It is not possible under any project to mitigate all project induced impacts. Yet, it is essential to determine the feasibility and consider all the options to mitigate project related impacts and restore the project environment after the implementation of the proposed project.

Mitigation involves developing strategies to offset unavoidable losses associated with the project activity involving a change in existing quality of the environment. Still more useful are the preventive strategies that allow timely incorporation of environmental safeguards in project planning.

Considering on one hand, the conservation significance of the Great Indian Bustard and its habitats, it is difficult to visualize any strategies that can really offset all the impacts of the Oman - India Gas Pipeline Project. On the other hand, the economic benefits of the Oman - India Project can not be understated in the national interest.

An effort is made here to recommend both preventive and corrective measures specific to the impacts on the ecology of species and habitats and the intended use of the project site in the post operational phase. The following are specific recommendations for reducing the ecological impacts on Great Indian Bustard and its habitats.

1. Minimum damage to vegetal cover will have to be insured to protect Great Indian Bustard and its habitat in all the stretches of the pipeline route where the bird is reported to occur. Right-of-Way through the grassland habitats will have to be restricted to 15 m.

2. No construction related activity would be recommended during the breeding season (December to April) of the bird. Pipeline laying operation in these habitats will have to be insured within the minimum time during the period between May to November.

3. Any deviation in the construction period would require a prior survey of the area to avoid probable damage to nesting sites and fledglings.

4. No information is currently available on the possibility of construction of new access roads and trails to transport material and equipment. It should be ensured that no new access network (small or large) be created in these areas.

5. No part of grassland habitat should be utilized for providing camping and storage facilities during the construction phase.

Considering the conservation significance of Indian Grey Wolf that is known to occur in several stretches of the proposed pipeline, the following measures are suggested to reduce the specific project induced impacts and provide protection to this species.

1. No pipeline laying operation or any other project related disturbance should be allowed in the wolf habitats en route the proposed pipeline during November to April to avoid coincidence of project actions with the breeding period of wolves in Gujarat.

2. Minimum damage to vegetal cover would have to be ensured to prevent damage to denning sites and young pups during breeding season.

3. Creation of new roads and trails will have to be prevented to avoid further fragmentation of wolf range and also to avoid disturbance/destruction of prey base.

4. The location of the sites and storage facilities will have to be ensured outside the natural habitats of wolves in these regions.

The above measures will also ensures the protection of most other wildlife species en route. It is therefore important to build in all of the above safeguards in the project implementation.

The conservation efforts for the protection of endangered species required substantial investments to promote research and management. Inadequacy of required sum have constrained several efforts. It is therefore suggested that atleast a beginning in the direction of conservation of impacted habitats can be made with some initial token amounts. For this purpose of corpus fund of Rs. 10 lakhs can be entrusted to a committee constituted to include representatives from the Wildlife Wing of the State Forest Department, managers of the protected areas in Gujarat and scientists from wildlife research organization for promoting the restoration and management of Great Indian Bustard and Wolf habitats located en route and along the proposed pipeline.