and field staff. Infant mortality of 8-11 per 1000 live births recorded in the two districts is comparable to the national average. Maternal deaths show a similar pattern. Immunisation coverage of children at the age of five years is around 98%, and is above the national average. Education Facilities: Total number of schools operating in the two districts is 934. Over 85% of them are government schools. The average number of teachers per school is 24. The number of pupils per school varies from 440 to nearly 500 in the two districts. Pupil/teacher ration varies from 18 to 21. These indicators are comparable with the national averages. Physical or Cultural Heritage: There are no places of significant cultural heritage in the two districts. Page 39

41 5.3.2 Habarana-Valachchenai 132 kv Line There is an existing 132 kv single circuit transmission line between Habarana and Valachchenai. The new corridor will be alongside the existing corridor for a certain distance, and would deviate southwards to a route with lower environmental impacts. Environmental description presented in this section covers the districts of Polonnaruwa and Batticaloa, which are the administrative areas within which the proposed project elements will be sited. General Climate: The general climate that prevails in the two districts is characterised by hot and dry weather for most part of the year. Temperature varies from about 26 0 C in wetter months to around C during the drier months. The region s rain climate follows the typical pattern that is found in the dry zone of Sri Lanka. The region remains dry from March to September except for a short spell of rain in April. Heavy rains occur during the inter-monsoon months of October and November followed by Northeast monsoon rains from December to February. The mean annual rainfall varies from about 1500 mm in Polonnaruwa to 1800 mm in the Batticaloa area. Water Resources: Due to the existence of several large-scale irrigation tanks, there are adequate and well-distributed surface water sources in the Polonnaruwa area. The situation is less favourable in the Batticaloa area. Ground water is available in limited quantities in the Batticaloa area. Ecological Resources: The proposed transmission line from Habarana to Valachchenai is located in the central and eastern dry zone of the country. Agroecologically, the project area belongs to two zones, DL1 and DL2 dry lowlands, receives and mm annual rainfall, respectively, mainly during the inter monsoon and northeast monsoon seasons from October to February. The major soil types are Reddish Brown Earth, Low Humic Gley soil, Non Calcic Brown soil, Solodized Solonets and Regosols. Alluvial soils are found in the flood plains of Mahaweli River. The project area is found within the floristic region Dry and arid lowlands. The characteristic vegetation types are: tropical dry -mixed evergreen forests with Manilkara community, mixed community (Chloroxylon-Vitex-Berrya- Schleichera series), tropical thorn forests (Manilkara-Chloroxylon-Salvadora-Randia series), Damana and Villu grasslands, flood-plain wetlands, riverine and gallery forests. The existing and proposed transmission line cuts across several major habitat types such as degraded dry- mixed evergreen forest (e.g. in Minneriya National Park), scrublands including abandoned Chena (shifting cultivation) in different stages of succession, riverine forest especially on the banks of Mahaweli river and other streams, small patches of grasslands, villus, paddy fields, home gardens, forest plantations, road-side vegetation and a few human settlements. Dry-mixed evergreen forests found in the project area have been subjected to different degrees of natural and anthropological disturbances in the past. Therefore, an undisturbed forest and patches of forest that are in different successional stages- secondary forest, grasslands, scrublands etc. occur in the same area. The canopy of dry-mixed evergreen forest consist of tree species such as Manikara hexandra, Drypetes sepiaria, Choloxylon swietenia, Schleichera oleosa, Pterospermum suberifolium, Vitex altissima, Diospyros ebenum, D. affinis, Sapindus emarginatus, and Lepisanthus tetraphylla. Page 40

42 Scrub vegetation forms in places where Chena have been abandoned and the climax forest/dry-mixed evergreen forest are degraded. The degraded areas are not converted back to the closed -canopy forests through natural succession and these could be regarded as scrublands. Plant species such as Azadirachta indica, Bauhinia racemosa, Carissa spinarum, Catunaregam spinosa, Dichrostachys cinerea, Flueggea leucopyrus, Gmelina asiatica, Grewia orientalis, Hugonia mystax, Ichnocarpus frutescens, Lantana camara, Limonia acidissima, Memecylon umbellatum, Phyllanthus polyphyllus, Scutia myrtina, Syzygium cumini, Toddalia asiatica and Ziziphus oenoplia are recorded from the scrubland. The grasslands found in the project area are also established in land abandoned after shifting/chena cultivation. Panicum miximum (Guinea grass) is the dominant grass species in the grassland with some scattered shrubs and isolated trees. Riverine forests are narrow strips of tall forests found along the banks of Mahaweli and other streams in the dry zone. Terminalia arjuna (Kumbuk) is the most common riverine species. Other species such as Polyalthia longifolia, Madhuca longifolia, Diospyros malabaricum, Nauclea orientalis, Mangifera zeylanica, Nothopegia beddomei, Garcinia spicata, Diospyros ferrea, Diospyros montana, Diospyros ovalifolia, Homonoia riparia, Cynometra zeylanica, Pongamia pinnata, Hydnocarpus venenata, Barringtonia acutangula, and Vitex leucoxylon, are found in these forests. Villus are grasslands that associate with floodplains of the rivers and other water bodies such as shallow seasonal small tanks and long-abandoned paddy fields in the project area. Large tracts of villus occur in the Mahaweli floodplains. Plant species such as Iseilema laxum, Paspalidium flavum, Cynodon dactylon, Hygrophila schulli, Limnophyton obtusifolium, Crinum defixum, Sphaeranthus indicus, Cyperus spp. Fimbristylis spp., Calamus rotang, Caesalpinia bonduc, Asparagus racemosus, Phyllanthus reticulatus and Aeschynomene aspera have been recorded from villus. The common mammals recorded from the natural terrestrial habitats such as dry-mixed evergreen forests, scrublands, grasslands in the project area are: Macaca sinica (Sri Lanka toque monkey) Endemic, Semnopithecus priam (Grey langur), Trachypithecus vetulus (Purplefaced leaf monkey) (Endemic and Vulnerable- Red list category), Herpestes brachyurus (Brown mongoose), Herpestes edwardsii (Grey mongoose), Herpestes smithii (Black-tipped or Ruddy mongoose), Viverricula indica (Ring-tailed civet), Elephas maximus (Elephant) (Vulnerable- Red list category), Axis axis (Spotted deer), Sus scrofa (Wild boar), Funambulus palmarum (Palm squirrel) Lepus nigricollis (Black-naped hare), Canis aureus (Jackal), Prionailurus rubiginosus (Rustyspotted cat) (Endangered- Red list category), Melursus ursinus (Sloth bear) (Endangered- Red list category), Ratufa macroura (Giant squirrel), and Pteropus giganteus (Flying fox). The common bird species recorded in these habitats are: Accipiter badius (Shikra), Acridotheres tristis (Common Myna), Centropus sinensis (Greater Coucal), Columba livia (Rock Pigeon), Copsychus saularis (Oriental Magpie Robin), Coracias benghalensis (Indian Roller), Corvus macrorhynchos (Large-billed Crow), Dicaeum erythrorhynchos (Pale-billed Flowerpecker), Dicrurus caerulescens (White-bellied Drongo), Eudynamys scolopacea (Asian Koel), Gallus lafayetii (Sri Lanka Junglefowl) Endemic, Haliastur Indus (Brahminy Kite), Megalaima zeylanica (Brown-headed Barbet), Merops orientalis (Green Bee-eater), Nectarina asiatica (Purple Sunbird), Nectarina zeylonica (Purple-rumped Sunbird), Oriolus xanthornus (Black-hooded Oriole), Orthotomus sutorius (Common Tailorbird), Psittacula krameri (Rose-ringed Parakeet), Pycnonotus cafer (Red-vented Bulbul), Pycnonotus luteolus (White-browed Bulbul), Saxicoloides fulicata (Indian Robin), Spilornis cheela (Crested Serpent Eagle), Streptopelia chinensis (Spotted Page 41

43 Dove), Turdoides affinis (Yellow-billed Babbler), Phaenicophaeus viridirostris (Blue-faced Malkoha), Megalaima haemacephala (Coppersmith Barbet), and Megalaima rubricapilla (Crimson-fronted Barbet) Endemic. The bird species found in paddy fields and associated aquatic habitats along the proposed transmission line are: Alcedo atthis (Common Kingfisher), Amaurornis phoenicurus (Whitebreasted Waterhen), Anastomus oscitans (Asian Openbill), Anthus rufulus (Paddyfield Pipit), Ardeola grayii (Pond Heron), Bubulcus ibis (Cattle Egret), Casmerodius albus (Great Egret), Egretta garzetta (Little Egret), Halcyon capensis (Stork-billed Kingfisher), Halcyon smyrnensis (White-throated Kingfisher), Himantopus himantopus (Black-winged Stilt), Mesophoyx intermedia (Intermediate Egret), Threskiornis melanocephalus (Black-headed Ibis) and Vanellus indicus (Red-wattled Lapwing). Bird species such as Acridotheres tristis (Common Myna), Centropus sinensis (Greater Coucal), Columba livia (Rock Pigeon), Copsychus saularis (Oriental Magpie Robin), Coracias benghalensis (Indian Roller), Corvus macrorhynchos (Large-billed Crow), Dicaeum erythrorhynchos (Palebilled Flowerpecker), Dicrurus caerulescens (White-bellied Drongo), Eudynamys scolopacea (Asian Koel), Haliastur Indus (Brahminy Kite), Megalaima zeylanica (Brown-headed Barbet), Merops orientalis (Green Bee-eater), Nectarina asiatica (Purple Sunbird), Nectarina zeylonica (Purple-rumped Sunbird), Oriolus xanthornus (Black-hooded Oriole), Orthotomus sutorius (Common Tailorbird), Psittacula krameri (Rose-ringed Parakeet), Pycnonotus cafer (Red-vented Bulbul), Pycnonotus luteolus (White-browed Bulbul), Saxicoloides fulicata (Indian Robin), Streptopelia chinensis (Spotted Dove), Turdoides affinis (Yellow-billed Babbler), Corvus splendens (House Crow), Passer domesticus (House Sparrow), Bubulcus ibis (Cattle Egret) are recorded in home gardens, road side vegetation and other terrestrial habitats in the project area. Infrastructure Facilities: Polonnaruwa Batticaloa region has a network of roads that lead to most interior parts of the two districts, though the quality of minor roads is not very high. Household electrification rates in the North Central province that encompasses Polonnaruwa district and Eastern province that encompasses Batticaloa district are 60% and 64% respectively. Monthly electricity consumption per household varies from kwh per month in the two districts. Industrial Activities: Industrial activities are relatively low in both districts. Over 90% of the industrial establishments in Polonnaruwa district are small-scale industries that employ about a total of 1500 persons. Batticaloa has 6 comparatively larger industries that employ about 2150 persons. Land Use: Land use pattern in the two districts is characterised by substantial extent of paddy land interspersed with home gardens/human settlements and large tracts of Chena, scrubland and forest cover. Agriculture: Agriculture plays a major role in the two districts with paddy being the major crop grown in the region. Paddy production in the two districts account for about 17% of the national output. About 80-90% of the agricultural households operate less than 2 ha indicating that agriculture is a small-scale operation. This conforms to the general trend in the dry zone of Sri Lanka. Page 42

44 Table 5.9- Agricultural Land Use in Polonnaruwa and Batticaloa Polonnaruwa Batticaloa Number of agricultural households 57,672 20,628 % agricultural of households operating: Less than 0.8 ha 32% 29% Less than 2 ha 88% 78% % households earning main income from agriculture 71% 74% Source: Census of Agriculture 2002 Demographic Data: A complete database on demography and socio-economic conditions was not available in respect of the Batticaloa district, perhaps due to unstable political situation that prevailed in the district over the past decade. Population and the number of households in the Polonnaruwa district are 363,000 and 72,600 respectively. Population density (population per km 2 ) in Polonnaruwa is 112, which is about a third of the national average. The literacy rate of 90% is close to the national average. Socio-economic Conditions: Only a minor part of the population has had no education at all (7%). About 70% of the population has had secondary education. Unemployment remains at 8% of the economically active population, which is somewhat lower than in most other regions in the rural dry zone. Over 85% of the population derives their income by working in the private sector and through self-employment. Permanent houses account for over 60% of the houses in the district. Close to 65% of the permanent houses are built with brick walls, tiled roof, cemented floors and having watersealed toilets. About 55% of the houses have access to drinking water from a protected well situated within the premises or in close proximity. Over 90% of the houses are owned by a member of the family. Brief information on the socio-economic conditions in the two districts is presented in Table Table Summaried Socio-economic Information on Polonnaruwa and Batticaloa Polonnaruwa Total population (2002) 363,000 Households (estimated) 72,600 Literacy rate (as % of population over 10 years age) 90% % of population that had: No schooling or attended only Grade 1 7% Passed Grade % Passed Grade % Passed GCE(O/L) 14% Passed GCE(A/L) 5% Unemployment rate 8% Employment sector: Government /semi-government service 13% Private sector 19% Self-employed /unpaid family worker 67% Source: Census of Population and Housing Batticaloa Not available Page 43

45 Health Facilities: State sector is the main source of health care for the people in these districts. Curative services are provided through one teaching hospital situated in Batticaloa, a Provincial hospital and the Base hospital in Polonnaruwa. There are 7 district hospitals, 4 peripheral units and 7 rural hospitals in the two districts. Well-organised preventive health services are provided through a network of institutions staffed by medical officers (MOH) and field staff. However, infant mortality of 19 per 1000 live births recorded in the two districts is high when compared with the national average. Maternal deaths show a similar pattern. Immunisation coverage of children at the age of five years varies from 48% in Batticaloa and 93% in Polonnaruwa. Education Facilities: Total number of schools operating in the district is 244. Over 95% of them are government schools. The average number of teachers per school and pupils per school are around 13 and 329. Pupil/teacher ratio is around 25. These indicators are typical of those found in rural areas in Sri Lanka. Physical or Cultural Heritage: Polonnaruwa is one of the ancient kingdoms in Sri Lanka. A large number of archaeological sites and several places of Buddhist worship are found in the district. Places of religious importance belonging to Hindu, Buddhist and Islam are found in both districts. However, the proposed line would not be crossing the major archaeological sites in Polonnaruwa Puttalam-Maho 132 kv Transmission Line Environmental description presented in this section covers the districts of Puttalam and Kurunegala, which are the administrative areas within which the proposed project elements will be sited. General Climate: General climate that prevails in the two districts is characterised by hot and dry weather for most part of the year. Temperature varies from about 26 0 C in wetter months to around C during the drier months. The region s rain climate follows the typical pattern that is found in the dry zone of Sri Lanka. The region remains dry from March to September except for a short spell of rain in April. Heavy rains occur during the inter-monsoon months of October and November, followed by Northeast monsoon rains from December to February. Mean annual rainfall varies from about 1000 mm in Puttalam and 1500 mm in the Maho area. Topography and Soils: Topographically, the region is characterised by flat terrain interspersed with isolated hills. The whole project area lies in the flat and undulating terrain with soil types such as Reddish Brown Earths, Non Calcic Brown soils, Low Humic Gley soil, Red Yellow Latosols and Regosols. Water Resources: Surface water is scarce in the coastal region in the Puttalam district. The situation is, however, better in the inland parts of the Puttalam district and the northern part of Kurunegala district along the proposed line corridor, where there are many small to medium irrigation tanks. Ground water could be extracted in substantial quantities in the deep-seated limestone aquifers found in the coastal region in Puttalam district. A seasonal variation could be expected in the ground water table following the rainfall regime. Page 44

46 Ecological Resources: The proposed corridor for the transmission line is situated mainly in the dry zone and it ends in the Intermediate zone. The average annual rainfall of the proposed project area varies from mm. Agro-ecologically, the transmission line is in three zones: DL3, DL1 (dry lowlands) and IL3 (intermediate lowlands) with an altitude below 300m. The whole project area lies in the flat and undulating terrain with soil types such as Reddish Brown Earths, Non Calcic Brown soils, Low Humic Gley soil, Red Yellow Latosols and Regosols. There are two floristic regions within the project area namely Dry and arid lowlands and Northern intermediate lowlands. The characteristic natural vegetation types and communities found in the Dry and arid lowlands are Tropical dry- mixed evergreen forests Manilkara Community, Mixed community (Chloroxylon-Vitex-Berrya-Schleichera series), Tropical thorn forests (Manilkara-Chloroxylon-Salvadora-Randia series), Damana and Villu grasslands, Floodplain wetlands, Riverine and gallery forests. However, within the proposed corridor these natural formations are not found and represented by disturbed and man-made habitats such as secondary forests, scrublands, chena, plantations and paddy fields. Tropical moist semievergreen forest (Filicium-Euphoria-Artocarpus- Myristica series) is the dominant natural vegetation formation of Northern intermediate lowlands though this forest type has been decimated a long time ago. Dry-mixed evergreen forest is the most widespread matrix natural vegetation type in the dry zone. It is influenced by an average annual temperature of C and an annual precipitation of mm. Most of the precipitation is seasonal during the NE monsoon and the second inter-monsoon from October to February and have a marked dry spell during the southwest monsoon between May and August. Being an extensive forest type covering a vast area in the dry zone, this formation is influenced by variation in edaphic and hydrological factors. In the dry zone, secondary forests develop due to the degradation of dry-mixed evergreen forest. Their canopy is open at various levels due to the removal of a majority of the valuable timber trees that often causes an artificially elevated density of inferior and uneconomical timber species such as Drypetes sepiaria and the appearance of fast growing trees such as Grewia damine and Cassia fistula and even some exotic/naturalized trees such as Azadirachta indica. However, in a scrub that has developed by a process of succession in a denuded area, such as an abandoned chena, a high forest canopy does not exist at least at the early stages. The scrublands show different structure and physiognomy compared to the undisturbed and secondary forests. It consists of many thorny species but few seedlings and saplings of forest trees are also found among shrubs. Scrub vegetation forms in places where chena (shifting cultivation) have been abandoned or after large-scale natural disturbances. Soon after the chena plot is left fallow, various herbaceous pioneer species begin to appear followed by woody species in a series of succession leading to the appearance of a secondary forest. Species such as Azadirachta indica, Bauhinia racemosa, Carissa spinarum, Catunaregam spinosa, Dichrostachys cinerea, Flueggea leucopyrus, Gmelina asiatica, Grewia orientalis, Hugonia mystax, Ichnocarpus frutescens, Lantana camara, Limonia acidissima, Memecylon umbellatum, Phyllanthus polyphyllus, Scutia myrtina, Syzygium cumini, Toddalia asiatica and Ziziphus oenoplia recorded from the scrubland in the project area. The common mammals recorded from the terrestrial habitats such as dry-mixed evergreen forests, scrublands and road side vegetation in the project area are: Macaca sinica (Sri Lanka toque monkey) Endemic, Semnopithecus priam (Grey langur), Trachypithecus vetulus (Purple- Page 45

47 faced leaf monkey) (Endemic and Vulnerable- Red list category), Herpestes brachyurus (Brown mongoose), Herpestes edwardsii (Grey mongoose), Herpestes smithii (Black-tipped or Ruddy mongoose), Viverricula indica (Ring-tailed civet), Elephas maximus (Elephant) (Vulnerable- Red list category), Axis axis (Spotted deer), Sus scrofa (Wild boar), Funambulus palmarum (Palm squirrel), Lepus nigricollis (Black-naped hare), Canis aureus (Jackal), Ratufa macroura (Giant squirrel), and Pteropus giganteus (Flying fox). The common bird species recorded in these habitats are: Accipiter badius (Shikra), Acridotheres tristis (Common Myna), Centropus sinensis (Greater Coucal), Columba livia (Rock Pigeon), Copsychus saularis (Oriental Magpie Robin), Coracias benghalensis (Indian Roller), Corvus macrorhynchos (Large-billed Crow), Dicaeum erythrorhynchos (Pale-billed Flowerpecker), Dicrurus caerulescens (White-bellied Drongo), Eudynamys scolopacea (Asian Koel), Gallus lafayetii (Sri Lanka Junglefowl) Endemic, Haliastur Indus (Brahminy Kite), Megalaima zeylanica (Brown-headed Barbet), Merops orientalis (Green Bee-eater), and Nectarina asiatica (Purple Sunbird). The bird species found in paddy fields and associated aquatic habitats along the proposed transmission line are: Alcedo atthis (Common Kingfisher), Amaurornis phoenicurus (Whitebreasted Waterhen), Anastomus oscitans (Asian Openbill), Anthus rufulus (Paddyfield Pipit), Ardeola grayii (Pond Heron), Bubulcus ibis (Cattle Egret), Casmerodius albus (Great Egret), Egretta garzetta (Little Egret), Halcyon capensis (Stork-billed Kingfisher), Halcyon smyrnensis (White-throated Kingfisher), Himantopus himantopus (Black-winged Stilt), Mesophoyx intermedia (Intermediate Egret), Threskiornis melanocephalus (Black-headed Ibis) and Vanellus indicus (Red-wattled Lapwing). Bird species such as Centropus sinensis (Greater Coucal), Columba livia (Rock Pigeon), Copsychus saularis (Oriental Magpie Robin), Coracias benghalensis (Indian Roller), Corvus macrorhynchos (Large-billed Crow), Dicaeum erythrorhynchos (Pale-billed Flowerpecker), Dicrurus caerulescens (White-bellied Drongo, Haliastur Indus (Brahminy Kite), Megalaima zeylanica (Brown-headed Barbet), Merops orientalis (Green Bee-eater), Oriolus xanthornus (Black-hooded Oriole), Orthotomus sutorius (Common Tailorbird), Psittacula krameri (Roseringed Parakeet), Pycnonotus cafer (Red-vented Bulbul), Pycnonotus luteolus (White-browed Bulbul), Saxicoloides fulicata (Indian Robin), Streptopelia chinensis (Spotted Dove), Turdoides affinis (Yellow-billed Babbler), are recorded in home gardens, road side vegetation and other terrestrial habitats in the project area. Infrastructure Facilities: Puttalam Kurunegala region has a network of roads that leads to most interior parts of the two districts though most of them are village roads. A large number of village irrigation tanks and a few medium-scale tanks serve the small-scale paddy cultivation in the region. Household electrification rate in the North Western province that encompasses the two districts is 66%. Monthly electricity consumption per household is 60kWh. However, it is likely that the local level household electrification rates and household consumption at the level of DS divisions are below the provincial level rates. Health Facilities: State sector is the main source of health care for the people in these districts. Curative services are provided through one teaching hospital situated in the Kurunegala town and 2 base hospitals in each district. Number of district, peripheral and rural hospitals in the two districts are 20, 16 and 17 respectively. Well-organised preventive Page 46

48 health services are provided through a network of institutions staffed by medical officers (MOH) and field staff. Infant mortality per 1000 live births is 14 in the Kurunegala district and 6 in Puttalam district. Maternal deaths of per 100,000 live births are 19 in Kurunegala and 8 in Puttalam. Immunisation coverage of children at the age of five years is around 95%, which is higher than the national average. Industrial Activities: Industry employs a relatively small part of the population in both districts. Number of industrial establishments in the Puttalam and Kurunegala districts is 807 and 892, respectively. Persons employed in the sector are 11,381 and 18,294 in Puttalam and Kurunegala districts, respectively. Majority of them are small-scale industries that employ less than 25 persons per establishment. Some information on the industrial sector is presented in Table 5.5. Land Use: Land use pattern in the two districts is characterised by substantial extent of coconut and paddy land interspersed with home gardens/human settlements and large tracts of Chena land. The proportion of land under paddy and coconut is highest in the Kurunegala district, while coconut estates, Chena land and dry zone forest occupy large parts of the Puttalam district. Agriculture: As compared to other areas in the dry zone, agriculture plays a relatively modest role in the two districts. Only 43% of the households are classified as agricultural households in Puttalam, whereas in Kurunegala, the proportion of agricultural households is 76%. Nearly 90% of the agricultural households operate less than 2 ha indicating that agriculture is a small-scale operation. This conforms to the general trend in the dry zone of Sri Lanka. Table Details of Agricultural Activities Along the Puttalam-Maho Line Puttalam Kurunegala Number of agricultural households 66, ,571 Agricultural households as % of total households 43% 76% % Agricultural households operating: Less than 0.8 ha 54% 61% ha 34% 30% Households earning main income from agriculture 40% 46% Source: Census of Agriculture 2002 Demographic Data: In terms of demographic trends the two districts are very similar. The total population and the number of households in the two districts are 2,157,711 and 479,491 respectively. Household size of 4.5 persons per household is slightly below the national average. Population density (population per km 2 ) in Puttalam and Kurunegala are 246 and 316 respectively. These are close to the national average of 300. Literacy rate of 90% is close to the national average. Socio-economic Conditions: Over 90% of the population in the two districts is classified as rural and working in estates. Only a minor part of the population has had no education at all (6%). About 70% of the population in Puttalam has had secondary education whereas it is 60% in Kurunegala. Unemployment in the two districts remains around 7% of the economically active population, which is somewhat lower than in most other regions in the Page 47

49 rural dry zone. Over 80% of the population derives their income by working in the private sector and through self-employment. Permanent houses account for over 60% of the houses in the two districts. Almost the same proportion of the houses is built with brick walls, tiled roof, cemented floors and having water-sealed toilets. Majority of the houses have access to drinking water from a protected well situated within the premises or in close proximity. Over 80% of the houses are owned by a member of the family. Brief information on the socio-economic conditions in the two districts is presented in Table 5.6. Health Facilities: Sri Lanka has a well-organised island wide public health system that is rated as among the best in the Asian region. This has enabled to maintain the infant mortality and maternal deaths at a very low level. Education Facilities: Total number of schools operating in the Puttalam and Kurunegala districts is 352 and 959 respectively. Over 95% of these are government schools. About 25% of these schools conduct classes from year 1 to 13. Average number of teachers per school and pupils per school are around 20 and 350 in the two districts. Pupil/teacher ratio is around 20. These indicators are very close to the national averages. Physical or Cultural Heritage: Except for village based Buddhist temples, Churches, Kovils and Mosques, there are no specific sites of any significant religious or cultural value in the two districts, which are relevant to the route of the Puttalam-Maho line. Table Socio-economic Conditions in Puttalam and Kurunegala Districts Puttalam District Kurunegala District Total population (2001) 705,342 1,452,369 Urban population 9.2% 2.4% Rural and estate population 90.8% 97.6% Households (estimated) 156, ,749 Literacy rate (as % of population over 10 years age) 90.9% 91.9% % of population that had: No schooling or attended only Grade 1 6.0% 6.2% Passed Grade % 21.8% Passed Grade % 41.1% Passed GCE(O/L) 14.4% 18.3% Passed GCE(A/L) 6.2% 8.9% Unemployment rate 7.0% 8.0% Employment sector: Government /semi-government service 10.5% 16.0% Private sector 52.8% 35.1% Self-employed /unpaid family worker 36.7% 48.9% Source: Census of Population and Housing Ukuwela-Pallekelle 132 kv Transmission Line Environmental description presented in this section covers the Kandy district, which is the administrative area crossed by about 95% of the proposed corridor. Page 48

50 General Climate: Kandy district generally experiences a comparatively mild climate with a mean annual temperature of about 25 0 C. The climate becomes cooler in hilly parts of the district. Given the complex topography of the mountainous region, the annual rainfall within the district varies from 2000 to 3200 mm. Annual rainfall rhythm is, however, similar across the district with heavy rains occurring during the inter-monsoon months and the north-east monsoon period. Water Resources: Primary sources of surface water in the district are the small streams flowing down from the mountain ranges that surround the district and the Mahaweli river. Pressure on these resources is high due to the high population density in the district. Groundwater availability is highly site-specific and is also heavily used for domestic purposes. Ecological Resources: The proposed Ukuwela- Pallekele transmission line is located in the Intermediate zone of the country that experiences an annual rainfall of mm. Agroecologically, this area is classified as IM3 the Intermediate Midlands with altitude varying from 300 to 900 m. This area shows steeply dissected, hilly and rolling topography. The common soil types in the area are Immature Brown loams, Reddish Brown Latasolic and Reddish Brown Earths. The project area belongs to the Floristic region XI, Kandy and Upper Mahaweli, and the characteristic vegetation types are Tropical wet evergreen forests and Humid zone dry patana grasslands. The proposed line traverses mainly through roadside vegetation, home gardens, patches of paddy fields and semi - urban areas. It will not cut across any natural undisturbed habitats or protected areas such as National Parks, Sanctuaries or any other nature reserves in the area. The undisturbed old-growth wet evergreen forests are not found within the project area although this is the climax vegetation expected to be seen in floristic region XI. The common mammals species found in the semi- urban areas, home gardens and road side vegetation in the project area are: Macaca sinica (Sri Lanka toque monkey) Endemic species, Herpestes brachyurus (Brown mongoose), Herpestes smithii (Black-tipped or Ruddy mongoose), Sus scrofa (Wild boar), Funambulus palmarum (Palm squirrel), Lepus nigricollis (Black-naped hare) and Pteropus giganteus (Flying fox). Bird species such as Acridotheres tristis (Common Myna), Centropus sinensis (Greater Coucal), Columba livia (Rock Pigeon), Copsychus saularis (Oriental Magpie Robin) Corvus macrorhynchos (Large-billed Crow), Corvus splendens (House Crow), Dicaeum erythrorhynchos (Pale-billed Flowerpecker), Dicrurus caerulescens (White-bellied Drongo), Eudynamys scolopacea (Asian Koel), Gallus lafayetii (Sri Lanka Junglefowl) Endemic species, Haliastur Indus (Brahminy Kite), Megalaima zeylanica (Brown-headed Barbet), Merops orientalis (Green Bee-eater), Nectarina asiatica (Purple Sunbird), Nectarina zeylonica (Purple-rumped Sunbird), Oriolus xanthornus (Black-hooded Oriole), Orthotomus sutorius (Common Tailorbird), Passer domesticus (House Sparrow), Pycnonotus cafer (Red-vented Bulbul), Pycnonotus luteolus (White-browed Bulbul), Streptopelia chinensis (Spotted Dove), and Turdoides affinis (Yellow-billed Babbler) recorded from the project area. Infrastructure Facilities: Kandy district has an extensive network of roads that leads to most interior parts of the district. The city of Kandy is also served by a regular train service that links the city with major destinations in the hill country and lowland regions in the northern, western and eastern parts. Household electrification rate in the Central province that Page 49

51 encompasses the district of Kandy has reached 70%. Provincial level average monthly electricity consumption per household is 55 kwh. It is reasonable to expect that the electrification rate and household consumption may be above the provincial average in urban and semi-urban areas and lower in the outskirts. Industrial Activities: Kandy district ranks third in the island in terms of the number of industrial establishments. Of the total number of 1699 industrial establishment, 92% belong to the category of small-scale industries that employ less than 25 persons per establishment. The sector employs 28,474 persons of which 50% is employed in the small-scale sector. Land Use: Land use pattern in the district is characterised by large-scale tea plantations in the hilly areas, small tracts of paddy fields among the village settlements, small-scale rubber plantations and natural forest cover mostly found in the Knuckles mountain range. Agriculture: Tea and paddy account for over 60% of the land under agriculture in the Kandy district. Other crops that are grown in significant quantities include pepper, cloves and fruits. As in other parts of the country, agriculture is a small-scale operation in the district except for large-scale commercial tea plantations. Only 40% of the households refer to agriculture as the source of highest income, which seems to indicate that a sizeable population is also engaged in a variety of non-agriculture-related activities such as smallscale industries, commercial activities, and government and private sector employment. Demographic Data: Population and the number of households in the district are 1,272,463 and 254,493 respectively. Population density (population per km 2 ) in the district is over 600, which is double the national average. Literacy rate of 90% is close to the national average. Socio-economic Conditions: Only 7% of the population has had no education at all. About 60% of the population has had secondary education. Unemployment rate of 10% is slightly on the high side given the development status of the region. About 74% of the population derives their income by working in the private sector and through self-employment. Permanent houses account for over 70% of the houses in the district. Close to 70% of the houses are built with tiled roof and cement floors and have water-sealed toilets. About 40% of the houses have access to pipe-borne water supply and 35% get drinking water from a protected well situated within the premises or in close proximity. Close to 80% of the houses are owned by a member of the family. Brief information on the socio-economic conditions in the two districts is presented in Table Health Facilities: State sector is the main source of health care for the people in these districts. Curative services are provided through two teaching hospitals situated in the Kandy city, 2 base hospitals, 13 district hospitals, 7 peripheral units and 26 rural hospitals. Well-organised preventive health services are provided through a network of institutions staffed by medical officers (MOH) and field staff. Infant mortality of 15 per 1000 live births recorded in the district is slightly higher than the national average. Maternal deaths of 8 per 100,000 live births, is less than half the national average. Immunisation coverage of children at the age of five years is around 86% is also comparable with the national average. Education Facilities: Total number of schools operating in the district is 719 of which 647 are government schools. Average number of teachers per school and pupils per school are around 19 and 400 respectively. Pupil/teacher ratio is around 21. These indicators are very close to the national averages. Page 50

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53 Table Socio-economic Conditions in the Kandy District Kandy Total population (2002) 1,272,463 Households (estimated) 254,493 Literacy rate (as % of population over 10 years age) 91% % of population that had: No schooling or attended only Grade 1 6.9% Passed Grade % Passed Grade % Passed GCE(O/L) 19.2% Passed GCE(A/L) 9.8% Unemployment rate (unemployed as % of economically active) 9.8% Employment sector: Government /semi-government service 23.2% Private sector 45.2% Self-employed /unpaid family worker 29.5% Source: Census of Population and Housing 2001 Physical or Cultural Heritage: Kandy is the location of the last Sinhala kingdom that fell to British invaders in The palace complex including the Temple of the Tooth (Dalada Maligawa) situated in the heart of the Kandy city is in a well-preserved state. Temple of Tooth is a place of great religious significance among the Buddhists. There are several Buddhist temples in the city suburbs that also display traditional Kandyan arts and crafts Proposed In and Out Connection at Naula This short in an out connection (0.5Km only)is located adjacent to proposed Naula GS, and the description of Environment for the same is covered under Naula Grid Substation in Clause POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND PROPOSED MITIGATION MEASURES In the identification of the potential environmental impacts and the proposed mitigation measures, this subproject is divided into two sections: the first section deals with the eight GSs to be augmented and the three new GSs to be built, and the second section deals with the three new transmission lines. The identification of potential impacts follows the ADB guidelines for rapid environmental assessment checklist. 6.1 Grid Substations All the eight grid substations to be augmented and included in the subproject would be located within the available space inside the existing grid substations. The three new GSs will be located in land acquired from the Government or semi-government agencies, with no direct impacts on the population or involuntary resettlement. The potential impacts of grid substations and mitigation measures are described in general in this section. Page 52

54 6.1.1 Project Siting All the eight GSs to be augmented are located within the existing premises, without additional land being dedicated. Therefore, while this is the best option to locate the additional facilities to expand the grid substation capacity, there are no specific environmental impacts owing to the project siting. Furthermore, none of these eight grid substations are located near environmentally sensitive areas such as cultural sites, protected areas, buffer zones, mangroves and forest reserves. The three new GSs to be built will be located in a state-owned land, which will be vested with CEB. Here too, there no specific environmental concerns associated with the siting as no relocation of people or significant clearing of vegetation would be involved. The Naula GS site adjoins a forest reserve, but there would be no clearing of the forest or any other impacts, as the land allocated is already clear of any major vegetation and presently covered with shrubs and some debris Potential Environmental Impacts of GSs and Mitigatory Measures Environmentally Sensitive Areas: None of the grid substations will encroach into any protected area or other environmentally sensitive areas. There will be no impacts on the surface water hydrology, as the project will not cross any waterways. At the new Naula GS site, a retaining wall will be built bordering a stream that adjoins the land earmarked for the GS. There will be no hindrance to the flow in the stream either during construction or during operation. Storm Water: All existing grid substations are already provided with storm water drainage through covered surface drains, and these drains already discharge storm water into preexisting public drainage systems. In most locations, these drains are located by the roadside, and in a few grid substations, the storm water is released to already existing waterways in adjacent low-lying areas, based on the topography of the site. The specific location of discharge of storm water for each existing GS was stated in a previous section of this report. There will be no additional impacts or additional releases of storm water from any of eight grid substations to be augmented. The three new GSs will be built with a standard storm water collection system with surface drains, which will discharge into a drain designated by the local authority. Water Quality: There will be no spillage of chemicals, transformer oil or other liquids, which have the potential to pollute surface water resources, during regular operation of all the GSs. In an emergency situation such as a fire, transformer oil may spill outside or would be released by the GS staff or fire fighters, as a precautionary measure, and this possible spillage in either small quantities or in large quantities, would be fully contained within the transformer oil containment pit. The transformer oil containment pit is designed to hold the entire quantity of transformer oil. Possible run-off of filling material (gravel) during construction is possible in the new Naula GS where substantial filling and compacting of the substation site is required. Precautionary measures taken will include covered piling of gravel and layer-by-layer compaction, so that loose gravel on site that may run-off under heavy rain at any given time will be minimised. Page 53

55 Air Pollution: There will be no operations such as rock crushing during construction. There are no emissions during regular operation of the grid substations. As such, there will be no air pollution caused by any of the activities in GSs of this subproject. Noise and Vibration: During civil works on the sites, the possible sources of noise are limited to the compacting machines operating on site, and this requirement will be limited to the new Naula GS (filling and compacting). These machines are small and would be of the type commonly used in public buildings and on road works, and hence their noise levels would be within acceptable limits. Working hours will follow the Sri Lanka noise regulations. There will be no sources of noise from any other GS apart from Matara and Naula, as all civil works at those sites would be simple foundations not involving pile driving or the use of other heavy construction machinery. The proposed addition of one line bay at the existing Puttalam GS (to connect the new Puttalam-Maho line) involves only an extension to the existing substation. Therefore, it is not foreseen that this activity would lead to significant adverse impacts on the environment in the long run. During the operation of all the GSs, the only source of noise would be power frequency vibration emanating from power transformers. Transformer noise levels comply with IEC standards, and are measured as a type test in accordance with IEC The acceptable noise level at a power transformer is 83db (A). As a further measure to improve safety and noise attenuation, all equipment in a GS is located at least 5 m away from the boundary fence, providing adequate space for noise attenuation. Sri Lanka s noise regulations published in Government Gazette dated 21 st May 1996, under the Environment Act No. 47 of 1980, applicable to the locations of the GSs are the following: During construction : Day time 75 db(a), night time 50 db(a) During operation : Low noise areas- Day time 55 db(a), night time 45 db(a) Medium noise areas Day time 63 db(a), night time 50 db(a) Silent Zones Day time 50 db(a), night time 45 db(a) All the GS to be augmented are located either in low noise areas (Pradeshiya Sabha areas) or in medium noise zones (municipal or urban council areas). None of the GSs would be located in close proximity to schools or offices, which are considered to be silent zones. Noise at the perimeter of each GS would be maintained at the stipulated levels, and additional precautions would be taken to further dampen the noise impacts by (a) building sound barriers and (b) growing trees with thick foliage in the perimeter of the substations. Social Conflicts owing to use of Roads During Construction: Out of the eight GSs to be augmented, Veyangoda has direct access from a C class road, which is classified as a provincial highway. Horana is located within a designated industrial zone, and access to the site does not use any minor roads in the area. Matara is located along a municipal road. Ampara, Habarana, Kurunegala and Panadura GSs are reached along local access roads, for lengths between 100m and 1 km. The level of construction activity at the substations would be minimal, owing to standard foundation arrangements with no requirements for pile Page 54

56 foundations and simple construction and erection methods to be used. In general, care will be taken to transport building material only in covered trucks, which is a legal requirement in Sri Lanka and to take adequate precautions against possible damage to local roads. Any damages caused to the movement of trucks during the transport of material to the site will be repaired by the contractor, under the direct supervision by CEB. Out of the three new GSs, Pallekelle is located within a developed industrial zone and served by an internal road of the zone. Maho site is located alongside the Maho- Nikeweratiya Road, a B class road classified as a national highway. Significant road development is required at Naula (1 km). This road development will not acquire additional land, but would conduct the development within the existing right-of-way. Health Hazards: There would be no health hazards either during construction or during operation. Exposure to electromagnetic fields during construction and operation will be negligible as the required electrical clearance is maintained between high voltage equipment and the areas accessible by construction workers and maintenance staff. There will be no impacts on the public as significant clearances in excess of the minimum stipulated distances are maintained at all times. Risks of Accidents: Accidents including fire, explosions, electric shocks, accidents to project staff and/or general public will be minimised by adopting the following measures. Selection of project equipment (circuit breakers, insulators etc.) incorporated with latest technology in safety aspects. Awareness programmes on safety in workplace/site for construction and operational staff Provision of adequate water supply and sanitation facilities for construction camps Provision of proper warning signs, tapes and barriers where appropriate during construction and energizing activities of the project. Waste Disposal and Removal: The project would not generate any waste liquids or solids during regular operation. However, during construction, small quantities of waste material would be generated, mostly consisting of packing material. Minor alternations to be made to the control buildings at some GSs would generate debris, mostly consisting of used building material (masonry, timber and roofing material). Guidance will be sought from each respective local authority (Pradeshiya Sabha, Urban or Municipal council) about the dumping areas designated for debris from building sites. Any scrap metal from the augmented GSs will be sold to re-cycling agents, while other construction waste (such as glass and plastic, which would be in very small quantities, if any) would be disposed of as instructed by the respective local authorities. The other possible waste generation is when transformer oils are changed or filtered. Liquid wastes generated in such processes will be taken back to a central location where all CEB waste transformer oils are collected and then disposed of in a method approved by the Central Environmental Authority Potential Environmental Enhancement Measures All the eight GSs are to be augmented within the available space. Wherever possible, subject to limitations to maintaining safety clearances, CEB will establish a buffer zone between the Page 55

57 grid substations and adjacent privately owned properties, if space is available within the GS itself. Trees will be planted to minimise the visual impacts of the GSs. Care will be taken to select tree species that would not hamper future maintenance requirements or compromises safety in the high voltage equipment and lines prevailing around the GSs. 6.2 Transmission Lines Potential Environmental Impacts and Mitigatory Measures This section highlights the potential adverse environmental impacts due to the construction of the proposed 132 kv transmission line and proposes mitigation measures for those impacts that seem significant. Preliminary route selection of the proposed transmission line was based on the topographic sheets. Site visits were also made to verify the land use pattern presented in the maps. The following principles were adopted when selecting the optimum route: Minimise disturbance to human settlements Avoid forest and wildlife reserves. Where it is not possible to avoid the line to traverse through sanctuaries, national parks, reserve forests, etc., minimise the route length through such areas Avoid monuments of cultural or historical importance Minimise impacts to any social infrastructure and services such as playgrounds, schools and hospitals. Avoid coconut, rubber and other plantations with high grown trees Route the line through grasslands, paddy fields, tea, cinnamon, chena, shrub and marshes as much as possible to minimise damage to the tree cover, particularly in areas with tall trees. Maximum use of the existing road network and access roads (particularly important when deciding on tower locations) Every effort was made to comply with the above criteria but comprises were unavoidable in certain situations. Likely summary of impacts on any sanctuary, forest and wildlife reserve are: Loss of mature trees: the 27m-wide line corridor needs to be cleared of trees over 3 m in height as well as large trees adjacent to the corridor Loss of habitat for rare birds if they are nesting on such trees Disturbance to the soil due to uprooting of trees leading to soil erosion Disturbing the wildlife habitat during the construction phase, mainly due to noise arising from vehicle traffic Other Sections of the Line Right-of Way: As stipulated in the Electricity Act, compensation for removed or pruned trees will be paid at a fair market rate to the respective land owners based on tree type, its age and expected income from the tree, as per the assessment made by the Divisional Secretary (DS). Cleared vegetation and any timber will be made available to the owner for his own use. Page 56

58 Along the right-of-way of the transmission line, no new buildings above the ground floor would be allowed. However, if there are multi-storey buildings in the line route already in place or approved by the Local Authority for construction, the design of the transmission line and the towers will be adjusted to ensure that the stipulated safety clearances will be maintained with such buildings. Impacts on Seasonal Agriculture: Action will be taken to plan the timing of construction activities including transportation of equipment and tower parts on agricultural lands to avoid any disturbances/damages of field crops, to the maximum practicable extent. However, when this cannot be achieved and if an agricultural land has to be crossed during a period when crops are cultivated, a crop disturbance allowance will be paid to the respective landowners to compensate for the loss affected, as per the assessment of the DS. Earthworks and Soil Erosion: Earthworks associated with tower construction will be limited to excavation for four sunken concrete footings, and thus the soil disturbance will be confined to the immediate tower base. When the towers are located in sloping terrains (very few in this case), limited cutting and filling will also be required for the tower foundations and access tracks. Best engineering practices would be adopted in the design and construction of the above in order to minimise erosion risks. Appropriate recommendations will be incorporated in contract documentation and will be monitored by CEB during construction. Techniques will include appraisal of any special erosion or slope stability risks during design, minimising clearing of vegetation and turfing and/or re-vegetating to stabilise slopes on completion, and avoidance of earthworks on erosion-prone areas during the rainy season. Monitoring of erosion mitigation measures will be incorporated in the monitoring programme. Temporary Access Roads: Although the line construction will rely on many existing roads, certain new access roads/tracks may be built to reach tower locations, if it is absolutely necessary. Generally, maximum efforts will be made to manually transport equipment in knocked-down state to tower locations, to avoid building new access roads. Building materials to such locations would also be hand-carried wherever possible. These 3-4 m wide temporary access roads will be sited carefully to minimise the disruptions to paddy farming operations. These temporary access roads will be completely removed after the construction, unless the DS makes a special request to retain them on public interest for future use. Noise and Vibrations: Noise and vibrations generated by construction activities will be for a short duration at each tower footing along the transmission line route. Impacts will be minimised by restricting construction activities to daytime. The noise levels at the boundary of substations will be maintained to comply with National Environmental (Noise Control) regulation No.1 of Noise regulations were described in an earlier section of this IEE report. Health and Safety: Accidents to project staff and/or general public will be minimised by adopting following measures. Selection of project equipment incorporated with latest technology in safety aspects. Awareness programmes on safety in workplace/site for construction and operational staff Provision of proper warning signs, tapes and barriers where appropriate during construction and energising activities of the project. Page 57

59 Comparison of alternatives to each new line corridor, and mitigatory measures specific to each line are given in the sections below Galle-Matara 132 kv Transmission Line Both Galle and Matara are grid substations where the national 132 kv grid is available. There is no existing corridor between Galle and Matara that can be used to locate the new 132 kv line Alternative Routes CEB has identified three optional routes for the new transmission corridor to be developed under this subproject. These three options are shown in Figure 6.1. The land-use patterns along the optional routes are compared in Table 6.1. Figure 6.1- Optional Routes for the Galle-Matara Transmission Corridor Page 58

60 Table 6.1- Land-use Pattern Along the Three Optional Routes for Galle-Matara Option 1 Option 2 Option 3 Comments Approximate line length (km) Estimates on map-based routing Land use type (% of line length) Paddy field Paddy cultivation can continue in the corridor. Favourable owing to minimum long-term disturbance to farming Marsh/Swamp Tea Coconut Other cultivations Home garden May have dispersed houses Shrub Chena-type land (rotating agriculture, a few isolated tall trees) Village settlements Home garden with houses marked in the map. It is required to minimise the distance traversed within populated areas, to minimise the land-use restrictions and disturbance to private lands and houses. River crossings Nos River crossings have to be minimised for technical reasons, and to prevent location of transmission towers on river embankments Road crossings Nos Road crossings have to be minimised, to ensure minimum land-use restrictions caused by the line, because housing density is high near national highways Based on the above screening, it was decided to select Option 1, which has the lowest impact on home gardens, in spite of the fact that it is about 1.9 km longer than the shortest distance identified for option Ecological Impacts The consumption of land, and the consequent loss and fragmentation of natural or seminatural habitats are inherent in any development project. When the transmission line intersects habitat, the area occupied by the line itself minimize the area available for populations of flora and fauna. Habitats or ecosystems are characterized by complex, interdependent relations between component species and their physical environment, and the integrity of the habitat relies on the maintenance of those interactions. By fragmenting the habitat for construction of transmission line affects habitat s stability and health. Development activities tend to fragment an area into ecologically unstable units making them vulnerable to invasions and degradation and finally a loss of habitat. The impact on individuals and populations of terrestrial flora and fauna found in all the habitats along the transmission line would be minimal as these comprise common species with very low endemicity with fewer being regarded as threatened. The number of rare and Page 59

61 endangered flora and fauna recorded from this area is very few. All threatened plants and animal species recorded from the habitats in and surroundings the trace are found in other geographic locations in the country. Therefore, impact on these species due to the activities (construction and operational phases) of the project would be marginal. There would not be any direct impacts on protected areas since the proposed project does not cut across any National Park or a Sanctuary Mitigation of Impacts The proposed project area harbours predominantly common species of flora and fauna and species-specific mitigatory measures are not proposed. The trace cuts across a number of habitats that are influenced by man. Natural undisturbed habitats/ ecosystems are not fond along the trace and therefore site-specific mitigatory measures are not important Habarana-Valachchenai 132 Transmission Line Both Habarana and Valachchenai are grid substations where the national 132 kv grid is available. There is an existing corridor between Habarana and Valachchenai that can considered to locate the new 132 kv line. However, this study examined three alternatives Alternative Routes CEB has identified three optional routes for the new transmission corridor to be developed under this subproject. These three options are shown in Figure 6.2. The land-use patterns along the optional routes are compared in Table 6.2. Figure 6.2- Alternatives Routes for the Habarana - Valachchenai Transmission Corridor Page 60

62 Table 6.2- Land-use Pattern Along the Three Optional Routes for Habarana-Valachchenai Option 1 Option 2 Option 3 Comments Approximate line length (km) Estimates on map-based routing Land use type (% of Paddy field Paddy cultivation can continue line length) in the corridor. Favourable owing to minimum long-term disturbance to farming Marsh/Swamp Grass lands Chena Other cultivations Home garden May have dispersed houses Shrub Chena-type land (rotating agriculture, a few isolated tall trees) Forest Strict National Reserve (forest/wildlife) Sanctuary - - Village settlements Home garden with houses marked in the map. It is required to minimise the distance traversed within populated areas, to minimise the land-use restrictions and disturbance to private lands and houses. Historic & Cultural Sites 0.3 Tanks/ Abandoned Tanks Rock River crossings Nos River crossings have to be minimised for technical reasons, and to prevent location of transmission towers on river embankments Road crossings Nos Road crossings have to be minimised, to ensure minimum land-use restrictions caused by the line, because housing density is high near national highways Railway crossings Nos Based on the above screening, it was decided to select Option 1, which has the lowest impact on forests and no traverse through the strict natural reserve, in spite of the fact that it is about 4.9 km longer than the shortest distance identified for option 3. Page 61

63 Impacts on Habitats/Ecosystem The fragmentation of natural or semi- natural habitats are inherent in any development project. When the transmission line intersects habitats, the area occupied by the line itself minimizes the area available for populations of flora and fauna. Habitats or ecosystems are characterized by complex, interdependent relations between component species and their physical environment, and the integrity of the habitat relies on the maintenance of those interactions. The fragmentation affects habitat s stability and health. Aquatic ecosystems such as villus, marshes, rivers, streams, ponds/tanks are habitats for important food sources and characterized by a richness of flora and fauna and high productivity. In general, these habitats are important because of their role in regulating the flow in waterways, in filtering water, and in serving as habitats for migratory birds. The impact on individuals and populations of terrestrial flora and fauna found in all the habitats along the trace would be minimal as these comprise many common species with very low endemicity with fewer being regarded as threatened. Also mammals and other groups of animals can utilize the land occupied by the transmission line during the operational phase. The information available for this area revealed that there are very few species of fauna and flora belong to endemic and threatened categories. All threatened plants and animal species recorded from the habitats in and surroundings the trace are found in other geographic locations in the country. Therefore, impact on these species due to the activities (construction and operational phases) of the project would be marginal. During the construction phase there would be some minor impacts on elephants due to the obstructions of migratory paths around Minneriya and Flood Plains Nations Parks. The proposed and existing transmission lines traverse through Minneriya National Park. The construction of proposed line along the existing line would involves clearing of habitats of 17 m corridor and this would results more fragmentation of habitats within the National Park Mitigatory Measures The corridor identified for the construction of transmission line could avoid ecologically important habitats such as undisturbed old - growth natural forest (high forest), wildlife/animal corridors and natural aquatic habitats (marshes, swamps) as these are considered to be ecologically more sensitive compared to other habitats. The proposed project area harbours predominantly common species of flora and fauna and species-specific mitigatory measures are not proposed. However, impacts on habitats, especially aquatic habitats such as villus and associated habitats, should be marginal during the construction phase. Environmental specifications for contractors would cover management of work forces (control of poaching and firewood collection), machinery (speed, noise, and traffic), and prevention of erosion and contamination during construction. Laws pertaining to plant and Page 62

64 animal species, protected areas, hunting, fishing, and forestry should be used where available and developed as a more permanent means of impact minimization Comparison of Traces The deviation from the existing transmission line begins after crossing the Mahaweli. The proposed trace travels somewhat parallel to the main road and then it crosses the road and traverse through mainly scrublands and paddy field avoiding developed and semi-urban areas. The length of the trace is shorter than the existing line and therefore impacts on habitats would be less Puttalam-Maho 132 Transmission Line Puttalam GS is existing whereas Maho is a new GS to be built under this subproject. There is no existing corridor between Puttalam and Maho that can considered to locate the new 132 kv line. This study examined three alternatives for the new corridor Alternative Routes CEB has identified three optional routes for the new transmission corridor to be developed under this subproject. These three options are shown in Figure 6.3. The land-use patterns along the optional routes are compared in Table 6.3. Figure 6.3- Optional Routes for the Transmission Corridor Between Puttalam and Maho Page 63

65 Table 6.3- Land-use Pattern Along the Three Optional Routes for Puttalam Maho Option 1 Option 2 Option 3 Comments Approximate line length (km) Estimates on map-based routing Land use type (% of Paddy field Paddy cultivation can continue line length) in the corridor. Favourable owing to minimum long-term disturbance to farming Grass lands Chena Coconut Other cultivations Home garden May have dispersed houses Shrub Chena-type land (rotating agriculture, a few isolated tall trees) Village settlements Home garden with houses marked in the map. It is required to minimise the distance traversed within populated areas, to minimise the land-use restrictions and disturbance to private lands and houses. Tanks/ Abandoned Tanks Rock 0.2 Religious Premises Nos. 1.0 Road crossings Nos Road crossings have to be minimised, to ensure minimum land-use restrictions caused by the line, because housing density is high near national highways Based on the above screening, it was decided to select Option 1, which has the lower impacts on home gardens and the higher share of the traverse through paddy fields, in spite of the fact that it is about 2 km longer than the shortest distance identified for option 3. Ecological Impacts: The proposed corridor for the transmission line would not disturb any natural habitats/ ecosystems in the project area and occupies only the areas already developed as home gardens, forest plantations, agricultural lands, abandoned unproductive lands and paddy fields. Therefore, the construction of the line would not have adverse impacts on undisturbed natural habitats or ecosystems. There would not be any direct or indirect impacts on protected areas since the proposed project does not cut across any National Park or a Sanctuary. The impact on individuals and populations of terrestrial flora and fauna found in all the habitats along the transmission line would be minimal as these comprise common species with very low endemicity with fewer being regarded as threatened. The number of rare and endangered flora and fauna recorded from this area is very few. All plants and animal species recorded from the habitats in and surroundings the trace are found in other Page 64

66 geographic locations in the country. Therefore, impact on these species due to the activities (construction and operational phases) of the project would be marginal. Mitigaory Measures: The impacts on habitats such as home gardens, plantations, paddy fields and associated habitats would be marginal during the construction phase and therefore site specific mitigatory measures are not required. The proposed project area represents predominantly common species of flora and fauna. Therefore, implementations of species specific mitigatory measures are not required. Environmental specifications for contractors should cover management of work forces (control of poaching and firewood collection), machinery (speed, noise, and traffic), and prevention of erosion and contamination during construction. Laws pertaining to plant and animal species, protected areas, hunting, fishing, and forestry should be used where available and developed as a more permanent means of impact minimisation Ukuwela-Pallekelle 132 kv Transmission Line Ukuwela GS is existing whereas Pallekelle is a new GS to be built under this subproject. There is no existing corridor between Ukuwela and Pallekelle that can considered to locate the new 132 kv line. This study examined three alternatives for the new corridor Alternative Routes CEB has identified three optional routes for the new transmission corridor to be developed under this subproject. These three options are shown in Figure 6.4. The land-use patterns along the optional routes are compared in Table 6.4. Figure 6.4- Optional Routes for the Transmission Corridor between Ukuwela & Pallekelle Page 65

67 Table 6.4- Land-use Pattern Along the Three Optional Routes for Ukuwela-Pallekelle Option 1 Option 2 Option 3 Comments Approximate line length (km) Estimates on map-based routing Land use type (% of line length) Paddy field Paddy cultivation can continue in the corridor. Favourable owing to minimum long-term disturbance to farming Tea Other cultivations Home garden May have dispersed houses Shrub - - Chena-type land (rotating agriculture, a few isolated tall trees) Village settlements Home garden with relatively higher housing density. It is required to minimise the distance traversed within populated areas, to minimise the land-use restrictions and disturbance to private lands and houses. Religious Premises Nos. 1 2 Hospitals Nos. 1 Road crossings (maina/b, minor roads) Nos Road crossings have to be minimised, to ensure minimum land-use restrictions caused by the line, because housing density is high near national highways Railway crossings Nos Based on the above screening, it was decided to select Option 1, which has the lowest impact on home gardens and the maximum traverse through paddy fields, in spite of the fact that it is about 1.3 km longer than the shortest distance identified for option 2. Ecological Impacts: The proposed transmission line would not disturb any natural habitat/ecosystem in the project area and it occupies only the areas already developed as home gardens, plantations, agricultural lands, paddy fields, etc. Therefore, the construction of the line would not have any impacts on undisturbed natural habitats or ecosystems. There would not be any direct or indirect impacts on protected areas since the proposed project does not cut across any National Park or a Sanctuary. The impact on individuals and populations of terrestrial flora and fauna found in all the habitats along the trace would be minimal, as these comprise many common species. The information available for this area revealed that there are very few species of fauna and flora belong to endemic or threatened categories. Therefore, impact on these species due to the activities (construction and operational phases) of the project would be negligible. Mitigaory Measures: The proposed project area harbours predominantly common species of flora and fauna and species-specific mitigatory measures are not proposed. The impacts on habitats such as home gardens, plantations, paddy fields and associated habitats would be Page 66

68 marginal during the construction phase and therefore site-specific mitigatory measures are not required. Environmental specifications for contractors would cover management of work forces, machinery (speed, noise, and traffic), and prevention of erosion and contamination during construction. Laws pertaining to plant and animal species, protected areas, hunting, fishing, and forestry should be used where available and developed as a more permanent means of impact minimization Transmission Line for Naula In and Out Connection Naula is a new GS to be built under this subproject. This selected in and out connection is proposed from the closest angle tower of the existing 132kV transmission line from Ukuwela to Habarana to connect the new Naula GS Alternative Routes Considering the very short length of this connection and very minimal environmental impacts of it, only two alternative line routes starting from the two closest angle towers (located in opposite sides of the Naula GS) from the said transmission line is considered, as any other alternative will have relatively longer length and also higher environmental impacts. These two options are shown in Figure 6.5. The land-use patterns along the optional routes are compared in Table 6.5. Figure 6.5- Optional Routes for the in an out connection to Naula GS Page 67