The impact of construction of hill roads on the environment, assessed using the multi-criteria approach

Abstract

The environmental impact assessment (EIA) in regard to road widening of a 26 km stretch in Reasi District of Jammu and Kashmir (Union Territory) has been studied. Impact on the environment included temperature, deforestation, rainfall, landslides, blasting, surface and groundwater, air and soil pollution, habitat change, historical and socio-environmental factors. The study indicates that buses are the highest emitters of Hartridge Smoke Unit (HSU) followed by light commercial vehicles, heavy commercial trucks and cars, and three-wheelers in that order. The study also established that the make and age of the vehicle had negligible impact on the observed values of HSU and the light absorption coefficient (k). With the help of multi-criteria tools, the EIA has been quantified for four alternatives of a road stretch using fourteen criteria. The results show that the impact of the construction of two-lane highways on the environment is high, but that it can also be mitigated effectively.