Based on impact identification on wildlife values and likely impact assessment during the construction and operational phases following conclusions were drawn with regard to the proposed SV section of SMPL pipeline.

1. The following considerations need to be reckoned with when assessing the overall merit of an oil pipeline project. In this case, the augmentation of Salaya-Viramgam crude oil pipeline (SMPL) project has been considered :

i. That country needs to import crude oil from overseas and the Arabian countries will be nearest source.

ii. That crude oil needs to be transported to the regional refineries; in this case augmented requirements of Gujarat and Mathura refineries and of the upcoming Panipat refinery.

iii.That pipelines are the most cost-effective and efficient mode of transport in the long term because their operational costs are lowest, transportation losses are minimal and they help relieve pressure on the already stressed road and rail transport systems.

2. On above considerations oil pipelines are to be welcomed in preference to other modes of transport, especially because transportation of oil to different regions of the country is inevitable.

3. Having admitted the inevitability and the efficiency of pipelines mode of oil transportation, the environmental impacts of the pipeline projects need to be brought to the minimum and whatever impacts that do result, need to be mitigated as much as possible. Where essential, compensatory measures for important environmental values lost need to be provided for.

4. The most effective way of minimising the impacts is to choose a route which steers clear of high value ecological (flora-has been evaluated as follows:-

Conclusions and Mitigation measures along SV section :

Conclusions

i. The proposed augmentation project will have significant impact in the Gulf of Kutch and on the Marine National Park and Wildlife Sanctuary (MNP) near the Narara island during the construction phase. The disturbance to marine life in MNP is likely to be almost doubled during the operational/ maintenance phase after the implementation of the proposed augmentation project and installation of second SBM.

ii. In the ecologically most critical area of the Gulf of Kutch Marine National Park, the project proposes to set up an additional SBM and two off-shore submarine pipeline sections. One of these will be connecting to the new SBM to one of the two existing inlet pipelines which were laid in the 70s in the ROW strip cleared in shallow marine coral shelf, and then through intertidal zone, mud flats and salt pans upto Vadinar. The other section will be linking up the two SBMs.

iii. Thus the coral and other terrestrial zone in the coastal belt will not be disturbed by fresh construction. There will only be constructions and operational phase impacts involved in making the new SBM and laying the two new submarine pipeline sections now in the deep marine zone, and later disturbance in maintenance as well as hazard form potentially possible oil slicks.

iv. The critical coral reef zone will not come under any new construction impacts and this is a major plus point in favour of the IOCL proposal. While saying so it also needs to be said that this analysis in no case should be taken to imply that more SBMs or more pipelines can keep coming up in in the Gulf of Kutch. Any existing or future new proposals will need to be evaluated for their additional impact potential beyond the accumulated impacts that already exist before such proposals are considered for environmental clearance.

v. After Vadinar right upto Viramgam, the route selected does not traverse any major or critical ecological area and the construction phase of operational phase impacts can be kept within admissible limits by adopting appropriate mitigation measures.

Mitigation measures

i. The concerned implementing agency and decision makers will have to ascertain the fact regarding the grant of ROW to the M/s IOCL in the Gulf of Kutch and MNP and its provisions such as Coastal Regulation Zone and Environmental Guidelines for Sitting of Industry (Annexure II & III).

ii. If the proposed project is approved then the implementing agency will ensure minimum disturbance to marine life and damages to the coral reef, sandy beach, sand intertidal zone, near Narara island in the MNP.

iii. The implementing agency i.e. IOCL will have to build up urgently an obligatory safety facility to cope up with the oil spills in any part of the Gulf of Kutch and MNP as well as all along the pipeline route on the main land. A contingency crisis management plan has to be prepared and implemented in case of any acute oil spill.

iv. The implementing agency (IOCL) should provide adequate funds to the MNP authorities for research and ecological monitoring in the proposed activity zone and compensatory afforestation of mangroves along the Narara coastal area.

v. It is for the betterment of both - the ecological consciousness of IOCL and the MNP management authorities concern for MNP, the implementing agency should consider setting up of "Oil spill monitoring station" with all infrastructural facilities and personnel headed by a competent biologist.

vi. Information on incoming oil tankers in the Gulf, oil spill, if any and mitigatory action taken will have to be provided regularly to the Director, MNP by the project implementing agency.

vii. The M/s IOCL and Kandla Port Trust (KPT) are expected to ensure that ships/ takers visiting Gulf area will not discharge any kind of oil/ waste by establishing an information linkage system with the Indian Coast Guard who's mandate is to control possible oil spills in the oceans and coasts.

viii. M/s IOCL and KPT will provide necessary assistance to the MNP authorities in implementing above recommendations.