The Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) proposes to augment the existing Salaya-Mathura crude oil pipeline (SMPL) by laying 109 km length of four loop lines in the Viramgam-Chaksu section and a new 345.7 km long Chaksu-Panipat (CP) pipeline to meet the additional crude oil requirements of Mathura and the upcoming Panipat Refineries.

The proposed augmentation of SMPL and the new CP pipelines required a comprehensive and systematic study leading to planning of measures for safeguarding the natural environment of the project affected sites. Identifying major environmental impacts of the proposed pipeline and modifications in the project design, if required, also are covered by the scope of the study. The Wildlife Institute of India (WII), Dehra Dun, was offered a consultancy by the Engineers India Limited (ElL), New Delhi, to assess the environmental impacts of the project on wildlife values. The memorandum of understanding jointly signed by ElL and WII defined the scope of work for the EIA study under this consultancy.

That this EIA study commanded major significance was obvious from the fact that several important wildlife habitats such as wetlands (rivers, lakes and ponds), and forests are located enroute the proposed pipeline. Some of these are unique habitats for important wildlife species such as the sarus crane, open billed stork, lesser flamingo, spoon bill and wolf. This report is an attempt to identify the impacts of pipeline expansion on wildlife values of the wetlands, forests and suggest mitigatory measures for the conservation and management of wildlife species and their habitats.

This report is organised into five chapters. Chapter 1.0 of the report is an introduction to the project setting and its environment and lays the ground work for the overall approach of the EIA study. Chapter 2.0 provides impact assessment methodologies for wildlife species and their habitats used in the present study. Chapter 3.0 presents the pre-project status of wildlife values of the areas en route the proposed project.

Chapter 4.0 outlines the areas of environmental concerns. Chapter 5.0 highlights some of the significant impacts of the project and offers mitigatory measures to allow proposed developmental project to progress in a manner that also safeguards the conservation of aquatic (freshwater) and terrestrial flora, fauna and their habitats. Chapters 3.0, 4.0 & 5.0 have been presented section wise for the two pipeline sections while chapters 1.0 & 2.0 are common for both the sections.

The preparation of this report would have not been possible without the help, support and encouragement provided by various organisations and individuals.

At the outset, the help and co-operation provided by the State Forest Departments of Rajasthan and Haryana is acknowledged.

Shri Merkap, D.F.O, Alwar is thanked for his help provided to the research team. Dr. P.M. Pimparkar, Shri A. Haldar, Shri T.A. Siddiqui and Shri Jameel Khan, and Shri Pratap Singh of ElL, New Delhi, are sincerely thanked for their help and co-operation. Shri Pratap Singh accompanied our team during the field study in VC section. Shri A.P.Thangaiya, Senior Engineer, IOCL, Chaksu; Shri R.S.Gupta and Shri H.S. Nayak, Senior Managers, IOCL, Jaipur helped us during the field survey. At the Institute, Shri S.K. Mukherjee, Additional Director is thanked for his help and encouragement to the research team. Shri B.C. Choudhury, Scientist, is thanked for the discussions and for his comments on the manuscript. Their help is acknowledged. Shri Narinder Bist and Shri Virendra Sharma are thanked for their help in word processing and DTP of this document. Shri. G. Shanmugam is thanked for his unfailing help in cartography. Shri V. Sukumar, Asstt. Programmer and Shri Manoj Kumar Agarwal, Asstt. Programmer scanned and prepared maps for the front cover layout. Shri Mahesh Ghosh and Shri Mohd. Ismail are thanked for their help in the risography works.

Dehra Dun

Dated the 20th June, 1994

(H.S. Panwar)

Director

Wildlife Institute of India