Environmental Assessment Report
Summary Initial Environmental Examination Project Number: 41116 August 2006
India: Jammu and Kashmir Urban Sector Development Project
Prepared by Economic Reconstruction Agency for the Asian Development Bank (ADB).
The summary 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.
CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS (as of 15 August 2006)
Currency Unit – Indian rupee/s (Re/Rs)
Re1.00 = $0.021 $1.00 = Rs46.61
ABBREVIATIONS
ADB – Asian Development Bank EARF – environmental assessment and review framework EAG – environmental assessment guidelines EIA – environmental impact assessment ERA – Economic Reconstruction Agency EMP – environmental management plan IEE – initial environmental examination JKUSDP – Jammu and Kashmir Urban Sector Development Project MOEF – Ministry of Environment and Forests MSW – municipal solid waste O&M – operation and maintenance PMU – project management unit PPTA – project preparatory technical assistance REA – rapid environmental assessment RSPM – respirable suspended particulate matter SPCB – state pollution control board SPM – suspended particulate matter STP – sewage treatment plant SWM – solid waste management
WEIGHTS AND MEASURES km2 – square kilometer
NOTE
In this report, "$" refers to US dollars.
CONTENTS
Page
I. INTRODUCTION 1 A. Overview 1 B. Overview of the JKUSDP 2 C. Environmental Regulatory Compliance 3 D. Environmental Criteria for Subproject Selection 6
II. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT 7 A. Overview 7
III. DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT 9 A. Geographical Location 9 B. Water Resources 10 C. Forest Resources 10 D. Biodiversity 11 E. Climate 11
IV. ANTICIPATED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES 12
A. Overview and Sector Assessment 12 B. Impacts on Topography and Natural Drainage 12 C. Impacts on Soil and Land Use 12 D. Impacts on Surface Water Resources 13 E. Impacts on Groundwater Resources 14 F. Impacts on Ambient Air Quality 14 G. Impacts on Biotic Environment—Flora and Fauna 15 H. Impacts on Cultural and Historical Sites 15 I. Socioeconomic Impacts 15
V. INSTITUTIONAL REQUIREMENTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING PLAN 18 A. Environmental Management Plan and Monitoring Plan 19
VI. PUBLIC CONSULTATION AND DISCLOSURE 25
VII. FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 26
VIII. CONCLUSION 27
APPENDIXES
1. Environmental Assessment and Review Framework 28 2. Rapid Environmental Assessment Checklist 43
I. INTRODUCTION
A. Overview 1. The proposed Jammu and Kashmir Urban Sector Development Project (JKUSDP) is the logical follow-on investment program to the ongoing Loan 2151-IND: Multisector Project for Infrastructure Rehabilitation in Jammu and Kashmir.1 The basic infrastructure in the state of Jammu and Kashmir has deteriorated because of a lack of investment, a lack of expansion, and poor operation and maintenance procedures over the past 16 years. Under the Multisector Project for Infrastructure Rehabilitation in Jammu and Kashmir, existing water supply and drainage systems in Jammu and Srinagar, and roads in all 14 districts of the state, are being rehabilitated and modernized. However, these works will not expand capacities. The proposed JKUSDP will increase the capacity and improve the standards of the municipal infrastructure in the cities of Jammu and Srinagar, and in four to five district towns with tourism potential. This will improve public health, preserve the local environment, and create economic opportunities by assuring potential investors that public services in the two main cities and district towns are sound. The JKUSDP is being formulated under a $500,000 project preparatory technical assistance (PPTA 4515-IND), which was approved jointly with the ongoing Loan.
2. The JKUSDP is being formulated as a sector loan with a multitranche financing facility modality. Essentially, this means that four sample subprojects accounting for about 10% of the total investment of $300 million were selected as representative works of the full program. These four sample subprojects have been appraised in detail and used to classify the proposed project environmentally under Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) Environment Policy (2002) and Environmental Assessment Guidelines (EAG) (2003). The four sample subprojects are (i) Sindh canal raw water pipeline at Srinagar; (ii) sewerage and sewage treatment system for Jammu; (iii) municipal solid waste treatment and disposal facility for Srinagar; and (iv) improvement of the Banihal Cart road2 and construction of new vehicle cum pedestrian subway and grade separator at the Rehari Chowk junction in Jammu. This document summarizes the assessments of environmental impacts associated with these four sample subprojects, as presented in the initial environmental examination (IEE) reports (available on request). Also based on these IEEs, the projected impact of the JKUSDP was assessed and the environmental assessment and review framework (EARF) developed (Appendix 1).
3. Based on the site visits, data collected, and on-site public consultations undertaken by the PPTA and fact-finding mission, three of the sample subprojects (the ones covering water supply, sewerage, and urban transportation) have been categorized as environment category “B.” The fourth subproject—the Srinagar solid waste management facility—has been categorized as category "B Sensitive" because of concerns raised by locals, and because it is likely that toxic and hazardous substances, including biomedical wastes, may be present, and that the soil and groundwater may have been contaminated by leachate from the existing dump site. (The various environment categories are defined in para. 16)
4. Further work on the project scope has found that other follow-on subprojects to be considered for ADB financing under this proposed sector loan may be encroaching upon environmentally sensitive areas, such as wildlife sanctuaries and reserved3 forests. While most of the follow-on subprojects would pertain to rehabilitating old, existing, damaged urban facilities, a few follow-on subprojects may target partially or totally new developments. The
1 ADB. 2004. Report and Recommendation of the President to the Board of Directors on a Proposed Loan to India for the Multisector Project for Infrastructure Rehabilitation in Jammu and Kashmir and Technical Assistance Grant for the Preparation of the Jammu and Kashmir Urban Infrastructure Development Project. Manila (Loan 2151-IND, for $250 million, approved on 21 December). 2 Popularly known as B.C. Road. 3 In Jammu and Kashmir, those are referred to as “demarcated” forests.
2 updated and accurate maps showing the boundaries of all of these environmentally sensitive areas are not available. Under the ongoing PPTA, these follow-on subproject locations will be superimposed on available maps to assess their likelihood of encroaching upon environmentally sensitive areas; however, these maps will not be available until the development of the second or third batch of follow-on subprojects (to be financed under subsequent tranches of the proposed multitranche financing facility).
5. Considering the scale, magnitude, and type of the urban development investments proposed under this sector loan (mainly covering water supply, sewerage, solid waste management, and urban transportation), the sample and follow-on subprojects are judged to have minor, temporary environmental impacts that are largely construction-related and reversible in nature. These impacts will be mitigated through carefully developed environmental management plans (EMPs) that will be incorporated into related contract documents as budgeted line items in the bill of quantities.
6. In accordance with ADB’s Environment Policy (2002) and EAG (2003),the determination of the environment category is to be based on the most environmentally sensitive component of the Project. Based on the environmental assessment carried out for the four sample subprojects under the first tranche, the proposed “Jammu and Kashmir Urban Sector Development Project” loan has been categorized as “environment category B Sensitive.”
7. Limited numbers of follow-on subprojects are likely to be encroaching upon environmentally sensitive areas such as wildlife sanctuaries and reserved forests. Once such a follow-on subproject is identified, and if it is classified as environment category “A,” then the environment category of the Project will be reclassified to “A,” in consultation with ADB, before financing of the category “A” subproject commences. A detailed EARF has been developed to cover the likelihood of inclusion of category A (follow-on) subproject(s) in the subsequent tranche(s).
8. Based on the above, as per ADB’s EAG (2003), the summary initial environmental examination4 for the Project must be disclosed on ADB’s website for 120 days before the Project is considered by ADB’s Board of Directors. For all subprojects, adequate environmental management plans will be incorporated in the related construction contracts as budget line items.
B. Overview of the JKUSDP 9. The primary objective of the JKUSDP is to promote economic development in the cities of Jammu and Srinagar and in selected district towns in the state of Jammu and Kashmir through provision of urban infrastructure, focusing on water supply, sewerage, drainage, solid waste management, and urban transport. The specific objectives of the Project are to (i) improve the environmental conditions of the cities and district towns of the state, (ii) reduce poverty in low-income areas by improving access to basic urban services, and (iii) improve the service-delivery capacities of the cities and district towns of Jammu and Kashmir through institutional development. The primary project beneficiaries are expected to comprise mainly lower income groups and intermediate poor households.
4 Based on the IEEs prepared for the sample subprojects under the PPTA. 3
C. Environmental Regulatory Compliance
1. India’s Environmental Regulations
10. The country’s comprehensive environmental legislation dates back to the introduction of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act in 1974. Subsequently, several other laws came into existence for the protection and conservation of the environmental resources of the country. Together, these regulations impose certain restrictions to minimize the environmental impact of new development, including infrastructure development. Certain national laws, such as the Forest Act and the Forest Conservation Act, are not applicable to Jammu and Kashmir, but the state has its own Forest Act and Forest Conservation Act, both of which must be complied with when undertaking works that encroach on forest areas. The following environmental regulations may apply to the subprojects under JKUSDP:
(i) The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, as amended; (ii) The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, as amended; (iii) The Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, as amended; (iv) The Environment Impact Assessment Notification, 1994, as amended; (v) The Municipal Solid Waste (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000, as amended; (vi) The Biomedical Waste (Management and Handling) Rules,1998, as amended; (vii) Jammu and Kashmir Forest Act, 1987, as amended; (viii) The Jammu and Kashmir Forest Conservation Act 1997, as amended; (ix) Jammu and Kashmir Wildlife Protection Act, 1978, as amended; (x) Land Development Act, under Jammu and Kashmir state Constitutional Laws, Vol. IV pertaining to Protected Areas, as amended; and (xi) In addition to the above acts, the following standards shall be taken into account for evaluating water supply subprojects: (a) National Drinking Water Standard, Indian Standard 10500, 1993; and (b) WHO Guidelines for drinking water, 1996, pertaining to pesticides.5
11. Any subproject included in JKUSDP that has the potential to generate sewage or waste water will come under the purview of the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974. Such subprojects have to obtain “consent to establish” from the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) before starting construction, and “consent to operate” before commissioning. The 1974 Water Act also requires the owners of such facilities to undertake measures for abating the possible impact on and/or pollution of receiving water bodies.
12. Any subproject works that could potentially emit air pollutants into the atmosphere also must obtain consent to establish from the SPCB before commencing, and consent to operate before commissioning of facilities. The owner of the project or facility is responsible for adopting air pollution control measures. Construction-related activities such as quarrying, transportation of soil from borrow pits, and use of equipment such as hot mix plant, wet mix plant, stone crushers, etc. will fall under the purview of the 1981 Air Act.
5 There are no guidelines under Indian legislation for pesticide limits in drinking water.
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13. Any subproject included in JKUSDP must meet the related environmental requirements and regulations of the SPCB, the Government of India, and ADB. The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification of 1994, issued under India's 1986 Environmental (Protection) Act, requires Government environmental approval for certain types of projects, including all single works with value greater than Rs1.00 billion. Considering the nature and scale of the urban infrastructure facilities under JKUSDP the Government of India notification are not expected to apply to the sample (and identified follow-on) subprojects. Normally, subprojects with the following characteristics must obtain environmental clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forests: (i) projects requiring forestland; (ii) tarred roads in forest; (iii) widening of roads requiring land acquisition of more than 20 meters (m) on either side, and (iv) tourism projects at elevations of more than 1,000 m with investment of more than Rs50 million 14. However, since the Forest Act and the Forest Conservation Act of the Government of India are not applicable to the state of Jammu and Kashmir, any project activity that encroaches on forest areas needs to obtain clearance from the State Forest Department, as per the Jammu and Kashmir Forest (Conservation) Act, 1997.
15. With respect to solid waste disposal, the Government's Municipal Solid Waste (Management & Handling) Rules, 2000, as conferred by Section 3, 6, and 25 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, regulate the management and handling of municipal solid wastes. These rules apply to all municipal authorities, including those in Jammu and Kashmir. The following are provisions of the 2000 municipal solid waste rules that apply to JKUSDP: (i) The municipal authority shall take all steps to ensure that municipal solid waste generated in their jurisdiction shall be handled and disposed of without causing adverse impact on human health or environment; (ii) The municipal authority or facility operator shall make an application in Form-I for grant of authorization to set up a waste processing and disposal facility (including landfills) to the SPCB; (iii) The municipal authority shall furnish its annual report in Form-II to the SPCB, annually on or before the 30th day of June; and (iv) Any solid waste generated in a city or a town shall be managed and handled in accordance with the compliance criteria and the procedure laid down in Schedule-II of the 2000 municipal solid waste rules.
2. ADB’s Environmental Assessment Requirements
16. ADB has specific requirements for environmental assessments of projects proposed for ADB financing. ADB projects are assigned one of the following four categories: (i) Category A. Subproject components are projected to have potentially significant adverse environmental impacts. An environmental impact assessment (EIA) is required;
(ii) Category B. Subproject components are projected to have some adverse environmental impacts, but they are expected to be less significant than those associated with category A projects. An IEE is required to determine whether an EIA is warranted. If an EIA is not needed, the IEE is regarded as the final environmental assessment report. Projects that are near environmentally 5
sensitive areas; or that involve deforestation; loss of biodiversity; involuntary resettlement; processing, handling, or disposal of hazardous substances; or activities that may affect a wide group of external stakeholders are classified as category B Sensitive;
(iii) Category C. Subproject components are unlikely to have adverse environmental impacts. No EIA or IEE is required, although environmental implications are still reviewed; and
(iv) Category FI. Project involves a credit line through a financial intermediary or an equity investment in a financial intermediary. The financial intermediary must apply an environmental management system for assessing environmental implications of the subprojects unless all associated subprojects are expected to have insignificant environmental impacts.
17. The environmental assessment requirements of the Government of India, the Jammu and Kashmir government, and ADB are summarized in the table below: Table 1: Environmental Compliance Requirements of JKUSDP Components
Components Applicability of Acts/Guidelines Compliance Criteria of subproject Water The Water (Prevention and Control SPCB consent to establish before starting the treatment of Pollution) Act, 1974, as amended construction, and SPCB consent to operate before plants commissioning Treated filter backwash water6 to comply with prescribed government effluent standards
Sewage The Water (Prevention and Control SPCB consent to establish before starting the treatment of Pollution) Act, 1974, as amended construction, and SPCB consent to operate before plants commissioning Treated sewage to comply with prescribed government effluent standards
Municipal solid Municipal Solid Wastes SPCB authorization for collection, treatment, and waste (Management and Handling) Rules, disposal processing 2000 Follow the specifications and recommendations in plants and waste collection, storage, transportation, and disposal engineered activities landfills The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, as amended SPCB consent to establish before starting construction for processing plants and landfills, and SPCB consent to operate before commissioning
Subproject The Environment (Protection) Act, Clearance from Ministry of Environment and Forests in components 1986 case the subproject or a component of the subproject is encroaching on included in Schedule I of 1994 EIA Notification sensitive areas such as forests The Jammu and Kashmir Forest and wildlife (Conservation) Act, 1997 Clearance from State Forest Department sanctuaries Jammu and Kashmir Wildlife Clearance from State Wildlife Board Protection Act, 1978
6 Cleaning operations of water filters produce “backwash”, which contains impurities.
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All components The Environment Policy 2002 and Categorization of components of subproject into A, B, of subprojects Operations Manual F1: or C and development of required level of Environmental Considerations in environmental assessment for each component ADB Operation
EIA=environmental impact assessment, SPCB= State Pollution Control Board. Source: PPTA report
D. Environmental Criteria for Subproject Selection
18. Subprojects under the proposed Project will mostly be of environment category B or B Sensitive. A limited number of subprojects are likely to be encroaching upon environmentally sensitive areas such as wildlife sanctuaries or reserved forests. The EARF defines the procedures to determine environmental classification. The EARF also lays out the procedures for environmental assessment of follow-on subprojects classified as category A, B, or B Sensitive. The following are the main criteria that will be used for selecting subprojects to be financed under the Project:
(i) Subprojects will comply with environmental requirements specified in ADB’s Environment Policy (2002) and EAG (2003) and those specified in India's environmental regulations, including laws and standards of the state of Jammu and Kashmir; (ii) Subprojects likely to be categorized as environment category A (as defined by ADB’s Environment Policy (2002) and EAG (2003), as amended from time to time) will be considered for financing under JKUSDP—subject to the overall Project being recategorized as environment category A; (iii) Subprojects shall not encroach on any national park or national park buffer zone; (iv) Subprojects encroaching on any core or buffer zones of wildlife sanctuaries, sensitive wetlands, reserved forests, or other environmentally sensitive areas shall obtain national, state, and local statutory environmental clearance (including clearance from the Supreme Court of India, if required) before commencing with works; (v) Subprojects shall not affect any historical or cultural heritage sites or areas; (vi) Subprojects shall avoid or minimize: (a) destruction or disturbance of historical or cultural items or areas; (b) causing or exacerbating environmental hazards; (c) development or activities that might mobilize the acid reaction of acid sulfate soils; (d) development on flood-prone land or floodplains. (e) damage to valuable ecology and natural heritage areas; (f) disturbance to the extent, depth, or hydrological balance of wetlands; (g) contributing to the effluent load entering lakes and river systems; and (h) disruption, resettlement, or relocation of communities. (vii) Flood-mitigation and drainage-improvement works will need to take account of downstream effects; and (viii) Subprojects should not create or intensify drainage problems in other areas.
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II. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT A. Overview 19. Jammu and Kashmir has great potential for tourism development and its economy is increasingly dependent on tourism. Infrastructure development of the state's cities and towns is essential to increasing tourism in the state and boosting the regional economy. Under the Multisector Project for Infrastructure Rehabilitation in Jammu and Kashmir, priority is given to rehabilitation and upgrading of existing roads and water-supply, drainage, and solid waste management facilities. The master plans for water supply, sewerage, and drainage are being prepared for Jammu and Srinagar under the Multisector Project for Infrastructure Rehabilitation in Jammu and Kashmir. The JKUSDP is designed to complement these works by strengthening infrastructure in Jammu and Kashmir. Sample subprojects under the following sectors were identified and the IEEs were conducted for typical works in water supply, sewerage, solid waste managment, and urban transport. Brief sector descriptions follow: (i) Water Supply. This component's main activities are: (i) rehabilitation of existing head works; (ii) improving the transmission and distribution system (mains and reservoirs), and provision of new infrastructure; (iii) building reservoirs; and (iv) installing distribution systems (including metered house service connections);
(ii) Sewerage and sanitation. This component's main activities are: (i) rehabilitation of existing sewer networks, (ii) rehabilitation of sewage pumping stations; (iii) expansion of existing sewerage networks, collection systems, and treatment plants, and construction of new ones; and (iv) rehabilitation of community and public sanitation facilities;
(iii) Solid Waste Management. This component will focus on improving integrated solid waste collection systems, storage and transfer stations, transportation, treatment, and disposal systems; engineered landfills with efficient drainage systems and leachate collection and treatment facilities will be built; and
(iv) Urban Transport. This component will focus on improving: (i) urban roads; (ii) critical road links; (iii) traffic management; (iv) street lighting; (v) pedestrian underpasses (vi) road safety; and (vii) flyovers, grade separators, and underpasses.
20 The urban infrastructure development needs of selected district towns were also assessed following the environmental and social selection criteria proposed for the JKUSDP, and a number of subprojects were identified. An indicative list of all the subprojects included in the JKUSDP is provided in Table 2.
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Table 2: Indicative List of Subprojects for JKUSDP
Name of Subproject A. Water Supply Srinagar City 1. Sindh canal raw water pipeline 2. Metering program and repair of leaking distribution system Jammu City 3. Water-source development and distribution network expansion 4. Distribution system leak repairs and metering program District Towns 5. Augmenting of water supply at Gulmarg 6. Augmenting of water supply at Pahalgam 7. Augmenting of water supply at Sonamarg B. Sewerage Srinagar City 8. Zone 1—Combined sewerage collection and drainage with dry weather flow STP 9. Zone 2—Combined sewerage collection and STP 10. Zone 3—Brari–Numbal sewerage collection and STP extension 11. Zone 3—Kushalsar combined sewerage collection and STP 12. Zone 3—Rehabilitation of existing brick sewers, pumping station, and pumping main 13. Collection system and STP for protection of Dal and Nagin Lakes Jammu City 14. Division A, Phase 2 sewerage collection and STP extension 15. Division A, Phase 1 Combined sewerage collection and STP District Towns 16. Sewerage collection and treatment, public sanitation facilities, and storm-water drainage at Pahalgam 17. Sewerage collection and treatment, public sanitation facilities, and storm-water drainage at Patnitop 18. Sewerage collection and treatment, public sanitation facilities, and storm-water drainage at Sonamarg C. Urban Transport Srinagar City 19. Boulevard road improvements (Dalgate to Centaur hotel) 20. Bagh Ali Madan–Hazratbal road improvement (via Lal Bazaar) 21. Grade separators at Indira Gandhi Road, Jammu and Kashmir Bank, and CM Residence Road 22. Off-street parking at Pratap Park (1,000 vehicles) and Iqbal Park (500 vehicles) Jammu City 23. Improvement of BC Road and construction of new vehicle cum pedestrian subway and grade separator and Rehari Chowk 24. Western bypass construction (Satwari Chowk to Bell Charana) with river crossing 25. Pedestrian Subway construction at a) Indira Gandhi Chowk, b) Jewel Chowk, and c) Bikram Chowk District Towns 26. Improvement of pedestrian and pony track and roads at Gulmarg 27. Improvement of roads, bridges, and access to the tourist sites at Pahalgam 9
Name of Subproject 28. Improvement of mall road and other roads at Patnitop 29. Improvement of roads at Sonamarg D. Solid Waste Management 30. Sanitary landfill site development at Srinagar 31. Sanitary landfill site development at Jammu 32. Sanitary landfill site development at Gulmarg 33. Sanitary landfill site development at Pahalgam 34. Sanitary landfill site development at Patnitop 35. Sanitary landfill site development at Sonamarg E. Others 36. Construction of slaughterhouses at Srinagar 37. Construction of slaughterhouses at Jammu 38. Underground power supply cabling at Gulmarg 39. Underground power supply cabling at Patnitop 40. Underground power supply cabling at Pahalgam 41. Underground power supply cabling at Sonamarg STP= Sewage Treatment Plant. Source: PPTA report
III. DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT
A. Geographical Location
21 Jammu and Kashmir is located between 32o15’ and 37o05’ north latitude and 72o35’ and 80o20’ east longitude. It has international boundaries with the People’s Republic of China in the north and Pakistan in the west. Geographically, Jammu and Kashmir state has four zones: (i) the mountainous and semi-mountainous plain commonly called the Kandi belt, or dry belt; (ii) the Shivalik ranges; (iii) a zone including the mountains of the Kashmir Valley and Pir Panjal range ; (iv) the international boundaries with Pakistan in the west and the People's Republic of China in the north For administrative purpose, the state has been divided into two administrative divisions: Jammu and Kashmir. The state has 14 districts, 59 subdistricts (tehsils), 121 community development blocks, 2,700 panchayats (village councils), and 6,758 villages. The state has two cities, Srinagar and Jammu and 73 smaller towns .
1. Jammu Division 22 Jammu division has six districts: Doda, Jammu, Kathua, Poonch, Rajouri, and Udhampur. There are 30 subdistricts (tehsils), 57 blocks, 1,230 panchayats, and 3,617 villages in this division, spread across both plains and mountainous areas with elevations over 1500 m. The Chenab, Tawi, and Ravi rivers flow through this region.
2. Kashmir Division 23 Kashmir division also has six districts: Anantnag, Badgam, Baramulla, Kupwara, Pulwama, and Srinagar. It also has the Ladakh region. There are 26 subdistricts (tehsils), 51 blocks, 1,337 panchayats, and 3,899 villages in this division. Most of Kashmir division is mountainous, varying in height from 1550 to 3100 m. The main rivers flowing through the division are the Jhelum, Sindh, and Lidder. Dal and Wullar are well known lakes in this
10 division. Tourists from all over the world are attracted to this area because of its natural beauty.
24 Ladakh region, a part of Kashmir division, has two districts—Kargil and Leh— consisting of 3 subdistricts (tehsils), 13 blocks, 133 panchayats, and 242 villages. It has many lakes and springs. The sulfur springs of Panamic (Nobra), Chumathang, and Puga of Chumathang are famous for relieving rheumatic diseases. Many mineral springs are also found in remote parts of Ladakh. The important lakes within this jurisdiction are Pangong Lake and Tsomoriri Lake (salty lake), from which salt was extracted until 1959. The main river in Ladakh is the Indus (Sindhu), which flows northwest between the Ladakh and Zanskar mountain ranges. The region is inaccessible by road between November and January when snow closes the Srinagar–Ladakh and Ladakh–Manali highways—the two roads that connect Ladakh with the rest of the country.
B. Water Resources 25 The Indus River originates at Manas Sarovar (lake) and has a total length of 2,880 km and a basin area of 468,068 square kilometers (km2) spread across parts of the People's Republic of China, India, and Pakistan. Considerable portions of the catchments are in the rain shadows of the great Himalayan ranges and in the Rajasthan desert fringe. Both snowmelt and rainfall feed the river and its tributaries. Because of the relatively low average annual rainfall, the water resources of the basin are poor. Five major tributaries of the Indus River run through India; their details are given below. Table 3: Tributaries of the Indus River
Name of River Length (km) Catchments Area (km2) Annual Average Discharge (million m3) Jhelum 480 34,775 27,890 Chenab 560 26,155 29,000 Ravi 350 14,442 8,000 Beas 460 20,303 15,800 Sutlej 710 84,000 16,600 m3 = cubic meter, km2= square kilometer. Source: PPTA report
26. The Indus is one of the world's most sediment-charged large rivers. More than 95% of the annual sediment load is carried during the rainy season. It is estimated that the erosion rate within the basin is very high in several tributaries.
C. Forest Resources 27. Jammu and Kashmir has great forests covering a substantial portion of its area. The Jammu and Kashmir State Forest contains lofty mountains, steep valleys, streams, and lush green forests. The forests house a diverse array of flora and fauna species, ranging from alpine pastures to evergreen conifers on the slopes of the middle and greater Himalayas, to shrub forests in the Himalayan foothills, to deciduous forests in the Shivalik and Pir Panjal ranges. About 20,443 km2, or 9.2% of the total geographical area of the state, is under forest cover. About 10,953 km2 of these forests have a crown density7 above 40%; the crown density of the remaining forests ranges from 10% to 40%. About 3,108 km2 is under scrub forest. Most forests are in the Kashmir Valley and the Jammu division. Leh and Kargil are devoid of forest cover because of high elevations and a cold, arid climate. The forest in the state can be grouped into five main categories: (i) alpine forests (situated well above the temperature zones);
7 measured as the percent of total light that is blocked by tree material. 11
(ii) Himalayan moist temperate forests (found in Chenab Valley); (iii) Himalayan dry temperate forests (including the main forests of the Kashmir Valley); (iv) subtropical pine forests (found in the upper Shivalik formation and outer Himalayas), and (v) subtropical dry deciduous forests (located in the lower reaches of Shivalik formations of Jammu division).
D. Biodiversity 28. The lofty mountains, steep valleys, streams, lakes, and lush green forests are the main environmental assets of Jammu and Kashmir. The state has great diversity of physiography, climate, habitat, and natural vegetation. This diversity provides the required habitat a variety of flora and fauna, including:
(i) Flora. The Mediterranean-like climate of Jammu and Kashmir supports some 3,054 species About 880 species are found in Ladakh and 506 in Jammu. Deodar, chir, kail, and fir account for 43% of the forested area, while 8.5% of the area is non-coniferous forests; and
(ii) Fauna. The fauna biodiversity of the state is rich with unique species both in the forest zones and above the tree line. Animals range from mammals and birds to lower invertebrates. About 16% of the mammals, birds, reptiles, and butterflies found in India are found in the state. Birds account for much of that diversity, with 358 species, followed by mammals with 75 species, and reptiles with 68 species. There are fewer species of fish and amphibian.
E. Climate 29. Jammu and Kashmir has been divided into five broad macroclimatic zones: subtropical, dry temperate, temperate, cold arid, and intermediate:
(i) Subtropical zone: 300 m–1,350 m above sea level. Parts of Jammu, Kathua, Udhampur, Poonch, and Rajouri districts are in the subtropical zone. The monsoon is the main source of rain, with hot and relatively dry summers and pronounced winters;
(ii) Dry temperate zone: 1,350–3,000 m above sea level in the areas above the outer hills, including major parts of the districts of Poonch, Rajouri, and Doda. Monsoon rains are the main source of rainfall and the winters are cold and dry;
(iii) Temperate zone: 1,560 m–4,200 m above sea level. The zone essentially covers the Kashmir Valley and inner Himalayan Valley up to medium altitudes. It is characterized by wet, cold winters and relatively dry, moderately hot summers;
(iv) Cold arid zone: Above 4,200 m. This zone consists of the high-altitude peaks of the inner Himalayas. Winters in this zone are severely cold and dry and summers moderately hot and dry. This zone covers the districts of Leh and Kargil in the east and some areas in the northwest; and
(v) Intermediate zone: This zone broadly covers the mid- to high-altitude areas of Doda, Poonch, Rajouri, and Udhampur. From October to June, the rainfall pattern closely resembles that of the temperate zone, while the summer rainfall is similar to that in the subtropical zone.
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IV. ANTICIPATED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES
A. Overview and Sector Assessment 30. The JKUSDP primarily comprises components in the following sectors: (i) water supply, (ii) sewerage, (iii) solid waste management, and (iv) urban transport. Implementation of subprojects may have negative impacts on various general environmental factors, including (i) topography and drainage, (ii) soil and land use, (iii) surface water, (iv) groundwater resources, (v) ambient air quality, (vi) biotic environment, (vii) cultural and historic sites, and (viii) other socioeconomic impacts. These are described below.
B. Impacts on Topography and Natural Drainage 31. Construction works could alter the local topography and modify the natural drainage pattern, leading to flooding and erosion. This will be mitigated through good construction practices. Of the infrastructure components proposed for improvement, only road works (mainly the development of new roads such as bypasses) were identified as having the potential to alter the topography. However, in general only urban roads will be widened and resurfaced. These activities involve little or no earth cutting and filling operations, and hence will have limited impact.
32. Other linear works, such as laying the water supply and sewer networks, also could alter the local topography and disturb the natural drainage during the construction period. Laying water mains and trunk sewers, which involves large-scale excavations and soil disposal, could potentially have considerable impacts. Un-compacted and unprotected refilling may lead to erosion of topsoil. Scheduling activities during the dry season and adopting proper protection techniques will minimize this impact. In light of this, cumulative impacts of urban infrastructure works on the topography are not projected to be major and will be readily mitigated through the related environmental management plans.
33. The laying of raw water pipelines at Srinagar may alter the natural flow of water, denying the riparian rights of downstream communities. However, because this pipeline will be designed to supply drinking water exclusively, and because the pipeline will withdraw water only up to the maximum allocation needed for domestic water supply, there will be plenty of water left over for other uses. The system design will take into account the downstream water needs based on water-sharing arrangements and will also be based on the minimum allowable water flow in the Sindh extension canal.
C. Impacts on Soil and Land Use 34. No major impact on soil is envisaged. Disposal of sludge from water treatment plants and STPs may contaminate the soil and groundwater unless proper disposal is employed. The cumulative sludge quantity generated by both the STP and water treatment plant may be significant and therefore proper disposal is required. Provisions for sludge drying beds and safe disposal mechanisms, as described in the sludge management plan, incorporate mitigation of such impacts. As the subproject cities and district towns are located far from each other, overall cumulative soil impacts resulting from subproject implementation will be negligible.
35. Disposal of excess soil from various construction activities may alter the native soil productivity. However, excess excavation material will not be dumped on productive agricultural lands. Instead, it will be hauled to preselected and preapproved disposal sites. Furthermore, as activities will not be concentrated in one place and will be spread over many towns, the cumulative impact of these activities will be minimal. The following measures will further minimize the impacts of these activities: development and implementation of a silt and spoil handling and disposal plan; proper stockpiling or reuse of silt and spoil on-site or 13 provision of an alternate site for disposal of excess materials; proper covering of the disposal site(s) on completion of work; prevention of spillage during transportation; and proper maintenance of the transportation vehicles
36. It is proposed that treated effluent from the STPs be discharged into large water courses or rivers to eliminate the chance of contaminating agricultural fields. However, it will still be crucial to select a proper treatment process and maintain its efficiency during operations. The STP currently under construction in Jammu uses the upflow anaerobic sludge blanket process8, which includes provision of additional lagoons for further treating the sewage prior to discharge. However, taking into consideration the low ambient winter temperatures, conventional aerobic treatment processes such as activated sludge will also be considered for subprojects under JKUSDP. Regular monitoring will be necessary to ensure the efficiency of STPs.
37. Development of infrastructure facilities for municipal solid waste may have significant impacts on local soil, surface streams, and groundwater. Processing plants and engineered landfills will be designed and implemented in compliance with specifications prescribed by India’s Municipal Solid Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000. It is proposed that the existing dump site in Srinagar be rehabilitated to extend the life of the disposal site. Drainage and leachate collection and treatment systems will be installed, and management of windblown dust and garbage will be improved. Hence, the new and newly improved infrastructure facilities will have many environmental benefits that will offset the existing negative impacts.
38. The urban infrastructure improvements are not expected to significantly alter land use. No major land acquisitions are envisaged for any of the infrastructure components. Migration from the surrounding rural areas to major towns may increase because of opportunities for a better life created by the Project. This could bring about changes in local land use resulting from spatial growth of towns over time.
39. Rehabilitation and construction of infrastructure facilities such as solid waste processing, solid waste disposal, and STP facilities may create nuisances that lead to changes in surrounding land use. However, the subproject sites will be selected based on strict criteria, in conformity with local development master plans and land-use regulations. Infrastructure works will maintain a safe distance from habitation and other sensitive lands. For example, the disposal site for Srinagar is surrounded by sensitive agricultural fields. A buffer zone and "greenbelt" will be placed around the facility to provide a visual screen, thus mitigating visual impacts. Proper laying and covering of solid waste by soil layers and fencing will mitigate windblown nuisances. The cumulative impact of these facilities will be negligible, as there will only be one site per town, and the towns will be hundreds of kilometers apart.
40. The operation of the quarries for materials required for construction activities will have little impact on soil and land use as these operations will comply with well established country and state environmental regulations.
D. Impacts on Surface Water Resources 41. No major impacts on surface-water resources are anticipated. During the operation stage, due to power supply failures, partially treated or untreated sewage from sewage treatment plants may lead to contamination of streams or rivers. This potential impact will be minimized through provision of standby power generation and other equipment. In order to minimize the risk of impacts on river ecosystems and downstream water quality, the design of STPs will include sufficient hydraulic capacity to contain the accidental release of
8 Upflow anaerobic sludge blanket is an advanced high rate anaerobic digestion process, which allows high biomass concentration in a reactor with a relatively low treatment time.
14 untreated or partially treated sewage. Hence, the location of STPs and the type of treatment processes employed (including treatment efficiency) will be crucial. At present the project cities and the selected district towns lack or have inadequate sewage treatment facilities. As a result, raw sewage is currently being discharged directly into the environment. Compared with the current situation, the impacts caused by probable fluctuations in treatment efficiency will be insignificant.
42. Development and implementation of standard operation and maintenance procedures and proper staff training will be essential to maintaining the required treatment process performance. Regular monitoring will also be necessary to ensure that STPs meet the effluent discharge standards stated in their operating licenses.
43. Surface runoff and leachate from existing solid waste processing and disposal facilities may be polluting downstream water bodies. The subprojects under the Project include interception and diversion of drainage. These also include collection and treatment facilities for leachate from the newly developed and the improved waste disposal sites, thus reducing any existing environmental pollution.
E. Impacts on Groundwater Resources 44. Facilities such as STPs and solid waste landfills may have impacts on groundwater resources. Leachate from landfills, STPs, water treatment plants, and sludge disposal sites may contaminate local water resources. Taking into account the high water table at the solid waste sample subproject site in Srinagar city, an engineered landfill with proper lining and a leachate collection and treatment system are proposed, in compliance with India’s Municipal Solid Waste Rules, 2000, as amended. After these improvements, any impacts will be insignificant.
45. For the STPs, a sludge handling and disposal plan incorporating proper sludge handling practices, sludge disposal methods, and approved disposal locations shall be formulated to mitigate any possible impacts.
46. The water supply subprojects, if dependent on groundwater as their source, may have some impact on groundwater availability and contamination. Since groundwater supply in the project area exceeds demand, this impact will be insignificant.
F. Impacts on Ambient Air Quality 47. No major impacts on ambient air quality are envisaged. During the construction stage, dry weather conditions at project sites may create a significant dust nuisance. Laying the water distribution network and sewers, especially in densely populated and sensitive areas, may also create a dust nuisance. Water spraying will be used to mitigate dust generation. Adoption of construction site management plans incorporating the mitigation measures, as suggested in the environmental management plans of the sample subproject IEEs, will reduce this impact.
48. During the operation stage, the only urban infrastructure facilities that will have a significant impact on ambient air quality are the solid waste landfills. The probability of landfills receiving mixed waste, including biomedical and hazardous wastes, cannot be ruled out (although segregation of waste is being promoted in the project cities). Therefore, protective measures for workers are needed. Both the compost and regular landfill operations may generate gases, including methane. Methane gas is explosive above a certain concentration, so it will be crucial to discharge the gas safely. Gas management systems at landfills will ensure that this risk will be insignificant. Such systems are mandatory as per the provisions of India’s Solid Waste Management Rules, 2000, as amended. 15
G. Impacts on Biotic Environment – Flora and Fauna 49. The subprojects under JKUSDP will have only minor impacts on flora and fauna. Any encroachments into sensitive land such as forests, wetlands, and wildlife conservation areas will be carefully managed through environmental management plans incorporated in the subproject appraisal reports (in accordance with national and state environmental regulations). Planning and implementation of such subprojects, especially in the district towns of Gulmarg, Sonamarg, Pahalgam, and Patnitop, will require careful mitigation and monitoring. Subprojects in these towns will be carefully selected to avoid serious impacts.
H. Impacts on Cultural and Historical Sites 50. No impacts are envisaged on heritage or cultural sites. On the contrary, improvement of infrastructure facilities in the towns and surrounding areas will add value to such sites. Although some STPs and solid waste disposal sites will be located within city limits, no interactions with such protected areas are envisaged.
I. Socioeconomic Impacts 51. Negative socioeconomic impacts will be limited to those potentially resulting from land acquisition for facilities such as those for urban transport. Most project sites are in urban areas where land availability might be an issue. The design should incorporate options to minimize such impacts. Ensuring that adequate compensation is provided through resettlement plans will also help mitigate these impacts. It should be noted that the Project will have many positive impacts on urban life, such as improved basic services, public health, and quality of life for the residents.
52. The potential environmental impacts of the subprojects and the mitigation measures to be taken under JKUSDP are summarized in table below. These impacts have been assessed based on the IEEs of the four sample subprojects. The impacts of subprojects are grouped into (i) location impacts, (ii) design impacts, (iii) construction impacts, and (iv) operation and maintenance (O&M) impacts. Appropriate mitigation measures have been developed to mitigate potential impacts, including good construction and operation practices and methods, and provision of safety equipment and training.
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Table 4: Summary of Environmental Impacts and Mitigation Measures
No. Sector Description of Impact Mitigation measures Location Impacts L-1 All sectors Dislocation or resettlement Select subprojects that avoid displacement of issues community to the extent possible. Incorporation of involuntary resettlement plans as part of the Project. L-2 All sectors Encroachment into wetlands Revise layout of site development to avoid or minimize encroachment on wetlands Sub-project design will ensure proper protective measures for affected wetlands Greenbelts or buffer zones around developments
L-3 All sectors Impact on cultural, heritage, Revise layout of site development to provide maximum and other protected distance from cultural, heritage and other protected structures adjacent to structures construction sites Sub-project design should ensure proper protective measures like greenbelts or visual screens L-4 All sectors Encroachment into forests, Avoid encroachment into national parks wildlife sanctuaries, national Avoid or minimize encroachment into wildlife parks, and other sensitive sanctuaries, reserved forests, and other sensitive areas areas whenever possible Obtain clearance from the national and/or state wildlife board, and the State Forest Department, as applicable L-5 All sectors Impacts on lakes, streams, Revise the layout to keep maximum distance from the and other water bodies development adjacent to sites Sub-project design should provide protection for water bodies Drainage diverted outside the periphery of sites L-6 All sectors Site adjacent to densely Avoid sites adjacent to densely populated areas. populated area Obtain site clearance from state pollution control board
L-7 All sectors Loss of amenity (aesthetics, Develop buffer zones with greenbelts of adequate property value) and width to form visual screens and physical separation livelihood for neighbors from the developments adjacent to sites Compensation through resettlement plans for losses incurred L-8 All sectors Project activity causes Establish bunds and diversions to keep any site drainage problems and loss drainage separate from natural channels of connectivity with adjoining Ensure proper connectivity to water courses water course L-9 Water supply & Competing uses of water Sub-project design will ensure that downstream uses sewerage of water are protected and riparian rights not compromised by the development Sub-project design will ensure that the water quality required for designated uses of water downstream will not be adversely affected
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No. Sector Description of Impact Mitigation measures Design Impacts D-1 Water supply, Environmental impact Revise the design with the latest cost-effective and sewerage, and caused by outdated proven technology solid waste technology that does not Design systems to comply with the standards management meet statutory requirements prescribed under various environmental laws, and not or protect the quality of the to exceed the carrying capacity of the receiving receiving environment. environment. Regular monitoring of effluent and environment quality D-2 Urban transport Blocking of lines of view Design flyovers, grade separators, bridges, and other along visual corridors by structures to minimize the obstruction to visual flyovers, grade separators, corridors canals, and bridges D-3 All sectors Subprojects may affect trees Design subprojects to preserve as many trees as possible for buffering and shading Trees will be planted in accordance with the requirements of SPCB and the Forest Department as compensatory afforestation Obtain clearance from authorities for cutting trees Monitor the survival of new plant growth D-4 Sewerage and Existing technology may not Revise the sub-project design with technology suited solid waste be suited to the project site to the local environment and site conditions management D-5 Solid waste Foul odor and influx of Provide adequate distance and buffer zones with management insects, rodents, etc. causes greenbelts of adequate width to form visual screens nuisance to neighboring and physical separation from the development. areas Provide gas control system in landfills and STPs to collect and reuse the gas
D-6 Urban transport Blocking of air circulation Sub-project design should ensure adequate clearance causing accumulation of from buildings and avoid blocking of air corridors pollutants Construction impacts C-1 All sectors Silt runoff from construction Develop and implement construction site management activities causing soil erosion plans covering: site preparation to minimize impact on and damage to water quality adjoining vegetation and natural resources; use of and adjacent land intercepting drains and stabilization to protect unstable soils from high-velocity runoff; proper use and storage of construction materials; proper disposal of construction waste Conduct regular environmental quality monitoring C-2 All sectors Noise, dust, or hazardous Plant and equipment employed in construction shall materials resulting from comply with environmental standards. Regular wetting construction activity of stockpiles of sand, metals, and other dust-emitting materials to provide a dust curtain around the construction site. Conduct periodic environmental quality monitoring C-3 All sectors Social conflict between Inclusion of a condition to engage local labor in the workers from other areas contract. Use of "community contracts" where and local workers appropriate C-4 All sectors Contamination caused by Proper stockpiling of silt and spoil at site; examine the indiscriminate disposal of reuse opportunities for silt and spoil; identification of spoil or silt site for disposal of silt and spoil; proper covering of the disposal site on completion of work; protection against pollution during transportation
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No. Sector Description of Impact Mitigation measures C-5 All sectors Contamination of land and Proper sanitation facilities to be provided for the water caused by improper laborers quarters. disposal of waste by workers or labor quarters C-6 Sewerage and Exposure of workers to Provision of protective gear (gum boots, gloves, SWM contaminated site during masks, etc.); training of workers on potential dangers, construction potential adverse health effects, and the benefits of protective gear Provision of medical assistance to the workers C-7 All sectors Environmental issues related Ensure that construction materials are supplied by to the operation of quarries, plants and quarries approved by SPCB and/or the borrow pits, hot mix plant, Mining and Geology Department of the state wet mix plant, and stone government. crushers Ensure that construction equipment contains proper air and sound pollution control devices C-8 All sectors Degradation of Periodic monitoring of ambient air, groundwater, and environmental quality of surface water as per requirements of environmental surface water, groundwater, regulations and SPCB; adoption of measures to and air control pollution C-9 All sectors Increased road traffic caused Proper diversion or rerouting of traffic with prior by interference of community consultation construction activities
Operation and Maintenance impacts O-1 Sewerage and Breakdown of plant and Prepare and implement O&M manual and procedures, solid waste machinery leading to including periodic preventive maintenance of management accumulation of waste, equipment and pumps resulting in environmental Provision of standby power generators, adequate pollution spare parts for sewage pumps, and other machinery Periodic training of workers Provision of bypass facilities O-2 Water supply, Hazards to health and safety Implementation of occupational safety plan for the sewerage, and of workmen workforce; provision of appropriate protective gear to solid waste the workers at the site; training of workers on the management dangers of working in confined places; training on the potential health effects of waste O-3 All sectors Degradation of Periodic monitoring of ambient air, groundwater, and environmental quality (such surface water in line with Indian environmental as degradation of surface regulations. water, groundwater, and air) JKPCB=Jammu and Kashmir Pollution Control Board, MOEF=Ministry of Environment and Forests, O&M=operation and maintenance, STP= sewage treatment plant, SWM=solid waste management. Source: PPTA report.
V. INSTITUTIONAL REQUIREMENTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING PLAN 53. The Jammu and Kashmir Economic Reconstruction Agency (ERA) will be the Executing Agency for the Project and will be responsible for overall strategic guidance, technical supervision, execution, and ensuring compliance with the loan covenants. ERA will have project management units (PMU) with fulltime project directors in both Jammu and Srinagar cities to execute the Project. During the planning and detailed design stages of the various subprojects under the Project, ERA will be responsible for conducting subproject selection and appraisals, and for implementing environmental mitigation measures incorporated in the site layout, planning and design, and monitoring plan. To ensure these responsibilities, an EARF has been prepared.
54. The EARF (Appendix I) specifies that the Jammu and Kashmir ERA (through its PMUs) is the Executing Agency. The EARF also provides specific procedures to be used for 19 every subproject under JKUSDP for (i) environmental classification and assessment though a rapid environmental assessment, an EIA or IEE, and a summary EIA or summary IEE of eligible subprojects; (ii) design and implementation of the environmental management plan (EMP) and environmental monitoring plan as stipulated in the EIA or IEE; (iii) compliance with public consultation requirements and information disclosure-related requirements; (iv) maintaining records of all subprojects' environment-related documents for disclosure by the PMUs9; and (v) monitoring the performance of the PMUs on implementing environmental assessment-related activities, including environmental management and monitoring plans.
55. During the construction phase, the PMUs will monitor the performance of the contractors to ensure that the works are built in a manner that mitigates adverse environmental impacts. Mitigation measures covering planning, functional, institutional, and procedural aspects will be included in the tender documents and in the supplementary activity plans. The PMUs will be responsible for ensuring that all measures suggested in the EMP are included in the design and bid document with an assigned budget. The PMUs will also be responsible for monitoring and enforcement during construction.
56. During the operational phase, the state line departments and municipal corporations will be responsible for monitoring the performance of the subprojects in accordance with SPCB requirements. Capacity building of these agencies is part of the Project. In order to ensure good EMPs and proper monitoring plans, an experienced environmental engineer will be recruited by the Jammu and Kashmir ERA to work closely with the PMUs in all project phases and to train PMUs and other personnel in environmental monitoring duties.
A. Environmental Management Plan and Monitoring Plan
57. An EMP has been prepared for JKUSDP based on the IEE carried out for the sample subprojects in Jammu and Srinagar. The EMP contains mitigation and monitoring activities to ensure that negative environmental impacts identified in the IEEs are addressed. The EMP also identifies the agencies and institutions that are responsible for monitoring. Table 5 and Table 6 summarize the environmental monitoring plan and environmental management plan based on responses to potential adverse impacts. In accordance with the EARF, for each follow-on subproject an EMP will be prepared based on the environmental assessment for that subproject; these subproject EMPs will incorporate the overall mitigation plan outlined in this report, plus any additional site-specific interventions identified.
9 A Project Management Unit (PMU) is planned for each of the two divisions-Kashmir and Jammu
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Table 5: Environmental Monitoring Plan for Environmental Quality Parameters
Environmental Project Parameter Location Duration / Implementation Supervision Monitoring Stage Frequency
Ambient air Planning Suspended Roads, Once as per PMU ERA/PSC quality and design particulate STPs, SPCB matter SWM guidelines (SPM), sites respirable SPM (RSPM), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOx) carbon monoxide (CO), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), noise level Ambient air Construction SPM, Roads, Once a Contractor PMU/ quality phase RSPM, STPs, month as per SO2, NOx, SWM SPCB CO, H2S, sites guidelines noise level Ambient air Operation SPM, Roads, As per SPCB Line PMU (ERA) quality phase RSPM, STPs, guidelines, department/agency SO2, NOx, SWM once in every CO, H2S, sites 3 months noise level
Water quality Planning and As per Roads, Once as per PMU ERA/PSC design SPCB STPs, SPCB guidelines SWM sites guidelines Water quality Construction As per Roads, Once in each Contractor PMU/ phase SPCB STPs, season as per guidelines SWM sites SPCB guidelines
Water quality Operation As per Roads, As per SPCB Line department PMU (ERA) phase SPCB STPs, guidelines guidelines SWM sites Groundwater Planning As per STPs, Once as per PMU/ ERA/PSC quality and design SPCB SWM sites SPCB guidelines guidelines Groundwater Operation As per STP, SWM Once as per Line department PMU (ERA) quality phase SPCB sites SPCB guidelines guidelines CO= carbon monoxide, ERA= Economic Reconstruction Agency, H2S= hydrogen sulfide, NO=nitrogen oxides, PSC= project support consultants, PMU= project management unit, SPM= suspended particulate matter, SO2= sulfur dioxide, STP=sewage treatment plant , SWM= solid waste management, SPCB= State Pollution Control Board. Source: PPTA report
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Table 6: Environmental Management Plan and Monitoring Plan
Mitigation Measures Monitoring Location Measure Frequency Respon Preliminary Parameters sibility Costing Location and Design Impacts Select sites without Incorporation - Inspection of Upon PMU N/A displacement of of involuntary project verification of community. resettlement document project Incorporation of plans document involuntary resettlement plan, if resettlement issue is inevitable Revise layout of site Incorporation N/A Inspection of Upon PMU N/A development to of mitigation design verification of minimize measures document design encroachment on into the document wetlands, mangroves, design estuaries, etc. Design should ensure proper protective measures, such as greenbelts or buffer zones, for these natural resources
Revise layout of site Incorporation N/A Inspection of Upon PMU N/A development to provide of mitigation design verification of maximum clearance measures document design from cultural, heritage, into the document and other protected design structures. Design should ensure proper protective measures, such as greenbelts or visual screens
Revise layout of site Incorporation N/A Inspection of Upon PMU N/A development to provide of mitigation design verification of maximum clearance measures document design from cultural, heritage into the document and other protected design structures. Design should ensure proper protective measures like green belt or visual screen
Avoid encroachment Incorporation N/A Inspection of Upon PMU Part of into the national parks. of mitigation design verification of design cost Avoid or minimize measures document design into the document encroachment into wildlife sanctuaries, design reserved forests, and other environmentally Clearance sensitive areas from the Inspection of N/A PMU Part of Obtain clearance from national records of Upon design cost the national and/or and/or state line verification of state wildlife boards, wildlife department records of line and the State Forest boards, State department Department, as per Forest applicable laws Department
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Mitigation Measures Monitoring Location Measure Frequency Respon Preliminary Parameters sibility Costing Revise the layout to Incorporation N/A Inspection of Upon PMU Part of keep maximum of mitigation design verification of design cost clearance from the measures document designs development. into the Design to provide for design groundwater protection and diversion of drains and channels outside the periphery of the site
Revise the design with Incorporation N/A Inspection of Upon PMU Part of technology suited to of mitigation design verification of design cost the local environment measures document designs and site condition into the design Provide adequate Incorporation N/A Inspection of Upon PMU Part of distance and buffer of mitigation design verification of design cost zones with greenbelts measures document designs of adequate width to into the form visual screens design and a physical separation from the development. Provide gas control systems in landfills and STPs to collect and reuse gas
Design should ensure Incorporation N/A Inspection of Upon PMU Part of adequate clearance of mitigation design verification of design cost between development measures document designs and buildings to avoid into the blocking of air corridors design
Construction Impacts Site preparation to Incorporation N/A Verification of Verification PMU minimize clearance of mitigation contract prior to from adjoining measures documents inviting bids vegetation and natural into contract and resources; use of documents construction Part of interception drains and as site construction stabilization to protect construction management cost unstable soil surface site plans from high-velocity management runoff; proper sitting plans Construction Inspection of PMU / and protection of Weekly construction materials; sites construction DSC employ proper sites construction waste disposal practices
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Mitigation Measures Monitoring Location Measure Frequency Respon Preliminary Parameters sibility Costing Plant and equipment Incorporation N/A Verification of Verification PMU employed in the of mitigation contract prior to construction shall measures in documents inviting bids comply with the contract environmental documents Part of standards. Regular as construction wetting of stockpiles of construction cost sand, metals, and site other dust-emitting management PMU / materials; provide dust plans Inspection of Weekly DSC curtain for construction Construction construction sites sites sites
Include a condition to Incorporation N/A Verification of Verification PMU Part of engage local labor in of mitigation contract prior to construction the contract. Use of measures in documents inviting bids cost Construction “community contracts” the contract Inspection of where appropriate documents sites PMU / construction Weekly sites DSC Proper stockpiling of Incorporation N/A Verification of Verification PMU Part of silt and spoil on-site; of mitigation silt/spoil prior to construction examine the reuse measures in handling and inviting bids cost opportunities for silt the silt and disposal and spoil; identification spoil plans of sites for disposal of handling and silt and spoil; proper disposal covering of disposal plans sites upon completion Construction PMU / of work; protection Weekly sites Inspection of DSC against pollution during construction transportation sites Proper sanitation Incorporation N/A Verification of Verification PMU Part of facilities to be provided of mitigation contract prior to construction at the laborers' measures in documents inviting bids cost quarters the contract Construction PMU / sites Inspection of Weekly DSC documents construction sites Provision of protective Incorporation N/A Verification of One-off prior PMU Part of gear (gum boots, of mitigation contract to inviting bids construction gloves, masks, etc.); measures in documents cost training of workers on the contract the potential dangers documents of working in confined Construction Weekly PMU / spaces, and on health sites Inspection of DSC effects and the benefits construction of protective gear sites
Proper diversion/ and Incorporation N/A Verification of Verification PMU Part of rerouting of traffic to of mitigation contract prior to construction avoid traffic jams and measures in documents inviting bids cost related nuisances the contract and traffic documents regulation/ as traffic diversion plan
regulation/ Inspection of diversion Construction plans Construction sites PMU / sites Weekly DSC
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Mitigation Measures Monitoring Location Measure Frequency Respon Preliminar Parameters sibility y Costing Operation and Maintenance Impacts Prepare and implement Incorporation N/A Verification of Verification PMU Part of O&M O&M manual and of mitigation O&M prior to cost procedures, including measures in procedures inviting bids periodic preventive standard maintenance of O&M equipment and pumps procedures Inspection of Treatment waste Provision of standby and disposal treatment and power generators; sites (STP, disposal spare parts for pump WTP, and facilities Daily and other machinery SWM) Line Periodic training of departm workers ents and agencies Provide bypass facilities Provision of protective Incorporation N/A Verification of Verification PMU gear to the workers at of mitigation STP and occupational prior to the sites; on-site measures in safety plans inviting bids SWM sites Part of O&M training of workers on occupational Inspection of the dangers of working safety plans Line cost waste in confined spaces— treatment and departm including the potential disposal Daily ents/ health risks of wastes facilities agencies Statutory clearances Clearance Records of Inspection of Once prior to PMU N/A from state authorities from SPCB line records of commissionin before commissioning department line g of the projects /agency department /agency DSC = design and supervision consultant, MOEF = Ministry of Environment and Forests, O&M = operation and maintenance, PMU = project management unit, SPCB = state pollution control board, STP = sewage treatment plant, SWM = solid waste management, WTP = water treatment plant. Source: PPTA report
58. The budget for implementation of the environmental monitoring plan and environmental management plan as per the IEEs prepared for the sample subprojects is summarized in Table 7.
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Table 7 – Cost of Environmental Management and Monitoring Plan ( Rs million) Sl Description of Sample Annual Cost of Cost of EMP No. Subproject Envtl monitoring
1. Sindh canal raw water 0.1 0.8 pipeline at Srinagar 2. Sewerage and sewage 0.6 2.1 treatment system for Jammu 3. Municipal solid waste 0.5 8.5 treatment and disposal facility for Srinagar 4. Improvement of BC Road 0.1 0.8 and construction of new vehicular cum pedestrian subway and grade separator at Rehari Chowk in Jammu Total 1.3 12.2 EMP= environmental management plan, Envtl= environmental, Rs= rupees Source: PPTA report
59. For the follow-on subprojects, a timeframe of 15 days should be sufficient to prepare an IEE report for a subproject, while it will take up to 120 days to prepare an EIA report. Hence the budget allocation, as per the local costs, should be in the range of $4,000 for IEE and $20,000 for EIA. Budget funds and other resources have been incorporated into the project costs to cover the following: (i) implementation of the environmental review procedures, (ii) conducting IEEs and EIAs for the follow-on subprojects, (iii) monitoring the implementation of the environmental management plan and undertaking environmental monitoring. VI. PUBLIC CONSULTATION AND DISCLOSURE
60. During the project scoping exercise, considerable dialogue was held with the Jammu and Kashmir ERA and the line agencies. During the working group session of the inception workshop, stakeholders were asked to proportion a hypothetical sum of money for various infrastructure improvements. The results gave an indication of stakeholders' civic priorities, which in turn helped project designers with component selection.
61. Community priorities were examined through a baseline socioeconomic survey undertaken in the project cities. The household survey included questions on municipal service delivery and priorities for improvement.
62. The SPCB and the municipal corporations were consulted, and information gathered, as a part of the IEE preparation. Further public consultations were made with affected groups at the proposed subproject sites during the visits of the PPTA consultants and the fact-finding mission; their concerns and observations were taken into account in the project formulation as well as in the preparation of the IEE. The initial environmental assessment and impact mitigation measures that have been formulated for the sample subprojects and the overall analysis for JKUSDP were presented to all stakeholders, including communities, at second-stage consultation workshops held in June 2006 in Jammu and Srinagar cities. The second-round consultations were publicized through wide coverage in the media and through invitations sent to participants. A brief project description, a summary of the IEE findings, and proposed mitigation measures were prepared and circulated to the public at the time of consultation.
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63. At the public consultations, the major opinions and the concerns were as follows. (i) The Project will improve the quality of the environment in the project cities and towns; (ii) The sewerage systems proposed for the cities should extend all the way to the outskirts.The thinking was that the outskirts are currently being developed, and that it is better to take preventive measures now rather than to wait for damage to occur later; (iii) The Project should address socioeconomic issues and should include a microfinance component to boost the socioeconomic development of the project area; (iv) Construction techniques proposed for the project should be earthquake- resistant; (v) The landfill site at Srinagar is already contaminated and residents are concerned about keeping it open—even with the proposed development; (vi) The Project should include components to convert open spaces in the project cities and towns to greenbelt areas; and (vii) Biomedical waste disposal is a major issue in the project cities. Biomedical waste disposal facilities should therefore be integral components of municipal solid waste management systems.
64. The observations about various subprojects have been incorporated in the subproject designs and the proposed EMPs as applicable. An important community consultation and information disclosure exercise following on from this will be a program of “public awareness and benefit monitoring.”
65. Further, as JKUSDP is category B Sensitive, the summary IEE will be published on ADB’s website in accordance with the “120 day” rule, and the full text of the individual IEE reports will be made available to those who are interested.
66. The Jammu and Kashmir ERA will ensure that all environmental assessment documentation, including the monitoring of the implementation of EMPs and the monitoring plans will be documented systematically as part of project documentation. These environmental assessment documents will be subject to public disclosure and will be made available to the public, in accordance with ADB’s policies. ERA will ensure that EIA or IEE studies of the follow-on subprojects are carried out as per the procedures laid down in the EARF (Appendix 1) and adequate consultations with the affected persons will be conducted to incorporate their concerns in respect of the subprojects' potential environmental impacts. Any subproject requiring environmental clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forests, in accordance with Government of India guidelines, will also conduct public hearings as per the Government of India requirement.
VII. FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 67. Based on the environmental assessment of the sample subprojects and the sector as a whole, the proposed “Jammu and Kashmir Urban Sector Development Project” loan has been categorized as “environment category B Sensitive.”
68. Based on the IEE of the four sample subprojects, JKUSDP will have limited and manageable environmental impacts. The infrastructure components are essentially proposed to improve the existing environmental condition of the project cities and selected tourist destinations. It is expected that the environmental degradation caused by proposed subprojects will be minimal and limited to construction-related temporary impacts. Though some of the facilities, such as STPs and solid waste management disposal facilities, will 27 have some negative impacts during their operation, these will be monitored and will meet the effluent standards stipulated by the national and state authorities. Considering the scale of the investment program—and considering that the Project will mandate best design and construction practices and proper O&M procedures—the net negative environmental impacts are considered to be insignificant and will be mitigated to acceptable levels.
69. Individual subprojects may not have any of the significant impacts outlined above. Proposed mitigation measures, as detailed in the EMP for each sample subproject, address the negative impacts arising from subproject implementation. The environmental benefits accruing from subproject implementation far outweigh the negative impacts. It may thus be concluded that the Project has a well-devised mitigation plan and EMP for any negative impact arising out of subproject design, implementation, and O&M, and that the cumulative impact on the environment is insignificant.
70. Based on the environmental assessment of the sample subprojects, the proposed Project is not anticipated to have any significant environmental impacts. The environmental assessments already completed for the four sample subprojects provides a snapshot of the Project's potential environmental impacts (mainly associated with site selection, process technology, civil works, and facilities O&M). The mitigation measures identified in the IEEs will be adopted for the four sample subprojects and the follow-on subprojects.
71. The EARF (Appendix 1) has been formulated to ensure that the follow-on subprojects will be prepared to satisfy both the country’s environmental regulations and ADB’s Environment Policy (2002) and Environmental Assessment Guidelines (2003). Subprojects under the proposed Project will mostly be of environment category B or B Sensitive. A limited number of subprojects are likely to be encroaching upon environmentally sensitive areas such as wildlife sanctuaries and reserved forests; these subprojects are currently being identified, as mentioned in para 4. The EARF details the procedures used to determine environmental classification, and outlines the different environmental assessment procedures required for follow-on subprojects of environmental category A, B Sensitive, and B. VIII. CONCLUSION 72. Based on the environmental screening, and detailed environmental assessment, the Project does not have any major adverse impacts on the surrounding environment. Therefore, no further environmental impact assessment study is required. The present summary IEE becomes the complete environmental assessment for the Project.
28 Appendix 1
ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT AND REVIEW FRAMEWORK
A. Introduction
1. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is preparing the Jammu and Kashmir Urban Sector Development Project (JKUSDP) as a sector loan with multitranche financing facility. The summary initial environmental examination (SIEE) for JKUSDP has been completed. Due consideration has been given to ADB’s Environment Policy (2002) and Environmental Assessment Guidelines (EAG) (2003), Indian national, state and local environmental laws, and lessons learned during the implementation of the ongoing Loan 2151-IND: Multisector Project for Infrastructure Rehabilitation in Jammu and Kashmir1 and the preparation of initial environmental examination (IEE) reports for the sample subprojects.
2. This environmental assessment and review framework (EARF) of JKUSDP aims at (i) determining the anticipated environmental impacts arising from the follow-on subprojects based on the IEE reports of four sample subprojects in Jammu and Srinagar, (ii) identifying environmental mitigation measures and environmental monitoring plans required to address anticipated negative environmental impacts, (iii) providing formats and guidelines for selecting follow-on subprojects based on environmental eligibility criteria and conducting environmental assessments, and (iv) defining the environmental assessment review procedures for future follow-on subprojects proposed under JKUSDP.
B. Overview of the JKUSDP
3. The proposed Project is primarily designed to promote economic development in the cities of Jammu and Srinagar and selected regional towns of the state of Jammu and Kashmir through urban infrastructure provision, focusing on water supply, sewerage, municipal solid waste (MSW) management, and urban transport. The specific objectives of the JKUSDP are to (i) improve the environmental conditions of the cities and regional towns of the state of Jammu and Kashmir; (ii) reduce poverty in low-income areas by improving access to basic urban services; and (iii) improve the service-delivery capacities of the cities and regional towns through institutional development. In view of the lack of basic infrastructure facilities and their adverse impacts on the environment and socioeconomic characteristics, the proposed JKUSDP aims to provide infrastructure facilities—such as adequate and safe water supply and sanitation facilities—that will directly benefit a considerable population. The primary project beneficiaries are expected to comprise lower income and poor households. JKUSDP is designed to complement ADB’s ongoing Multisector Project for Infrastructure Rehabilitation in Jammu and Kashmir.
4. JKUSDP comprises the following components:
(i) Water Supply. This component's main activities are: (i) rehabilitation of existing head works; (ii) improving transmission and distribution system (mains and reservoirs), and provision of new infrastructure; (iii) building reservoirs; and (iv) installing distribution system (including metered house service connections);
(ii) Sewerage and sanitation. This component's main activities are: (i) rehabilitation of existing sewer networks, (ii) rehabilitation of sewage pumping stations; (iii) expansion of existing sewerage networks, collection systems,
1 ADB. 2004. Report and Recommendation of the President to the Board of Directors on a Proposed Loan to India for the Multisector Project for Infrastructure Rehabilitation in Jammu and Kashmir. Manila (Loan 2151-IND, for $250 million, approved on 21 December).
Appendix 1 29
and treatment plants, and construction of new ones; and (iv) rehabilitation of community and public sanitation facilities;
(iii) Solid Waste Management. This component will focus on improving integrated solid waste collection systems, storage and transfer stations, transportation, treatment, and disposal systems; engineered landfills with efficient drainage systems and leachate collection and treatment facilities will be built; and
(iv) Urban Transport. This component will focus on improving: (i) urban roads; (ii) critical road links; (iii) traffic management; (iv) street lighting; (vi) road safety; and (vii) flyovers, grade separators, underpasses,and pedestrian subways.
5. The four sample subprojects chosen for the JKUSDP correspond to the above four sectors. The sample subprojects are: (i) Sindh canal raw water pipeline at Srinagar; (ii) sewerage and sewage treatment system for Jammu; (iii) municipal solid waste treatment and disposal facility for Srinagar; and (iv) improvement of the Banihal Cart (BC) Road and construction of new vehicle cum pedestrian subway and grade separator at the Rehari Chowk junction in Jammu.
6. Potential Environmental Impacts. Though the proposed JKUSDP aims to improve the environmental quality of urban areas, the development of infrastructure facilities may potentially cause certain negative environmental impacts. The implementation of subprojects can have adverse impacts on various environmental aspects, namely: (i) topography and drainage, (ii) soil and land use, (iii) surface water, (iv) groundwater resources, (v) ambient air quality, (vi) noise levels, (vii) biotic environment, (viii) cultural and historic sites, and (ix) other socioeconomic impacts. These impacts may arise in the project lifecycle during implementation and/or during operation phase, and in limited cases may also arise after the end of the operation period. The potential environmental impacts are categorized into (i) location impacts, (ii) design impacts, (iii) construction impacts, and (iv) operation and maintenance impacts.
7. An illustrative list of potential negative environmental impacts resulting from the proposed components is summarized below:
(i) Water Supply. The anticipated environmental impacts comprise: (a) high noise levels from the operation of pumping stations; (b) pollution and health risks resulting from improper handling and/or disposal of sludge from water treatment plants; (c) blocking of roads during laying of the distribution network; and (d) dust from construction activities, which could be considerable because of the dry climatic conditions; (e) recurrence of leakage problems;
(ii) Sewerage. The anticipated environmental impacts comprise: (a) contamination of groundwater resources, (b) loss of amenity and odor nuisance to neighbors, (c) pollution of agricultural fields, groundwater, or surface water caused by partially treated sewage, (d) nuisance and pollution of groundwater and surface water caused by overflowing of sewers, (e) nuisance caused by mosquito breeding and bad odors from sewage treatment plants and overflowing sewers, (f) pollution and health hazards resulting from improper sludge disposal methods, (g) dust and noise nuisance and blocking of roads during laying of the sewer network, and (h) increased traffic flow resulting from vehicle movement associated with construction activities; 30 Appendix 1
(iii) Municipal Solid Waste Management. The anticipated environmental impacts comprise: (a) nuisance to surrounding areas; (b) groundwater contamination caused by runoff from landfill areas; (c) nuisance resulting from location of waste collection containers; (d) waste mixing with monsoon or storm-water runoff creating potentially unhygienic conditions around the sites; (e) contamination of groundwater by leachate from landfills; (f) impact of methane gas emissions from landfills; (g) pollution of agricultural lands and entering of traces into food chain as a result of application of compost containing heavy metals; (h) bird menace at the waste disposal facilities; (i) dust nuisance and nuisance caused by spillage of waste-collection residue and waste during transportation; and (j) health and safety hazards to workers during waste collection, transportation, and at compost and disposal sites; and
(iv) Urban transport. The anticipated environmental impacts comprise: (a) loss of household residences and business premises; (b) encroachment on wetlands; (c) disruption of commercial activities; (d) encroachment on and loss of natural heritage sites, historical areas, cultural areas, or monuments; (e) blocking of view lines along visual corridors by flyovers or grade separators; (f) reduction in width of water courses caused by road embankments may affect the flow of watercourses; (g) noise disturbances affecting educational, healthcare and cultural activities; (h) flyovers or grade separators may be out of scale with adjacent urban development; (i) road blocking and/or increased traffic during construction of facilities; (j) noise, dust, or hazardous material generated by construction activities; (k) increased turbidity and silting of watercourses caused by erosion of soils during construction; (l) silt runoff during construction leading to impairment of downstream water quality; land values; and (m) environmental issues resulting from uncontrolled quarrying of raw materials.
8. The IEEs conducted for the sample subprojects indicate that typical urban infrastructure projects in Jammu and Kashmir are unlikely to have any significant adverse environmental impacts. Based on the site visits, data collected, and on-the-spot public consultations that the project preparatory technical assistance (PPTA) and fact-finding mission engaged in, three sample subprojects (covering water supply, sewerage, and urban transportation) have been categorized as environment category B. The fourth subproject— the Srinagar solid waste management (SWM) facility—has been categorized as category "B Sensitive" because of concerns raised by locals, and because it is likely that toxic and hazardous substances, including biomedical wastes, may be present, and that the soil and groundwater may have been contaminated by leachate from the existing dump site.2
9. Subsequent to this, further work on the project scope has found that some of the follow-on subprojects to be considered for ADB financing (under subsequent tranches of this proposed sector loan under multitranche financing facility modality) may be encroaching upon environmentally sensitive areas such as wildlife sanctuaries and reserved forests. While most of the follow-on subprojects will pertain to rehabilitation of old and damaged existing urban facilities, a few follow-on subprojects may comprise partially or totally new
2 Category B. Subproject components judged to have some adverse environmental impacts, but of lesser degree and/or significance than those for category A projects. An initial environmental examination (IEE) is required to determine whether significant environmental impacts warranting an EIA are likely. If an EIA is not needed, the IEE is regarded as the final environmental assessment report. Some category B projects are deemed to be environmentally sensitive. These involve processing, handling, and disposal of toxic and hazardous substances or other environmentally sensitive activities that also may be of concern to a wide group of external stakeholders.
Appendix 1 31 developments. The updated and accurate maps showing the boundaries of all of these environmentally sensitive areas are not available. Under the ongoing PPTA, these follow-on subproject locations will be superimposed on available maps to assess their likelihood of encroaching upon environmentally sensitive areas; however, these maps will not be available until the development of the second or third batch of follow-on subprojects (to be financed under subsequent tranches of the proposed multitranche financing facility).
10. Considering the scale, magnitude, and type of the urban development investments proposed under this sector loan (mainly covering water supply, sewerage, solid waste management, and urban transportation), the sample and follow-on subprojects are judged to have minor, temporary environmental impacts that are largely construction-related and reversible in nature. These impacts will be mitigated through carefully developed environmental management plans (EMPs) that will be incorporated into related contract documents as budgeted line items in the bill of quantities.
11. In accordance with ADB’s Environment Policy (2002) and EAG (2003), the determination of the environment category is to be based on the most environmentally sensitive component of the Project. Based on the environmental assessment carried out for the four sample subprojects under the first tranche, the proposed Jammu and Kashmir Urban Sector Development Project loan has been categorized as environment category B Sensitive.
12. Limited numbers of follow-on subprojects are likely to be encroaching upon environmentally sensitive areas such as wildlife sanctuaries and reserved forests. A detailed EARF has been developed to cover the likelihood of inclusion of category A (follow-on) subproject(s) in the subsequent tranche(s).
13. An indicative list of subprojects for JKUSDP is provided in the table A1.1 below.
Table A1.1: Indicative List of Subprojects for JKUSDP
Name of the Subprojects A. Water Supply Srinagar City 1. Sindh canal raw water pipeline 2. Metering program and repair of leaking distribution system Jammu City 3. Water-source development and distribution network expansion 4. Distribution system leak repairs and metering program District Towns 5. Augmenting of water supply at Gulmarg 6. Augmenting of water supply at Pahalgam 7. Augmenting of water supply at Sonamarg B. Sewerage Srinagar City 8. Zone 1—Combined sewerage collection and drainage with dry weather flow STP 9. Zone 2—Combined sewerage collection and STP 10. Zone 3—Brari–Numbal sewerage collection and STP extension 11. Zone 3—Kushalsar combined sewerage collection and STP 32 Appendix 1
Name of the Subprojects 12. Zone 3—Rehabilitation of existing brick sewers, pumping station, and pumping main 13. Collection system and STP for protection of Dal and Nagin Lakes Jammu City 14. Division A, Phase-2 sewerage collection and STP extension 15. Division A, Phase-1 combined sewerage collection and STP District Towns 16. Sewerage collection and treatment, public sanitation facilities, and storm-water drainage at Pahalgam 17. Sewerage collection and treatment, public sanitation facilities, and storm-water drainage at Patnitop 18. Sewerage collection and treatment, public sanitation facilities, and storm-water drainage at Sonamarg C. Urban Transport Srinagar City 19. Boulevard road improvements (Dalgate to Centaur hotel) 20. Bagh Ali Madan–Hazratbal road improvement (via Lal Bazaar) 21. Grade separators at Indira Gandhi Road, Jammu and Kashmir Bank, and CM Residence Road 22. Off-street parking at Pratap Park (1,000 vehicles) and Iqbal Park (500 vehicles) Jammu City 23. Improvement of BC Road and construction of new vehicle cum pedestrian subway and grade separator and Rehari Chowk 24. Western bypass construction (Satwari Chowk to Bell Charana) with river crossing 25. Pedestrian Subway construction at a) Indira Gandhi Chowk, b) Jewel Chowk, and c) Bikram Chowk District Towns 26. Improvement of pedestrian and pony track and roads at Gulmarg 27. Improvement of roads, bridges, and access to the tourist sites at Pahalgam 28. Improvement of mall road and other roads at Patnitop 29. Improvement of roads at Sonamarg D. Solid Waste Management 30. Sanitary landfill site development at Srinagar 31. Sanitary landfill site development at Jammu 32. Sanitary landfill site development at Gulmarg 33. Sanitary landfill site development at Pahalgam 34. Sanitary landfill site development at Patnitop 35. Sanitary landfill site development at Sonamarg E. Others 36. Construction of slaughterhouses at Srinagar 37. Construction of slaughterhouses at Jammu 38. Underground power supply cabling at Gulmarg 39. Underground power supply cabling at Patnitop 40. Underground power supply cabling at Pahalgam 41. Underground power supply cabling at Sonamarg STP= Sewage Treatment Plant Source: PPTA reports
C. Country’s Environmental Assessment and Review Procedures
Appendix 1 33
14. The environmental assessment review procedures for any subproject included under JKUSDP will address the requirements of the acts, rules, notifications, and standards given below:
(i) The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, as amended; (ii) The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, as amended; (iii) The Environment (Protection) Act ,1986, as amended; (iv) The Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 1994, as amended; (v) The Municipal Solid Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000, as amended; (vi) The Biomedical Wastes (Management and handling) Rules, 1998, as amended; (vii) The Jammu and Kashmir Forest (Conservation) Act, 1997, as amended; (viii) Jammu and Kashmir Wildlife Protection Act, 1978, as amended; and (ix) Land Development Act, under Jammu and Kashmir State Constitutional Laws, Vol. IV pertaining to Protected Areas, as amended.
15. In addition to these acts, the following standards shall be taken into account for evaluating water supply subprojects:
(i) National Drinking Water Standard, Indian Standard 10500: 1993; and (ii) WHO Guidelines for Drinking Water, 1996, pertaining to pesticides.3
16. Any project included under JKUSDP generating liquid or air emissions should obtain consent to establish from the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) under the 1974 Water Act and the 1981 Air Act before commencement of construction activities. The Jammu and Kashmir Economic Reconstruction Agency (ERA), the designated Executing Agency, shall also ensure that consent to operate is obtained from the SPCB before commissioning of those projects. During the operational phase of the project, it is required that regular environmental monitoring under those regulations be carried out to ensure that the subprojects continue to comply with the statutory environmental standards prescribed. The sample subprojects under sewerage and MSW management require compliance with the above requirement.
17. The 1994 EIA Notification, issued under India's 1986 Environmental (Protection) Act, requires approval from the Government of India's Ministry of Environment and Forests for certain types of projects. The schedule of Notification4 requires that EIAs be conducted for new development projects costing of Rs1.0 billion or more, and for capacity augmentation projects costing Rs500 million or more. None of the sample subprojects included in JKUSDP are expected to require environmental clearance under the 1994 EIA Notification.
18. Considering the nature and scale of urban infrastructure facilities under JKUSDP and associated environmental impacts, the 1994 EIA Notification does not apply to JKUSDP. However, any future subprojects meeting the following criteria shall obtain environmental
3 There are no guidelines under Indian legislation for pesticide limits in drinking water. 4 Ministry of Environment and Forests EIA notification schedule SO(60) dated 27 Jan 1994 and latest amendment thereof. 34 Appendix 1 clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forests and the State Forest Department,5 as applicable:
(i) projects requiring forestland, (ii) tarred roads in forests, (iii) widening of roads requiring land acquisition more than 20 meters on either side, and (iv) tourism projects at elevations of more than 1,000 meters with investment more than Rs50 million
19. The Municipal Solid Wastes (Management and Handing) Rules, 2000, issued under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, require urban local bodies or facility operators to obtain authorization from the SPCB for collection, treatment, and disposal of municipal solid wastes generated in their jurisdiction. These rules prescribe a policy for waste management, that covers: (i) waste collection and storage; (ii) segregation of waste; (iii) littering; (iv) transportation; and (v) waste processing (compost plants, energy recovery, etc.). For MSW management facilities to be developed under the JKUSDP, The Jammu and Kashmir ERA shall ensure that the relevant municipal corporations, other urban local bodies, or development authorities, obtain site clearances, applicable consents and appropriate authorizations from SPCB for collection, storage, transport, treatment, and disposal of the MSW.
20. The following are the provisions of the MSW Rules, 2000, applicable to JKUSDP.
(i) The municipal authority shall take all steps needed to ensure that municipal solid waste generated in their jurisdiction shall be handled and disposed of without causing adverse impacts on human health and environment; (ii) The municipal authority or facility operator shall apply to the SPCB in Form-I for grant of authorization to set up a waste processing and disposal facility, including landfills; (iii) The municipal authority shall furnish its annual report in Form-II to the SPCB, annually on or before the 30th day of June; and (iv) Any municipal solid waste generated in a city or a town shall be managed and handled in accordance with the compliance criteria and the procedure laid down in Schedule-II.
21. The Biomedical Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 1998, require healthcare institutions to provide their own biomedical waste treatment and disposal facilities, or to establish a common facility through an association of healthcare institutions or through an operator as per the rules without causing any adverse impact human health and environment. The urban local bodies are responsible for identifying suitable sites for such common disposal facilities. Healthcare institutions are required to obtain authorization from the SPCB for the disposal of biomedical wastes. Currently only a small portion of the biomedical wastes generated in the state is being treated and disposed as stipulated. Untreated biomedical waste usually gets mixed with the MSW. ERA shall facilitate implementation of biomedical waste treatment facilities so as to ensure that no biomedical waste is mixed with MSW and received at the MSW management facilities proposed under JKUSDP.
5 The Government of India's Forest Act and Forest Conservation Act are not applicable to the state of Jammu and Kashmir, and hence any activity encroaching into the forest area needs to obtain clearance from the State Forest Department, as per the Jammu and Kashmir Forest (Conservation) Act, 1997.
Appendix 1 35
22. The statutory environmental requirements to be followed for subprojects under JKUSDP are given in Table A1.2 below:
Table A1.2: Environmental Regulatory Compliance for JKUSDP subprojects
Subprojects Applicability of Compliance Criteria Acts/Guidelines Water Water (Prevention and Control of • SPCB consent to establish before starting Treatment Pollution) Act ,1974, as amended construction and SPCB consent to operate before plants commissioning • Treated backwash water to comply with effluent standards prescribed by the Government. Sewage Water (Prevention and Control of • SPCB consent to establish before starting treatment Pollution) Act, 1974, as amended construction and SPCB consent to operate before plants commissioning • Treated sewage to comply with effluent standards prescribed by the Government. Municipal solid Municipal Solid Wastes Rules, • Site clearance from SPCB waste 2000, as amended • SPCB authorization for collection, treatment, and processing disposal plants and • Follow the specifications and recommendations in engineered waste collection, storage, transportation, and landfills Water (Prevention and Control of disposal activities Pollution) Act, 1974, as amended • SPCB consent to establish before starting construction of processing plants and landfills All subprojects Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, • Clearance from Ministry of Environment and encroaching as amended Forests if subproject falls in Schedule I of EIA into sensitive Notification, 1994 areas such as Environmental Assessment Impact forests Notification, 1994, as amended • Clearance from the national and/or state wildlife board, and the State Forest Department, as Jammu and Kashmir Forest applicable. (Conservation) Act, 1997, as amended
Jammu and Kashmir Wildlife Protection Act, 1978, as amended EIA= environmental impact assessment, SPCB= state pollution control board Source: PPTA report
D. Environmental Assessment and Review Procedures for Subprojects
1. Responsibilities and Authorities
23. As the Executing Agency for the Project, the Jammu and Kashmir ERA is responsible for the Project through its project management units (PMUs). This EARF also provides specific procedures to be used for every subproject under JKUSDP for (i) environmental classification and assessment though a rapid environmental assessment, an EIA or IEE, and a summary EIA or summary IEE of eligible subprojects; (ii) design and implementation of the environmental management plan (EMP) and environmental monitoring plan as stipulated in the EIA or IEE; (iii) compliance with public consultation requirements and information disclosure-related requirements; (iv) maintaining records of all subprojects' environment- related documents for disclosure by the PMUs; and (v) monitoring the performance of the PMUs on implementing environmental assessment-related activities, including environmental management and monitoring plans.
24. ERA will ensure that subprojects are properly selected. ADB will review and confirm the environmental classification. If any follow-on subproject is classified as environment category A, then the environment category of the overall Project will be re-categorized as 36 Appendix 1 environment category A prior to approval of such follow-on subproject. ERA will further ensure that (i) environmental assessments for subprojects are conducted in line with the requirements of ADB, and that of national, state, and local statutory environmental regulations; and (ii) the environmental management and monitoring plans are appropriately implemented.
25. The responsibilities and authorities of the PMUs, ERA, and ADB at each stage are summarized in Table A1.3. Completion of these procedures in a manner satisfactory to ADB is required under the subproject eligibility criteria and procedures for all subprojects under JKUSDP.
Table A1.3: Institutional Arrangements for Environmental Assessment
Project Management Unit (PMU) ERA – the Executing Agency ADB Conduct the REA for the subproject, Review the REA checklists to ensure that the Review the REA prepare an REA checklist, and submit subprojects are (i) selected as per the checklists and the checklist to ERA selection criteria; (ii) not in violation of categorize the national, state, and local statutory subproject based on environmental requirements; and (iii) in ADB’s Environment compliance with ADB’s Environment Policy Policy 2002 and EAG 2002 and EAG 2003, as amended from time 2003, as amended from to time time to time
If ERA or ADB observe that the If any of the follow-on subproject is not in compliance with subprojects is classified ADB’s EAG 2003, as amended from as environment time to time, or with national, state, and category A, then the local statutory environmental environment category of requirements, reconsider and modify the Project will be the subproject to be in compliance recategorized as environment category A, prior to approval of such follow-on subproject. Prepare an EIA or IEE (containing an Review EIAs or IEEs and SEIAs or SIEEs Review the EIAs or EMP and environmental monitoring for subprojects, confirm that these are in IEEs and SEIAs or plan) and SEIA or SIEE for the accordance with ADB’s Environment Policy SIEEs, reconfirm that subproject in line with ADB’s 2002 and EAG 2003, and that necessary the subprojects are in Guidelines (including public statutory environmental clearances or compliance with ADB’s consultation). Submit the EIA or IEE consents are obtained in the process of Guidelines, and and SEIA or SIEE to ERA completing these requirements, and submit approve the subprojects these EIAs or IEEs and SEIAs or SIEEs to in consultation with After the reconfirmation of ERA and ADB. ADB's Regional and /ADB, disclose the EIA or IEE and Sustainable SEIA or SIEE Development Department, if deemed necessary
SEIAs and SIEEs (for category B Sensitive subprojects) will be subject to ADB’s “120 day” rule.
Any subproject observed during periodic reviews to be in noncompliance with ADB’s requirements will not be eligible for financing under JKUSDP. Based on the subproject EMP, identify Confirm that the environmental monitoring environmental monitoring activities and activities and mitigation measures are mitigation measures that need to be incorporated in the contractors’ contract
Appendix 1 37
Project Management Unit (PMU) ERA – the Executing Agency ADB incorporated into the contractors' documents contract documents and incorporate them in the documents
Ensure that environmental clearances from SPCB, the government of Jammu and Kashmir, and the Government of India are in place before starting implementation activities
Implement the EMP. Undertake Ensure that the EMPs, including all proposed Review environmental remedial action in consultation with mitigation measures, are properly aspects of the ERA and ADB if there are any implemented subprojects as needed unexpected environmental impacts during review missions identified during implementation
Prepare quarterly reports including a Consolidate the quarterly reports and submit Review the reports. chapter on implementation of the EMP to ADB for public disclosure including Give necessary advice and environmental monitoring activities website posting in accordance with ADB’s as needed to PMU carried out during the reporting period. Public Communications Policy, (2005) Submit the reports to ERA Submit those environmental monitoring reports for website posting, in accordance with ADB’s Public Communications Policy, (2005) ADB= Asian Development Bank, ERA= Economic Reconstruction Agency, EAG= environmental assessment guidelines, EIA= enviromental impact assessment, EMP= environmental management plan, IEE= initial environmental examination, JKUSDP= Jammu and Kashmir Urban Sector Development Project, PMU= project management unit, REA = rapid environmental assessment, SEIA= summary environmental impact assessment, SIEE= summary initial environmental examination, SPCB= state pollution control board Sources: PPTA reports
2. Environmental Criteria for Subproject Selection
26. The following criteria will be used for selecting subprojects to be financed under JKUSDP:
(i) Subprojects will comply with environmental requirements specified in ADB’s Environment Policy (2002) and EAG (2003) and those specified in India's environmental regulations, including laws and standards of the state of Jammu and Kashmir; (ii) Subprojects likely to be categorized as environmental category A [as defined by ADB’s EAG (2003), as amended from time to time] will be considered for financing under JKUSDP—subject to the Project being recategorized as environment category A; (iii) Subprojects shall not encroach into on any national park or national park buffer zone; (iv) Subprojects encroaching into any core or buffer zones of wildlife sanctuaries, sensitive wetlands, reserved forests, or other environmentally sensitive areas shall obtain national, state and local statutory environmental clearances (including clearance from the Supreme Court of India, if required) before commencing with works; (v) Subprojects shall not affect any historical or cultural heritage sites or areas; (vi) Subprojects should not cause or intensify drainage problems in other areas; 38 Appendix 1
(vii) Flood-mitigation and drainage-improvement works will be designed taking into account downstream effects; and (viii) Subprojects shall avoid or minimize: a. destruction or disturbance of historical or cultural items or areas; b. causing or exacerbating environmental hazards; c. development or activities that might mobilize the acid reaction of acid sulfate soils; d. development on flood-prone land or floodplains; e. damage to valuable ecology and natural heritage areas; f. disturbance to the extent, depth, or hydrological balance of wetlands; g. adding to the effluent load entering lakes and river systems; and h. disruption, resettlement, or relocation of communities.
27. Taking into account the potential environmental impacts of the subprojects and ADB’s EAG (2003), the environmental classification of the subprojects under JKUSDP will be as follows:
(i) Category A. Subproject components are projected to have potentially significant adverse environmental impacts. An EIA is required to address significant impacts. This type of subproject requires an EIA report (including an EMP); the SEIA must be disclosed publicly 120 days prior to approval by ADB;
(ii) Category B. Subproject components are projected to have some adverse environmental impacts, but they are expected to be less significant than impacts associated with category A projects. An IEE is required to determine whether an EIA is warranted. If an EIA is not needed, the IEE is regarded as the final environmental assessment report. Category B subprojects will be categorized as “B Sensitive” if they are located near environmentally sensitive areas or involve (a) deforestation; (b) loss of biodiversity; (c) involuntary resettlement, (d) processing, handling, or disposal of toxic and hazardous substances; or (e) other environmentally sensitive activities that may affect a wide group of external stakeholders. Category B subprojects requires IEE reports, including an EMPs; SIEEs have to be disclosed publicly 120 days prior to approval by ADB; and
(iii) Category C. Subproject components are unlikely to have adverse environmental impacts. No EIA or IEE is required, although environmental implications are still reviewed.
28. Taking into account of the potential impacts associated with the subprojects of JKUSDP, the following environmental criteria for specific components of JKUSDP will be adopted as guidelines for the selection of subsequent subprojects.
(i) Water supply. (a) Avoid water-use conflicts in abstraction of raw water for water supply with other beneficial water uses; (b) Avoid siting raw water supply extraction where there are upstream wastewater discharges; (c) Avoid hazard of land subsidence caused by excessive groundwater pumping; (d) Avoid overpumping of groundwater, which could lead to salinization; (e) Avoid generating more sewage than existing community facilities can handle;
Appendix 1 39
(f) Avoid excessive abstraction of water, which could downstream water users; and (g) Ensure adequate availability of water at source.
(ii) Sewerage and sanitation. (a) Avoid areas of incompatible land use (e.g., densely populated residential areas, schools, or hospitals); (b) Avoid impairment of downstream water quality caused by release of inadequately treated or untreated sewage; (c) Choose sites where overflows can be controlled to avoid impacts on neighboring properties; and (d) Choose sites to minimize hazards to public health due to overflow flooding, and groundwater pollution due to failure of sewerage system
(iii) Municipal solid waste management. (a) Avoid areas that do not conform to the Municipal Solid Wastes (Management and Handling) Rules, 2000; (b) Avoid areas of high population; (c) Avoid contamination of receiving waters by leachate from land based disposal system; (d) Avoid contamination of groundwater and/or surface water by leachate from land disposal system; (e) Avoid land-use conflicts; (f) Avoid landfill sites where there is insufficient space for a surrounding buffer zone to alleviate nuisances; and (g) Design waste management collection and management practices to prevent worker health and safety hazards resulting from toxic gases and hazardous materials on-site.
(iv) Urban transport. (a) Ensure space availability for road safety, residents, pedestrians and for installation of noise and air pollution mitigation measures; (b) Minimize disfiguration of landscape by road embankments, cuts, fills, and quarries; (c) Minimize alteration of hydrology of waterways crossed by roads; (d) Minimize dislocation or involuntary resettlement of people living in right-of-way; (e) Minimize the risk of driving accidents where construction interferes with preexisting roads; and (f) Minimize the risk of accidents associated with increased vehicular traffic, which may lead to accidental spills of toxic materials and/or loss of life.
3. Procedures for Environmental Assessment of Subprojects
29. The procedures for environmental assessment of subprojects must be in line with the requirements of national, state, and local statutory environmental regulations, as well as ADB’s Environment Policy (2002), EAG (2003), as amended from time to time, and these Environment Assessment and Review Procedures.
30. Environmental Classification. PMUs will prepare a rapid environmental assessment (REA) checklist for each subproject. The formats for the REA checklists are given in Appendix 2. After screening by ERA, a duly signed REA checklist will be submitted to ADB for review and confirmation of the environmental classification of each subproject. If 40 Appendix 1 any of the follow-on subprojects is classified as environment category A, then the entire Project will be recategorized as environment category A so that the given Category A follow- on subproject is eligible for project financing.
31. Preparation of EIAs, SEIAs, IEEs and SIEEs: PMUs will prepare an EIA and SEIA for subprojects classified as Category A and prepare an IEE and SIEE for subprojects classified as B or B Sensitive. The IEE contents will comprise: (i) an introduction; (ii) description of the subproject, (iii) description of the environment, (iv) screening of potential environmental impacts and mitigation measures, (v) institutional requirements and environmental monitoring plan, (vi) public consultation and information disclosure, (vii) findings and recommendations, and (viii) conclusions. The EIA will have additional sections for (i) alternatives, and (ii) economic assessment [as detailed in ADB’s EAG (2003)6]. The EIA or IEE for each subproject will include an EMP to ensure proper environmental management of the subproject. ADB’s Environmental Guidelines for Selected Infrastructure Projects, 1993, will be used to identify major environmental issues. During EIA or IEE preparation, public consultation will be carried out,7 and the comments from the public will be reflected in the final EIA or IEE. The SEIA or SIEE will be made available to the public while the EIA or IEE will be available upon request. The SEIAs and SIEEs (for B Sensitive subprojects) will also be subject to ADB’s “120 day” rule for the approval of follow-on subprojects.
32. Review of EIAs, IEEs, SEIAs, and SIEEs. EIAs, IEEs, SEIAs, and SIEEs prepared by the PMUs will be initially reviewed by ERA. ERA will give comments to the subproject PMU, if necessary, to revise the EIA or IEE. After this process, ERA will submit the EIA and SEIA (or the IEE and SIEE) to ADB, where they will be reviewed by ADB's Regional and Sustainable Development Department, if necessary. Subproject approval will be given based on ADB’s overall review—including the review of environmental aspects. Any subproject observed to be in noncompliance with ADB’s guidelines or requirements will not be eligible for financing under JKUSDP. Subprojects identified for financing under JKUSDP are mainly urban infrastructure development subprojects, which do not need environmental clearance. However, for subprojects that require environmental clearance, such clearance must be obtained well before any implementation activity commences.
33. Public Consultation and Information Disclosure. ERA is responsible for ensuring that all environmental assessment documentation, including monitoring the implementation of EMPs, and environmental monitoring plans shall be systematically documented. The environmental assessment documents are subject to public disclosure and shall be made available, if required. ERA shall ensure that in carrying out an IEE for any subproject under JKUSDP, at least one consultation with affected people will be carried out to gather their concerns about the subproject and its likely impacts. If an EIA is required, ERA shall ensure that two consultations with affected people are undertaken. The aim of the first consultation will be to gather affected persons' concerns about the subproject and its impacts. The aim of the second consultation will be to share the EMP with affected persons and gather their views on the EMP. For any subproject categorized as B Sensitive or A, the SIEE (for category B sensitive) or SEIA (for category A) shall be disclosed on ADB’s website for 120 days prior to approval of the subproject. Environmental assessment reports for ADB projects will be accessible to interested parties and the general public. It is required that SIEE and SEIA reports be circulated worldwide, through the depository library system and on the ADB website. The full EIA or IEE reports are also made available to interested parties on request.
6 Appendix 2 of EAG (2003). 7 Two consultations will take place for EIAs and one consultation will take place for IEEs as detailed in Chapter X of EAG (2003).
Appendix 1 41
34. Monitoring Environmental Performance. An environmental monitoring plan will be prepared for each subproject. This plan will recommend environmental monitoring mechanisms to be used to indicate the effectiveness of the EMP in mitigating negative impacts identified in the EIA or IEE. The plan will also identify the agencies and institutions that are responsible for monitoring. The ERA has the overall responsibility to monitor the implementation of the EMPs—including environmental mitigation measures—for all subprojects under JKUSDP.
35. During the design and preconstruction stage, monitoring will be the responsibility of the PMUs. This is mainly in the form of review and verification of designs and incorporation of mitigation measures into design and contract documents. Mitigation measures to be taken during the construction stage will be mostly implemented by the main contractor. The PMUs will also monitor the environmental performance. During the operation stage, monitoring will be the responsibility of the operator, such as the urban local body or line department or agency; however, the SPCB is also delegated with periodic responsibility for third-party monitoring. There are no significant impacts envisaged during either the development or operation phase. However, facilities such as STP and MSW disposal facilities may have impacts at the operation stage. The significance of these impacts will depend on the operational performance of these facilities. Although sufficient care and appropriate mitigation will be incorporated into the design of these facilities, performance monitoring during operation will be essential to making the investments environmentally suitable and socially acceptable. Therefore, environmental parameters to be monitored during the subproject lifecycle have been identified.
36. Reports on the implementation of environmental management and environmental monitoring plans need to be documented systematically. ERA shall ensure that ADB will be given access to undertake environmental review of any subproject, as and when required. When unexpected environmental impacts are encountered during implementation, ERA, in close consultation with ADB, shall undertake remedial measures to mitigate those impacts at the earliest opportunity. These environmental mitigation measures shall be implemented and thoroughly monitored by ERA. The actions and the results shall be recorded in writing and included in the environmental monitoring report. PMUs will prepare quarterly reports for subprojects that will capture the status of implementation of mitigation measures and monitoring carried out thereof. ERA will consolidate quarterly reports for individual subprojects and submit the reports to ADB for public disclosure in accordance with ADB’s Public Communication Policy (2005). If ERA finds any issues that need further environmental monitoring and/or mitigation measures, ERA will give instruction to PMUs, and inform ADB. ADB will review the implementation of the EMP, both through quarterly reports from ERA, and through its review missions.
E. Confirmation that Environmental Assessment and Review Procedures Conforms to ADB’s Environmental and Social Safeguard Policies
37. ERA will, with the help of consultants, review the EIAs and IEEs and corresponding EMPs to ensure that the mitigation measures and monitoring plan proposed are adequate and conform to ADB’s environmental and social safeguard policies. ADB in consultation with the Regional and Sustainable Development Department as deemed necessary, will confirm the compliance. For this purpose, ERA will provide ADB with access to information on any subproject, as needed. The information on the implementation of the EMP, as well as that on the environmental safeguard compliance will be systematically documented and reported to ADB as a part of the quarterly reports containing a section on the implementation of the EMP and environmental monitoring plan.
42 Appendix 1
38. Each PMU will ensure that all environmental assessment documentation, including the environmental monitoring reports, is properly and systematically kept as part of subproject specific records. The procedure will follow the EARF developed during the appraisal of the initial subprojects.
F. Staffing Requirements and Budget
39. Conducting the environmental assessment as detailed above is the responsibility of ERA. It has established PMU offices under ongoing ADB-financed Multisector Project for Infrastructure Rehabilitation in Jammu and Kashmir at Jammu and Srinagar. Each PMU office has one fulltime qualified environmental expert. In addition, under the Multisector Project for Infrastructure Rehabilitation in Jammu and Kashmir a significant number of staff in ERA is being trained in environment-related issues. ERA will develop in-house expertise that is neutral from operations to focus on independent environmental monitoring so that environmental concerns are mainstreamed in every aspects of the project implementation. In addition to the strengthening of environmental assessment and monitoring capability of ERA, environmental capacity building programs for SPCB and other line agencies and /or implementing agencies are proposed to be undertaken under JKUSDP.
40. Under JKUSDP, the PMUs will be responsible for preparing REA checklists, and for the implementation and monitoring of EMPs. ERA, if necessary, will engage consultants to prepare the REA and the IEE or EIA until the in-house staff has been trained adequately. A timeframe of 15 days is considered sufficient to prepare an IEE report, and up to 120 days is considered sufficient for an EIA report. Hence the budget allocation as per the local rates would be in the range of $4,000 for an IEE and $20,000 for an EIA. Sufficient budget funds and resources have been incorporated into JKUSDP to cover costs to (i) implement the environmental review procedures, (ii) conduct IEEs and EIAs for the follow up subprojects, (iii) monitor the implementation of the environmental management plan, and (iv) undertake environmental monitoring.
G. Conclusion
41. This environmental assessment and review framework has been formulated for the use of ERA and PMUs to ensure that the follow-on subprojects will be prepared and implemented in accordance with the statutory environmental regulations at the national, state and local levels, and ADB’s Environment Policy (2002) and Environmental Assessment Guidelines (2003), as amended from time to time.