| Abstract: | This report is based on the proposed Sewerage system in HDh. Hanimaadhoo. The island is
located North of the Maldives, in Haa Dhaalu atoll. Access to the island is mainly through
the recently built harbour and airport. The project is proposed by Noomadi Resorts and
Residences, and construction works are undertaken by Wavelength Maldives Pvt. Ltd. This
EIA study is carried out by the team at Energy Consultancy Pvt. Ltd.
An Environmental Impact Assessment was necessary for the works outlined in this report as
they fall under the ‘Jadhuvalu R’ of the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations
2012 of the Maldives. In addition to meeting the regulatory requirements, the report would
further assist the proponent and important stakeholders to make decisions in an
environmentally sound manner. The study aims to assist in the sustainable development of
the project. Considering other legislative issues, the client has obtained approval from the
EPA for the preliminary design of the system, in addition to approval from the Land and
Survey Authority and Maldives Energy Authority.
The need for the project is borne out of the poor status of the current sewerage system in the
island, consisting of decentralised septic tanks and soak pits. One of the main issues of the
current system is the pollution of the groundwater aquifer due to the bacteria and other
pollutants leaching out into the groundwater system. This is an issue faced by many islands
in the Maldives, and therefore currently there is a lot of emphasis on developing centralised
sewerage systems in all the islands. As part of the stakeholder consultation, discussion was
held with the island council, NGOs and the local community, who all emphasised on the
importance of implementing the project in the island as soon as possible. They further stated
that they are willing to pay a monthly fee for the operation and maintenance of the pumps
and the system in general.
The overall environmental impacts of the project have been assessed using frameworks
found on literature and the results indicate that the proposed project has minimum negative
impact and thus have an overall net positive impact. The main positive impacts comes from
the fact that the sewerage system will stop the pollution of the groundwater. However,
alternatively, this system also leads to the salinization of the groundwater aquifer, since all
the water in the sewage will be removed from the system. The solution to this issue is the
implementation of a Sewage Treatment Plant. However, this is not feasible at this stage, due
to the high capital costs incurred. More importantly, such a system will require rigorous
monitoring and operation costs will be quite high. This would lead the system to be
mismanaged, leading to a potential breakdown of the system. Therefore such an
implementation is not recommended for this project. Considering other impacts to the vegetation and the marine environment, these are minor issues which can be effectively
mitigated.
Alternative options to the sewerage system are considered. As such the no project option is
first discussed and discarded as a possible alternative. Given the dire state of the
groundwater aquifer, it is recommended that the project takes place. The other option is on
the Sewage Treatment Plant, which is also not feasible at this stage. The location of the
pump stations and the sewage outfall is also considered, including changing the outfall into
a more central area, in which removal of vegetation for pump station construction will be at
a minimum. However, after considering the positives and negatives of each alternative, it is
recommended that the proposed design and locations are considered. The methodology of
construction as proposed by the contractor is recommended, since it has been successfully
implemented in several other projects in the Maldives without significant detrimental
impacts to the environment.
It is recommended to continue to monitor the impacts of the proposed project by regular
monitoring of ground water, marine water and marine environment. A 2 stage monitoring
plan is given, which recommends quarterly monitoring during the 1st year and less frequent
monitoring for the next 5 years. Undertaking the monitoring, along with the mitigation
measures is necessary to ensure the sustainable development of the project with minimum
harm to the environment.
It is thus recommended that given the positive socio economic and environmental impacts
from the project far outweighs the minor negative impacts, and since the project has major
socio-economic benefits and environmental benefits, it is advisable to allow the project to
proceed as proposed. It is also recommended that consideration is given to implement a
Sewage Treatment Plant at a later stage as another project, when the council and community
is able to properly carry out the operation and maintenance of the system. |
