An EIA carry out to identify the future possible environmental impacts of a proposed project. In this case show the how to do a rough baseline study for selected area.
5. Location - Vanathavillu Divisional
Secretariat Division
Puttalam district
North Western province
Total extent - 2934768852 square meters
(Google EarthPro)
Nature of - Construction of a hotel
the project
5
9. Physical characteristics of study area
• Extent (Approx.) - 13561.668 square kilometer (Google EarthPro)
• Length of - 1Km (Google EarthPro)
coastal line(Approx.)
• Elevation - 20m above mean sea level
• Average annual rainfall - <1100 mm
• Mean annual temperature - 29.6°C
• Average relative humidity - 75 %
• Land use patterns - Unclassified forests, coconut cultivations,
marshes, grasslands, quarry site, paddy
cultivations
(A. Kumarasinghe et al , 2006)
9
13. 1
1
Examination of study area and Identification of important
and specific sites inside the study area
Google maps
Mapcarta computer application
2
4
Abstraction of the maps with identified sites
3
Carryout a available literature survey
Analyze the collected literature information with maps
5
Conclusion – site selection for field assessment
13
16. Ecological Importance
Main Vegetation Types:-
The forest vegetation of the area
Dry-mixed evergreen forest
Scrub forests
Sparse and Open forest
Coastal forest (SLNHS Exclusive Report, 2017)
• But majority of forest cover in study area still unclassifed.
•Dominant tree species include Manikara hexandra, Drypetes sepiaria and Chloroxylon
sweitenia
• Woodlands of Borassus flabellifer are found with associated scrublands
16
17. Mangrove vegetation
• Fringing mangroves- found along protected coastlines, islands and the
exposed waters of bays
• They are flooded periodically by tides (Amarasinghe and Balasubramanium, 1992)
• Rare mangrove species such as Sychpora hydropyhlaceae and Sianometra
iripa have been recorded from this area)
17
18. Coastal forest cover + mangrove
forests
Un-classified forest cover at south
part of Aruwakkalu quarry site
(https://mapcarta.com)
DutchBay
Aruwakkalu quarry site
18
19. Wetland/ villu ecosystems
• The dry zone forests of the quarry site was a haven for birds
• Around half of the species recorded were those associated with wetland/ villu
ecosystems
• Conservation of submerged grasslands known as villu habitats are critical for
the protection of these species
- (Wetland birds included herons, egrets, cormorants and kingfishers)
• The protection of birds is important as it may be a functional link in such
mosaic environments
(Ekanayake et al. 2005; IUSN-SL and CEA-SL, 2006)
19
20. Ecosystems around the Dutch bay
• Tidal flats, sea grass beds, sand dunes, coral reefs and maritime grasslands are
other coastal ecosystems
• Seagrass meadows Dutch bay have been reported to provide habitats for
Dugongs (Dugong dugong)
20
21. Archaeological importance
The Insee quarry site area noted for its archaeological significance,
• It supports a fossil belt belonging to the Miocene period (Ma);
mostly found invertebrate fossils (fossilized gastropods, corals and vertebrate
species )
(Cooray 1984; Deraniyagala, 1955; Goonatilake, 2006)
• On the surface are red soils deposited during the Pleistocene15 (three million years BP)
21
22. •Pottery fragments and iron slag were found at several sites (Goonatilake, 2006).
•Proto-historic and Historic sites- iron slag and ruined monasterial structures
•These sites were dispersed in the open scrub and near water bodies (Inside the 1km
buffer zone outside the project boundry)
•Ex:- large iron extraction site- Alam Villu area
22
23. St. Mary’s Church/Sena Kuddirippuwa
• This church is situated on the Puttalam-Anuradhapura Road about 2 miles from
Puttalam in the village of Sena Kuddirippuwa.
• The church complex had been built in 1830 A.D.
• The Chapel, the Pastor’s Official Residence, the Belfry and the Image of the Saint
could be considered as monuments.
23
25. Geological importance
The “Villu” wetlands:
• “Villu” wetlands are the main geographical feature
• Dominatd by series of natural waterholes or ‘Villu’
• Villus are several flood plain lakes, which cover a total area of 12500 ha.
• Villu are supposed to be tanks where the ancient bunds still exis.
• Ex:-Erana villu, Sinna Naga villu, Magala villu, Periya Naga villu
• Periya Naga villu is a man made tank
• It fed the paddy fields in Periya Naga Villu area
25
27. • There are six common soil groups are recorded in the overall area. These are:
1. Reddish Brown Earths,
2. Low Humic Gley Soils,
3. Red-Yellow Latosols,
4. Regosols,
5. Alluvial Soils and
6. Solodized Solonetz (Panabokke, 1996
Geological map for study area (An Environmental and Fisheries Profile of the Puttalam Lagoon
System, 2011)
27
Margin of study area
28. • Comprise of two strata of tertiary sandstone and Jaffna limestone (in the upper
layer)
• Tertiary rocks of the Miocene age14 (26 to seven million years BP) are found along
the sea coast (Deraniayagala, 1955)
• An estimated 18 million metric tonnes of sedimentary limestone is reported to be
deposited at Insee cement quarry factory.
28
29. Satellite View of geological variation of the south part of Aruwakkalu quarry site
(https://mapcarta.com)
Reddish Brown EarthsAlluvial Soils
29
30. Socio-economical importance
Study area belongs to…
• Vanathawillu Divisional Secretariat Division
• Grama niladari regions
• Settakuliya
• Wijayapura west
• Majority of human settlements and home garden spread in the middle and south
part of the study area
• Terrestrial land use include
• Coconut cultivation
• Paddy cultivation (According to topographical map)
• Banana cultivations
• home gardens
• Shrimp farming
(An Environmental and Fisheries Profile of the Puttalam Lagoon System, 2011)
30
32. Satellite view of some human settlements in the middle part of the study area
(https://mapcarta.com)
32
33. • North Western Provincial Environmental Statute
The North Western Provincial Environmental Statute (North Western Provincial
Council Environmental Statute, No 12 of 1990) has been enacted and the
North Western Provincial Council Environmental Authority was established to
implement the provisions of the statute.
• Fisheries and Aquatic Resources Act no. 2 of 1996 (FARA)
basically provides provisions for management, re-organisation, conservation
and development of fish and aquatic resources.
Law and Ordinance
33
34. • Fauna and Flora Protection Ordinance of 1938 and its amendments
In Sri Lanka, the conservation of wetlands has been vested mostly with the
wildlife.
• Ramsar Convention
• National Aquaculture Development Authority Act no 53 of 1998.
Accordingly its mandate is to develop inland aquatic resources and
aquaculture to increase fish production, employment and foreign
exchange.
34
35. • National Aquaculture Resource Research and Development Act no 54 of 1981
Its mandate is to undertake research and research application on all living
and non-living aquatic resources for the development and management of
the fisheries and oceanic resource sector.
• Coast Conservation Act no. 57 of 1981
Coast Conservation Department (CCD) as the primary government agency
responsible for management of Coastal Zone.
• Forest Ordinance and its regulations
Planning and implementation of mangrove re-planting programs, Issuing
permits for timber transport, Controlling encroachments to mangrove
reserves.
35
40. References
• An attempt to reduce impacts of limestone quarries through
biodiversity assessment and translocation : A case study at the
Holicm Limestone Quarry Site in Puttalam, Sri Lanka
http://ajcb.in/journals/full_papers_july_2013/1_AJCB-Vol2-No1-
Kumarasinghe%20et%20al.pdf
• Environment and Fisheries Profile of the Puttalam Lagoon System
http://www.fao.org/3/a-ar443e.pdf
• Sri Lanka’s Aruwakkalu fossil deposit dates to the Burdigalian Age
http://www.pdn.ac.lk/cjsbs/abstract/40.2/abstract/9.%2040.2.pdf
• SLNHS Excursion Report – Eluwankulama, Aruwakkalu,
Promparippu & Kala Oya Estuary Sri Lanka
http://www.slnhs.lk/docs/Eluvankulam.pdf
40