Public Disclosure Authorized Government of Nepal Ministry of Physical Infrastructure and Transport Department of Roads Development Cooperation Implementation Division (DCID) Jwagal, Lalitpur Strategic Road Connectivity and Trade Improvement Project (SRCTIP) Public Disclosure Authorized Improvement of Naghdhunga-Naubise-Mugling (NNM) Road Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) Public Disclosure Authorized Prepared by Environment & Resource Management Consultant (P) Ltd. Public Disclosure Authorized JV with Group of Engineer’s Consortium (P) Ltd., and Udaya Consultancy (P) Ltd.Kathmandu April 2020 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Introduction The Government of Nepal (GoN) has requested the World Bank (WB) to support the improvements of existing roads that are of vital importance to the country’s economy and regional connectivity through the proposed Strategic Road Connectivity and Trade Improvement Project (SRCTIP). The project has four components: (1) Trade Facilitation; (2) Regional Road Connectivity; (3) Institutional Strengthening; and (4) Contingency Emergency Response. Under the second component, this project will carry out the following activities: (a) Improvement of the existing 2-lane Nagdhunga-Naubise-Mugling (NNM) Road; (94.7 km on the pivotal north-south trade corridor connecting Kathmandu and Birgunj) to a 2-lane with 1 m paved shoulders, and (b) Upgrading of the Kamala-Dhalkebar-Pathlaiya (KDP) Road of the Mahendra Highway (East West Highway) from 2-lane to 4-lane. An Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) was undertaken during the detailed design phase of the NNM Road to assess the environmental and social risks and impacts of the NNM Road before execution of the project in accordance with the Government of Nepal’s (GoN) requirements and the World Bank’s Environmental and Social Framework (ESF). The KDP Road is covered by a separate upstream Environmental and Social Assessment (ESA) based on pre-feasibility information since the feasibility study of KDP road has just commenced recently. The ESA will serve as the basis for the detailed ESIA during the detailed design stage of the KDP Road. Project Description The total length of the NNM Road is comprised of Naghdhunga-Naubise (12.3 km) (part of Tribhuvan Highway (TH) and Naubise-Mugling (82.4 km) (part of a Prithvi Highway (PH). The road is located in Kathmandu, Dhading and Chitwan districts of Province 3. The alignment begins at the Nagdhunga check-post and passes through Naubise, Khanikhola, Mahadevbesi, Galchhi, Baireni, Malekhu, Benighat, Kurintar, ending at Mugling. The road section has a junction with TH at Naubise. The highway also connects Nuwakot District via a newly constructed road in Galchhi and connects to the district headquarters of Dhading District at Phurke Khola, Malekhu. Similarly, at Mugling the highway has junction of Mugling- Narayanghat Road Section connecting this highway to Mahendra Highway (MH). The existing NNM Road will have a carriageway width of 7 meters and shoulder width of 1 to 2.5 meters from its current carriageway of 5.5 to 6.5 m and existing shoulder of 0.5 to 1m. Improving road safety will also be a key feature of NNM Road improvement works and will include the installation of signages and imposition of speed limits. The NNM Road is one of the key roads connecting Kathmandu to Terai Region on the way to Indian border and other major cities of Nepal such as Pokhara (a major tourist destination), Narayanghat and Birgunj. The improvement of the NNM Road will provide better accessibility and driving/riding quality, ensuring efficient transportation and better traffic and road safety. It will also facilitate the development of physical infrastructure, contributing to local and regional development, economic initiatives and improvement of local wellbeing. The original ESIA work was carried out in 2016-2018, in accordance with Environmental Protection Act ii Map of Existing Road alignment (EPA) 1997, Environmental Protection Regulations (EPR) 1997 and WB Operational Policies1. The ESIA report was submitted to the WB as per the requirements. The WB issued the new Environment and Social Framework (ESF) in 2018, and accordingly this ESIA report has been updated to meet the requirements of the ESF. Scope of ESIA The scope of the ESIA is to: i) update the existing baseline status of the environment within the Corridor of Impact and Project Zone of Influence; ii) identify the additional probable adverse and positive environmental and social (E&S) risks and impacts due to the planned project during its entire cycle, that is, from preconstruction to construction, to operation and maintenance; iii) consider all Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) risks and impacts likely in the project to address as part of preparation of the Stakeholder Engagement Plan (SEP), Labour Management Procedure (LMP), Gender Based Violence (GBV) Risk Mitigation Action Plan for the NMM Road. Legal and Institutional Framework Nepal’s national legislative framework, WB ESF and EHS guidelines form the legal and institutional framework for this ESIA at different stages, including the assessment and development of mitigation measures to be complied with during pre-construction, construction and operational stages. 1(particularly Environmental Assessment EA (OP 4.01), Natural Habitats (OP 4.04), Indigenous People (OP 4.10), Physical Cultural Resources (OP 4.11), Physical Cultural Resources (OP 4.11), Involuntary Resettlement (OP 4.12), Forests (OP 4.36). iii This section of the ESIA provides an overview of the applicable environmental and social policies, legislative and institutional frameworks, which the project will be required to comply during its implementation. The national legal and institutional framework is based on the Constitution of Nepal (2015), which provides the right of everybody to live in clean and healthy environment as well as to conserve, promote and make sustainable use of natural resources. A detailed analysis of the existing legislative framework in Nepal was undertaken, which included a review of all relevant documents such as development plans, strategies, policies, Acts and rules. The national directives, guidelines, manuals and standards help to fulfil the requirements of the regulatory framework, providing useful practical tools, applicable at the level of project implementation. The existing regulatory framework was analysed and tabulated, highlighting relevant key provisions to the NNM Road ESIA. Some of the important laws and regulations reviewed included (but not limited to) the following: The Road Safety Action Plan (2013-2020), Nepal National Biodiversity Action Plan (2014-2020), Nepal National Environment Policy (2019), Forest Policy (2015), Labour Policy (2005), Land Acquisition, Resettlement and Rehabilitation Policy (2015), Environment Protection Act (2019), Forest Act (2019), Control of International Trade of Endangered Wild Fauna and Flora Act (2017), Labour Act (2017), Child Labour (Prohibition and Regulation) Act (2000), and Land Acquisition Act (1977) with amendments, Labour Rules (2018), Water Resources Regulation (1993), Industrial Policy (2010). Nepal, being a signatory party for many international conventions and other treaties, is bound to address the vital environmental and social issues transboundary or global in nature such as pollution, climate change and biodiversity conservation. The provisions of international treaties have been taken into account during ESIA process. Baseline Environmental and Social Conditions The baseline assessment from 2016-2018 and recent updates assessed key environmental attributes like physiography, drainage, geology, soil, hydrogeology, land use, flora, fauna, forest/vegetation cover, climate, ambient air quality, water quality, ambient noise levels, hazards and vulnerability. It also assessed social attributes such as private assets, cultural heritages, public utilities, Indigenous People (IPs), vulnerable groups, project-affected groups, GBV and OHS related to the proposed project. Physical Environment: The highest point along the NNM Road is at Nagdhunga (1,500 m). The road alignment passes through a hilly area from Nagdhunga to Naubise. From Naubise, the road alignment goes along the river valley of the Mahesh Khola up to Galchhi. After Galchhi, road alignment follows the left bank of the Trishuli River valley upto Mugling, which is the lowest point of the road (265 m). Geologically, the project area belongs to the rocks of the Lesser Himalaya and falls in Central Nepal. The lithological units available within the project district are carbonaceous schist, limestone schist, dolomite and Gneiss schist and three types of soil namely, colluvium, residual and alluvium. Historically, the highway has been in very bad condition due to a number of slope failure sites and landslides. The entire section of the road from the Manakamana cable car station to Mugling from Km 90+1 00 to Km 92+500 presents an old landslide zone. However, only the road section from Km 91+900 to 92+500 for about 600 m is currently an active landslide zone. The rest of the section has been stabilized in iv due course of time2. The road section (125 m) at Jogimara 66+800 to 66+925 is also a potential rock fall zone. The air quality, monitored in various locations, showed that all parameters were within the National Ambient Air Quality Standard (NAAQS) except for the PM10 and PM2.5. The observed equivalent noise pressure levels were found to exceed the National Noise Quality Standard Limit (NNQSL) and Occupational