Consultancy Services for Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Environmental Quality Assessment for 6km Long Transmission Line of Proposed 40MW Power Connection & Utilization Planning of Total 55.26mw Power (40mw from National Grid & 15.26MW from SSPL) at Gazipur District

The main objective of the Ghorashal Power House –Seven Circle (Bangladesh) Limited 132KV T/L Project is to supply electricity from the upcoming Power Plants in Ghorashal Power House area to Gazipur city via Kaliganj area for increasing reliability of power supply of this Industrial zone.

The Specific objective of the project is to:

I. To evacuate power to be generated in the upcoming Power Plant at Ghorashal and deliver power to the load center (Dhaka);

II. To create power evacuation facilities for the future generating plants at Ghorashal.

The scope of the 132KV T/L Project is:

I. Construction of Palash to Kaligonj 132kV Single Circuit T/L of around 7 km.; and

II. Construction of a 132/11KV, 2X25/30 MVA Sub-Station at Kaliganj.

Scope of Services included –

§  Collection of necessary information and relevant data for preparing the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Report.

§  Collection of primary data, including extrapolation environmental features on proposed project design, tree inventories, location and measurement of socio-cultural features adjoining the proposed project area.

§  Collection of the secondary data on macro-environmental setting, such as, climate (temperature, rainfall, humidity, & wind speed), physiography, geology etc. from secondary sources.

§  Review of the environmental legislation, regulatory policy & guidelines, and considerations relating to the implementation of the project.

§  Review of the policy, legal and administrative framework for EIA process.

§  Carry out the environmental and social impact assessment up to 1km area on each side of the project.

§  Establish the environmental and social baseline conditions of the project.

§  Assessment of the baseline environmental and social condition through field surveys and investigation (sampling & testing).

§  Impacts assessment of ecologically sensitive areas (e.g. wildlife sanctuaries, biosphere reserve, and protected places).

§  Environmental quality assessment of terrestrial and aquatic ecology, soil quality (parameters – oil & grease, arsenic), surface water quality (parameters – pH, TDS, DO, BOD, COD), groundwater quality (parameters – pH, Arsenic, TDS, Alkalinity, Fe, Chloride), air quality (parameters – SPM, Sox, NOx, CO, PM₁₀, PM_2.5), and noise level to prepare a baseline database.

§  Assess the existing physical environment, biological environment, and socio-economic environment.

§  Physical environment covered different physical natural features and included major parameters & factors, such as, climate (temperature, rainfall, humidity, wind speed, sunshine, & cloud coverage), ambient air quality, noise level, physiography, topography, geology & hydrology, water resources (surface & ground water), soil quality, Agro-ecological zones (soil condition, & floodplain), seismicity, etc.

§  Biological environment covered factors related to life and included major features, such as, bio-ecological zones (major rivers), ecosystem, flora & fauna, protected areas & red book species, etc.

§  Socio-economic environment covered anthropological factors, such as, demography, age, sex/gender, household, nutrition, religion, ethnicity, land use ownership, cropping pattern, occupational pattern, livelihood, income, infrastructure, settlement plan & housing, transport & communication, sources of drinking water, sanitation facility, poverty, health, recreational activities, archaeological & cultural heritage, climate change & natural disaster, environmental & social hotspot, etc.

§  Prepare socio-economic profile and impact on the community.

§  Identification and assessment of potential impacts on the natural and human environment in the project area during pre-construction; construction and post-construction phase of the project.

§  Identification of mitigation measures for minimizing the effect of the negative impacts and enhancement measures for increasing the benefits of the positive impacts.

§  Organize public consultation to explain the local environmental & social conditions and pertinent impacts.

§  Public consultation was conducted to understand the people’s perception, view and suggestion on the project.

§  Assessment of environmental, economic, and social benefits that will contribute towards long-term global sustainability.

§  Preparation of the recommendations and conclusions in order to operate the project works in an environmentally safe and sound manner.

§  Preparation of the EIA Report, including Environmental Management Plan (EMP) and Environmental Monitoring Plan, along with the budgetary cost estimates for the proposed mitigation measures and monitoring plan, in compliance with the DOE guidelines.

§  Assist the Client in coordination and liaison with the DOE to organize presentation and facilitate the process of EIA approval and thereby issued of Environmental Clearance Certificate (ECC).