RAPID ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT FOR

INTEGRATED MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT

PROJECT AT BORAGAON SITE GUWAHATI, ASSAM

Prepared by
Guwahati Waste Management Company Private Limited
(GWMCPL)
February 2008

Executive Summary of EIA Report on Integrated Municipal Waste Management Project at Guwahati

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
1.0

INTRODUCTION
To implement an integrated approach to Solid Waste Management Practices in
Guwahati, GMC got prepared Detailed Project Report for solid waste management of
the Guwahati city and got it approved for the grant of Rs. 3516.71 Lakhs under
Jawahar Lal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM) Scheme of
Ministry of Urban Development, Govt of India.
Thereafter to assist GMC in selecting a suitable developer/ private operator for
implementing the Integrated MSW management project on BOOT basis, GMC has
appointed Infrastructure Development Corporation of Assam Limited (IDCAL) as a
Project Management Consultant for the project. IDCAL is a company incorporated
under Joint Venture between IL&FS and Guwahati Metropolitan Development
Authority (GMDA). For project implementation, a Special purpose vehicle (SPV) in
name of Guwahati Waste Management Company Private Limited (GWMCPL) has
been setup by IDCAL and all the project related activities and clearances has been
housed in the name of SPV.
The proposed integrated solid waste management project shall consist of the
following components:
1.

Primary collection of MSW: Door-to-Door collection of MSW is to be

implemented.

2.

Transportation of MSW: After collection MSW will be transported in the

closed/covered vehicles to the processing and disposal site at Boragaon.

3.

Processing and Disposal of MSW: MSW is to be processed for energy

recovery before final disposal into landfill site. Only inerts or processing
rejects to be land filled which is to be in range of 20-30% of total waste
transported to the site. Processing and disposal site is to be developed at
Boragaon. Processing complex would comprise of the following:
i. RDF Plant to handle 500TPD MSW: Mixed MSW would be converted
into Refuse Derived Fuel (RDF) in the RDF Plant.
ii. Compost Plant to handle 50 TPD of Organic waste: Organic
components of MSW segregated during RDF Process will be treated in the
compost plant to produce manure.
iii. Power Plant: Power Plant boiler will be fed with the 180 Tonne per day of
RDF having CV in range of 2500-2800 Kcal/kg and 57 TPD of biomass,
up to the limit laid as per MNRE Policy/ guidelines to use supplementary
fuel for such plants as fuel and will generate 6 MW of electricity.

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Executive Summary of EIA Report on Integrated Municipal Waste Management Project at Guwahati

The Project has two-way integration integration of all aspects of management of

MSW as well as integration of processing technologies so as to result into minimum
inerts to the disposal site (landfill).
The processing complex & disposal facility (Sanitary Landfill Facility) is proposed to
be set up at Boragaon site, which is along the national highway 37 bypass (NH-37)
towards the northeast of Guwahati and 12 km away from the city centre.
2.0

REQUIREMENTS FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CLEARANCE

As per Environmental Impact Assessment Notification dated September 14, 2006 to
set-up common municipal solid waste processing and disposal facility, prior
environmental clearance is required to be obtained. As per schedule I of the
notification, the proposed project falls under Item 7 (i) and will fall under Category B
requiring clearance from the State Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority
(SEIAA).
Since in Assam, the SEIAA is yet to be notified, hence proposed project requires prior
environmental clearance from Ministry of Environment and Forest, GoI.
GMC has initially prepared the EIA report for setting up compost Plant and landfill in
the MSW management facility. Considering economic viability and feasibility of
project, IDCAL with consent of Guwahati Municipal Corporation & MoUD, has
proposed to add two components i.e RDF Plant and Power plant along with the
existing components of the project.
Thereafter M/s GWMPCL, has revised the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
report based on the base line data generated by IIT Guwahati along with the
Environmental Management Plan (EMP) and Disaster Management Plan (DMP) for
the proposed project.
The purpose of this Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) study is to provide
information on the nature and extent of environmental impacts arising from the
construction and operation activities of the proposed project.
A EIA study report has been prepared for this project based the secondary information
collected from the published sources, reconnaissance survey, primary socio-economic
survey and environmental monitoring of air, noise, soil, ground water and surface
water in the study area. The baseline data was generated on meteorology, air quality,
noise levels, ground and surface water quality, land environment including soil
quality, land use pattern, biological environment and the socio-economic status. The
meteorological data for complete year has also been collected to know the prevailing
seasonal conditions. Identification & prediction of significant environmental impacts
due to the proposed integrated waste processing facility with an Environmental
Impact statement followed by delineation of appropriate impact mitigation measures
in an Environmental Management Plan are included in the EIA Report.

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Executive Summary of EIA Report on Integrated Municipal Waste Management Project at Guwahati

3.0

SALIENT FEATURES OF PROJECT

The Salient features of the project for processing & disposal of MSW at Boragaon site
are provided below:

4.0

Total Project Cost:

Rs.110 Crores

Land area:

24.12 Hectares or 180 bighas

MSW processing capacity

500 TPD

Power generation capacity

6 MW

Water Requirement:

2000 m3/day

Source of water:

Ground Water/Surface Water

SITE LOCATION & DESCRIPTION

The proposed site for Integrated MSW Processing & disposal facility development is
located at Boragaon and accessible from National Highway37 at distance of 1 km.
The proposed site is 12 kms from city centre. The site is surrounded by Meghalaya
hills on the south and the Phatasil hills on the east side. Variable topography is
observed in the area. It located close to a small stream, Mora nalha, which is
streaming from Garchug village and thereafter joining the Dipar beel at about 1.5 km
from the proposed site. The coordinates of the proposed site are:
Latitude

26 06.872 N

Longitude

9140.896 E

Site Elevation :
5.0

46.9m above MSL

PROJECT UTILITIES/AMENITIES
Fuel /End Products/By products
The proposed integrated waste management facility will have a capacity to process
500 TPD of mixed MSW producing 180 Tonne per day of RDF having CV in range of
2500-2800 Kcal/kg and 57 TPD of biomass, up to the limit laid as per MNRE Policy/
guidelines for use as supplementary fuel in such plants will be used as fuel to generate
about 6 MW of Electricity. Compost Plant of 50TPD capacity to treat the organic
component of waste would also be the part of integrated facility along with
development of sanitary landfill to accommodate inerts and processing rejects.

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Executive Summary of EIA Report on Integrated Municipal Waste Management Project at Guwahati

Water
The proposed power plant will be provided with water-cooled condenser for
condensing the exhaust steam from turbo generator. The water requirement for the
proposed project would be around 2000 m3/day and would be met from groundwater
or surface water.
Power
The total RDF used will be about 180 Tonne per day from MSW, which will be fired
in power plant boiler along with 57 TPD of biomass up to the limit as per MNRE
policy/Guidelines for use as supplementary fuel to generate 6 MW of electricity. The
boiler will generate about 27.76 TPH.of steam. The total electricity generated after in
house power use will be stepped up to 11 KV grid substation at Garchuk.
Road & site drainage
All roads in the plant area will be well-designed bitumen roads and will be of 4 m
wide with 1m wide berm on each side. For effective storm water drainage, final
finished road will have a camber of 1 in 60 and water bound macadam surface will
have a camber of 1in 40.
Surface drainage will be designed based on the maximum rainfall intensity prevalent
in the area over the last 50 years. All the building would be provided with a plinth
protection all round, sloped towards the side drain. The side drain will be connected to
the main drain on either side of the road.
6.0

ENVIRONMENTAL SETTING OF THE STUDY AREA

The baseline environmental status was assessed based on primary and secondary data
collected through on-site field observations and obtained from agencies such as Indian
Meteorological Department, Geological Survey of India, State Ground Water
Department, State Pollution Control Board, Census of India and Local Forest
Department. The following environmental components were focused at during this
study:
Air Environment (Meteorology, Ambient Air Quality, Noise Levels, Traffic
Pattern, etc.)
Water Environment (Quality and Quantity of Surface and Groundwater sources)
Land Environment (Geology, Hydrogeology, Landuse, Solid Waste generation
and characteristics)
Ecological Environment (Terrestrial and Aquatic Flora & Fauna)
Socio-Economic

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Executive Summary of EIA Report on Integrated Municipal Waste Management Project at Guwahati

The baseline status collated from analysis of secondary and primary data is
summarized in the Table E-1 below.
Table E-1: BASELINE ENVIRONMENTAL STATUS
Attribute

Baseline status

Meteorology

The meteorological data were obtained from the regional meteorological center
located at Airport, Borjhar. The meteorological parameters include, wind
speed, wind directions and other information, viz. humidity, rainfall,
temperature. The annual average temperature observed of maximum mean
daily is 29.5 C and that of minimum mean daily temperature is 19.7 C.
During the study period, the inversion levels (up to 150 to 200m) were
observed to be very low, and the prevailing wind direction is observed to be
from North-East and East.

Ambient Air
Quality

Ambient air quality was monitored at six stations. Selection of air quality
monitoring station was done as per MoEF guidelines for conducting EIA
study. One station was set up at the project site (core Zone) and two are in
upwind direction and three are in down wind direction of the project site. The
pollutant concentration levels of NOx, SO2, and RPM (PM10 & SPM were
measured. It was observed that while the concentration levels of NOx and SO2
were well within the prescribed limits at all locations, the SPM & RPM
concentrations exceeded the limits at two locations

Noise
Levels

Noise monitoring was carried out at different locations at and around the site.
The noise levels at day & evening time noise levels recorded at the junction
of NH-37 and the access road were found to exceed the noise standards due
to heavy traffic.

Water
Quality

The assessment of water quality in the study area was done and compared
with the drinking water standards prescribed by CPCB. After studying the
drainage pattern of the study area and proximity to the site, 2 samples of
surface waters were collected, one is, from Mora nalha at the Garchug
(passing through the proposed site) and the second is, from the water body
near the project site. The physico-chemical parameters are well within the
prescribed limits for the drinking water standards.
Three ground water samples were collected from the existing sources. One is,
from IASST towards east of the site, Second is, from a residence in Paschim
Boragaon towards the north of the site, and the third is, from the
Maghuwapara village towards the south of the site. The water quality with
respect to almost all was observed to be of good and acceptable quality
except for the concentration of iron which was found to be very high.

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Executive Summary of EIA Report on Integrated Municipal Waste Management Project at Guwahati

Attribute

Baseline status

Ground
water
Availability

The aquifer in the area is composed of brownish soil mixed with loose sand.
The average depth to groundwater is about 7 to 15m. Groundwater flow is
generally west

Soil Quality

To assess the baseline soil quality in the study region, four soil samples were
collected and analyzed at three locations. The surface soil at the proposed site
is silty brown, mixed with fine grained sand. The soil being mostly loose
sandy for a significant depth has more water contaminant filtering capacity.
The share of oxygen and silica content in the soil is more compared to others,
however, other macronutrients, nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium have
been found in very insignificant amount. The depth of rock in the area is over
about 100m. The soil is observed to be having high cation exchange capacity
and low soluble ions. The soil is slightly acidic with low nitrogen and
phosphate

Socioeconomy

The study area is scarcely populated and because of wetland and forested
(hills) steep slopes, there are no proper roads and other amenities of life.
Around the site, few numbers of small villages like Devchatal, Pamahi,
Maghuwapara, Garchug and Pashim Boragaon are situated. The land
adjoining the site for integrated waste management facility is acquired by
LIC and tea industry. In the study area maximum number of people are
found to be engaged as other workers in economic activity like
Government/Private service, teachers, factory workers, commerce etc.
negligible population is involved in agricultural activities.

7.0
ENVIRONMENTAL
MANAGEMENT PLAN

IMPACT

ASSESSMENT

&

ENVIRONMENTAL

Environmental impact due to the construction and operation stages of the project were
predicted quantitatively using models such as ISCST3, which is a steady-state Gaussian
plume model, is used to assess pollutant concentrations around the power plant, highway
noise level model for noise impacts. Impacts were also evaluated qualitatively using
engineering judgment and best management practices.
Adequate environmental management measures will be incorporated during the entire
planning, construction and operation stages of the project to minimize the adverse
environmental impacts and assure sustainable development of the area.
The impacts during the construction phase will be temporary in nature. This summary
details the pollution sources and mitigation measures proposed for the project.

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Executive Summary of EIA Report on Integrated Municipal Waste Management Project at Guwahati

7.1

AIR ENVIRONMENT
During the construction phase, operation of construction equipments and vehicles will be
the main sources of pollution. A dust control plan will be implemented and regular
maintenance of vehicles and equipment will be carried out.
During the operation phase, the main sources of pollution shall be boiler stack emissions,
emissions from RDF plant, fugitive dust and odor emissions from waste handling and
processing and emissions due to vehicular movement. Adequate mitigation measures
shall be implemented. Emissions from waste handling areas shall be controlled by
provision of covered areas, proper ventilation. Herbicides will be sprayed to discourage
further decomposition of MSW. The RDF plant shall be provided with adequate dust
control systems such as cyclones, bag filters to control the dust emissions. The boiler will
be provided with adequate stack height of 65 m and an ESP shall be provided to reduce
the PM emissions. NOx emissions shall be controlled by admission of secondary air and
maintaining temperature balance. A gas recirculation system shall be provided to reduce
CO formation. Dioxins and Furans shall be controlled by extensive segregation to ensure
complete removal of chlorinated compounds, controlling PM emissions and appropriate
furnace design. In addition to this, a High Performance dioxin removal device (Activated
Carbon Packed Column) shall be provided.

7.2

NOISE ENVIRONMENT
During the construction phase, adequate mitigative measures such as controlled time of
construction, job rotation etc. will be implemented.
During the operation phase, the sources of noise emissions shall be equipments such as
shredders, boilers, generator etc and vehicular movement. Noise enclosures shall be
provided wherever possible and workers shall be provided with earplugs.

7.3

WATER ENVIRONMENT
Construction activities for the proposed development can have minor impact on
hydrology and water quality of the area as the construction waste will not be leached into
ground or any surface water body.
During the operation phase, activities responsible for the impact on the surface waters
are, uncontrolled discharge of surface waters, leakage from the engineered drainage
systems, runoff from the raised landfill areas, deposition of air pollutants and removal of
vegetated areas. During this phase, these activities may cause significant change in the
surface water quality.
Approximately 2000 m3/day water from groundwater or surface water will be utilized
for plant operation. Effluent generated from the process will be treated adequately and
disposed off into the near by stream.. Spill over from the process would be collected and
treated prior disposal.

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Executive Summary of EIA Report on Integrated Municipal Waste Management Project at Guwahati

The effluent generated from the MB unit regeneration waste and boiler blow down will
be discharged after suitable treatment. Filter backwash water and cooling tower blow
down will be discharged after treatment. The small quantities of leachate generated will
be collected in the sump and treated in Effluent Treatment Plant.
7.4

LAND ENVIRONMENT
The proposed project will be developed on the existing waste disposal site; hence, no
change in the land-use of the site due to the proposed project is anticipated. With the site
development for the proposed plant, green belt of 2.5 m to 3.0m around the periphery of
project site would be developed and other aesthetic changes would be made at the plant
site, there by creating overall positive impact on the aesthetics of the site.
During operation phase of the project, the rejects from waste segregation system/RDF
plant. Will be disposed at the landfill site, which is about 20-30% of total MSW. The fly
ash generated will be supplied to local brick manufacturing units. The bottom ash from
the power plant shall be supplied to low cost housing units or disposed off at landfill.

7.5

ECOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT
Deepar beel is an ecologically sensitive area is about 1.5 km from the site. It has been
declared as one of the Ramsar Site and is recognized as wetland of national importance.
The beel is the natural habitat of many species of birds, various aquatic life and
vegetation. However, as this is located at a distance of about 1.5 km, the impact of the
plant on this area will be negligible. The mitigative measures for air emissions as well as
waste water treatment will further reduce the possibility of impact on Deepar beel.
The existing land cover and physiognomy support plant species typical of habitats and
having a low plant diversity and simple structure. During the construction stage; there
will be removal of shrubs and herbs at the site. It will be temporary and the proposed
peripheral greenbelt will provide a much better habitat for those species than earlier.
The impact on ecological environment is suitably compensated and mitigated adopting
comprehensive EMP.

7.6

SOCIO ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT

The proposed project will lead to employment generation and will have a positive impact
on the socio economic environment. Preference to local population shall be given in
employment opportunities. Adequate mitigation measures will be put in place or
implemented to reduce odor emissions and disease vectors from proposed site.

8.0

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT SYSTEM

For the effective implementation of the EMP, an Environmental Management System
(EMS) will be established at the proposed project. The EMS will include the following:

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9.0

An Environmental Management cell

Environmental Monitoring Program

Personnel Training

Regular Environmental Audits and Corrective Action

Documentation Standard operating procedures Environmental Management

Plans and other records.

RISK ASSESSMENT & DISASTER MANAGEMENT PLAN

For the effective & safe implementation Municipal Waste Processing project, it is
important to identify associated safety hazards and carry out a basic risk assessment; an
effective risk assessment & disaster management plan has been proposed as part of
EIA report. Risk assessment & disaster management plan includes:

10.0

Critical aspects including safety culture, training and awareness, relationships

and training of contractor staff and many others.

Safety measures, possibility of accidents either due to human errors and/ or

due to equipment/ system failure.

Disaster management and response plan to minimize the adverse impacts due
to an unfortunate incident and disaster Management aspects.

CONCLUSION
All possible environment aspects have been adequately assessed and necessary control
measures have been formulated to meet statutory requirements. Thus implementing the
proposed project will not have any appreciable negative impacts. Moreover, the landfill
area requirement will reduce significantly as the about 75% to 80% of solid waste will
be converted into usable form and only inerts (20-25%) would be sent for disposal at
landfill site. This would save upon the future requirements of area for land filling.
Generation of green power would be an added advantage.
******** & *****

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