Upper Kotmale Hydropower Project:

A development boon

Pathmasekara Nissanka

The Upper Kotmale Hydropower project has a positive impact on the people in the area while providing opportunities for improved social and economic development says Upper Kotmale Hydropower Project Director W.J.C Shavindranath Fernando.

Following are excerpts of the interview.

Where is the project located ?

The project site is situated in the South central mountainous area of Sri Lanka. It covers the upstream catchments of the existing Kotmale reservoir on the Kotmale oya, a tributary of the Mahaweli Ganga.

The water of the Kotmale oya will be diverted from the head pond through the intake, from which the water enters into the headrace tunnel (about 13 km long). The headrace tunnel conveys the water to the powerhouse cavern, through the inclined penstock tunnel, where two Francis turbine units will be installed.

The underground powerhouse is located at the close proximity of Niyangandora village in the Kotmale Divisional Secretary’s Division. After passing the turbines, water will be returned into the existing Kotmale reservoir via a tailrace tunnel. The power generated will be transmitted to existing Kotmale switchyard through a 220Kv double circuit line.

What are the important milestones?

1985 - 1987 - Feasibility study under the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) technical assistance.

1992 - 1995 - Overseas Economic Cooperation Fund (OECF) of Japan funded the Conceptual Design. Environmental Impact Assessment and the Final Design.

2000 - Secretary of the Minister of Forestry and Environment gave final clearance to implement the project subject to the strict adoption of the proposed mitigation measures in accordance with National Environment Act No. 47 of 1980. (Amendment Act No. 56 of 1988).

2002 - Loan agreement between the Government of Japan and Sri Lanka was signed.

2003 - Central Environment Authority (CEA) appointed Environment Monitoring Committee to evaluate the implementation of the proposed mitigation measures by the CEB.

Electric Power Development Company Limited, Japan (J. Power) was appointed as Project Consultant.

2005 - Lot 1 - Preparatory works, contract was awarded.

2006 - Lot 2 - Main civil works, contract was awarded.

2007 - Lot 3 - Hydro Mechanical works, contract was awarded.

2008 - Lot 4 - Generating Equipments, contract was awarded

2008 - Lot 5 - Transmission line, birds were flouted

What are the waterfalls affected and mitigation measures applied by CEB?

Only St. Clair’s fall is affected by the project and it is proposed to release water intermittently 10 times a day to retain its natural beauty.

What are the environmental and social benefits?

The Upper Kotmale Hydropower project provides local areas with a number of environmental and social benefits. It will also provide more benefits during its operation phase. While the local social benefits have been largely confined to the areas around Talawakelle town, Pundaluoya and Kotmale, wider benefits of watershed management will extend to the whole of the upper basin.

What are the benefits during the current implementation phase?

The presence of the project has positive impacts on the local communities, providing opportunities for improved social and economic development. It has stimulated the local business growth with opportunities created by the construction activities.

The following employment opportunities are being provided by the project

* Skilled construction labour

* Unskilled labour

* Domestic staff, canteen staff and other residential facility support staff

Benefits during the operational phase

The project will provide the opportunity to make significant improvements to the social and economic environment of the local communities.

* The business community also expects certain benefits due to local tourism from the reservoir landscape, attracting people to use restaurants and other facilities in the town.

* The project will furnish infrastructure development including roads, bridges, culverts, electricity, telecommunication, water supply and garbage disposal facilities. These improvements will certainly enhance.

* The Upper Kotmale Hydropower Project will contribute to the environment improvement benefits global as well as in the local context.

How does environmental protection and management take place?

The Environmental Management Plan

Prior to commencement of construction activities in 2003, a Comprehensive Environmental Management Plan (EMP) was prepared. This EMP served to provide supporting information to the tender process so ensuring that the environmental responsibilities of the contractors are known from the outset.

Establishment of Environmental Management Office.

An Environmental Management Office has also been established and it forms part of the project management office. The EMO is staffed by an Environmental and Resettlement officers.

Compliance monitoring inspections

Environment inspections are often carried out by a team comprising environment representatives of the employer (CEB), consultant (J. Power) and contractors to ensure compliance with EMP requirements.

Establishment of Environment Monitoring Committee.

In order to evaluate the implementation of the proposed mitigation measures in the EIA report the Central Environment Authority has appointed and Environment Monitoring Committee (EMC) in accordance with the Gazette extraordinary No. 1283/19 of April 10, 2003.

National Environmental (Upper Kotmale Hydropower Project Monitoring) Regulation No.1. This EMC chaired by the Director General, Central Environment Authority comprises representative from 23 agencies covering following fields.

* Plantation

* Tourism

* Agriculture

* National level regulatory authorities

* Non-Governmental Organizations

* Local and regional administration at political authorities

What are the environment safeguard and mitigation measures taken by Environment Management office of Upper Kotmale Hydropower Project?

* Monitoring of air quality, noise and vibration at construction sites.

* Surface water quality monitoring of stream of the projects area on a monthly basis.

* Implementation of recommendation of bio-diversity assessment conducted by IUCN of the streams impacted by the project.

* Ground water level and surface water discharge monitoring along the tunnel route on a weekly basis.

* Map out of existing landside and potential areas within the project foot print in order to mitigate any adverse impact from the project.

* Stream flow measurement and sediment load monitoring.

* Standardized photographic record of St. Clair’s waterfall on a monthly basis.

What are the measures taken to manage the watershed of Kotmale Oya?

A comprehensive Watershed Management Plan has been prepared by the CEB and it has been put into action by the project EMO, which comprises the following activities.

* Gully conservation.

* Conservation-oriented agriculture.

* Increasing the tree cover.

* River bank protection with bamboo tree plantation.

* Tree planting to enhance water table.

* Improvement of poorly manage/degraded tea land.

* Protection of landslide prone areas.

* Fire Protection Implementation of fire belts.

* Proper disposal of earth and garbage.

* Conservation of roads, drains and roadsides.

What are the major features of resettlement?

CEB has indicated the fundamental principles on which the re-settlement program will be based:

* All settlement will take place within the Talawakelle town limits and hence within an acceptable distance of their original settlement areas.

* Each individual sub-community will be offered the opportunity to resettle together in a clearly defined area, avoiding community fragmentation and maintaining ethnic balance and existing social networks.

* All households will be provided with housing and services that are significantly better than their pre-settlement conditions:

* The settlement plan will be prepared through a process of consultation with the local communities and with the re-settlement committee.

What are the direct benefits to the affected households?

The policy of the Upper Kotmale Hydropower Project is to provide alternative houses in lieu of all affected houses. Floor area of most affected houses are less than 300 sq.ft. some of the affected houses are semi-permanent and without even basic facilities such as electricity, pipe-borne water and proper access roads. A large number of householders do not possess any legal titles to the land on which the houses are built. There are encroachers on the State land.

The project under its Resettlement Policy treats all the affected households who were in occupation before the cut-off date of June 22, 2001 irrespective of whether they possess legal titles on the land or not.

The project has made arrangements to provide affected households with alternative houses with larger floor areas with much improved facilities such as electricity, pipe-borne water and better access roads. Also the affected common amenities such as kovils, creches, playgrounds etc. will be reconstructed at the new re-settlement sites, by the project.

What are the steps taken by the project to enhance the income of People’s affected?

The National Involuntary Resettlement Policy (NIRP) came in to effect in 2001 has emphasized that “The livelihood of the displaced person should be re-established and standard of living improved” without being restricted to re-establishment of any loss livelihood of the affected people the Upper Kotmale Hydropower Project has implemented an Income Enhancement Program (IEP) with a view to improving the income levels of all the affected households. The IEP includes.

* Training/Occupational Skills Development (OSD) program

The project has conducted the following occupational Skills Development Training Course for the benefit of the members of the affected families with a view to assist them to find employment in relevant fields and to engage in income generating ventures.

* Heavy machinery maintenance

* Electric welding

* Electric wiring

* Plumbing

* Tailoring/Dressmaking

* Mushroom cultivation

* Computer training

* Development of a Micro Credit Scheme

The Upper Kotmale Hydropower Project has initiated action to establish a revolving fund to provide micro credit facilities to the member of the affected families, at a very low interest rate enabling them to engage in income generating activities and thereby to improve their family income.

* Home gardening

The project has taken steps to launch a homegarden program. Where every household will be providing with a set of agricultural implement seeds and fertilizer free of charge required for the first crop.

How is the Project managed?

Project is the broken down to five lots for easy management.

Lot 1- Preparatory works

Lot 2- Main Civil works

Lot 3- Hydro Mechanical

works

Lot 4- Electro Mechanical

Equipments

Lot 5- Transmission Line

What comes under Lot-1 preparatory work?

* Construction of new access road with drains, culverts and bridges

* Construction of a new bridge (83m length) across Kotmale Oya at Talawakelle

* Widening and improving existing road Talawakelle - Tawalantenna of 33 km.

* Among the new construction there are 495 houses, 33 shops, 6 workshops, sixlibraries, two churches, 3 kovils across all resettlement sites.

* A major benefit for the children can be identified in the form of a new school (Talawakelle Tamil school) of five buildings with modern facilities such as auditorium, canteen and quarters for the principal.

* Three storeyed Urban Council building with all facilities.

* Modern buildings for rest house, playground and cinema hall in keeping with standards of film corporation.

* Permanent facilities for the CEB staff and consultant staff.

* New 32 km, 33 kv double circuit distribution lines.

What comes under Lot 2 - Main civil work?

* Construction of concrete gravity dam

Length - 157 m

Height - 35 m

Width - 7 m

* Construction of Tunnel

Length - 12.9 km.

Diametre - 5.8m/4.5m

* Construction of Surgetank 12 m dia. and height 94 m

* Construction of the underground power house complex and switchyard.

What comes under Lot 3 - Hydro mechanical work?

Design and installation of

* Spillway Radial Gate, stop logs, trash racks

* Embedded tunnel steel liners

* Embedded steel penstock

* Discharge facility for St. Clair waterfall.

What comes under Lot 4 - Electro mechanical equipment

* Design and installation of turbine, generator, power transformer switchyard equipment, power plant equipment.

* Expansion of Kotmale 220 KV switchyard.

* Expansion of 33 KV Nuwara-Eliya grid substation.

* Flood forecasting system.

What comes under Lot 5 - Transmission line?

Design and construction of 17.5 km length 220 kv double circuit transmission line between Upper Kotmale switchyard and Kotmale switchyard.

Have all the contracts been awarded?

Lot 1 - Contract was awarded on July, 27, 2005 to Maeda Corporation, Japan.

Lot 2 - Contract was awarded on December 6, 2006 to Maeda Nishimatsu Joint Venture, Japan.

Lot 3 - Contract was awarded on November 29, 2007 to Kurimoto Ltd, Japan.

Lot 4 - Bids opened on October 31, 2007.

Lot 5 - Transmission line profile survey completed building documents under preparation.

What is happening in lot 2 - Main civil work?

* Concreting of intake dam is in progress

* Headrace and penstock tunnel excavation is ongoing.

* Excavation of power cavern completed first concreting work is in progress.

* Tailrace tunnel lining is in progress.

* Switchyard banking work is continued.

What are the principal features of the project?

Run-of-river type with a regulating pond

Water level

Full supply level (FSL) 1,194 mmsl, Minimum Operating Level (MOL) 1,190 mmsl, Normal tail water level 703 mmsl.

Effective strong capacity. reservoir Area, 0.8 MCM, 0.25 KM2, Maximum plant discharge 36.9 m3/s

Head

Maximum gross head 491m, Net head at full operation 473m, Installed capacity 150mw, (75mwx2 units), Annual energy 409 gwn, Plant factor 30 percent.

Note: mmsl- metres above main sea level GWH Giga Watt-Hour (Million units of electricity) MCM Million Cubic Metres.