Worldwide pipeline mileage under construction is now 86,000 miles and it is expected to maintain the same pace throughout the 1990s to meet the ever increasing demand for clean burning fuel (Ives, 1993). Likewise, India's rapid industrialisation and the resultant demand for crude and petroleum products to meet the power and energy demand has led to unprecedented expansion for pipeline network in the country (WII, 1994). As a result, India, with 7,800 km of existing pipeline network will have proposed expansion by additional 7865 km of pipelines by the three major oil companies of India, viz., Oil and Natural Gas Commission (ONGC), Gas Authority of India (GAIL) and Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL). This includes the GAIL's proposal for a national gas grid linking north, west, south and east regions which would require 18,300 km length of pipelines (Ives, 1993).

Pipelines, are by far the most superior mode of transport as they involve lower cost of production, conservation of fossil fuels, minimum product loss during transit and reduce pressure on rail and road transportation. But, pipelines have the disadvantage of causing considerable impacts upon the environment and the wildlife values of the areas that are located en route (WII, 1993). However, these pipeline projects can be made to substantially mitigate such impacts and become environment friendly provided due consideration to the environmental concerns are given at the conceptual and planning phases of these projects. In this case, the concerns are choice of route, construction technology, pipeline design, and precautions in construction and post construction activities.

The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) studies of such pipeline projects focus on identification of potential impacts of proposed project, develop safeguards that will enable expansion to take place without significant damage to natural environment and or harmful effects on the people and wildlife that live in the area.

1.1 THE PROPOSED PROJECT
The Planning Commission had constituted a “Working Group on Petroleun” for formulating the VIII Plan document pertaining to Petroleum industry in the country. As per the request of this Working Group, IOCL was requested to examinrte how best to use the increased production of Western onshore crude which was projected by ONGC as 8.75 MMTPA and 10.29 MMTPA for the year 1993 – 94 and 1999 – 2000 respectively. IOCL also examined the possibility of expanding the Gujarat Refinery, Koyali and submitted a feasibility report for setting up of a 3 MMTPA Crude Distillation Unit at the refinery. However, the latest projections (1993) of Crude Oil Production as per ONGC in Gujarat oil fields have dropped significantly to 5.62 MMTPA for the years 1993 – 94 and 1999 – 2000 respectively. Realisation of the fact that actual production from western offshore oil fields may not reach even the revised projected levels, as much as 6.5 MMTPA of crude oil will have to be imported, and transported to the Salaya – Viramgam – Koyali section of the Salaya – Mathura Pipeline to meet the revamped requirement of Gujarat Refinery at 12.5 MMTPA. Moreover, the Salaya – Mathura pipeline will also be required to feed crude oil to the extent of 6 MMTPA to Karnal Refinery, which is presently under execution. Therefore, the Salaya- Viramgam section of the Salaya – Mathurapipeline will have to carry oil to the extent of 20 MMTPA anmd Viramgam – Koyali section to transport 6.5 MMTPA of crude oil (IOCL, 1990a & b).

1.2 THE PORPOSED PROJECT
M/s IOCL proposes to augment the Salaya – Viramgam (SV) section (275 km) of the Salaya – Mathura pipeline (SMPL) form 17.2 MMTPA to 20 MMTPA by laying four loop lines of about 122 km length.

1.3 PROJECT SETTING, DESIGN AND DESCRIPTION
The existing SV section of SMPL which is 275 km long is for transportation of imported crude oil form Salaya (Vadinar) to Viramgam via Jamnagar, Rajkot and Surendranagar with one intermediate pump station at (Fig 1.1). The salient features of the existing SV section is that it originates in the midst of the Gulf of Kutch and possess an offshore Single Buoy Mooring (SBM) System capable of mooring oil tankers upto 3,00,000 DWT capacity. This has been connected to an offshore submarine and twin onshore pipelines of 42’’ diameter and approximately 5.5 km long each, connecting shore tanks at Vadinar (Salaya) to the offshore mooring system. The existing offshore submarine pipeline traverses the deep sea (30-40 fathom), and twin onshore pipeline passes through fringing coral reefs, intertidal zone, mudflats, beaches, mangroves and saltpans before reaching the Vadinar Oil Terminal. In order to augment this section from a capacity of 17.2 MMTPA to 20 MMTPA, the IOCL has now proposed to install a second SBM in the vicinity of the existing SBM (IOCL, 1990a). Two SBM are also proposed to be interconnected through a new 3 km offshore loop line. A new 6 km long submarine pipeline is being planned in order to connect the second SBM with the existing onshore twin pipelines. As envisaged in the augmentation project a shore based pigging facility for the existing and proposed offshore pipelines are proposed. Further, tow more intermediate pump stations are being provided at Jamnagar and Surendranagar and loop lines of about 122 km length will be laid. These loop lines originate from Salaya (Chainage 0 km), Jamnagar (Ch. 46.70 km), Rajkot (Ch. 114.0 km ) amd Surendranagar (Ch. 215.0 km). The loop lines are proposed to be laid in the Right of Way (ROW) of the SV section with a pipeline dimension of 28” OD X 0.281” WT will be 20 MMTPA (3,000 kl/hr).

1.4 SCOPE OF WORK
M/s IOCL had entrusted the Engineers India Limited (EIL), New Delhi to undertake the comprehensive EIA study on the proposed augmentation of the SV section of the existing SMPL as this is required to comply with the Environmental Protection Act, 1986 and other legal enactments of the Ministry of Environment and Forests. The Wildlife Institute of India (WII) was offered a consultancy by EIL to undertake the EIA study of the above mentioned projects on wildlife values. The scope of work outlined for this study was as follows:

(i) To assess the status of wildlife species and habitats (terrestrial and aquatic) along the proposed project.

(ii) To identify and evaluate the likely impacts on wildlife (endangered/threatened) species and ecologically sensitive areas/habitats (forests/scrublands/grasslands/ wetlands) due to the proposed project.

(iii) To suggest mitigatory measures for the likely impacts that may be caused by the proposed project.

(iv) To outline legal/statutory obligations to be fulfilled by the project proponent under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 and Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.