INDIA: Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project

Annex 3
Management of Environmental Issues and Processes
1. Overall: The project, in its initial stages of implementation is following the prevention principles built in
its design to ensure long-term conservation of coastal and marine resources and at long term
sustainability. Implementation plans for all activities include environment management measures;
monitoring measures to ensure that the issues avoided during design do not indeed occur. The proposed
monitoring and evaluation processes (which are yet to start in a systematic way) include plans for
conducting social audit and third-party audits as relevant. All these environment management measures
have been adequately budgeted and staffs have been designated to provide the required oversight. The
three tier grievance redress system has been established in the SPMUs in Gujarat, Odisha and West
Bengal. Regulatory clearances, such as the CRZ clearance where relevant is being ensured before award
of works contracts.
2. Activities being planned by the PEAs ensure that there is no conversion or degradation of natural habitats
(whether protected or not), land clearing, replacement of natural vegetation; no permanent or temporary
flooding of natural habitats; no drainage, dredging, filling or channelization of wetlands. In this regard,
specific precaution has been taken in the plantation of mangroves which progressed well in Gujarat. Any
possibilities of introduction of invasive exotic species have been avoided. Community management
approaches are being ensured for all mangrove and shelterbelt plantations (efforts are being made to adopt
these approaches even in cases where Force Account is used). All SPMUs and PEAs have ensured that
mangrove plantation is done on "revenue land" and "forest land" with a total avoidance of any private
land; no synthetic or chemical pesticide or herbicide is used in any plantation or de-weeding or clearing
operations.
3. Six villages around Dandi in Gujarat have been notified as an Ecologically Sensitive Area, based on
resolutions adopted in full meetings of the village panchayats, and in agreement between the State and the
central Government. Conservation of environmental resources, minimization of pollution, and an aim to
reduce carbon emission from these villages are in-built in the integrated area planning process that is
being taken up. Similar stakeholder consultation and participation as well as environmental conservation
agenda is in-built in the process of notifying Vedaranyam in Tamil Nadu as an ecologically sensitive area;
and the proposal for notifying Vembanad in Kerala as such.
4. The project is being implemented by professionals of NPMU and SPMUs with a good level of
environment awareness and experience. However, not all staff of the NPMU, SPMUs and the PEAs (who
otherwise have diverse skill sets and different ranges of professional experience) are fully aware of the
precautionary needs of this Project. Further, not all SPMU staff nor PEAs are either fully aware about the
environmental avoidance, mitigation or monitoring processes agreed for this Project, as most of such staff
have been recruited after the project was prepared. In this context the Mission recommended that (a) a
activity by activity detailed chart should be prepared summarizing all actions proposed in the EMP for the
Project, and disseminated to all staff of NPMU, SPMU and PEAs involved in implementation of the
Project by September 2011; and (b) an orientation cum training program for all staff is held by October
2011. These will ensure that no agreed environmental avoidance, mitigation or monitoring action escapes
attention; and application of environmental conservation and precautionary principles are harmonized
among all activities in the Project throughout the Project Period. The Quarterly Project Report starting
from for the period of July-September 2011 (to be submitted by December 2011) will need to provide
clear understanding of how the environmental management plan is being implemented for each activity
by each of the PEAs, and overall by SPMUs and NPMU.
5. In Gujarat, The detailed project reports and the bid documents for various construction activities, such as
for the sewage treatment plant or the sewerage system in Jamnagar, or the laboratory include activity and