Mitigation Planning
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India with 2.2% of global land and 16% of world population, which is increasing every year at the rate of 2.11% (Sharma 1991), is rapidly striving to industrialise its economy. Industrial development is heavily dependent on inputs from the energy sector. Presently with one unit of energy, India produces only half of what is produced in the industrialized nations. Despite the suboptimal energy utilization efficiencies, the energy policy of the country lays emphasis on expansion of capacity, as the present resource situation does not allow major investment in energy conservation and technology up gradation. Some of the power stations operate at efficiencies of barely 25 to 30% and the losses in energy transmission are as high as 22% (Khanna and Kulkarni 1992). Gas based power generation and other applications e.g. fertilizer production use relatively modern and efficacious technologies and utilize a resource which would otherwise be flared and lost if not used in this manner. These facts provide justification for expansion of the existing capacities of energy transportation through up gradation of existing HBJ gas pipeline as a step in promoting industrial development and through it the economic efficiency, while mitigation loss of forests due to coal mining, and by providing alternatives to firewood in the form of LPG. However the soundness of such a project would be largely determined by technical feasibility, economic viability and environmental acceptability. Within the scope of the present study of environmental impact assessment, the identification of impacts of the HBJ Gas Pipeline Up gradation Project on wildlife and wildlife habitats has been undertaken leading to suggestions on mitigatory measures for the conservation of wildlife species and habitats and better management of ecologically sensitive areas which are likely to impacted by the proposed up gradation of the pipeline. The following are the recommendations and suggestions for mitigation planning during project initiation, implementation, post-construction, monitoring and maintenance phases. |
Last Updated: October 8, 2015
