Field survey in the area along the existing pipeline was primarily undertaken to provide qualitative and quantitative assessment of a post project impact scenario. Some common parameters were selected for detailed field studies in both project area (existing pipeline area) and the adjacent forest area. Field studies in both these areas helped in :

1. establishing resultant environmental impacts of the existing pipeline on vegetation along the project area and that on the undisturbed adjoining forest.

2. predicting likely impacts of proposed pipeline upgradation on the vegetation along the proposed route on the basis of assumptions/inferences drawn from the study of the area under existing pipeline.

3. visualising secondary impacts of the proposed pipeline project on adjoining forest areas.

The following are the results of comparison of tree density, regeneration and recruitment in the project area and the adjoining forest.

Table: 3.1

Absence of mature trees in a 30 meter wide strip of land along the entire length of the pipeline is understandable as this area had been cleared about 7 years ago for laying the pipeline. As per the petroleum Pipeline (Acquisition of Right of User Land) Act 1962; a 30 meter wide strip of land along the 30 km section of existing pipeline under consideration in this study was acquired and clear felled for the purpose of laying the pipeline. Owners of the land were compensated as per the provisions contained in the Petroleum Pipeline Act (amended in 1977). Regeneration of forest species in the pipeline area has been a slow process as is evident both from the presence of relatively low number of regenerating species and an overall low density of regenerating sapling when compared to the density figures in the forest areas in the immediate vicinity of the project area where the regeneration followed a natural course. The constant movements of dozers, trenchers, cranes, trucks and trailers for transporting material and equipment on project site could have also resulted in mortality of the young saplings. Moreover, clear felling of mature trees could also have led to reduction in the number of seed bearers. Post project maintenance and monitoring could have further reduced the regeneration and subsequent recruitment to the recruitment class (GBH 10- 20 cm). The presence of some regenerating saplings (GBH = < 10 cm) and absence of saplings/tree in recruitment class (GBH = 10- 20 cm) are suggestive of some changes associated with project implementation. The overall vegetation cover and composition of ground and above ground strata on the pipeline area differed from that of adjoining forest (Table 3.2).

Table: 3.2 Comparison of weed, grass and shrub cover in project area and undisturbed forest area

Presence of relatively low cover of (33.68 %) grass and high weed cover (39.52 %) along the pipeline route (Table 3.2) obviously led to increased grazing pressure in adjoining forest areas where higher percentage of grass and presence of shrub cover provided better fodder values (Plate 3.4). Data on faecal droppings of the domestic livestock provide further confirmation of the fact that the forest area was more often used by the grazing livestock (Table 3.3) after t~e project implementation and pipeline construction.

Table: 3.3 Assessment of livestock pressure based on faecal droppings in the project area and the adjoining forest

The openness of the area all along the existing pipeline has also facilitated the movement of local people into the adjoining forest for forest produce collection. As a result, increased incidence of wood cutting, lopping and local fires have been observed in the forest tracts adjoining the project area (Plate 3.5). During a single observation on the movement of people in the Raghogarh forest area, as many as 48 persons were observed to be moving within the forest area and of these 28 persons (54.16 %) were seen with head loads of wood. An assessment of wood removal and lopping of fodder trees by the local people was made by quantifying the total number of trees recorded in the sample plots within the forest in the study area and enumerating the trees which displayed signs of wood removal and / or lopping. Destruction of 62.30 % trees of the forest for wood and fodder sources of the people residing in the areas surrounding these forests present an alarming situation of increasing shrinkage of forest based resources. The diversion of land to developmental projects are likely to have a compounding effect on the reduction of already depleted forest resources. The dependence on these forest area for fuel and fodder resources has grown with the increase in the number of people on the project site. Manifold increase in the present level of forest destruction is anticipated with progress in developmental work that is scheduled for proposed upgradation of the existing pipeline.

Direct and indirect evidences of wildlife in Raghogarh and Gadher forest both along the existing pipeline and in the interior areas were very scant. The only evidence of animals in the open areas all along the pipeline were those of hare and jackal. Both these animals are fairly well adapted to use such open areas for swift movements. Indirect evidences (faecal droppings) of these two animals were found in forest areas but their frequency of occurrence was fairly low. Chinkara on the other hand, an animal of fairly well wooded habitats was found confined to such areas. Since no past records of the number of this animal are available from this area, it will be difficult to express whether the existing number today is a result of reduction on account of several biotic activities that have been initiated in these forest tracts after the construction of the existing pipeline.