The Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) proposes to augment the Salaya-Viramgam (SV) section of the existing Salaya-Viramgam crude oil pipeline (AMPL) by laying 122 km length of four loop lines ot meet the additional crude oil requirements of Koyali, Mathura and the upcoming Panipat Refineries.

The proposed augmentation of SV section of SMPL 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 suggestions 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 (EIL), New Delhi, to assess the environmental impacts of the project on wildlife values. The memorandum of understanding jointly signed by EIL 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 coastal and marine ecosystems, grasslands, wetlands (rivers, lakes and ponds), and forests are located en route the proposed pipeline. Some of these are unique habitats for important wildlife species such as the dupong, dolphin, whale, sea turtle, sarus crane, open billed stork, lesser flamingo, spoon bill, spoon bill, wolf and many marine invertebrate fauna and flora. This report is an attempt to identify the impacts of pipeline expansion on wildlife values of the marine ecosystem, 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 thepresent 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 (marine/freshwater) flora, fauna and their habitats.

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 Department of Gujarat is acknowledged. Shri H.S. Singh, Director, Marine National Park, jamnagar, Shri A.K. Srivatstava, DCF, Rajkot, Shri N.K. Singh, DCF, Surendranagar and their staff helped in various ways for the smooth conduct of this study.

Dr. P.M. Pimparkar, Shri A. Haldar, Shri T.A. Siddiqui and Shri Jameel Khan, and Shri Pratap Singh of EIL, New Delhi, are sincerely thanked for their help and co-operation. Shri Jameel Khan also accompanied the WII’s research team during field studies in this section. Shri D.S. Gadhavi, Chief Operations Manager, IOCL, Viramgam, Shri D. Mohan, Dhief Operations Manager, Vadinar Oil Terminal, Vadinar; and Shri S.S. Samant, Senior Operations Engineer, Vadinar Oil Terminal, Vadinar are thanked for their help and co-operation. The latter two helped our team in visiting the existing SBM facility in the Gulf of Kutch. Dr. C.D. Patel and Dr. M.J. Limaye of M.S.University, Baroda, are sincerely thnked for their valuable help provided.

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. 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 front cover layout. Their help is acknowledged. Shri Mahesh Ghosh and Shri Mohd. Ismail are thanked for their help in risography works.

Dehra Dun
Dated the 20th June, 1994

(H.S. Panwar)

Director

Wildlife Institute of India