Chapter 1 JBIC

7/21/2019 Chapter 1 JBIC

1/29

1. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1.1 Background

The Southern Transport Development Project (STDP) is presently being implemented by the

Government of Sri Lanka (GSL) through !oad Development "uthority (!D")# The project isfinanced from parallel funding by the "sian Development $ank ("D$) and the %apan $ank for

&nternational 'ooperation (%$&')# The main component of this project is the construction of an

epressay (Southern *ighay) beteen +ottaa and ,atara# &t consists of to segments-

about .. km long stretch from +ottaa to +urundugahahetekma and about ./ km stretch from

+urundugahahetekma to ,atara# The latter segment funded by "D$ is knon as the "D$

section- hile the former segment funded by %$&' is referred to as the %$&' section# The

construction has already reached significant proportions over a large stretch of the "D$ section

of the epressay- hile construction orks in the %$&' section has just commenced#

The evolution of concept of a Southern 0pressay dates back to early 123/s# The original

highay trace knon as 4!D" Trace5 evolved as the outcome of a Pre67easibility studyconcluded in 1228# " 7easibility Study conducted in 1229 under the financial assistance of

"D$ recommended a ne alignment knon as 4'ombined Trace5# This 'ombined Trace as

also supported by the 0nvirionmental &mpact "ssessment (0&") conducted by :niversity of

,oratua in 1222 subjected to mitigation of certain impacts# The 'entral 0nvironmental

"uthority ('0") in granting 4'onditional "pproval5 to the 'ombined Trace recommended that

road trace should be deviated to avoid passing through certain etlands# The 47inal Trace5 for

hich the detailed designs ere carried out and presently being implemented resulted due to

incorporation of these deviations#

The 7inal Trace evolved during the detailed design stage contained to major deviations from

the 'ombined Trace# These deviations had impacted land ac;uisition and resettlement as ell as

environmental management and raised ade;uacy of environmental assessments conducted

earlier# The detailed design of the 7inal Trace as also the basis for an updated S&" and some

updating of environmental assessment by the design consultants in


2/29

(i) Supplementary 0nvironmental "ssessment !eport? and

(ii) " draft updated 0,P as per "D$ 0nvironmental "ssessment Guidelines =//8

and GSL re;uirements#

$oth reports are presented in to volumes- @olume & 6 "D$ Section A Galle Port "ccess !oad

and @olume && 6 %$&' Section#

The findings presented in the Supplementary 0nvironmental "ssessment !eport is based on

revie and analysis of available background data and data ac;uired through field studies

conducted ithin a limited scope of ork for such studies# The field studies mainly

concentrated on the deviations of the 7inal Trace from the 'ombined Trace and locations along

that part of the 7inal Trace covered by the 1222 0&"- here environmental settings have

undergone marked changes#

1.2 Descripion o! "e #ro$ec

The %$&' section is approimately .9 km long# &t commences at ,akumbura %unction- situatedapproimately =8 km east of 'olombo on 'olombo6!atnapura "B highay# &t then crosses

'olombo6*orana road est of +ahthudua %unction- Panadura6*orana road at +alutara near

Gelanigama %unction- +alutara6*orana road and +alu Ganga at Diyagama# The road passes

through Dodangoda-


3/29

" total of 1/ arterial roads ('lass " A $) hich are significant to the %$&' section are

considered as major constituents of the basic road netork# Therefore these roads are connected

to the main highay by . interchanges# "ll other minor roads crossed by the highay are

connected by overpassEunderpass or service roads to maintain the local circulation#

1.% T"e E'ising En(iron)en

&mportant mineral deposits ithin or in the vicinity of the project area are graphite and gems#

ther types of industrial minerals- that are present ithin the road trace- are the rock forming

minerals#

The project corridor is located ithin the *ighland comple (*) and the Fanni comple

(F')# !ock outcrops are visible along the trace closer to the +alu Ganga crossing# &n addition-

rock outcrops are visible surrounding the


4/29

Surface ater bodies especially streams and other aterays and stagnant ater bodies such as

ponds ere sampled in the %$&' section# The areas covered in the %$&' section comprises from

+ottaa to +urundugahahetekma# :niversity of ,oratua had undertaken sampling of the

ater bodies in the %$&' section in =//1# 7igures "8#96"8#19 in "ppendi 8 shos the sampling

locations in the %$&' section# Sampling had been undertaken during both et eather

(


5/29

reported to be higher than "


6/29

"


7/29

beteen 193// and 12/// crosses a segment of the lo6lying areas at Panape# Therefore the

predominant terrestrial flora along the deviation comprises of that in home gardens# *oever-

out of the /9 endemic species encountered in the area /. ere recorded among terrestrial flora#

";uaticE amphibious flora consists of plant species characteristic to freshater etlands-

particularly abandoned paddy fields in the lolands of Sri Lanka# The habitats available in theetland are of considerable diversity# $esides the channels across the etlands that eventually

drain into $olgoda lake- open ater areas occur in the etland and they are the relatively deep

areas of the etland# Such areas are surrounded by patches of herbaceous vegetation that

consists of marsh plants#

The marsh consists of herbaceous species characteristic to abandoned paddy fields in the south

estern coastal plain and it is dominated by grasses and sedges# 7reshater a;uatic plants occur

in the open ater areas in the middle part of the etland along the channels# The peripheral

vegetation is dominated by tree species that typically occur associated ith freshater marshes#

Terrestrial environment in the location of deviation (associated ith Panape etlands) ispredominantly homesteads and rubber plantations# They provide habitats for terrestrial fauna-

particularly insects- birds and reptiles# &n terms of diversity- the least represented faunal group in

this part of the trace and in the site of deviation are the small mammals#

Thirteen butterfly species have been recorded from the area of the deviation and they are

ecologically important as pollinators# Three species of snakes happen to occur in the area# The

species- i#e#Xenochrophis asperrimus (Diya bariya) is endemic to Sri Lanka# Pythons hich are

rare snakes in the area may find their territories and number of habitats shrink once the road is

constructed and they ill become more vulnerable# 'innamon plantations around

+urundugahahetekma is the only area here the endemic small mammal species (Axis porosnus

) (Wil Muwa) are found in Sri Lanka#

&nvertebrates- fish- amphibians- birds- insects and mammals constitute the fauna of Panape

etlands and among hich fish and birds are visibly the most important groups of fauna in the

ecology of Panape etlands# This is also found to be a habitat of migratory birds and it is of high

ecological importance as there are no etlands of this etent in the vicinity- similar to Panape

etland#

+nife fish- an escaped eotic ornamental fish is abundant in the area and being a carnivorous

fish- it appears to affect the indigenous fish populations in the marsh and the associated streams-

hence it is considered an alien invasive species#

Thirty species of birds ere observed around the area of the proposed deviation- particularly

associated ith Panape etland# &ntervies ith the villagers revealed that migratory bird

species- even large birds such as Pelicans and Large 0grets visit this etland during the season

(ctober H %anuary)#

The proposed road runs through 1= DS divisions (shon in table 8#=1) in 'olombo- +alutara

and Galle Districts in Festern and southern provinces# The land use pattern in these DS

divisions is more or less similar to the land use pattern prevailing in the project impact area

(!F)#

The general land use pattern in the 1= DS divisions includes>

9


8/29

!oad and buildings (13K)

*igh land cultivated ith perennial and semi6perennial crops (8K)

:ncultivated highlands (BK)

Paddy lands (12K)

Fetland (8K) Scrubs and other barren lands (8K)

The proposed road runs through mainly paddy land- barren land and high lands cultivated ith

various perennial crops# "bout B99 ha of land falls ithin the !F of the proposed road trace#

"bout 1.9 ha of paddy land and 8/2 ha of other types of lands (highlands cultivated ith

perennial and semi6perennial crops- etlands- barren land and scrubs etc) ill be re;uired for

the development activities of the project#

The !F of the proposed road falls ithin the area here lands have been used by traditional

people for long time# Therefore- most of the paddy lands are freehold lands ith different tenure

patterns such as 4Paraveni5 (old and traditional land tenure pattern of the paddy lands# :nder

this system the paddy lands have freeholds titles coming from generation to generation# SomeParaveni lands are rotated among different family members in each cultivation season)#

The highlands including home gardens have to types of land tenure pattern- freehold lands and

the lands ith government permits for cultivation (LD land)# These are called 4$adu 4under

the local term# "nother category of lands prevailing in the areas are encroachments of the

government lands (reservations or other government scrublands)#

Though the proposed project &nfluential "rea (P&") falls in populated environment the !F

runs through isolated etlands (paddy Heither being cultivated or abandoned) in most cases#

Therefore- some scattered houses observed# The nearest tonships located in the vicinity of the

!F includes- Dodangoda- +ottaa and 0lpitiya# "ll other urban centers are located some hat

far from the !F#

Some small rural ton centers are observed in nearby area of the !F# These small ton

canters (ith fe numbers include- ,akunbura- Deepangoda- +ahathudua- Galanigama-

Dodammulla- Diyagama- :katta- Gamgoda- $ombuala- Sapugahaatta and Falagedara#

There are no special communities or indigenous communities residing in the !F area or in the

nearby environment of the !F#

The influential area of the proposed road falls in 1= DS divisions in Festern and Southern

provinces of the country# The total population in 1= DS divisions is about 1/3=.=/# The ethnic

composition of this total population is as follos>

Sinhala6 1/12139 ( 2BK )

Tamil6 =B2.2 (=#BK)

,uslim6=3=. (=#.K)

ther 61/=/. ( 1K )

This means that the majority of the population is Sinhala# The composition of religious groups in

the project influential DS divisions (P&Ds) is similar to the ethnic composition of project impact

area# The religious composition of the population in the P&Ds is as follos>

$uddhist6 22331 (2=K)

*indu6 =/9/1 (= K)

3


9/29

&slamic6 =33. (=#3K)

'hristians6 88332 (8#1K)

thers6 82 (/#1K)

This situation is common to the population of affected families in the project area# (!F)# The

total affected population due to different interventions under the proposed project is 2..# This

is not the total population resettled# The number of relocated families is about 3B# (==/ resettled

in the !D" established resettlement sites and another 8.B families had chosen their on ays to

get resettled in other locations by themselves ith their on initiative (ith the compensations

paid by !D")# The 2.. affected population have different types of impacts such as>

Lands of some people ere affected

*ouses of some people ere affected

Some people ere removed for resettlement#

Though the areas under P&Ds are rural- significant percentage of population has ac;uired G'0("EL) and university education# The populations in affected families have access to good

schools located in nearby tonships (Some have access to good schools in 'olombo)#

"ccording to the Grama


10/29

,ost of the community members in the affected areas use motor bikes and push bicycles for the

routine travel ithin the local areas# There are no railay tracks located across the !F or in

the immediate vicinity of !F# To " 'lass roads- 1/ $ 'lass roads and 1 'ED types roads

are located and these roads are used for public transportations (public and private buses)#

The land use of the corridor of the project area marked for the proposed 0pressay- 18=#=. hapaddy land and 8B1#B other land (total B98#..)# The trace is deviated to minimiCe displacement

of number of family units- the trace is running mainly through paddy lands and other

cultivations#

Tea is usually found toards the southern end of the project area# $eing lo6gron tea- it

usually fetches high prices at 'olombo auctions# ,ost of the tea lands in the project area are

plantations- either privately oned or state6oned- and are ell managed# n the proposed trace

the total etent of tea falling under the km corridor is 829#/ ha- hile it is 92B#3 ha under the

1 km corridor#

&n contrast to tea- rubber cultivation is spread out over the entire project area and its importanceis more pronounced in areas such as $andaragama- Dodangoda- ,atugama- Falallaita-

+arandeniya- $addegama- "kmeemana and Felipitiya# !ubber too is important as a plantation

crop- but evidence point to a process of replacement of old rubber gardens ith coconut-

especially toards the southern end of the project area# !ubber plantations occupy 13/#8 ha in

the corridor of km either sides and itMs B13#. ha in the corridor of 1km either sides#

'oconut is the least important crop in the project area in terms of land etent# ,ost of the

coconut lands in the project area are found in the DSD of *omagama- $andaragama and

Felipitiya# The total etent of coconut falling under the km corridor is =9/#. ha hile it

occupies .#8 ha ithin the 1 km corridor#

" fe families are involved in fisheries activities in inland reservoirs along the trace H+alu

Ganga- $entara Ganga- Panape 0la- +epu 0la- Ginganga and Polatu Ganga hereas the

activity is more dominant in $entara Ganga# ,at eaving from sedges is also practiced by

omen as a part6time activity in in !antotaila area closer to $entara Ganga# nly sedges from

the ild such as- Thunhiriya- *ambu- $orupan and Pothukola are used for mat eaving#

,ask making (from +aduru ood (Cerbera manghas) ) in $entara DS Division is carried out

both as large scale mask manufacturing enterprise and as a small6scale rural industry# Some of

the craftsmen in the area ork for large mask making enterprises- hich are located mainly in

$entota#

Pepper- areca nut- cloves and coffee are the main crops found along the trace in many homestead

gardens along the trace# Livestock production is also found along the trace# Some farm families

rare cattle and buffaloes in small scale and produce milk mainly for daily consumption# They

practice free range method or cut and feed system to feed animals#

$eruala- "luthgama- "mbalangoda- *ikkadua- Galle- :naatuna- Feligama- ,irissa and

Tangalle are the main tourist beach resorts along the coastal belt of southern corridor# ,ore than

1// tourists hotels and restaurants are registerd in the districts of 'olombo- +alutara and ,atara

hile many unregistered individuals are providing services to the tourists# 0stimated indirect

employment in tourist sector is about .-// by the year =//#

1/


11/29

&t is evident that according to the analysis in the table- the group of the highest income is 93 K in

,aharagama folloed by +arandeniya (99K) $ope6Poddala (.BK) and Dodangoda (./K)

here the proposed trace crosses built up areas ith fairly good access road structure and other

urban facilities# The highest income category is very less along the trace at ,atara (=8K)-

,alimbada (=1K)- Feliitiya6Divitura (==K)- 0lpitiya (=8K) and $entota (==K) here road

accees and urban facilities are not present# Therfore- it is anticipated that the income distributionill be improved as a conse;uence of improvement of infrastructure in less developed areas

ith the activities of proposed road#

The eisting "= road is highly congested and the coastal belt has a enourmous potential to

develop as a tourist resort# &nner part of the southern belt is under developed due to poor road

access and other infrastructure facilities# Fith the improved access due to proposed highay it is

epected that industries and business volume ill be increased especially closer to interchanges

at Dodangoda- +urundugaha6htepma- Pinnadua and Godagama#

Land values have been increased by several times in close proimities of proposed trace

epecting development in the area# 7olloing table shos the present average values of land indifferent locations closer to proposed epressay#

The proposed road trace goes through the landscape character classed as

rural- simple unsophisticated- semi urban and average or lo its scenic value

areas hen compared ith other areas in Sri Lanka# $ut in some places-

there are high ;uality of landscape character and scenically beautiful places#

'onse;uent rivers# i#e# rivers that flo along the natural fall of the land- pass

through this area# +alu Ganga and $entota Ganga are such rivers# The to

main rivers end in their flood planes as their flo area enter the flatter terrain

to the sea giving rich scenic beauty to the road users#

7resh ater marshes are a elcomed natural entity that are distributed throughout #Their district

reed beds- tall grasses providing shelter- roosting and nest sites for many species of birds

(7ig#8#1 &n "ppendi @olume $) etc# are of importance# "n epanse of park like meados

encircling the marches ith trees and ater tolerant species are a common natural landscape

features in this area#

&n the present situation there are four significant beautiful visual intrusions hich can be

identified along the study area# They are- !antotuila (8 /// km)- ,unamalatte (///

km)- Diyagama (=8 // km) and Panape (1// 619// km)#

&nformation collected from Department of "rcheology and other sources revealed that all the

historic and archeological monuments found in the %$&' Project area are found in temples -

Dewalas( Places of god orship) - and churches- and therefore fall into the category of places of

orship and religious interest#

*o o! arc"eo+ogica+ )onu)ens a+ong "e !ina+ race 2,

"ffected archeological monuments along the final trace /

!eduction of the archeological monuments due to deviations /=


12/29

blocking eisting aterays- reducing the yield of economical

crops such as paddy- tea - pollution of drinking ater sources- and instability of the cut slopes#

During the dry season the dust generated from the ecavation and filling of soil could create

other environmental issues such as> health problems due to inhaling of dusty air- reducing theyield of economical crops such as paddy- tea - pollution of drinking ater sources etc# Such

problems may be aggravated due to spilling of the fill material during transportation#

Due to the environmental concerns associated ith sand mining from rivers- government has

enforced certain restrictions on sand mining from rivers# "s a result- there is a shortage of sand

for general construction orks ithin Festern and Southern provinces# "dditional- use of river

sand for a project of this magnitude ill increase the burden on the normal consumers of sand

ithin the region# Therefore- similar to the "D$ section- use of crushed rock aggregate as fine

aggregate is highly advisable# *oever- the offshore sand dredged to be used for the 'olombo

+atunayake epressay can also be used for the project activities if a need arises#

"s pointed out earlier- the length of the trace passing hilly terrain is less in the %$&' section

compared to that of the "D$ section# *oever- in the rolling and undulating terrain the bedrock

depth can be significantly higher than that of the hilly terrain# Therefore- the thickness of the

overburden of the bedrock could be high creating slope stability problems# ,ost of the slope

stability considerations that ere eperienced in the "D$ section are applicable to the %$&'

section as ell# Therefore- eperience gathered from the "D$ section should be used in finding

out the solutions to the slope stability problems of the %$&' section# Stretches of the trace- here

side slopes of the cuts should be made milder than the original design- should be identified and

accordingly- arrangements must be made to make additional land ac;uisitions# Since there are

boulders on the slopes of the middle portion of the trace- stability of the boulders in the vicinity

of a rock blasting sites should be given due considerations# Therefore- the project ill have a

significant impact on the stability of the slopes along the project corridor#

1=


13/29

7rom the site investigation done so far it is clear that the ecavation and replacement of the soft

soils ill be used etensively# Therefore- appropriate plans should be dran up prior to the

beginning of construction to avoid environmental issues related to dumping of the spoil along

the road trace# Locations of the sites to temporally stock pile the spoil before the final disposal

and the sites for permanent disposal should be identified at this stage#

Fhen compared ith the length of the catchment and the deviated distance- 7inal Design Trace

deviation has a marginal effect on the catchment areas- river idth- and flood plain idth of

either side of the +alu Ganga flood plain at the proposed $ridge site# Therefore the design flood

at the ne bridge location of the 7inal Trace does not have significant variation hen compared

ith the previous !D" Trace#

The length of Felipenne Ganga is about 13 km# The Felipenne Ganga $ridge is deviated about

1./ m from the !D" Trace# Fhen compared ith the length of the catchment and the deviated

distance- 7inal Design Trace deviation has marginal effect on the catchment area- river idth-

and flood plain idth of either side of the Felipenne Ganga# Therefore the deviation does not

have any significant change of flood impacts compared ith the !D" trace#

The deviation of the $ridge Site of $entota Ganga is about 3/ m from the !D" trace# The length

of the catchment area of $entota Ganga is 81 km# Therefore change of flood impact compared

ith !D" trace is insignificant at this location#

Since the terrains of the 7inal Trace is similar to the !D" trace and 'ombined trace- surface

ater ;uantity characteristics remains similar in the %$&' section# The proposed deviation ould

not cause any significant change of surface ater ;uantity compared ith the previous !D" and

'ombined Trace#

The deviations include cut areas as ell as fill areas# &n the fill areas eisting groundater flo

paths can be affected due to trenching and foundation treatment# &n the cut areas groundater

table can loer due to the seepage from the cut surfaces#

&t has been identified that during the construction phase material eploitation- site clearing- cut

and fill operations- land reclamation- ditching and drainage- spoil disposal- asphalt and concrete

plants and construction of bridge and culverts could result in significant pollution of surface

ater bodies- though the effects are temporary in comparison ith the effects on ater ;uality

caused by the operational activities#

'onstruction material eploration and eploitation seem to be a major activity of a project ofthis nature# 7or the proposed highay it is anticipated that a substantial amount of the

construction material is to be found from ;uarry sites# These activities if not done properly could

pose significant ater ;uality issues in both surface ater bodies and groundater ells#

Preliminary and field observations revealed that the peat content in the soils in the %$&' section

is high Therefore during construction orks improper handling and storing of materials

(particularly the peat material unearthed) in storm6ater drainage areas can cause solubiliCation

of certain minerals such as gypsum- calcite- halite- dolomite- pyrite- etc# This can cause changes

to surface or groundater ;uality depending on the degree of solubility# :sually these minerals

containing aluminosilicates are attacked by rainater containing * ='8- thereby forming 'a=-

,g=

-


14/29

nearby ater bodies acidic resulting in poor ater ;uality# ,oreover improper storage of

construction material such as cement could result in such material being ashed into the ater

bodies during periods of heavy rains hence leading to higher turbidity problems#

Pooling of ater- blocking of ater ays- restrictions to surface run6off and flood ater flos

could result in due to unplanned stockpiling and disposal of spoil- unstable ecavations- carelessstockpiling in construction materials and careless camp siting# 'hanges in ater ;uality and

ater levels from such activities could affect flos into or out of eisting ater bodies#

During the construction phase- surface run6off from the cut and fill areas- borro areas- spoil

disposal sites- etc# ill contain substantial dust and earth ;uantities hich ill cause significant

color and turbidity problems# $ridge and culverts construction activities are also knon to cause

surface ater ;uality deterioration ith reference to color and turbidity# The presence of high

turbidity levels and therefore the associated visual pollution ill have a negative impact on fish

inhabiting ater bodies# ,oreover the settling particles in large ;uantities may produce a

smothering effect on benthic fauna and even make the aterbodies shallo#

During the construction phase large ;uantities of asphalt and concrete ill be re;uired for

strengthening and surfacing of the highay# Therefore ash ater arising during the cleaning of

the machines involved in asphalt and concrete plant operations could also lead to significant

color and turbidity problems in aterbodies# 7urther any significant oil spills from machinery

and other e;uipment used for construction orks may lead to contamination of ater bodies

ith oil particularly during heavy rainy periods#

"pplication of pesticides and herbicides for the landscaping and turfing of embankments could

result in significant pollution of aterbodies (if not properly controlled) through leaching and

rain induced surface run6off bringing in the organic contaminants#

Lack of proper sanitation and solid aste disposal facilities for the labor force involved in the

construction orks and improper planning of resettlements for people displaced due to the

project- ould cause untreated domestic aste enriched in high organic matters to enter ater

bodies# This may lead to substantial depletion in D perhaps resulting in subse;uent fish kills

particularly hen D levels drop belo B mgEl (Garg- 1292)#


15/29

*ighay maintenance activities are also knon to have detrimental impacts on ater ;uality#

Pollution of ater bodies ith oil and grease and turbidity are likely to occur (especially during

rainy days) during highay maintenance orks# :rban and suburban groth and epansion

associated ith highay related activities could result in significant adverse impacts on ater

;uality indirectly# :rban and suburban groth also influences run6off# The etent of impervious

land area may be increased resulting in increased ;uantities of run6off and reduced floing timecausing potential siltation and sedimentation of ater bodies# Storm seers may drastically alter

natural drainage patterns#

Domestic asteaters emanating from the epanding residential- commercial and industrial

sector due to the proposed highay could be directly discharged into ater bodies ithout any

treatment could cause pollution through enrichment ith $D- 'l6- nutrients and faecal

coliform# The end result ould lead to substantial D depletions and shalloing of aterbodies

ith detrimental effects on a;uatic fauna- notably fish#

The presence of high


16/29

residues and heavy metals such as 'u and "s are likely to increase ith epanding mismanaged

agricultural activities#

The impacts on surface ater ;uality due to agricultural activities ould be epected to be more

significant in areas here more paddy fields and other agricultural activities are likely to occur

and epand#

pen dumping of municipal solid aste hich generally comprises /6./K biodegradable

organic matter and industrial solid aste such as slurries and sludges produced in the ater or

asteater treatment plants# These could generate acidic leachates rich in nutrients- heavy

metals- $D- 'D and pathogens# These leachates could impact groundater and even leach

out to nearby ater bodies# Similarly disposal of untreated industrial asteater or disposal

from faulty treatment plants are likely to occur ith epanding industrialiCation- thereby further

increasing the likelihood of surface ater ;uality deterioration#

"tmospheric emissions from industries and vehicles may come don ith the rains and

adversely affect ater bodies through run6off# "cidic depositions lead to loss of alkalinity ofaterbodies hich in turn decreases the p* and eventually affects the normal chemical balances

of the entire aterbodies#

&t is anticipated that those ater bodies located in the vicinity of the epanding residential-

commercial and industrial sector ould become rich in anions such as S B=6and 'l6ith time as

a conse;uence of disposal of untreated seage and other asteaters containing high levels of

TDS# The presence of higher levels of anions such as SB=6 and 'l6 ill make the ater

unpalatable for drinking and ill have direct impacts on the biota? e#g# osmotic effects and direct

toicity# The effects of higher TDS levels ould get aggravated during the driest periods hen

transpiration rates are substantially high#

The main construction activities that could result in groundater ;uality deterioration includes

spoil disposal activities- problems associated ith construction of bridges and culverts-

application of eedicides for landscaping pollution and problems associated ith the improper

planning and setting up of housing and services for the persons involved in construction and

resettlement of persons affected by the project# 'onstruction of bridges and culverts is also

knon to cause groundater contamination# These ill be constructed from mass concrete ith

reinforced concrete foundations on cylinders or pile caps# These processes may disturb the

natural groundater table and cause ater ;uality problems donstream# The use of pesticides

and herbicides in soft landscaping and vegetation cover could also result in groundater

contamination#

&mproper planning and setting up of housing and services for the persons involved in

construction and resettlement of persons affected by the project leading to poor sanitary

conditions- could also lead to pollution of groundater ith reference to organic matter ($D)-

nutrients- faecal matter- and higher 'l6 levels (noting that human ecreta in general has a

chloride content of . g per person per day) (,etcalf and 0ddy- 122)# The presence of faecal

coliforms could lead to diseases if such contaminated groundater is consumed ithout any

treatment#

During the operational phase un6planned and planned road6side development activities may

cause degradation of groundater ;uality unless precautions are taken# The activities mentioned

1.


17/29

in Surface Fater Iuality ill have similar impacts on the groundater ;uality- ith the

eception of increased turbidity#

@ehicles involved in the constructional phase have to travel on unpaved road# This could lead to

dust generation# Such scenarios are significant hen operating at high speeds under dry eather

and gusty ind conditions# Similarly ecavation orks and eploitation rubbleE coarseaggregates may cause dust problems# ,eteorological conditions- fineness of the material and the

rate at hich the materials are eploited are some of the triggering factors for increased dust

pollution scenarios# The finer materials before being deposited either on vegetation or in

residence in the form of a thin film may be carried aay to considerable distances#

&mproper handling and transferring of materials into vehicles for eternal or internal transport

and improper storage or cover of material could also lead to significant dust emissions# 'ut and

fill operations using heavy construction e;uipment are other crucial activities hich can lead to

significant dust emission rates# Production of asphalt and concrete in large ;uantities may also

cause emission of various materials such as cement particles- gaseous pollutants and unburnt or

partially burnt petroleum products (hydrocarbons)# ,ost of these pollutants may come donith rains and impact ater bodies and other ecosystems through run6off#

During the operational phase- air pollutants caused by transport ill be epected to be present in

the atmosphere- notably primary pollutants such as


18/29

"ccording to present noise legislation- maimum permissible noise levels at boundaries of the

land in hich the construction activities are undertaken are stipulated as 9 d$(") and / d$(")

during daytime (defined as .#// am H 9#// pm) and night time (from 9#// pm H .#// am on the

folloing day)- respectively# Therefore in vie of the values given in Table #8- the noise levels

generated from the machinery involved in construction orks could drastically disturb nearby

communities since the noise levels generated tend to eceed the permissible day time limit of 9d$(") stipulated for construction activities#

'onstant eposure to very high noise levels can often cause hearing deficiencies and machine

operators ho are directly involved in such activities are at high risk# Table #B shos the

eposure levels and time limits adopted in the :nited +ingdom and they can be used as guides

in Sri Lanka#

&n this study the model developed by 7ederal *ighay "ssociation of :S" (7*F") as used to

predict noise levels ith reference to average speeds of 3/ kmEh- 1// kmEh and 1=/ kmEh (refer

to Table "1#=. in "ppendi "1)# Fith this model the possible noise levels generated by highay

traffic ere calculated up to =/= (Table "1#=9 in "ppendi "1) and results ere compared ithmaimum alloable noise levels generated by highay traffic (Table #B)#

$asically the results from the model revealed that noise level generation increases ith the time

period mainly due to the increase in vehicular fleet hence peak values ill be higher in the year

=/=# The results also manifested that the predicted noise levels reported for each time period is

higher than the stipulated limit of .9 d$(") by the 7*F" and hence ould have a significant

disturbing effect on schools- religious sites and other areas or buildings listed under 'ategory $

(Tables #B and "1#=9 in "ppendi "1)# &t should be noted that the %$&' section comprises such

sites namely- 2 government schools- 12 $uddhist temples and 1 mos;ue#

,oreover the results also revealed that the predicted noise levels ould significantly affect lands

on hich serenity and ;uiet are of etraordinary significance (i#e# 'ategory " areas such as

forest patches and etlands that ould serve as habitats for birds and other fauna) since the

predicted levels for each time had eceeded the stipulated limit of 9 d$ (") (Tables #B(a)- (b)

and Table "1#=9 in "ppendi "1)#

Therefore a drastic noise level reduction should be practiced by means of noise barriers and if

necessary together ith acoustic insulation of buildings# "lternately concrete or any other type

of barrier systems ould be crucial in places here there is no possibility of having an earthen

beam due to lack of space# &ntensive noise reduction programmes ill be necessary in areas

here lands on hich serenity and ;uiet are of significance#

&n addition to traffic noise- pneumatic construction e;uipment used for maintenance ork may

generate ecessive noise levels- though the affects could be temporary#

Planned and un6planned development activities especially industries may cause higher noise

levels# *oever the present noise standard addresses the alloable limits for industries and

therefore they may be used to control ecessive noise levels#

$asically the results from the model revealed that noise level generation increases ith the time

period mainly due to the increase in vehicular fleet hence peak values ill be higher in the year

=/=# The results also manifested that the predicted noise levels reported for each time period ishigher than the stipulated limit of .9 d$(") by the 7*F" and hence ould have a significant

13


19/29

disturbing effect on schools- religious sites and other areas or buildings listed under 'ategory $

(Tables #B and "1#=9 in "ppendi "1)# &t should be noted that the %$&' section comprises such

sites namely- 2 government schools- 12 $uddhist temples and 1 mos;ue#

,oreover the results also revealed that the predicted noise levels ould significantly affect lands

on hich serenity and ;uiet are of etraordinary significance (i#e# 'ategory " areas such asforest patches and etlands that ould serve as habitats for birds and other fauna) since the

predicted levels for each time had eceeded the stipulated limit of 9 d$ (") (Tables #B(a)- (b)

and Table "1#=9 in "ppendi "1)#

Therefore a drastic noise level reduction should be practiced by means of noise barriers and if

necessary together ith acoustic insulation of buildings# "lternately concrete or any other type

of barrier systems ould be crucial in places here there is no possibility of having an earthen

beam due to lack of space# &ntensive noise reduction programmes ill be necessary in areas

here lands on hich serenity and ;uiet are of significance#

&n addition to traffic noise- pneumatic construction e;uipment used for maintenance ork maygenerate ecessive noise levels- though the affects could be temporary#

Planned and un6planned development activities especially industries may cause higher noise

levels# *oever the present noise standard addresses the alloable limits for industries and

therefore they may be used to control ecessive noise levels# These guideline values should be

applied for any significant case here there is a likelihood of building being subject to vibration

both during construction and operational phases#

Proposed construction ork in the %$&' section of the highay has no impact on the monsoonal

rain as it ould not affect the monsoonal moisture inflo or outflo and ind direction#

Proposed highay ill not have a impact to the climatic conditions of the trace area# $ut due to

site clearing- cut and fill can cause some micro climatic changes to the surface ater flos in the

streams and to the groundater levels in the area#

&t is epected that proposed project ill affect the surface flo hich is passing through the

proposed trace due to the obstruction of flo paths# This can create local flooding unless

ade;uate culverts are provided#

The major rivers crossing the trace are given in the# The proposed road trace can cause blockage

of flood ater creating a significant impact on flooding#

Fhen the erosion trigger factors for 'ombined Trace and the 7inal Trace such as spatial

rainfall- soil types- vegetative cover are considered on a macro scale there are no significant

difference beteen these parameters because the deviation on a macro scale is marginal and the

deviated segments ill not fall into areas ith different properties ith respect to the above

erosion trigger parameters# Therefore a significant baseline difference in erosion and

sedimentation or siltation cannot be identified# *oever erosion is prominent during

construction#

The folloing impacts could be epected in soil erosion- siltation A sedimentation run off#

12


20/29

'hange of the runoff pattern on the cleared road trace as the vegetal cover has been

denuded and the underlying soil eposed# This is only a short term impact of lo

magnitude#

$ecause of the reason given above the rate of erosion ill increased considerably and the

eroded soils drift to adjacent paddy areas#

:ndesirable stripped soils such as peaty soils are piled adjacent to the road trace and

because of the intense rain these soils gets ashed off to the adjacent lo lying paddy

areas#

7olloing irrigation schemes are impacted#

(a) $olgoda scheme H &ncludes Panape 0la ( A +eppu 0la ( The road traverses along the

upper reaches of the scheme)

(b) $entota Ganga scheme

The epected main impacts on these schemes are the impacts on paddy gron areas and the

aggravation of flood situation because of backater created by bridges#

Since the terrestrial flora is represented primarily by the flora of home gardens construction of

the road may not lead to complete loss of these species- but ill reduce significantly the

available habitats for fauna- including birds and particularly the insects that are of etreme

importance as pollinators# *arvests from home gardens depend largely on the pollination

success and hen the pollinators lose habitats and thus survival in the area agricultural produce

too ill decline#

Fetlands of Panape represent an abandoned paddy field and the floral species present are

characteristic to such environments- as such removal of these species from the area may not

contribute immensely to decrease plant diversity in general# The only endemic plant species

encountered in the area (Exacum sp) is also rare and of high potential as an ornamental plant#

,any etland plant species are traditionally used by the villagers for subsistence uses such as

sedges for eaving mats and other household items and ith the road construction such

opportunities ill not be available for the villagers#

"lthough the etland around Panape is going to be reclaimed and changed ith all the impactsdiscussed herein- suggestion to deviate it to the present trace ill produce less impact hen

compared to the combined trace hich as proposed to traverse across the $olgoda lake

etland comple#

!eclamation of this etland ill affect the local ater table as this is an area ith stagnant

freshater that may play the role of groundater recharge#

Terrestrial fauna are affected mainly through loss of habitats- particularly those that are

important as pollinators and biological pest controllers such as insects# *abitats of the endemic

mammalAxis porosnusill not be affected by the deviated road trace- hoever road kills of this

rare species may take place as the cinnomon plantations have been fragmented by the major

trace (combined trace)#

=/


21/29

Pollinators ill lose habitats and thus their role ill be hampered resulting local declines in crop

harvests- particularly fruits#

Fith the proposed activities of the road construction- habitats for a;uatic fauna- particularly fish

ill be largely lost permanently# Panape etlands support otters- a protected animal in SriLanka# !emoval of vegetation- reclamation and noise created by the traffic ill make this site

unfavourable for them and may leave the area ith time as this etland is connected to $olgoda

lake etland comple and +alu ganga#

Panape etland at the deviation is a site that migratory birds visit due to its sheltered locality

and relatively lo disturbance# Fith reclaiming part of it for the road and due to subse;uent

introduction of traffic- this ill become unsuitable as a bird habitat and it ill affect migrant bird

populations- leading to declining diversity among them#

'learing vegetation ill reduce the habitats- food and shelter for the avifauna and this ill lead

to decline in their population siCes# $irds are seed dispersal agents and lo numbers of birds inthe area may affect natural seed dispersal and in turn ill negatively affect terrestrial plant

diversity#

"ccording to the information available !D"Ms offices in $andaragama and Dodangoda about

1.3 ha of paddy lands and 81/ ha of other lands ith different land use pattern had negative

impacts# These lands have been already ac;uired by the !D" for development activities of the

proposed road project#

The consultation of the affected families ho have been resettled in different locations epressed

folloing vies on the impacts they had>

The crop land that gave some support for livelihoods ere lost no

The traditional lands got lost

&t may take long time to reestablish such developed lands once again#

Some persons said that they received compensation only for the land affected but not for

the crops eisted

The folloing vies ere epressed by the agency personnel>

,oderate negative impacts created on the land use

The negative impacts is not so serious to create significant implications on the

livelihoods of the affected people

The land value in the area may go up significantly#

The communities consulted epressed folloing vies on the impact on land tenure due to road

development in the area>

Fe lost our traditional freehold land

Some "Ps ere not still happy about the compensation package ( although ade;uate

money has been paid according to the valuation reports6 the vies of the !D" officersand also the Grama


22/29

Some "Ps ho lost their encroached land are happy about getting freehold lands as

compensation#

The vies of the agency officers>

The "ffected Parties ("P)s ho ere holding government encroached land and also ho

ere staying in least6 in land received free hold land as compensation#

The Lanes "c;uisition and !esettlement 'ommittee (L"!') has some problems to pay

compensation for the land ithout clear titles and also ithout clear onerships#

There ere no ton centers to create impact due to road construction# nly a fe small

urban centers ith some bouti;ues are affected# Such rural shop centers are located in-

,akumbura- Deepangoda- +ahathudua- Galanigama and Diyagama# The communities

in the adjacent environment of the !F are of the opinion that the removal of thesecenters ill not create significant impacts to them because they have many other

alternative places to reach for such needs#

DodangodaEPahanatta housing scheme and $andaragama


23/29

Prior to resettlement in the current locations the affected communities lived among

relations but no they are compelled to rebuild social contacts ith unknon people in

the neighboring communities#

Parting ith the relations in the previous locations has created some psychological

problems

They ere compelled to leave the environment very much familiar to them#

The children of the affected families are not happy to leave their friends and relations

ith hom they lived for long#

There ere no schools to demolish or to evacuate due to project interventions# The proposed

road runs near some schools premises but there ill not be serious negative impacts on the

school buildings# *oever the impacts from noise and vibration ill be considerable#

The nature of problems faced by the School going children include folloing according to their

parents>


24/29

The houses constructed ith care and especial efforts ere lost

The houses located in attractive environments ere lost

The houses located among the relations and friends ere lost#

The folloing positive impact are perceived by the affected communities>

Fere able to receive compensation to build ne houses# (many affected families had old

houses)

The families ho have been living long in houses constructed in encroached land ere

able to receive lands ith clear titles to build houses in such lands#


25/29

locations from here their ork places can be accessed ithout much difficulty# *oever- if

people ho are self employed and those ho find employment in the casual labour market are

displaced due to land ac;uisition- they may confront ith different market situations unless they are

relocated ithin their village#


26/29

ill be completely abandoned# *ence- the loss is estimated about (!s#.=1=Q==#- !s#

,illion /#1B per year#

8# Partial yield loss of paddy fields due to &ron toicity caused by oidation of eposed

etracted deep soil and runoff ater#

B# Partial or complete crop damage of paddy lands due to eposed peat in dumping grounds

closer to the paddy fields (idiCation of peat may generate carbonic acids)

# During the earth ork- transport of materials by heavy vehicles may generate dust clouds

and it ill reduce the ;uality of yield of tea- vegetable and other crops in adjacent lands#

.# Temporary E accidental disruptions of access roads during the construction phase ould

make problems for transporting of farm products#

9# Deletion of the ;uality and the ;uantity of graCing lands due to land ac;uisition- acidic soil

due to peat- dust and silt decomposition#

3# Potential loss of a;uatic resources and conse;uent losses of fish yield in the inland

reservoirs in lo lying areas#

The proposed highay- by enabling speeding transport of produce- ill have a positive influence on

agriculture by ay of epanding markets- reducing aste during transportation- timely availability

of inputs- ;uicker disposal or produce- etc# The outputs of agriculture and fisheries are highly

perishable and large amounts of produce go aste during transportation of produce from southern

areas of the country to large urban centers like Galle- +alutara and 'olombo# The proposed

highay provides the channels of marketing ith opportunities of ;uicker delivery of produce

hich ill enable them to reduce marketing costs accrued to astage# ,oreover- produce like fish-

hich deteriorates fast- do not often reach interior areas of the country due to the difficulty of

;uicker delivery of the produce ith the eisting road netork# The proposed road- ith

interchange points linking important markets in the interior regions of the country to the producing

areas- ill ensure availability of produce like fresh fish in such markets# The consumers in these

areas ill reap benefits due to the presence of important consumption goods that ere not

previously available and- producers ill benefits due to the increased demand created by consumers

in the interior regions#

&t is envisaged that the construction of the proposed limited access highay ill have a positive

impact on tourism (a positive eternality) due to factors such as savings on travel time- bettertransport services made available- etc# The proposed highay may have positive impacts on

tourism development (and therefore tourist earnings) if tourism6related facilities are developed

along ith the construction of the highay# There is a large potential to develop echo tourism and

tourist resources in $entota DS division in %$&' section close to $entara Ganga#

&t is important to note that among affected families- folloing categories ill be severely

affected due to land ac;uisition?

Loss of total land area and house and employed as casual agricultural labor in the same

area#

=.


27/29

Loss of total land area or a substantial portion and entirely depend on agricultural income

such as tea- cinnamon on the same land#

Lo income eak families ith children and old aged people

7emale headed households

7amilies ho earned a substantial portion of income from land based subsistent activities

such as reed industry- vegetable production- inland fishing and animal husbandry

7amilies ho ere keeping small scale retail shops in the village area

7olloing table shos the displacement of different kinds of families in %$&' section-

&n addition to direct losses of structures due to ac;uisition for the road- steep slopes created in hilly

areas along the trace (+okmadua- Deegoda- +abaragala- Pinnadua ould reduce the values of

structures and make damages# @ibrations due to use of heavy vehicles and machineries- rock

blasting also ould damage the eisting structures along the trace# Dust formation- ater lodging in

lo line areas and earth embankments also damage the structures although it is very difficult toestimate the real value of such damages#

&t is envisaged that the construction of the proposed highay ill induce the development of

industries- residential areas- markets and associated infrastructure facilities- hich fall under

positive eternalities of the project# Such a ave of development activities are likely to take place

in the neighborhood of the interchange points rather than in other places from here the road can

not be accessed#

ne of the important positive impacts of road projects is the increase in property values in the

neighborhood hich arise from ne market links created and development activities emerging

there# *oever- in the case of limited access highays hich have very little influence on property

values ecept at interchange points- one may epect the property values to decrease in areas from

here the highay cannot be accessed because the highay ill generate negative impacts such as

noise# et- this theory- although may have relevance to developed countries- is not applicable to

developing countries like Sri Lanka- here people living in rural areas- ith very little facilities for

creation- derive land values by observing the movement of vehicles along the roads# This is ;uite

evident in the eisting Galle road- here the residents along the road- rather than building up their

dellings in a ay to minimiCe dust and noise from the road (defensive ependiture)- have

purposely eposed the verandahs of their houses to the road# &t is apparent moving vehicles that

cause noise and dust does not generate negative eternalities- but may even generate positive

eternalities# &n fact- the proposal of the 'olombo6,atara limited access highay- although has notcompletely materialiCed yet- has caused property values along the road trace to rise#

&n additions to the impacts of the proposed road in different stages on the agricultural sector-

structures- business volume- employment and tourism there are several other aspects to be

considered especially in the construction stage#

1# Forsening of rural roads and accidental blocks due to use of rural roads by heavy vehicles and

machineries of road construction#

=# &nconveniences and delays for school children and office orkers due to clogging of roads by

vehicles and machineries of the highay# This problem persist in $ogahagoda and Pinnadua in!D" section#

=9


28/29

8# Loss of business in small retail shops in rural areas due to severance of the customer base as a

conse;uence of proposed road#

.# Deteriorating groundater ;uality and deepening of the ells in hilly areas along the trace#

9# "ccidents for animals and children in the areas hich created steep sloes due to earth ork#

3# &nconvenience due to dust formation and ater logging#

2# Difficult to feed animals (especially ranching buffaloes) due to loss and deteriorating of gracing

land and also due to severance of gracing lands ith limited access highay#

1/# !educing the ater levels of ells for drinking ater- drying up of drinking ells due to deep

ecavating#

11# Deteriorating of ;uality of groundater due to silt- dust- disturbed groundater flos and

oidiCation of iron minerals in la lying areas of in %$&' sections#

During the construction activities- the folloing impacts are anticipated#

Damage to @egetation ( Loss of landscape )

Damage to topsoil# ( Loss of landscape)

0rosion due to ecavation rain etc##( Disturbance to landscape)

Dust- "coustics- @ibrations (Loss of serenity)

Storage of material in the roadsides# (Loss of vie)

Disturbance to the eisting circulation of the villages ( Loss of status

;uo )

Disturbance to the animal behavior ($irds and 'os) ( Loss of village

character)

'hanged environmental sensitivity near the ater bodies due to

bridges A other hydraulic structures# (bliterated vie) e#g#

construction eg> $entota Ganga river crossing at Panape#

During operational activities- the folloing activities could be

anticipated#

0ncroachment of historic E cultural monuments

'irculation to sites H pedestrian and vehicular ( Loss of serenity)

@isual intrusion by structures and billboards that may come by the

road side

Disturbance to the landscape character E ;uality of the rural living

pattern#

Disturbance by the proposed roadside lights to the rural natural

landscape#

Dust- "coustics- @ibrations ( Loss of serenity)

Storage of material in the roadsides# ( @isual intrusion)

Disturbance to the eisting human A vehicular circulation of thevillages ( Loss of status ;uo ante)

=3


29/29

*istoric and "rcheological ,onuments

"ll historic and archeological monuments in the %$&' Section are found

in temples- Dealas (God orship places) and churches# The relevantimpacts are similar to those of 4places of orship A religious

interest5 as listed belo#

The anticipated environmental impacts on the places of orship and religious interest

ould be

Dust- acoustics and vibration during construction period ( Loss of

serenity)

'hanges in ;uality and character of the religious environment#

Disturbance to the sporadic orshiping places (!oad side trees) nearthe *ighay and access roads#

Disturbance to the contetual dominancy of the orshiping places

due to huge road Structures# ( visual intrusion- dominance

obliteration)

1. Miigaion Measures

1., Monioring #rogra))e and Updaes o EM#

Chapter 1 JBIC

Documents

Transcript of Chapter 1 JBIC