Upper Kotmale Hydro Power Project

Case Study

Kusala Seneviratne Mahalekame

Assistant Director (EIA)

Central Environmental Authority

Sri Lanka

Introduction

The bulk of the electricity generation in Sri Lanka is from hydropower and the present demand growth rate is 10%. In order to meet the growing demand, the Upper Kotmale Hydro Power (UKHP) project has been planned. The project has an installed capacity of 150MW and is capable of providing an annual energy of 530GW.The development of the project is expected to contribute no only to national social and economic development through provision of economical energy but also to rural development in the area through various infrastructural developments.

The UKHP is an ODA project funded by the government of Japan. The Government of Sri Lanka secured financial support in March 2002 from the Government of Japan to implement the project, signing of Loan Agreement SL-P74 in March 28, 2002. This project is estimated to cost a total of up to Rs.44 billion, of which Rs.5.931 billion was funded by the Ceylon Electricity Board, and ¥33.265 billion by the Japan Bank for International Cooperation.

Brief history of the project regarding the EIA process of the project

The EIA for the project was done in 1994. The Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) being the project proponent sought environmental approval for the implementation of the project from the Ministry of Power and Energy which was the Projector Approving Agency. Members of the Technical Evaluation Committee having examine the EIA report did not recommend the project saying that the CEB has failed to study and examine an option known as “YOXFORD” which would give potentially more power and was positively more environmental friendly. Central Environmental Authority (CEA) decline to give concurrence for the approval and the Ministry of Power &energy rejected the project.

An appeal was made to the Secretary of Ministry of Environment and the Secretary rejected the appeal and requested the CEB to apply for an environmental clearance from the CEA with a new EIA after studying and examining the “YOXFORD” option. Subsequently the CEB submitted an addendum to the original EIA examining the YOXFORD option. CEA having studied the report rejected the project even in the new report the YOXFORD option has not been studied properly.

A second appeal was then made to the Secretary, Ministry of Environment by the CEB against the CEA decision. Further detailed studies on alternatives were completed in 1996 and the Secretary of the Ministry of Forestry and Environment granted approval for the project under the National Environment Act in July 1998 subject to strict adoption of proposed mitigation measures to minimize possible environmental impacts, which included the development of a watershed management plan, maintenance of daytime flows over the waterfall, monitoring of groundwater levels, an assessment of biodiversity, management of tunnel waste and a resettlement program. This decision was challenged in the Court of Appeal in October 1998. The Secretary of the Ministry of Forestry and Environment gave final order in March 2000, subsequent to the settlement of the appeal.

The decision of the Secretary in March 2000 was further strengthened with the Gazetting of the National Environmental (Upper Kotmale Hydro-power Project – Monitoring) Regulations No. 1, 2003.

Project Location

The UKHP is located on the western slope of Nuwera Eliya mountain range in the Nuwara Eliya administrative district. The project area covers some 540km2 of the upstream catchment of the Kotmale Oya, a tributary of the Mahaweli Ganga. The topography of the project area is mountainous with a striking landscape of deep river valleys running beneath high cliffs and escarpments. Most of th Nuwera Eliya District is still covered with Tea plantations and the higher slopes and the tops of the hills remain forested with most of the forested areas designated as reserves. The project features are quiet favorable in topographical, geological and hydrological conditions for hydro power development. The hydrology of the basin is very attractive with annual average rainfall of 2330mm (1940-1992)

Project location (Nuwara Eliya)

St. Clair’s Water Fall

Project Components

The project Major features consist of the run of the river type regulating pond, a 34 m concrete gravity dam, 12.8km headrace tunnel and underground power house A 34 m concrete gravity dam across Kotmale Oya at Talawakelle town, just above the St Clair’s water fall will divert water through a 4.3 diameter 12.8 km long headrace tunnel to an underground power house with 2 units of 75 mw turbines capable of producing409 GWh annually located at Niyamgamdora.. Water arrives at the powerhouse from the dam via headrace tunnel, which then feeds the 793m penstock. The initial 745m of the penstock is single-lane, while the latter 48m splits into two lanes, feeding the two 75 MW generators respectively.

Construction and development

  • Phase 1: Site preparations, construction of employers and workers living quarters, construction of access roads, and relocation of affected people.
  • Phase 2: All key civil engineering works, such as dam building, etc. This takes up 50% of the project cost.
  • Phase 3: Hydro-mechanical works such as construction of spillways, penstocks, intake gates, etc.
  • Phase 4: Electro-mechanical works such as generation installations, construction of the switchyard, fire fighting system, communication system, etc.

Project impacts

  • Displacement of people

The construction of the reservoir will entail social impacts within the Talawakellle Urban Council Area. The main social and economic impact will be due to the displacement of 498 houses including the line rooms, a number of commercial establishments, agricultural land, and community facilities in the reservoir area.

  • De watering of Streams

The diversion of flow from the stream to the tunnel would result in the dewatering of the downstream reaches from the diversion points. Thus down stream users both human, animals living in such reaches of the stream and down stream ecosystem would be severely affected

  • Ground water depletion

Experience of tunneling in the hill country show that there would be severe impacts on agriculture and flora in general due to changes in the ground water table. However theproposed tunnel traces travel below tea and agricultural lands. It is very likely to have serious impacts on ground water during tunnel construction.

  • Water Quality

The project will aggravate the sediment flow in to the streams specially during constructions. The entire project area has been declared as an erodable area and thus the area is very sensitive to soil erosion.

  • Geological Hazardous

Entire area is sensitive to landslides unless proper construction measures are adopted.

  • Impact on St Clair’s Water fall

St Clair’s water fall will be seriously affected due to the reduction of flow with the implementation of the project. It is one of the beautiful water falls located in the Nuwara Eliya district, a major attraction for tourists.

The project was rejected two times and finally the approval was granted by the secretary Ministry of Environment subject to the strict adoption of the mitigation measures including a preparation of Watershed Management Plan for Upper Kotmale Catchment . The secretary also directed CEA to appoint a monitoring committee to evaluate the implementation of the proposed mitigation measures by the CEB. The Environmental Management and Monitoring Plan is incorporated as a condition of the construction and operational contract for the project and on the understanding that these environmental and social requirements will be strictly enforced and practice.

Mitigation measures adopted

  • Water flows and stream flows

From the date of the commencement of the project a standardized photographic record of the St Clair’s water fall has been maintained by the CEB under the supervision of the CEA once in every month so that the continuous assessment can be carried out. With the operation of the project, as ordered by the Government Extraordinary, the St. Clair's waterfall will maintain a continuous flow of 47,250m3 (1,668,618 cuft) of water for 10 hours and 30 minutes daily, between sunrise and sunset.

  • Watershed Management

Watershed Management Plan (WMP) for the upper Kotmale Catchment Area has been prepared by the CEB with a view to mitigating the impacts arising from the project on the environment such as landslides within the area. WMP has specially focus on afforesting the project area with indigenous species.

  • Biodiversity

A Biodiversity Assessment has been carried out for the area with the assistance of the IUCN & the University of Peradeniya. An indigenous snail species called RavanaPolitisma which has been found only in the stream of the Kotmala Oya has been relocated successfully by this program.

  • Ground Water Table

A ground water monitoring program has been implemented to monitor the water table in the area in order to see whether any de-watering occurs as a result of the project activity.

  • Landslide Mitigation
  • The project in consultation with the Environmental Monitoring Committee has adopted a plan to mitigate the risk from land slides in identified high risk areas within the project area.
  • Excavated Materials
  • All excavated materials including tunnel muck has been used for land filling and road construction that are associated with the project
  • Resettlement

Resettlement Action plan (RAP) has been prepared in accordance with the National involuntary resettlement policy of Sri Lanka and is in full operation. The major objective of the RAP is to identify the magnitude of the social impact to enable the successful restoration and improvement of living standards, income earning capacity, living standards and general well being of the affected people. 495 houses affected by the Project has been resettled in 7 new resettlement sites close to the project area. The resettlement program of UKHP is among the most comprehensive and successful programs similar scale carried out in Sri Lanaka. New homes have been built with access to vital facilities such as water and power. The relocated families are provided with concessionary loans to start new self-employment ventures, while additional facilities such as the TalawakeleCentralCollege, places of worship, a cinema hall, a library, and a community centre, are being established.

Lessoned Learned

The project has now been successfully completed. UKHP is a very controversial project in the country and the environmental approval for the project was rejected for two times since the EIA report failed to study alternative options properly. Once the detailed alternative studies completed, the Secretary Ministry of Environment gave the approval subject to strict adoption of the proposed mitigation measures which were also gazzeted in the National Environmental (UKHP –Project-Monitoring) Regulations No 1 of 2003. Separate studies on biodiversity, watershed management, ground & surface quality of water; landslides were conducted to obtain more specific mitigation measures which have not been adequately addressed at the time of the preparation of the EIA report. Because of the adoption of the mitigation measures and the continuous monitoring carried out by the appointed monitoring committee and project itself the UKHP has become a successful project in terms of environmental and social aspects. The local social benefits will be largely confined to the area around Talawakelle town while the wider benefits of watershed management will extend to the whole of the upper basin.