Chapter 1 ADB

7/27/2019 Chapter 1 ADB

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1.1 Background

The Southern Transport Development Project (STDP) is presently being implemented by the

Government of Sri Lanka (GSL) through !oad Development "uthority (!D")# The project isfinanced from parallel funding by the "sian Development $ank ("D$) and the %apan $ank for

&nternational 'ooperation (%$&')# The main component of this project is the construction of an

epressay (Southern *ighay) beteen +ottaa and ,atara# &t consists of to segments-

about .. km long stretch from +ottaa to +urundugahahetekma and about ./ km stretch from

+urundugahahetekma to ,atara# The latter segment funded by "D$ is knon as the "D$

section- hile the former segment funded by %$&' is referred to as the %$&' section# The

construction has already reached significant proportions over a large stretch of the "D$ section

of the epressay- hile construction orks in the %$&' section has just commenced#

"dditionally- a ne access road from the "D$ section of the epressay to Galle- knon as

Galle Port "ccess !oad (GP"!) is been developed# This is a . km long 0non1access controlled2

alignment hich ill ultimately be a four1lane dual carriage highay#

The evolution of concept of a Southern 3pressay dates back to early 456/s# The original

highay trace knon as 7!D" Trace8 evolved as the outcome of a Pre19easibility study

concluded in 455:# " 9easibility Study conducted in 455; under the financial assistance of

"D$ recommended a ne alignment knon as 7'ombined Trace8# This 'ombined Trace as

also supported by the 3nvirionmental &mpact "ssessment (3&") conducted by


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"ccording to the agreement reached ith the !D"1STDP- based on the revies- studies and

evaluations carried out the


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bottomed valleys of the loest peneplain# The southern third of the trace runs through more

irregular topography of loer rounded hills ith flatter slopes of the loest peneplain# The road

trace runs through to major river basins of Gin Ganga and Polatta Ganga other than many

other streams and small aterays#

The road trace has been generally set to follo along the sides of the chain of hills- hich arelocated roughly parallel to the trace# $y aligning the road this ay several advantages ere

gained# These include minimiation of impact of local residences- minimiation of paddy and

etland ac=uisition for road !E and improved road safety achieved by avoiding at1grade

intersections by ensuring physical separation ith local cross roads#

The typical carriageay consists of to lanes- each :#./ m ide and shoulders of :#/ m idth

on each side for Stage 4 construction# Stage ? construction shoulders are :#/ m ide on the left

side and 4#? m on the right (median) side of each carriageay (vieed as hen driving along

each carriageay)#

The main trace in Stage 4 ill be constructed ith F interchanges# ut of these ecept theterminal interchange at ,atara all others ill be grade1separtead interchanges# These

interchanges are located such as to accommodate the re=uirements of present urban centers and

are epected to cater for any short term development needs# &n Stage ?- . more interchanges

ill be introduced to meet the demands of development in the middle and long term future#

1.2.2 &a''e #or Access Road

This is a ne . km long non1access controlled alignment ith at1grade intersections ith local

roads hich provides a direct link from the epressay to " highay just south of the city of

Galle# The purpose of incorporating this road knon as the Galle Port "ccess !oad (GP"!) is

to accommodate projected traffic including that from the eopnded Galle Port# The eisting $1

4?5 route from Galle to


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average rainfall in the region is approimately in the range ?/// mm to /// mm# &t runs

through four significant atersheds- namely- Gin Ganga- +oggala Lake- Polatta Ganga and

>ilala Ganga# ut of these major flood causing streams crossed by the 9inal Trace are Gin

ganga and Polatta Ganga# ,inor flooding has been observed at the places here drainage

structures have not been connected to the lead1aay drains# This flooding is mainly due to the

ater stagnation because of the road embankment and the culvert crossings hich have not beenproperly connected to the donstream drainage paths# "s a result of deviations the surface

ater =uantity passing through the 9inal Trace is reduced in comparison to the 'ombined Trace

and therefore the effect of flooding has been reduced#

The important mineral deposits ithin or in the vicinity of the project area are graphite and

gems# ther types of industrial minerals- that are present ithin the road trace- are the rock

forming minerals# &solated boulder of varying dimensions are clearly visible ithin / H/// km

to : H /// km stretch of the trace and the presence of boulders on the slope is an indication of

shallo eathering and eistence of bedrock at shallo depths# Southern Province- ithin

hich the "D$ section of the STDP lies- is the second main consumer of sand behind Eestern

Province# This demand for sand is mainly met ith the supply of river sand# Therefore- almostall the river basins ithin the project area have already been mined ecessively creating severe

environmental problems#

The laboratory testing of samples from selected locations indicated that surface ater bodies

appear to be slightly turbid during et eather season compared to dry eather season due to

the sediments brought in by rain induced runoff# The organic and faecal pollution as also

higher during the et eather season# The oil and grease contamination as high due to

disposal of oil rich effluents from the residential- commercial and industrial sector# The ground

ater sampling at selected locations in general indicated prevalence of anoic conditions ith

some bacterial proliferation and degradation of organic nitrogenous matter#

The areas monitored in the main trace did not manifest significant air pollution scenarios in

consideration of 'entral 3nvironmental "uthority2s ('3") ambient air =uality standards# The

noise sensitive areas in the vicinity of 9inal Trace ere identified and included schools-

residential areas- religious sites and lands here serenity and =uiet are of etraordinary

significance# The noise measurements at selected locations indicated marginal eceedance of

maimum permissible limits during day time#

Eith respect to the biological environment- the habitats encountered by the epressay may be

categoried as man made habitats (home gardens- paddy fields and plantations) and natural and

semi1natural habitats (marshland- rivers- streams- scrubland or forest)# 9ourteen butterflyspecies- ; small mammal species and . reptile species ere found to inhibit the areas adjacent to

the deviated trace# 9auna is not uni=ue to the area but constitutes of common species that

occupy inhibited et loland areas# 9orty to species of birds inclusive of migrant bird species

ere observed along the trace and they occupied terrestrial and a=uatic habitats- particularly

associated ith paddy fields#

The proposed 9inal trace of the "D$ section runs through 44 DS divisions in Galle and ,atara

districts in the Southern Province# The land use pattern in the project impact area is dominated

by highland cultivated ith perennial and semi1perennial crops (5I)- roads and buildings

(?I) and paddy lands (44I)# The most of paddy lands are freehold lands ith different tenure

pattern# The highlands including home gardens have to types of land tenure pattern- freeholdlands and lands ith government permits for cultivation (LD land)#


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The road trace in general does not run through densely populated urban or rural settlements#

&nstead it has been designed to construct through paddy lands- and other lands that are not used

by communities for settlements# The deviated section (Sandaraela to +ongahadua) runs

through less populated areas here communities did not oppose to the project# The highly

populated villages such as Poddala- Panila- ,eepeela are located in the area fallen under the

previous trace# The main reason for the decision to deviate as to avoid the serious objections ofthe communities- ho had highly valuable houses#

The total affected families due to different interventions under the proposed project are ?5/5#

"bout ;46 houses of different nature have been evacuated# The number of relocated families is

about .;6# (??/ resettled in the !D" established resettlement sites and another F6 families had

chosen their on ays to get resettled ith the compensation paid by !D")# Though the areas

under P&Ds are rural significant percentage of population has ac=uired G'3 ("JL) and university

education# This is a common feature of education in Southern Province especially in Galle and

,atara Districts#

&ndustries- hich concentrated in major cities- Galle and ,atara- and 9ree Trade Kone located

in +oggala provide employment opportunities for a small part of the ork force especially in

garment industry# ,ajority of the ork force in +oggala 9ree Trade Kone are coming from rural

areas of &madua- Eeligama- *abaradua and Eelipitiya DS divisions# Tourism provides

employment opportunities in the cities of


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becomes hilly closer to the main epressay# &t is mainly on the lo lying areas consisting of

paddy and other marshy vegetation#

The surface ater =uality in GP"! is similar to hat as observed for main trace# The

groundater table elevation is very closer to the eisting ground surface- ecept in the case of

fe hills# The air =uality of GP"! could be assumed to be similar to main trace as similartraffic flos are found# The noise levels can be are assumed to be similar to those given for

main trace due to the similar vehicular traffic#

The proposed GP"! crosses Lunuila 3la at a location closer to o natural stretches of vegetation occur along this trace#

ut of the 54 plant species encountered in this part of the trace- 4/ ere found to occur in the

mangrove etland at ,agalle# 9our of them ere true mangroves hile the rest ere mangrove

associated species#

Terrestrial fauna of this part of the trace is restricted to the species that generally occur home

gardens# Since the variety of available habitats for terrestrial fauna is limited due to high

population density of the area- the diversity of terrestrial fauna is relatively lo# *oever they

comprise important pollinators such as insects- bats- birds and s=uirrels# "=uatic fauna of the

mangrove area at ,agalla is of high importance ecologically as it accommodates a=uatic

organisms from the freshater streams- sea and those that are characteristic to brackish ater

conditions#

The GP"! traverses through marshy lands- abandoned paddy fields- paddy fields and homestead

gardens# "s structures along this road trace are already removed and demolished it is difficult to

eplain the initial environment of ac=uired lands# "kmeeemana DS division is a ell developed

residential area and it has been a challenging task to mark the trace to minimie the damages to

residential areas# *oever- the marked trace has generated a minimum damage for residential

plots#

%ambugasmulla 3la and surrounding small ater bodies in lo lands are located at proposedPinnadua interchange# &f necessary steps are not taken to avoid ater logging- during the

period of earth ork- severe adverse impacts ill be caused as the area is highly residential# "t

the other end- at Devata ('loser to eisting Galle road) there are several pits hich are used as

fermentation grounds of coconut husks and also ill be badly affected during the period of earth

ork# "s there are several employees directly and indirectly (especially omen labour) depend

on coir industry it is very important to take preventive actions to avoid damages to lo lying

areas of Devata#

1.+ Anicipaed I*pacs o! "e #ro$ec

The identification of the environmental impacts that have a bearing on the design- constructionand operation of the project as based on the site visits by the eperts- project documentation

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ith the !D" including the comments from the public and other agencies# &n case the detail

designs are not available- the team made interpretations and recommendations based on the data

made available#

The methodology used for impact assessment as consistent ith that adopted in 4555 3&"# The

project as divided into project elements covering investigation- construction and operationstages# The affected environment as divided into environmental elements considering the

general environment of the area and the environmental issues highlighted in the T!# These

environmental elements covered physicalJchemical aspects- biological aspects and socialJsocio1

economic aspects#

nce the elements are identified- it as possible to form the !elevance ,atri# The columns in

the !elevance ,atri ere the identified project elements- hile the ros ere the

environmental elements# The list of environmental elements as divided among study team core

members in accordance ith their specialties# This means that each member as looking at fe

ros and all columns in the full matri# $ased on the assessments made by each member the

Team Leader eventually finalied the full !elevance ,atri in consultation ith the entire team#

nce the relevance matri as prepared- the team as in a position to select areas that need to

be studied in detail# "ll impacts identified as 7significant8 in the !elevance ,atri needs ere

studied in detail- in order to =uantify the impact- and recommend mitigatory measures and

monitoring plans# The impacts identified as 7marginal8 ere mentioned and avoided if possible-

or mitigatory action and monitoring plans recommended# The details of impact assessment and

=uantification of impacts are given Section ?#:#;#

1.+.1 Main Trace

The proposed corridor of the project doesn2t go through areas ith economical =uantities of

industrial minerals such as graphite or gems# *oever- the deposits of minerals used in the

construction industry ithin the road trace are epected to deplete due to the project# Since these

minerals are commonly found in other areas of the region there ill not be a significant impact

on the mineral resources due to the construction of the road trace# Tthe re=uirement of the rock

for the construction of the roaday is generated from the ecavations ithin the project trace#

Therefore- there is no significant impact on the environment caused by that project activity#

*oever- transportation of the eploited material from the point of generation to the fill location

and the crusher plant ill have a certain impact on the environment#

Due to ecavation of fill material from the road trace and other borro pits- the landscape ofthese areas ill change significantly# The vegetation cover- hich protects the soil underneath-

ill be removed and the eposed soil ill be subjected to erosion during the rainy season# The

eroded material ill be transported to the lo lying areas and ill cause other environmental

issues such as@ blocking of eisting aterays- reducing the yield of economical crops such as

paddy- tea etc- pollution of drinking ater sources- and instability of the cut slopes# During the

dry season the dust generated from the ecavation and filling of soil could create other

environmental issues such as@ health problems due to inhaling of dusty air- reducing the yield of

economical crops such as paddy- tea etc- pollution of drinking ater sources etc# Such problems

may be aggravated due to spilling of the fill material during transportation#

Sand ill be mainly used for making concrete and mortar in construction ork# Due to therelated severe environmental issues- sand mining from the rivers is restricted to some selected

;


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segments of inland streams# ,oreover- the demand for sand due to Tsunami reconstruction ork

has made the situation orse# Therefore- as the only other economically feasible source- crushed

rock is being used for production of fine aggregates in the project# Due to crushing of large

=uantity of aggregates a large =uantity of =uarry dust is produced# ,oreover- crushed rock

should be processed to remove ecess fines (dustJclay sied particles) before being used#

Eorkability of manufactured sand is poor but both strength and orkability could be improvedby blending ith fine sand# &n the crushing plants the emission of dust could be a significant

impact unless mitigation measures are incorporated#

" significant impact on the landform ill occur due to the construction of the road trace# The

changing of the stabilied landform over a long period of time ill create an environmental

instability# The natural agents like rain and gravity in particular ill contribute to the

stabiliation process of the nature through soil erosion and landslides#

The removal of the soft material and replacement ith stronger material has led to severe

environmental problems involving disposal of the aste material# "t present the aste material

is stored along the trace on both sides of the road embankment# The severity of theenvironmental pollution depends on the organic content of this material as material ith high

organic content produces leachate ith higher p* value# Ehen a program is developed for

permanent disposal of these organic soil- organic content- shear strength and consolidation

properties must be given due consideration as further consolidation settlement of the aste

deposit and slope failures could pose severe environmental threats#

The utiliation of surface ater to the project components from the vast =uantity of surface

ater available is negligible and there is no significant impact on the surface ater =uantity#

The eploitation of groundater for the project activities is comparably lo compared to the

available ater hich is mainly surface ater- hence there ill not be any significant impact on

the groundater =uantity# Pooling of ater- blocking of ater ays- restrictions to surface run1

off and flood ater flos could result in due to unplanned stockpiling and disposal of spoil-

unstable ecavations- careless stockpiling in construction materials and careless camp siting#

'hanges in ater =uality and ater levels from such activities could affect flos into or out of

eisting ater bodies#

During the construction phase large =uantities of asphalt and concrete ill be re=uired for

strengthening and surfacing of the highay# Therefore ash ater arising during the cleaning of

the machines involved in asphalt and concrete plant operations could also lead to significant

colour and turbidity problems in ater bodies# 9urther any significant oil spills from machinery

and other e=uipment used for construction orks may lead to contamination of ater bodiesith oil particularly during heavy rainy periods# "tmospheric emissions from industries and

vehicles may come don ith the rains and adversely affect ater bodies through run1off#


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'onstruction processes such as blasting operations could result in severe damages to nearby

properties such as archaeological- religious and culturally important sites# 3=uipment involved

in cut and fill operations are knon to generate ecessive noise# Similarly e=uipment used in

clearing sites are also generate significant noise levels# "sphalt and concrete plants may also be

cause ecessive noise and vibration# Therefore such plants should be located in poorly or

sparsely populated areas to minimie impacts on any nearby human settlement#

"ccording to present noise legislation- maimum permissible noise levels at boundaries of the

land in hich the construction activities are undertaken are stipulated as ;F d$(") and F/ d$(")

during daytime and night time- respectively# The noise levels generated from the machinery

involved in construction orks eceed the daytime limit of ;F d$(")# The eposure levels and

time limits adopted in the


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The road !E falls across +urundugahahetekma ton ship and therefore- the tonship got

separated into to# There are no housing schemes seriously affected due to proposed road#

"bout F6 villages have some negative impacts due to construction of the proposed road across

their villages# ,ost of these villages are traditional rural villages here social relations among

community members are very strong# "bout :/ sub1roads that run across the proposed high ay

ill have some impacts during construction and even in the post construction stage These arethe roads that are being used by local communities for their routine transportation and travel#

The domestic ater supply schemes ill not be affected by road construction# The electricity

distribution lines on 4; sub1roads may be affected# The poer lines run across the !E ill

have to be removed temporarily during construction stage# This ill be a significant impact for

the communities in the area# The market value of the annual loss of employment along the trace

from +urundugahahetekma to ,atara is estimated as !s# 4#?. million and the annual economic

loss of employment is !s# :4#4 million# after correcting for disguised unemployment#

&mpact on other employment categories such as those employed in the private and public sector is

minimal provided that employees ho are displaced due to land ac=uisition are relocated inlocations from here their ork places can be accessed ithout much difficulty# *oever- if

people ho are self employed and those ho find employment in the casual labour market are

displaced due to land ac=uisition- they may confront ith different market situations unless they are

relocated ithin their village# >evertheless- it is difficult to predict the net impact on employment

in respect of the above employment categories# During the construction phases- a large number of

people ill have to be employed by the contractors for road construction ork and- this ill be a

direct positive impact of the project on employment#

ut of total loss of income from agricultural production- "D$ section contributes the highest

portion (FFI) compared to I by %$&' section# Tea is the most significant cash crop in the trace

as its gross margin is high# "round ;.I of the total tea lands along the trace are located in the

"D$ section# 3specially in the construction phase- due to ecavation of soil- blocking the

irrigation and drainage canals- eposing peat to the air and rain ould make some adverse impacts

particularly on paddy fields#

The proposed highay- by enabling speeding transport of produce- ill have a positive influence on

agriculture by ay of epanding markets- reducing astage during transportation- timely

availability of inputs- =uicker disposal or produce- etc# The proposed road- ith interchange points

linking important markets in the interior regions of the country to the producing areas- ill ensure

availability of produce like fresh fish in such markets# The consumers in these areas ill reap

benefits due to the presence of important consumption goods that ere not previously availableand- producers ill benefits due to the increased demand created by consumers in the interior

regions# "fter construction of the road it is envisaged that the tourist industry and Galle harbour

ould be developed ith improved access# 3mergence of urban centers ith increased business

activities ould enable the government (the local authorities) to earn revenue from the collection of

taes based on number of business enterprises in different categories irrespective to business

volume of each enterprise#

The anticipated environmental impacts on the places of orship and religious interest ould be

dust- acoustics and vibration during construction period- acoustics during the operational stage-

changes in =uality and character of the religious environment- disturbance to the contetual

dominancy of the orshiping places due to huge road structures#

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During the construction phase- the movement of fleet of heavy vehicles involved in the

construction activities ill be a threat to the safety of other vehicles and pedestrians at the

construction site as ell as the nearby roads# The blasting of rocks for clearing the site as ell

as for obtaining construction materials particularly close to the eisting main roads ould pose a

threat to traffic and pedestrians on these roads# During the operational phase of the highay-

some of the likely accident black spots ould be the access roads to the highay at the entry andeit points# Drivers may fail to control the speed of the vehicles at these locations- unless proper

mitigatory measures are taken during the construction of the road- such as ell1designed humps

and rumble strips# Safety of pedestrians ill be at high risk- particularly at places like pedestrian

crossings and close to schools#

"t sections of the road here the driver is directly facing the sun- or the glare from the vehicle

in front is affecting the driver in the vehicle behind- there is a risk of accidents# This ould be

most likely at road sections hich are running in the 3ast1Eest direction# Slo moving traffic

such as three heelers and bicycles may be at risk even on the access roads if they come close to

the highay- as the entering and eiting traffic ill be moving at high speeds- and not epecting

any slo traffic at these points# " suitable distance should be available for accelerationJdeceleration of merging traffic on access roads#

1.+.2 &a''e #or Access Road

&n general- Galle Port "ccess !oad ill have similar impacts as the main trace of the

epressay# Since relatively small amount of rock forming minerals ill be depleted and

considering the abundant supply of the rock forming minerals ithin the road trace- there ill

not be significant impact ill be on mineral resources# *oever- temporary storage of material

and transportation from the main carriageay to the Galle Port "ccess road ill have some

impact on the environment# The disposal of the ecess fill material generated ithin the trace

should be done in a planned ay ithout having an adverse impact on the environment#

The use of surface ater in the GP"! from the vast =uantity of surface ater available is

negligible and there cannot be any significant impact on the surface ater =uantity# There is no

evidence about groundater level reductions in the Galle Port "ccess Trace as major

construction ork has not started# *oever impacts on groundater could be anticipated during

the construction and operation phases#

During the construction phase material eploitation- site clearing- cut and fill operations- land

reclamation- ditching and drainage- spoil disposal- asphalt and concrete plants and construction

of bridge and culverts could result in significant pollution of surface ater bodies- though theeffects are temporary in comparison ith the effects on ater =uality caused by the operational

activities# During the operational phase un1planned and planned road1side development

activities may cause degradation of groundater =uality in Galle Port "ccess !oad area unless

precautions are taken#

The same model mentioned under Section 4##4 as also used to predict the impacts on air

=uality in the Galle Port "ccess !oad# The results elucidated that the emission of > - S?-

SP, and ' increases ith the time period# *oever the 41hour average values reported from

the model seemed to be loer than the stipulated ambient air =uality standards) as as observed

in the "D$ section#

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The anticipated noise and vibration during the construction activities in the "D$ section is also

applicable to the Galle Port "ccess !oad area# &t is anticipated that the nearby residential areas

in the >ugadua site ould be subject to intense noise levels and even the possible vibration

effects associated ith the construction activities# The model described by 9*E" as used to

predict noise levels ith reference to average speeds of 6/ kmJh- 4// kmJh and 4?/ kmJh# Eith

this model the possible noise levels generated by highay traffic ere calculated up to ?/?F asas done in the "D$ section and results ere compared ith maimum alloable noise levels

generated by highay traffic# "lthough the predicted noise levels are high particularly ith time

period as a response to anticipated increase in traffic flo- it ill not affect sensitive areas such

as religious sites and schools since such areas are not encountered in the vicinity of the Galle

Port "ccess !oad area#

The 9lood Detention per unit length and drainage structures per unit length for Galle Port "ccess

is found to be higher than that for the main trace# Therefore it could be inferred that the impact

on drainage in Galle Port "ccess !oad is higher than that of the 9inal Trace ith deviations#

The Galle Port "ccess crosses Lunuila 3la around the chainage /#Fkm hich is a fairly critical

catchment due to its lo lying nature# This is because of the lo lying nature of the catchment#Since the Galle Port "ccess !oad embankment runs through this lo lying area the embankment

could impede the flood flos and there could be inundation at the upstream if ade=uate openings

have not been provided#

The impact on terrestrial flora is minimal as it is a highly populated semi1urban area ith

vegetation mainly composed of cultivated plant species# The presence of this mangrove etland

beteen land and the sea has attenuated the forces of tsunami aves and thus they have not

caused damage to the property# Since the removal of mangrove trees as observed on the north

estern part of the etland and in the hinterland- this may cause marginal impact on the coastal

defense ability of the treesJ etland# Since this etland has relatively a lo catchment in its

populous hinterland- obstruction to surface runoff by the road may cause declining freshater

inputs to the etland- hich in turn may affect the primary productivity of the etland on hich

the near1shore organisms- hence the fisheries based on them are largely dependent on#

"s the area along hich the road trace traverses- in comparison to the entire etent of the

mangrove etland is small- fragmentation of small animal populations is an unlikely

phenomenon to take place under the circumstances# $esides- no anadromous fish species ere

evident to occur in this estuary# Loss of habitats- fragmentation of ecosystems and eposure of

areas may affect faunal populations leading to their decline# Eith time fauna may be migrated to

better habitats and biodiversity of the area in general may sho degradation# "vifauna

associated ith ,agalla mangrove area also ill be eposed to the unfavourable conditions(noise- lights during night) created by road construction and introduction of traffic#

&t as observed that the selected trace for the Galle Port "ccess causes minimum negative

impacts in terms of economic activities as it runs through less populated lo line areas# Paddy

fields along the trace also abandoned during last decade due to poor drainage and less

productivity# The market value of the annual loss of employment along the GP"! is estimated as

!s /#:. million and the annual economic loss of employment as !s# /#?; million after correcting

for disguised unemployment# "t >ugadua there are about 4F/ orkers involved directly and

indirectly in coir industry based on coconut husk# "s the road ill traverse through the fermentation

pits of coconut husk the environment ill be totally damaged during construction stage and the

people ill loose their employment unless preventive actions are not taken# 3stimated market valueof employment in coir based industry is about !s#4# million per year#

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1., Miigaion Measures

1.,.1 Main Trace

The major adverse impact of the project on the community is due to destruction of large number

of properties and break up social relationships beteen closed linked communities# The !D"has taken mitigatory action to reduce the number of families that ill be adversely affected due

to various project interventions# "s a result of such attempts made through various studies- the

number of families to be displaced has been brought don to .;6 as at present# "ll these .;6

families are presently resettled under !D" sponsored resettlement sites (??/ families) and the

rest have opted to resettle on their on initiative# "bout ?5/5 families in total had various

impacts and all of them have been compensated according to the Sri Lankan government and

"D$2s policies and guidelines on social impact management frame ork# "ccording to affected

community the main drabacks of the resettlement process are inade=uate ater supply

facilities at resettlement sites- unsatisfactory allocation of land and non1inclusion of active

participation of them in the process#

" ell designed program should be implemented during the post resettlement phase to assist the

affected parties to reestablish their livelihood systems through the effective utiliation of the

granted compensation# This process should also be etended to the parties ho have resettled on

their on initiative# " verification methodology and action plans should be incorporated to

ensure the better status of the resettled communities up to the end of the maintenance period#

The sun1shine effect on the motorists operating on the road in the 3ast to Eest direction- has not

been considered in the previous studies and the Detailed Design Stage# The folloing measures

are applicable to mitigate this impact#

The drainage crossings of the road should be designed to ensure sufficient drainage ith

minimum backater effects along the drainage paths hich have either been hindered or altered

by the road embankments#

,itigatory measures should be implemented by the provision of ade=uate drainage facilities

through the road embankment# pening sies of the culverts and bridges should be sufficient to

pass the flos through the trace minimiing temporary retention#

Gin Ganga 9lood 1 "s there is an identified impact further hydraulic studies should be carried

out in collaboration ith the irrigation Department to determine the etent of the upstreamflooding# The solutions agreeable should be implemented# This may include curtailing the

embankments near the bridge abutments- provision of additional flood bunds for possible

inundation areas# The designers have to perform backater calculations in order to assess the

impacts on the upstream to fulfill the issues of the &rrigation Department#

9looding in most of the places in the construction area has taken place because of the absence of

leadaay drainage paths from the crossings already provided# "s described in the previous

sections all leadaay drainage paths from the culvert crossings should be properly connected to

the donstream to ensure the drainage continuity# This impact is very common and the

eecution of the mitigatory measures is a prime and urgent need#

During the operation phase it is appropriate to monitor the mobility of fauna- type of accidents-sensitivity to noise levels- etc# across and in the vicinity of the road trace# This information is

4:


14/76

very relevant to identify the ne impacts on fauna because of the road trace and to design

suitable further mitigatory measures#

1.,.2 &a''e #or Access Road

The major and critical drainage crossing is at Lunuila 3la# The design needs to be revieed

considering the upstream and donstream retention- the design return period and the possible

backater effects and upstream inundation in order to mitigate possible flood impacts#

mportant mineral deposits ithin or in the vicinity of the project area are graphite and gems#

ther types of industrial minerals- that are present ithin the road trace- are the rock forming

minerals# 'oarse aggregate is another very important construction material needed# "t present-

the coarse aggregate need of the area is met ith the supply from the =uarries and the rock types

4


15/76

found in these =uarry sites mainly consist of $iotite and 'harnockitic gneiss# These varieties

possess =ualities of good construction material such as@ hardness- toughness- strength and higher

abbresive resistance- as they have an interlocking teture of their constituent minerals# The

major rock types found ithin the project corridor are charnockite- charnockitic and

garnetiferous =uartofeldspatic gneisses# &solated boulder of varying dimensions are clearly

visible ithin +m / H/// +m : H /// stretch of the trace and the presence of boulders on theslope is an indication of shallo eathering and eistence of bedrock at shallo depths

Southern Province- ithin hich the "D$ section of the STDP lies- is the second main

consumer of sand behind Eestern Province# The estimated demand for sand in the year ?//

ithin the Southern Province is 4#F million cubic meters# This demand for sand is mainly met

ith the supply of river sand# Therefore- almost all the river basins ithin the project area have

already been mined ecessively creating severe environmental problems such as loering of

riverbed levels- curtailment of sediment flos in the rivers and streams- health problems faced

by people involved in river sand mining and costal erosion# These problems are very severe in

the valley of the >ilala ganga and already alternative means of obtaining sand for construction

ork is sought#

the soil formations and the condition of the terrain ithin the project area mainly consists of the

folloings@

i# !ed1Mello podolic soils ith soft or hard laterite- rolling and undulating terrainA

ii# !ed1Melllo Podoolic soils- steeply dissected- hilly and rolling terrain

iii# $og and half bog soils- flat terrainA and

iv# "lluvial soils of variable drainage and teture- flat terrain#

&t is evident from the information given in that report that the thickness of the soft layers is

shallo (less than Fm) at most of the locations ecept at a fe location (F/ H ;// km to F4 H

.// km and F5 H .// km to .4 H 4// km) The organic clays and silts ere found to have natural

moisture contents of generally more than ;/I and- for peat- values typically ranged from 4//I

to over ://I# The peat encountered found to be both fibrous and amorphous ith bulk unit

eight less than that of ater#

The eisting natural slopes along the road trace mainly consists of eathered relics of in1situ

material at the top of the slope and colloidal material deposited at the bottom of the slope due to

eathering and erosion of the upper levels of the slope# Due to the stability considerations of

the slopes- the original cut slope angles that ere proposed during preliminary engineering

designs ere changed to incorporate some of the unforeseen conditions that ere encountered

during construction such as thicker overburden encountered than original investigation revealed#

The northern to third of the road trace runs through some of the inland hilly areas comprising

of predominantly steep1sided- parallel ridges rising generally F/ to 4//m above flat1bottomed

valleys of the loest peneplain# The southern third of the trace runs through more irregular

topography of loer rounded hills ith flatter slopes of the loest peneplain#

!oad trace runs through to major river basins of Gin ganga and Polatta Ganga other than

many other streams and small aterays# Due to the narro idth of the loest peneplain of

the Southestern region of the country- the rivers floing in this region are relatively short and

the idth of the flood plains is also limited# "t the Gin Ganga crossing of the trace- it as

revealed from the site investigations that there is a peat layer at about Fm belo the ground

4F


16/76

surface indicative of the original landscape hich as later changed due to the alluvial deposits

of the river#

!oad trace runs through some agriculturally used lands mainly consisting of tea- rubber or

coconut plantations in the elevated areas# The valleys are mostly cultivated as paddy fields

ecept toards the northern end of the trace here cinnamon orchards are present#

The annual average rainfall in the region relevant to the deviation of the road trace is

approimately in the range of ?/// mm to ///mm# (source "rjuna2s "tlas of Sri Lanka1

"rjuna2s 'onsulting 'o Ltd# "ugust 455;)# The main trace of the "D$ section runs through

four significant atersheds- namely- Gin Ganga- +oggala Lake- Polatta Ganga- >ilala

Ganga#

The net effective catchment areas encompassed by the 'ombined Trace C 9inal Trace are

negative# Therefore the deviations result in a an decreased area hich results in a decreased

surface ater =uantity passing through the 9inal Trace as a result of deviation# Therefore the net

effect of flooding on deviations has been reduced# *oever this flood effect at station /H///and station 4FH/// shos an increase in flood situation# "s there is no significant variation in

the rainfall patterns- beteen the original C final trace there ill not be any significant variation

of the groundater yield in the 'ombined Trace and the 9inal Trace in the deviated sections#

Eater Nuality Eet Eeather

The ater bodies appeared to be slightly turbid than during the dry eather season due to rain

induced run1off bringing in sediments (colloidal particles)# rganic pollution due to higher 'D

and $D levels as evident in the ater bodies than during the dry eather period- suggesting

organic contamination due to run1off brought in organic matter# Similarly oil contamination as

significant at all ater bodies due to the disposal of oil rich effluents from the residential-

commercial and industrial sector# The results also revealed that faecal contamination is

significant in all ater bodies ith >*:1> levels higher than ">K3'' values- thereby

suggesting that pollution ith seage and nitrogen rich organic contamination is high#

Eith reference to the presence of heavy metals all the ater bodies sampled contained higher 9e

levels ith values eceeding /#: mgJl- hich therefore could impart a color ith a characteristic

metallic taste to the ater =uality# Significant dilution of ater bodies as noticed such that

other heavy metals such as Pb- 'r- 'd- and >i ere undetected# nly the "l concentrations

detected in the ater bodies ere reported to be higher than ">K3'' values of /#? mgJl for

recreational aters# 'u levels reported at locations ?SE- ?FSE and ?.SE ere loer than

">K3'' values of 4 mgJl for recreational aters#

Eater =uality Dry eather

p* and D levels ere reported to be satisfactory in all the ater bodies sampled# 'onductivity

levels ere also satisfactory ecept at location ?;SE due to the presence of higher TDS levels

possibly due to the presence of heavy metals such as 9e and "l# The sampled ater bodies

seemed to be not turbid due to the presence of lo TSS levels#

"lthough >:1 and >?

1 contamination as insignificant- >*:1> levels ere higher than

">K3'' values of /#/4 mgJl at all ater bodies indicating the presence of decomposition of

organic nitrogenous matter# Therefore T> levels seemed to be fairly high (in comparison ith

the results obtained in %$&' section during the dry eather period) due to the higher presence of>*:1> and organic nitrogen matter# The presence of total and feacal coliform contamination

4.


17/76

seemed to be not significant ecept at location ?6SE here the highest 'D and $D levels

ere also reported- thereby indicating faecal contamination due to seage disposal is

substantially high# *igh pollution due to organic matter as also evident at location ?FSE# "lso

the results manifested that most the ater bodies sampled in the "D$ section contained oil and

grease probably due to higher asteater discharges from the industrial- commercial and

domestic sector#

The presence of 'r- 'd and 'u as not detected in any of the ater bodies# >i as detected at

locations ?:SE- ?FSE and ?.SE- but the values obtained ere loer than '3" and ">K3''

stipulated guideline values of /#4 mgJl for recreational aters# "l contamination as significant

in all ater bodies# Pb contamination as found to be significant at location ?SE and ?FSE

only as the levels reported ere higher than ">K3'' stipulated values of /#/F mgJl for

recreational aters# The presence of 9e at levels eceeding /#: mgJl as reported at all ater

bodies hich could therefore impart color ith a characteristic metallic taste to the ater

=uality#

Groundater Nuality

&T& %uly ?//F

The results revealed that the p* of the groundater at locations as acidic (ecept at ;GE)-

ith lo D levels and ith the presence of considerable $D levels (though the values

reported ere loer than ? mgJl)- >?1 and high total coliform levels (ecept at FGE and .GE)#

"ll these results suggested the prevalence of anoic conditions ith some bacterial proliferation

and degradation of organic nitrogenous matter# The results also shoed that TP levels ere

slightly high (though levels reported ere less : mgJl) and other parameters reported ere

ithin the stipulated drinking ater guidelines# *oever- surprisingly the presence of faecal

coliform as evident only at locations ;GE and 6GE#


18/76

The areas monitored in the "D$ section did not manifest significant air pollution scenarios in

consideration of the ambient air =uality standards of /#4: ppm (4 hour)- /#/6 ppm (4 hr) and ?.

ppm (4 hr) stipulated for >?- S? and ' under the >ational 3nvironmental ("mbient Nuality)

!egulations 455 of the >ational 3nvironmental "ct >o# ; of 456/# &n the case of location 5

the presence of S? as not detected#

Preliminary investigations carried out in the "D$ section shoed that noise sensitive areas or

places occur in the "D$ section# This includes schools- residential areas- religious sites- etc#

Table #4; presents the identified noise sensitive places of the final trace in the "D$ section#

9urther certain areas in the "D$ road traces are knon to have lands or areas here serenity and

=uite are of etraordinary significance# This includes forest patches and etland stretches to

name a fe#

Table "4#?F ("ppendi "4) and 9igures ":#;- ":#4/ and ":#4:1":#4; ("ppendi ":) shos

the selected locations of noise measurements for the "D$ section from >ovember ?//? to

9ebruary ?//:# Table "4#?. ("ppendi "4) gives the background noise level obtained for each

location# The results shoed that at location ; the noise levels measured during day time hadslightly eceeded the stipulated maimum permissible limit of FF d$(") for Pradeshiya Sabhas .

*oever the noise levels measured at all locations during the night time ere reported to eceed

the stipulated limit of F d$(")#

The major flood causing streams crossed by the 9inal Trace of the "D$ Section are Gin Ganga

C Polatte Ganga# *ydrological data regarding floods such as flood peaks are only measured at

Gin Ganga at "galiya and >ilala Ganga at Pittebeddera# The peak floods measured at these

to locations during 45561?//: are .6?#66 m:Js (?//:) and 455;#6 m:Js (4555)- respectively#

&n addition to the floods indicated above- minor flooding has been observed at the places here

drainage structures have not been connected to the lead1aay drains# This flooding is mainly due

to the ater stagnation because of the road embankment and the culvert crossings hich have

not been properly connected to the donstream drainage paths#

The deviation beteen //H///km and 4/H///km on the "D$ section is a shift of the 'ombine

Trace from lo1lying paddy fields to the built up land hich is mainly homesteads and small1

scale plantations# Terrestrial flora of the home gardensJ homesteads consists that of the species

common in home gardens- such as fruit- spice and timber trees#

Deviated trace beteen ?/H/// km and :/HF// km traverses through tea and rubber plantations

and beteen ?;H/// km and ?5H/// km through paddy fields# $eteen :/H/// km and :6H?//km- the deviated section traverses across built up land (mostly homesteads and home gardens)

and from :6H?// km to /H/// km it lies adjacent to a scrub forest area hich has been

planted ithPinus sp.at :5H4// km and the area is occupied also by fast groing tree species

such asAlstonia macrophylla, Macaranga peltata and Trema orientale.>one of the plants are

either endemic or threatened# Terrestrial plant species encountered along the main trace of the

"D$ Section are given in Table $4#4 in "ppendi $4#

9ourteen butterfly species- /; small mammal species and /. reptile species ere found to

inhabit the areas adjacent to the deviated trace (Table $4#F of "ppendi $4)# 9auna is not uni=ue

to the area but constitutes of common species that occupy inhabited et loland areas#

46


19/76

3cept for the paddy fields and the river (at points hich it traverses across) no other etland

areas occur along this part of the trace# nly the common fish characteristic to paddy field

environments in the et loland areas ere found to occur in these etland habitats#

9orty to species of birds are observed along this trace and they occupied terrestrial and a=uatic

habitats- particularly associated ith paddy fields# ,igrant bird species ere recorded to occupythe paddy fields beteen FH/// and .H///# "rea beteen FH/// and F.H/// relatively a

large population (at one instance- a flock of :? birds ere observed on the road embankment) of

peacocks ere observed to occur#

The proposed 9inal Trace runs through 44 DS divisions in Galle and ,atara districts in

Southern Province# The land use pattern in these DS divisions is more or less similar to the land

use pattern prevailing in the project impact area !ight of Eay (!E)#

The general land use pattern in the 44 DS divisions includes (source@ District Secretariat Galle

and ,atara) @

!oad and buildings (?I)

*igh land cultivated ith perennial and semi1perennial crops (5I)


20/76

The road does not run through densely populated urban or rural settlements# &nstead it has been

designed to construct through paddy lands- and other lands that are not used by communities for

settlements# This does not mean that houses are not affected# There are scattered located houses

affected#

The influential area of the proposed road falls in 4: DS divisions in Southern province of thecountry# The total population in 4: DS divisions is about ;F.;/: according to the statistics

available in ,atara and Galle District Secretariat ?//4 data# >early 5I of the population is

Sinhalese# "bout 55I of the Sinhalese population are $uddhists#

The total affected families due to different interventions under the proposed project are ?5/5#

"bout ;46 houses of different nature have been evacuated# 9orty of these houses ere not the

residences of the people# This is not the total number families resettled# The number of relocated

families is about .;6# (??/ resettled in the !D" established resettlement sites and another F6

families had chosen their on ays to get resettled in other locations by them self ith e their

on initiatives (ith the compensations paid by !D")# The ?5/5 families have different types

of impacts such as@

Lands of some families got affected

*ouses of some families got affected

Some families ere evacuated

"t present .;6 families have been relocated# Due to deviation the number of families affected

got decreased#

Though the areas under P&Ds are rural significant percentage of population has ac=uired G'3

("JL) and university education# This is a common feature of education in southern provinceespecially in Galle and ,atara Districts#

"bout :/ different roads across the !E of the proposed road# The communities living in the

area have been using these access to travel to the local areas to get fulfilled their routine needs#

,ost of the eisting houses in the project area are located in areas far from the !E and also

more or less all the home gardens are ell established ith shady trees therefore- noise and dust

may not be serious problems for the communities living in rural environment#

"ll the areas affected have access to electricity# >early 5/I or little more than the oners of the

houses affected have obtained electricity connections to their houses#

&ndustries- hich concentrated in major cities +alutara- Galle and ,atara and 9ree Trade

Kone located in +oggala provide employment opportunities for a small part of the ork force

especially in garment industry# Tourism provides employment opportunities in the cities of


21/76

in Galle provides a considerable portion of employment opportunities for young girls and boys

especially in "kmeemena DS division# &t as noted that if there are ne entrepreneurs to invest

in the area a considerable amount of unemployed- under employed and disguised ork force is

available in the area#

The proposed 'olombo1,atara 3pressay traverses through an array of crop lands hich fallunder 44 Divisional Secretary Divisions of Galle and ,atara administrative districts hich fall

under climatic conditions of lo country et one# ,ajor crops gron in these four districts are

tea- rubber- coconut- paddy and cinnamon# "lthough paddy covers the largest etent of

cultivated lands in Galle and ,atara districts- salt ater intrusion- poor drainage and ater

scarcity have reduced the cultivated etent of paddy#

Paddy cultivation is ide spread throughout the project area# These paddy lands are generally

rain1fed and the largest number of paddy fields in the project area is found &madua-

"kmeemana and Eelipitiya DS divisions# Paddy is generally a small1holder crop and its

productivity in terms of average yields shos a significant variation mainly depending on the

ater regime# The least productive paddy lands are found in the $addegama and ,atara DSdivisions close to the Gin Ganga and >ilala Ganga flood planes# Tea is generally found

toards the southern end of the project area# $eing lo1gron tea- it generally fetches high

prices at 'olombo auctions# ,ost of the tea lands in the project area are plantations- either

privately oned or state1oned- and are ell managed#

&n contrast to tea- rubber cultivation is spread out over the entire project area and its importance

is more pronounced in areas such as +arandeniya- $addegama- "kmeemana and Eelipitiya#

!ubber too is important as a plantation crop- but evidence point to a process of replacement of

old rubber gardens ith coconut- especially toards the southern end of the project area#

'oconut is the least important plantation crop in the project area in terms of land etent although

coconut palms are scattered in the entire area of the proposed project# Production of field crops

and vegetables also found in many areas- especially in Galle and ,atara districts in homestead

gardens and closed to paddy lands (Ovita) in small scale# ,ied gardens consist of home

gardens and other mied cropping systems of cultivations# ,ied cropping systems generally

consist of perennials such as jak- breadfruit- cinnamon- coconut- areca1nut- coffee and other trees

such as fruits and field crops# These are mainly gron on high lands# Pepper- areca1nut- cloves

and coffee are the main crops found along the trace in many homestead gardens along the trace#

Livestock production is also found along the trace# Some farm families rare cattle and buffaloes

in small scale and produce milk mainly for daily consumption#

The tourist sector of the southern part of Sri Lanka consists of different private sectorinstitutions and public sector institutions providing lodging and services# They cater the needs of

both foreign and local tourists# $eruala- "luthgama- "mbalangoda- *ikkadua- Galle-


22/76

>ot only the sectoral and geographical variation of income distribution- but also ine=uality of

income beteen different occupational categories also common in the southern region as ell as

in the country#

The eisting =uality of the landscape charactor of the "D$ section of the rural- rustic simple

unsophisticated- semi urban and average or lo in its scenic value hen compared ith otherareas in Sri lanka#

&nformation collected from department of archeology and other sources revealed that all the

historic and archeological monuments found in the "D$ Project area are found in temples

Deala- and churches- and therefore fall into the category of places of orship and religious

interest too# "ccording to the department of archeology fifty years old temples are considered as

the archeological monument# 9ield studies in the "D$ project area confirmed these findings#

>o of archeological monuments along the final trace /;

"ffected archeological monuments along the final trace /4

!eduction of the archeological monuments due to deviations /?

>o of !eligious places in "D$ final trace 4F

>o of Directly affected religious places /

>o of partly affected religious places /F

>o of religious places in the deviation /F

1.%.2 &a''e #or Access Road

There are no industrial mineral present along the trace# *oever- rock forming mineral

'harnockitic and garnetiferous gneisses are present in the bedrock# >o bedrock eposures are

visible along the trace# &solated boulders are present along the trace and the anticipated bedrock

type is charnockitic- garnetiferous gneisses#

Soft soil deposits are present from / H /// km to ? H 5// km and H // km to H 6// km

along the trace consisting of organic siltJpeat and organic silt respectively# The natural

moisture content of peat ere found to be over .//I indicative of very high organic

content ith loer shear strength#

The road trace starts on the eisting Galle ,atara road near the coastline and runs parallel to

the Galle


23/76

color and turbidity# 9urther ash aters arising during the cleaning of the machines involved in

asphalt and concrete plant operations seems to have accounted for significant color and turbidity#

The results of ater =uality analysis of &T& elucidated that the ater samples collected from each

location had lo dissolved oygen (D) ith high coliform levels and faecal contamination-

thereby suggesting the presence of anoic conditions due to the microbial decomposition ofseage and other organic matter present in the ater bodies# "ll other ater =uality parameters

are ithin acceptable limits stipulated proposed by the '3" and ">K3'' (?///) guidelines for

recreational aters#

The p* of the ater at location ?5SE (>ugadua $ridge) as slightly acidic hereas the p* of

the ater body at :/SE (,ahagederaatte area) as ithin the normal range of p* .#F15#/#

*oever the results revealed that the sampled ater bodies hich appeared to be turbid ere

heavily polluted ith seage discharged by delling units in the residential areas in the vicinity

of the ater bodies# This is because faecal coliform levels ere substantially high compared

ith those of '3" and ">K3'' (?///) guidelines for recreational aters# Similarly total

coliform levels ere etremely high than the '3" proposed standard of 4/// ,P>J4// ml iththe $D and 'D levels also eceeding the '3" proposed limits of mgJl and ?/ mgJl-

respectively#

The results also revealed that both ater bodies had lo > :1levels suggesting that the ater

bodies are very likely to be anoic due to denitrification# &n the case of the ater body at the

,ahagederaatta area the T> levels seemed to be fairly high suggesting the presence of >* :1>

and albuminoidal nitrogen in higher levels mainly due to the disposal of seage ith municipal

solid astes containing biodegradable organic matter# *oever TP as undetected in both ater

bodies suggesting that phosphorous has bound ith 9e?H and "l:H under the observed favorable

p* conditions and settled andJor the phosphate ions have been directly adsorbed by the

sediments hich essentially comprised peat#

$oth ater bodies shoed the presence of elevated 9e eceeding /#: mgJl# (hence ith a

likelihood to impart a color ith a metallic taste to the ater =uality)# The presence of 9e in the

ater bodies may be a conse=uence of leaching of 9e?Hfrom 9e oide bearing minerals in the

soil preferably peat soil during rainy periods under acidic and anoic conditions# ,oreover

leaching of 9e?H from decaying organic matter such as shed leaves and other dead plant and

animal matter could be another reason for the presence of high 9e levels#

Eith reference to the peat =uality results obtained from location ?5SE- it as revealed that the

heavy metals 9e- ,n- Kn- 'd- 'r and Pb meet the


24/76

The air =uality of this access road could also be assumed to be similar as similar traffic flos are

found#

The noise levels can be are assumed to be similar to those given for "D$ section due to the

similar vehicular traffic#

The Galle Port "ccess !oad crosses Lunuila 3la at a location closer to o natural stretches of vegetation occur

along the trace#

ut of the 54 plant species encountered in this part of the trace (Table $4#? of "ppendi $4 )- 4/

ere found to occur in the mangrove etland at ,agalle# 9our of them ere true mangroves

hile the rest ere mangrove associated species that you may find in other freshater etlands

too# "ll the 4/ alien invasive species found to occur in this section are terrestrial#

The only locality here a=uaticJ marshy plants have been encountered in considerable

abundance is at the mangrove area located along the Galle Port access road trace at ,agalla#

This patch of mangroves is surrounded by semi1urban human settlements- roads and industrial

areas#

Terrestrial fauna of this part of the trace is restricted to the species that generally occur home

gardens# Since the variety of available habitats for terrestrial fauna is limited due to high

population density of the area- the diversity of terrestrial fauna is relatively lo# *oever they

comprise important pollinators such as insects- bats- birds and s=uirrels#

"=uatic fauna of the mangrove area at ,agalla is of high importance ecologically as it

accommodates a=uatic organisms from the freshater streams- sea and those that are

characteristic to brackishater conditions#

"s structures of proposed Galle Port "ccess road are already removed and demolished it asdifficult to eplain the initial environment of ac=uired lands for the access road# ,ajority has

removed- structures perennial trees and removable crops from the marked trace# *oever- the

proposed trace of access road hich connects the *ighay ith eisting Galle !oad

(Pinnadua1 Deata) traverse through marshy lands- abandoned paddy fields- paddy fields and

homestead gardens# "s "kmeeemana DS division is a ell developed residential area it has been

a challenging task to mark the trace to minimie the damages to residential areas# *oever- the

marked trace has generated a minimum damage for residential plots#

%ambugasmulla 3la (atercourse) and surrounding small ater bodies in lo lands are located at

proposed Pinnadua interchange# &f necessary steps are not taken to avoid ater lodging- during

the period of earth ork- severe adverse impacts ill be caused as the area is highly residential#"t the other end- at Devata ('loser to eisting Galle road) there are several pits hich used as

?


25/76

fermentation grounds of coconut husks also ill be badly affected during the period of earth

ork# "s there are several employees directly and indirectly (especially omen labour) depend

on coir industry it is very important to take preventive actions to avoid damages to lo line areas

of Devata#

1.+ Anicipaed I*pacs o! "e #ro$ec

1.+.1 Main Trace

The proposed corridors of the project doesn2t go through areas ith economical =uantities of

industrial minerals such as graphite or gems# *oever- deposits of minerals used in the

construction industry ithin the road trace is epected to be depleted due to the project# Since

these minerals are commonly found in other areas of the region no significant impact is on the

mineral resources due to the construction of the road trace#

Since the re=uirement of the rock for the construction of the roaday is generated from the

ecavations ithin the project trace# Therefore- there is no significant impact on the environment

caused by that project activity# *oever- transportation of the eploited material from the point

of generation to the fill location and the crusher plant ill have a certain impact on the

environment#

To crusher plants are located at /H5// km and ?/HF// km# "ccording to the latest estimates-

the amount of hard rock re=uired to be transported to the crusher plants is ;F/-/// m:#

Therefore- location of the to crusher plants are suitably located to the distance of transportation

of the material to the crusher plants#

$ased on the typical cross section given in 9igure F#4- and the high fre=uency of the flooding

eperienced in the region- it is clear that large amount of fill material is needed for the

construction of the embankment# The fill material needed may be obtained from borro pits of

the area and the ecavations done through the higher elevation areas of the road trace#

Due to ecavation of material from the road trace and other borro pits- the landscape of these

areas ill be changed significantly# The vegetation cover- hich protects the soil underneath-

ill be removed and the eposed soil ill be subjected to erosion during the rainy season# The

eroded material ill be transported to the lo lying areas and ill cause other environmental

issues such as@ blocking of eisting aterays- reducing the yield of economical crops such as

paddy- tea etc- pollution of drinking ater sources- and instability of the cut slopes#

During the dry season the dust generated from the ecavation and filling of soil could create

other environmental issues such as@ health problems due to inhaling of dusty air- reducing the

yield of economical crops such as paddy- tea etc- pollution of drinking ater sources etc# Such

problems may be aggravated due to spilling of the fill material during transportation#

'ut and fill is balanced in the "D$ section of the road trace needing only small =uantity of fill

material from borro pits# $oulders and soft rocks from the ecavated areas ere used as the

replacement material for the soft ground improvement#


26/76

Since there is a surplus of 56/-/// m: of unclassified fill material- the originally planned

unclassified borro ecavation of ?-6FF-/// m: as not needed# Therefore- there is no

significant impact on the eisting environment due to borroing of fill material for the

construction of the roaday# *oever- eploitation of the construction material ithin the

carriageay - temporary storage and transportation could have some impact on the environment#

Disposal of ecess fill material generated ithin the road trace ill have some impact on theenvironment if it is not done in a planned ay#

Sand ill be mainly used for making concrete and mortar in construction of the structure along

the trace# Due to the related severe environmental issues- sand mining from the rivers is

restricted to some selected segments of inland streams# ,oreover- the demand for sand due to

Tsunami reconstruction ork has made the situation orse# &t as observed that for some of the

Tsunami reconstruction orks of the Galle district- off1shore sand dredged and stockpiled at

+eraalapitiya for the construction of 'olombo +atunayake 3pressay is being used#

Therefore- use of river sand for the project should be limited as much as possible to reduce the

adverse environmental effects# 3conomically feasible =uantity of dune sand is not available in

the vicinity of the project area and the cost of dredging sand from the seabed could also be high#Therefore- only other economically feasible source of sand is crushed rock and at present-

crushed rock is being used for production of fine aggregates in the project# To crusher plants

located at H 5// km and ?/ H F// km ithin the section of the trace generating large =uantity

of ecavated hard rock as shon in Table #:# Since there is no consumption of sand from

outside the project corridor- there is no significant impact on the environment due to use of fine

aggregates# *oever- due to crushing of large =uantity of aggregates needed for the construction

of structures and the road pavement- invariably large =uantity of =uarry dust is produced#

,oreover- crushed rock should be processed to remove ecess fines (dustJclay sied particles)

before being used# Eorkability of manufactured sand is poor but both strength and orkability

could be improved by blending ith fine sand

"t certain locations along the trace slopes eposed due to cuttings and slopes created by fillings

are subjected to severe surface erosion# "s a result- soil surrounding isolated boulders on cut

slopes- such as the cut slopes at H // km and F H F// km- could be removed due to erosion

increasing the possibility of such boulders rolling don the slope endangering the lives of the

people using the road# ,oreover- the boulders on eisting natural slopes could also be subjected

to similar instability problems and appropriate stabiliation measures should be taken to prevent

such instability# ,oreover- portion of the cut in slightly or uneathered bedrock- such as the

slope in eathered and fresh rock at /4 H 5// km and /5 H 4/ km- should be checked by a

=ualified Geologist or a Geotechnical engineer for stability of rock portions formed due to

fracturing of the rock# &f such rock fragments- ith fractures dipping toards the ecavationandJor fracture surface ith loer shear strength- are present suitable stabiliation measures

such as rock bolting should be carried out#

Landform of the project corridor ill be severely changed due to the construction of the

epressay# 'hanging of the stabilied landform over a long period of time ill create an

environmental instability# Therefore- the nature ill try its best to stabilie the artificial landform

created by the man# Such agents like rain and gravity in particular ill contribute to the

stabiliation process of the nature through soil erosion and landslides# 'hange of the landform

during construction of the roaday is shon in 9igure F#?# " significant impact on the landform

ill occur due to the construction of the road trace#

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&t should be noted here that the it is etremely important to initiate some tree planting

programmes ithin the !E to blend the roaday ith the surrounding area to mitigate the

effects of the change of the landform# *oever- such tree planting programmes should be done

carefully after studying the long term survival of the trees planted on slope surfaces- hich

consists of infertile soils such as eathered rocks# Some such trials are seen along the trace close

to OO# *oever- careful attention should be paid to such trial studies to yield fruitful treeplanting programmes#

The removal of the soft material and replacement ith stronger material has led to severe

environmental problems involving disposal of the aste material# "t present the aste material

is stored along the trace on both sides of the road embankment# &t as revealed during the initial

site investigation that the organic soils found along the trace have natural ater content typically

ranging from 4//I to over ://I# $ased on past researches- it as shon that hen the natural

ater content increases the organic content is also increased# 9inal Design !eport (?//4) of the

final trace in the "D$ section prepared by Eilbur Smith "ssociates &nc# reveals that the typical

undrained shear strength values of the undisturbed organic soil present along the trace varies in

the range of F 4F kpa and the modified compression inde under undisturbed conditions rangefrom /#4 to /## The severity of the environmental pollution depends on the organic content as

material ith high organic content produces leachate ith higher p* value# Ehen a program is

developed for permanent disposal of these organic soil- organic content- shear strength and

consolidation properties must be given due consideration as further consolidation settlement of

the aste deposit and slope failures could pose sever environmental threats#

"pproach embankment to the Gin Ganga crossing is constructed as a piled embankment due to

the large height of the embankment and the presence of a thick soft organic soil layer at about

to Fm belo the ground surface# "ccording to the present design- the embankment is constructed

on a fleible pile cap on closely spaced driven piles# &t should be noted here that driving large

number of precast concrete piles at close spacing could generate ecess pore ater pressure in

the soft layer# Depending on the consolidation properties and the compressible properties of the

soft layer- the magnitude of the generated pore ater pressure and the time taken for dissipation

of the ecess pore ater pressure may vary# ,oreover- since the embankment is constructed on a

fleible pile cap- there is a possibility that a certain percentage of the embankment eight is

transmitted to the ground and as a result- the soft layer could be subjected to certain amount

consolidation settlement# There is a possibility of generating negative skin friction on the piles

due to the consolidation settlement of the soft layer and the other layers above it# This scenario

should be considered in the design#

Ehen the deviated trace (9inal Trace) is considered as in the cases of the riginal C 'ombinedTraces the utiliation of surface ater to the project components from the vast =uantity of

surface ater available is negligible and there is no significant impact on the surface ater

=uantity at of the deviations#

*oever there ill be changes in the surface ater =uantity in the upstream and donstream of

the streams intersected by the road on a timeise scale#

The eploitation of groundater for the project activities is comparably lo compared to the

available ater hich is mainly surface ater- hence there ill not be any significant impact on

the groundater =uantity on account of groundater utiliation#

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The deviations of the road trace are in the same area ith unchanged groundater properties as

the deviations are relatively small# The deviations do not run through areas ith a different

hydrological regime therefore significant changes of the groundater recharge cannot be

epected on the upstream and donstream of the proposed deviations# *oever because of the

road embankment and the relatively longer ater retention groundater recharge could be

relatively higher on the upstream of the road than in the donstream#

Preliminary and field observations revealed that the peat content in the soils in the "D$ section

is high# Therefore during construction orks improper handling and storing of materials

(particularly the peat material unearthed) in storm1ater drainage areas can cause solubiliation

of certain minerals such as gypsum- calcite- halite- dolomite- pyrite- etc# This can cause changes

to surface or groundater =uality depending on the degree of solubility#

Pooling of ater- blocking of ater ays- restrictions to surface run1off and flood ater flos

could result in due to unplanned stockpiling and disposal of spoil- unstable ecavations- careless

stockpiling in construction materials and careless camp siting# 'hanges in ater =uality and

ater levels from such activities could affect flos into or out of eisting aterbodies#

During the construction phase- surface run1off from the cut and fill areas- borro areas- spoil

disposal sites- etc# ill contain substantial dust and earth =uantities hich ill cause significant

color and turbidity problems# $ridge and culverts construction activities are also knon to cause

surface ater =uality deterioration ith reference to color and turbidity# The presence of high

turbidity levels and therefore the associated visual pollution ill have a negative impact on fish

inhabiting ater bodies# ,oreover the settling particles in large =uantities may produce a

smothering effect on benthic fauna and even make the aterbodies shallo#

During the construction phase large =uantities of asphalt and concrete ill be re=uired for

strengthening and surfacing of the highay# Therefore ash ater arising during the cleaning of

the machines involved in asphalt and concrete plant operations could also lead to significant

color and turbidity problems in aterbodies# 9urther any significant oil spills from machinery

and other e=uipment used for construction orks may lead to contamination of ater bodies

ith oil particularly during heavy rainy periods#

"pplication of pesticides and herbicides for the landscaping and turfing of embankments could

result in significant pollution of aterbodies (if not properly controlled) through leaching and

rain induced surface run1off bringing in the organic contaminants#

Lack of proper sanitation and solid aste disposal facilities for the labor force involved in theconstruction orks and improper planning of resettlements for people displaced due to the

project- ould cause untreated domestic aste enriched in high organic matters to enter ater

bodies# This may lead to substantial depletion in D perhaps resulting in subse=uent fish kills

particularly hen D levels drop belo mgJl#

During the operational phase of the highay- ith the generated and diverted traffic- spillage of

oil- grease and petroleum products may contribute hydrocarbons- oils and trace metals such as

Pb and Kn into run1off# This could result in pollution of freshater and marine ater bodies ith

adverse impacts on a=uatic fauna#

There is alays a risk of accidental spillage of gasoline or other petroleum products during roadaccidents ith subse=uent impacts on surface ater bodies# Similarly improper transport of

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haardous materials could impact surface ater bodies# !oad accidents ith negative impacts to

ater =uality are epected to be high during careless high speed driving behavior# "lso

unauthoried road crossings and fog from lo lying areas such as nearby paddy fields could

increase the risk of road accidents- hich could cause spillages into the ater bodies#

*ighay maintenance activities are also knon to have detrimental impacts on ater =uality#Pollution of aterbodies ith oil and grease and turbidity are likely to occur (especially during

rainy days) during highay maintenance orks#


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The main construction activities that could result in groundater =uality deterioration includes

spoil disposal activities- problems associated ith construction of bridges and culverts-

application of eedicides for landscaping pollution and problems associated ith the improper

planning and setting up of housing and services for the persons involved in construction and

resettlement of persons affected by the project#

During construction spoil disposal activities could lead to groundater =uality deterioration to acertain etent# 'onstruction of bridges and culverts is also knon to cause groundater

contamination# These ill be constructed from mass concrete ith reinforced concrete

foundations on cylinders or pile caps# These processes may disturb the natural groundater table

and cause ater =uality problems donstream# The use of pesticides and herbicides in soft

landscaping and vegetation cover could also result in groundater contamination# &t should be

noted that groundater pollution scenarios ould become more significant during the dry

eather periods#

During the operational phase un1planned and planned road1side development activities may

cause degradation of groundater =uality in both "D$ and Galle Port "ccess !oad area unless

precautions are taken# The activities mentioned in Surface Eater Nuality ill have similarimpacts on the groundater =uality- ith the eception of increased turbidity#

Behicles involved in the construction phase traveling on unpaved road could lead to dust

generation# Such scenarios are significant hen operating at high speeds under dry eather and

gusty ind conditions# Similarly ecavation orks and eploitation rubbleJcoarse aggregates

may cause dust problems# ,eteorological conditions- fineness of the material and the rate at

hich the materials are eploited are some of the triggering factors for increased dust pollution

scenarios# The more fine materials before being deposited either on vegetation or in residence in

the form of a thin film may be carried aay to considerable distances#

&mproper handling and transferring of materials into vehicles for eternal or internal transport

and improper storage or cover of material could also lead to significant dust emissions# 'ut and

fill operations using heavy construction e=uipment are other crucial activities hich can lead to

significant dust emission rates# Production of asphalt and concrete in large =uantities may also

cause emission of various materials such as cement particles- gaseous pollutants and unburnt or

partially burnt petroleum products (hydrocarbons)# ,ost of these pollutants may come don

ith rains and impact ater bodies and other ecosystems through run1off#


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The results elucidated that the emission of > - S?- SP, and ' increases ith the time

period (Table "4#:)# *oever the 41hour average values reported from the model seemed to be

loer than the stipulated ambient air =uality standards given in Table "4#:#

'onstruction processes connected ith etraction- handling and material transportation may

cause increased noise levels# The eploitation of rock hich involves blasting operations islikely to produce very high noise levels hich could result in having adverse impacts on nearby

communities- though the effects may be sporadic and temporary in nature# &n addition- potential

vibrations and shocks arising from blasting activities could result in severe damages to nearby

properties such as archaeological- religious and culturally important sites#

3=uipment involved in cut and fill operations are knon to generate ecessive noise# Similarly

e=uipment used in clearing sites are also generate significant noise levels#

"sphalt and concrete plants may also be cause ecessive noise and vibration# Therefore such

plants should be located in poorly or sparsely populated areas to minimie impacts on any

nearby human settlement# &n the crushing plants the emission of high noise could be a significantimpact unless mitigation measures are incorporated#

"ccording to present noise legislation- maimum permissible noise levels at boundaries of the

land in hich the construction activities are undertaken are stipulated as ;F d$(") and F/ d$(")

during daytime (defined as .#// am ;#// pm) and night time (from ;#// pm .#// am on the

folloing day)- respectively# Table F#5 gives the identified noise levels of various construction

e=uipment and machinery at a distance of ; m#

Therefore in vie of the values given in Table F#5- the noise levels generated from the

machinery involved in construction orks could drastically disturb nearby communities since

the noise levels generated tend to eceed the permissible day time limit of ;F d$(") stipulated

for construction activities#

'onstant eposure to very high noise levels can often cause hearing deficiencies and machine

operators ho are directly involved in such activities are at high risk# Table F#4/ shos the

eposure levels and time limits adopted in the


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has been fied# # Similarly number of drainage structures per unit lengths is less for the 9inal

Trace than for the 'ombined Trace (/#.)- therefore it could be inferred that the deviations have

resulted in less impacts in terms of the number of drainage structures# &t is seen from the above

table that the overall flood impact multiplier for the 9inal Trace over 'ombined Trace is /#F and

Documents

Chapter 1 ADB