Environmental Assessment Report India
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
Environmental Assessment Report Initial Environmental Examination Document Stage: Final Project Number: 37143-013 February 2012 India: North Eastern State Roads Investment Program Serchip-Buarpui Road Section in Mizoram (MZ 02): Tranche 2 Subprojects Prepared by the Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDONER), Government of India for the Asian Development Bank CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS (as of 21 February 2013) Currency unit – Indian rupee (Rs) Rs1.00 = $0.0184145106 $1.00 = Rs 54.305000 ABBREVIATIONS ADB - Asian Development Bank BGL - Below Ground Level BOD - Biological Oxygen Demand BIS - Bureau of Indian Standard CPCB - Central Pollution Control Board DO - Dissolved Oxygen DoE - Department of Environment DPMC - Design and Project Management Consultant EA - Executing Agency EIA - Environmental Impact Assessment EMP - Environmental Management Plan EMoP - Environmental Monitoring Plan ESO - Environmental and Safety Officer GDP - Gross Domestic Product GoI - Government of India IEE - Initial Environmental Examination IMD - Indian Meteorological Department IRC - Indian Road Congress IS - Indian Standard MDONER - Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region MDRs - Major District Roads MFF - Multi Tranche Financial Facility MoEF - Ministry of Environment and Forests MoRT&H - Ministry of Road Transport and Highways MPWD - Mizoram Public Works Department MSL - Mean Sea Level MW - Mega Watt NEC - North Eastern Council NER - North Eastern Region NESRIP - North Eastern State Road Improvement Program NGO - Non Government Organization NH - National Highway NOx - Oxides of Nitrogen NSDP - Net State Domestic Product PIU - Project Implementation Unit PRF - Proposed Reserve Forest PWD - Public Works Department RF - Reserve Forest ROW - Right of Way SARDP-NE - Special Accelerated Road Development Program in the North Eastern Region SC - Supervision Consultant SH - State Highway SPCB - State Pollution Control Board SPM - Suspended Particulate Matter SO 2 - Sulphur Dioxide SSI - Small Scale Industries SPCB - State Pollution Control Board TA - Technical Assistance TDS - Total Dissolved Solids TSS - Total Suspended Solid UGF - Unclassified Government Forest VCs - Village Councils NOTES (i) In this report, "$" refers to US dollars. (ii) “INR” and “Rs” refer to Indian rupees This initial environmental examination is a document of the borrower. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of ADB's Board of Directors, Management, or staff, and may be preliminary in nature. In preparing any country program or strategy, financing any project, or by making any designation of or reference to a particular territory or geographic area in this document, the Asian Development Bank does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area. TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary i I. INTRODUCTION 1 A. Project Background 1 B. Purpose and Objectives of the Study 2 C. Extent of the IEE Study 2 D. IEE Methodology 2 E. Structure of the Report 4 II. POLICY, LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK 5 A. Country’s Legal Framework and Regulatory Requirement 5 B. Recent Policy Initiatives 5 C. ADB Safeguard Requirement 7 III. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT 8 A. Location 8 B. Type, Category and Need 8 C. Description of the Project Corridor 8 D. Proposed Improvement Components 10 E. Cost and Implementation Schedule 14 IV. DESCRIPTION OF ENVIRONMENT 15 A. Physical Resources 15 B. Ecological Resources 20 C. Economic Development 23 D. Social and Cultural Resources 24 V. ANTICIPATED IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES 26 A. Beneficial Impacts 26 B. Adverse Impacts 26 C. Pre-construction Impacts 26 D. Construction Impacts 27 E. Operation Impacts 37 VI. PUBLIC CONSULTATION AND INFORMATION DISLOSURE 38 A. Objectives of the Public Consultation 38 B. Project Stakeholders 38 C. Methodology 38 D. Consultation with Government Departments 38 E. Consultation with Local People and Beneficiaries 39 F. Outcome of Public Consultations 40 G. Future Consultation 41 H. Disclosure 41 VII. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN 42 A. Environmental Management Plan 42 B. Environmental Monitoring Program 42 C. Performance Indicators 42 C. Institutional Arrangement 43 D. Grievance Redressal Mechanism 46 E. Environmental Management Budget 48 F. Generic Guidelines for Implementing EMP 48 VIII. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 50 Appendices Appendix 1 - Rapid Environmental Assessment (REA) checklist 51 Appendix 2 - List of Waterways and Type of Cross-Drainage Structures 55 Appendix 3 - List of Plants under Thenzawl Forest Division 57 Appendix 4- Tree cutting details within Formation width (Project Road MZ02) 61 Appendix 5- Mammals of Thenzawl Forest Division 65 Appendix 6- List of Noise Sensitive Receptors along the Project Road 66 Appendix 7- Environmental Management Plan 67 Appendix 8- Environmental Monitoring Plan 75 Appendix 9- National Ambient Air Quality Standards 77 Appendix 10- National Drinking Water Standards 78 Appendix 11-Criteria for Fresh Water Classification 79 Appendix 12- CPCB Noise Level Standard 80 Appendix 13- Management of Construction Plants, equipment and vehicles 81 Appendix 14- Camp Site Management 83 Appendix 15- Management of Construction Waste and Debris Disposal 92 Appendix 16- Blasting Operations 94 i EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. The project road MZ 02: Serchhip-Buarpui is a part of North Eastern State Road Improvement Program (NESRIP) –Tranche 2, being implemented with funding support from Asian Development Bank (ADB). Ministry of Development of North Eastern Region (MDONER) is the executing agency at centre and will be implemented by State Public Works Department (PWD), in this case the Mizoram PWD. Proposed improvement will not result to significant adverse environmental impacts. Most of impacts are site-specific and can be addressed through proven mitigation measures. The road section was classified as Category B and an initial environmental examination (IEE) has been conducted as per SPS, 2009. 2. The road improvement will cover 55 kilometres of the existing major district road which is segregated in two parts separated by Aizwal - Lungei State Highway. Part I (Serchhip - Sialsuk junction) starts at its junction with NH 54, about 4 km south of Serchhip town and terminates at its junction with Aizawl-Lungei State Highway (SH) near Sitvan- Hanging Garden, Sialsuk covering a length of 15.2 km. Part II (Thenzawl – Buarpui) starts at its junction with Aizawl-Lungei SH near Thenzawl and ends at Buarpui totalling 39.8 km. Project road improvement involves: (i) widening to intermediate lane with earthen shoulder in valley side and paved on hill side; (ii) curve improvement; (iii) rehabilitation and construction of cross drainage structures and side drains (iv) junctions/intersections improvement (vi) incorporating road safety measures, and (viii) providing protection works to stabilize slopes to control slides and erosion. 3. Project road is not located in any environmentally sensitive areas. However, it passes through riverine reserve forest areas requiring diversion of almost 1 hectare (ha) of forest land. Abutting landuse is predominantly privately owned forests. Approximately 1,706 trees are likely to be affected. Since ROW is limited to the existing width of road, land acquisition will be required almost throughout the entire alignment for widening and improvement works. In addition to this,land acquisition will also be required at retaining/breast walls locations, and disposal sites. 4. The significant environmental impacts attributable to the upgrading of the road pertains to tree cutting, temporary deterioration of ambients during construction phase from land clearing, silt run off, hill cutting, camp operations and blasting though not required near habitations. These impacts are easily mitigated by adopting good construction practices and effective implementation of the environmental management plan (EMP). No long-term adverse impact is anticipated. Since the project road is located in landslide prone areas, adequate engineering and bio-engineering measures are proposed to stabilize slopes. 5. Several consultations were organized during the project preparation to engage major stakeholder representatives to incorporate their concerns in the overall design. These involved officials of executing agencies, Forest Department, State Pollution Control Board, Fishery, affected persons and village heads in the project area. Most of the people interviewed strongly support the project. 6. The Mizoram PWD (MPWD), through its Project Implementation Unit (PIU), will ensure the effective implementation of the environmental management plan. There is a need for the PIU to organize its environmental unit to ensure that contractors maintain environmental safeguard compliance. To provide regular monitoring information and technical advice to the PIU are the supervision consultant and the contractor’s environment and social officer. 7. This IEE ascertains that upgrading is unlikely to cause any significant environmental impacts. Few impacts were identified attributable to the proposed subproject, all of which are ii localized and temporary in nature and can be easily mitigated with minor to negligible residual impacts. No additional studies or need of undertaking detailed EIA is envisaged at this stage. Map 1: Road Network of Mizoram iii MAP 2: Project Road Alignment Sialsuk End of Par I Start of Part I Start of Part II (End of Part II) 1 I. INTRODUCTION A. Project Background 1. Road is the dominant mode of transport in the North-Eastern part of the