Environmental Assessment Document
Draft Initial Environmental Examination Document Stage: Draft for Consultation Project Number: 36188 June 2010
Nepal: Secondary Towns Integrated Urban Environmental Improvement Project – Biratnagar Subproject
Prepared by Department of Urban Development and Building Construction, Ministry of Physical Planning and Works, Government of Nepal
The 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. ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS
ADB – Asian Development Bank AP – affected persons BPL – below poverty level CBO – Community Based Organizations CDC – Compensation Determination Committee CDO – Chief District Officer CFC – Compensation Fixation Committee CPR – Community Property Resource DDC – District Development Committee DOR – Department of Roads DSC – Design and Supervision Consultants DUDBC – Department of Urban Development and Building Construction EA – Executing Agency GON – Government of Nepal GRC – Grievance Redress Committee HA – Hectares H&S – Health and Safety HH – Households IA – Implementing Agency IP – Indigenous People IR – Involuntary Resettlement LA – Land Acquisition LA Act – Land Acquisition Act MPPW – Ministry of Physical Planning and Works NGO – Non-Government Organizations NRs – Nepalese Rupees O&M - Operations and Maintenance PCO – Project Coordination Office PD – Project Director PH – Physically Handicapped PIU – Project Implementation Unit PLI – Poverty Level Income PM – Project Manager PPTA – Project Preparatory Technical Assistance PSA – Poverty and Social Assessment RP – Resettlement Plan R&R – Resettlement and Rehabilitation TA – Technical Assistance ToR – Terms of Reference VDC – Village Development Committee WHH – Women Headed Households WEIGHTS AND MEASURES d - day ha - hectare km - kilometer KV - kilovolts l/pppd - liters per person per day m - meter mg/L - milligrams per liter pH - acidity/alkalinity ppm - parts per million s - second sq. m - square meter sq. km - square kilometer t - ton yr - year
CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS (as of 6 May 2010)
Currency Unit – Nepalese rupee/s (NRe/NRs)
NRs 1.00 = $0.01391 $1.00 = NRs71.90
NOTE
In this report, “$” refers to US Dollars.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
I. Introduction ...... 1 A. Purpose of the Report ...... 1 B. Extent of the IEE Study ...... 1 C. Key Policies Affecting the Project...... 4 1. ADB Policy...... 4 2. Government of Nepal Environmental Policy...... 5 3. Multilateral Environmental Requirements...... 7 II. Description of the Subproject...... 8 A. Project Proponent ...... 8 B. Subproject Components...... 8 C. Environmental Categorization ...... 14 D. Estimated Cost ...... 14 III. Description of Existing Environment ...... 15 A. Physical, Biological and Socio-economic Conditions...... 15 1. Geophysical...... 15 2. Ecological Profile ...... 15 3. Protected Areas...... 16 4. Land Use and Land Cover...... 16 5. Social and Economic Development...... 17 6. Economic Characteristics ...... 18 7. Infrastructure Facilities ...... 19 8. Quality of Life Values...... 20 B. Major Environmental Issues...... 20 1. Industrial Effluent...... 20 2. Inundation, Drainage, and River Flooding ...... 21 3. Air Pollution ...... 22 4. Solid Waste Management ...... 22 5. Water Quality...... 23 IV. Anticipated Environmental Impacts and Mitigation Measures ...... 23 A. Environmental Impacts and Mitigation Measures ...... 23 B. Potential Environmental Enhancement Measures...... 46 1. Sewer line...... 47 2. Storm water drainage ...... 47 3. Waste stabilization treatment plant...... 47 4. Sanitation-100% coverage ...... 47 V. Analysis of Alternatives ...... 47 A. Project Sites ...... 47 B. Project Design, Technology Selection, and Operation...... 48 C. No Project Options ...... 48 VI. Information Disclosure, Consultation, and Participation...... 48 VII. Grievance Redress Mechanism ...... 49 A. Mitigation...... 53 B. Monitoring ...... 66 1. Compliance Monitoring...... 67 2. Impact/Effects Monitoring ...... 68 C. Implementation Arrangement ...... 73 1. Institutional Arrangement...... 73 2. Responsibilities for Mitigation and Monitoring ...... 74 3. Skills Needs and Institutional Strengthening ...... 75 4. Cost Estimates ...... 75 5. Reporting and Review ...... 77 6. Feedback and Adjustment...... 77 IX. Findings and Recommendations...... 77 X. Conclusions ...... 78 A. Results of ADB Environmental Assessment ...... 78 B. Nepali Environmental Clearance...... 79
LIST OF TABLES
Table 1: Projects Requiring IEE or EIA per Nepal Environment Protection Regulations of 1997... Table 2: Summary of Components and Subcomponents ...... Table 3: Summary of Biratnagar Drainage and Sanitation Component...... Table 4: Summary of Biratnagar Roads and Lanes Component ...... Table 5: Existing Land Use in Biratnagar...... Table 6: PM10, TSP, SO2, NO2, CO, and Pb Measurements ...... Table 7: Potential Adverse Impacts of Proposed Activities, their Mitigation Measures and Responsible Institution in Biratnagar ...... Table 8: Summary of Potential Environmental Impacts and Mitigation Measures - Drainage and Sanitation Component ...... Table 9: Summary of Potential Environmental Impacts and Mitigation Measures – Roads and Lanes Component...... Table 10: Environmental Monitoring Plan ...... Table 11: Institutional Arrangements ...... Table 12: Cost Estimates......
LIST OF FIGURES
Figure 1: Location of Municipalities...... Figure 2: Proposed Sewer Network Component ...... Figure 3: Proposed Storm Drainage Network Component ...... Figure 4: Proposed Wastewater Treatment Sites ...... Figure 5: Proposed Roads and Lanes Components...... Figure 6: Flow Diagram for Conflict Resolution and Grievance Redress Mechanism ......
APPENDICES
Appendix 1: Features of Identified Waste Water Treatment Plants ...... Appendix 2: List of Resource Persons Consulted During Field Visits between 14-15 September and 12-14 October in Biratnagar...... Appendix 3: National Standards and Codes ...... Appendix 4: Assistance to implement Government Environmental Management Guidelines
I. INTRODUCTION
A. Purpose of the Report
1. The Secondary Towns Integrated Urban Environmental Improvement Project (STIUEIP) aims to improve quality of life and to help achieve higher and socially inclusive economic growth in key regional centers in Nepal through improved and affordable municipal services delivered effectively, efficiently and reliably by accountable local bodies. Out of 13 candidate towns, the three municipalities, namely, Biratnagar, Birgunj and Butwal, have been carefully selected on the basis of (i) economic growth potential, (ii) demands for urban services, and (iii) urban management capacity. Each town is the main urban centre of an industrial corridor and of importance in external trade.
2. The STIUEIP will be implemented over five years from 2010-2015 supported by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) through project loans. The Ministry of Physical Planning and Works (MPPW) will be the Project’s executing agency (EA). Department of Urban Development and Building Construction (DUDBC) will be the main implementing agency (IA) which is responsible for implementing the bulk of the activities. A project coordination office (PCO) will be established under the DUDBC with project implementation units (PIUs) at municipality levels.
3. The subprojects in Biratnagar (Figure 1) will consist of (i) drainage and sewerage system improvement including two wastewater treatment plants, (ii) urban roads and lanes improvement, and (iii) awareness creation. The overall objective of this subproject is to improve urban environment and health and hygiene of the people through development of basic infrastructure services and promotion of sanitation awareness.
4. This Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) Report for Biratnagar Subproject has been prepared to meet the Asian Development Bank’s (ADB) requirements for environmental assessment process and documentation following the procedures in ADB’s Safeguard Policy Statement (SPS, 2009), Operational Manual Section F1 (OM F1, 2010), and Government of Nepal (GoN) Environmental Protection Act (EPA, 1997) and Environmental Protection Rules (EPR, 1997).
B. Extent of the IEE Study
5. This IEE Report (i) reviews the potential impacts of the physical and institutional components of the project; (ii) identifies appropriate environmental safeguards; and (iii) outlines a relevant environmental monitoring program for inclusion in the project’s EMP.
6. This IEE Report is based on (i) data generated by the project preparation technical assistance (PPTA) team fielded from May 20091, (ii) meetings in Biratnagar with representatives from the water, waste, and environmental management sectors and with other stakeholders, including beneficiaries and affected people, (iii) secondary data from previous project reports and other sources, (iv) fieldwork at the project locations, and (v) public disclosure. The environmental assessment was conducted according to ADB’s SPS (2009) and Environmental Assessment Guidelines (2003).
1 The environmental work was carried out through the PPTA by PADECO in association with METCON Consultants and with public consultations in Biratnagar Municipality on September 14-15 and October 12-14 2009.
2
Figure 1: Location of Municipalities
3
4
C. Key Policies Affecting the Project
1. ADB Policy
7. ADB’s Environment Policy requires the consideration of environmental issues in all aspects of the Bank’s operations, and the requirements for Environmental Assessment are described in Operational Manual Section F1: Environmental Considerations in ADB Operations. This states that ADB requires environmental assessment of all project loans, program loans, sector loans, sector development program loans, loans involving financial intermediaries, and private sector loans.
8. The nature of the environmental assessment required for a project depends on the significance of its environmental impacts, which are related to the type and location of the project, the sensitivity, scale, nature and magnitude of its potential impacts, and the availability of cost-effective mitigation measures. Projects are screened for their expected environmental impact and are assigned to one of the following four categories:
• Category A. Projects could have significant adverse environmental impacts. An environmental impact assessment (EIA) is required to address significant impacts.
• Category B. Projects could have some adverse environmental impacts, but of lesser degree or significance than those in category A. An 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.
• Category C: Projects are unlikely to have adverse environmental impacts. No EIA or IEE is required, although environmental implications are reviewed.
• Category FI: Projects involve a credit line through a financial intermediary or an equity investment in a financial intermediary. The financial intermediary must apply an environmental management system, unless all subprojects will result in insignificant impacts.
9. ADB requires public consultation in the environmental assessment process. For category-A and -B projects, the borrower must consult with groups affected by the proposed project and with local non-government organizations (NGOs). The consultation needs to be carried out as early as possible in the project cycle so that views of affected groups are taken into account in the design of the project and its environment mitigation measures. Such consultation will also take place during project implementation to identify and help address environmental issues that arise. 5
2. Government of Nepal Environmental Policy
10. Legal provisions for the protection of environment have been made in different Acts, Regulations, and Guidelines.2 Similarly, there are more than 20 rules and regulations with legal provisions related to environment protection.3 Different Gazette Guidelines for the protection of environment have also been prepared.4
11. The Environmental Protection Regulations (EPR) (1997) and its amendment (2008) have provisions in screening projects for IEE or EIA requirements. The relevant provisions are summarized in Table 1. IEE is comparatively a simpler procedure that does not need to undergo a Scoping process whilst the important components of EIA process, among others, are conduct of scoping before writing EIA report; public hearing/consultation with local people as well as stakeholders, the Environmental Management Plan, and the Environment Monitoring Program. For projects requiring IEE, the proponent should prepare a Terms of Reference (ToR) following the format specified in Schedule 3 of EPR 1997 and submit to the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works (MPPW) through the Department of Urban Development and Building Construction (DUDBC). The conduct of IEE study commences once the MPPW receives the approval letter for the ToR. The IEE report is then submitted to the MPPW through DUDBC for final approval.5
12. For projects requiring EIA, the process starts with the publication of a 15-day "Public Notice for Scoping” in the national daily newspaper to inform affected people and stakeholders of the proposed project areas and to solicit their concerns and suggestions. The proponent prepares the Scoping document and ToR following the format specified in Schedule 4 of EPR, 1997 and submits to the Ministry of Environment (MoE) for approval. Upon approval of the Scoping document and ToR, the proponent undergoes the full-fledged EIA study. The project proponent will be responsible for preparing EIA reports and local consultation with the public, project-affected people, representatives of local governments, NGOs, key informants and other stakeholders. The proponent submits the EIA report to MOE which initially checks for the following two legal requirements: (i) Organization of a Public Hearing Session about the project
2 Relevant Acts include: Ancient Monuments Protection Act (1956); Civil Aviation Act (1958); Aquatic Animal Protection Act (1960); Plant Protection Act(1964); National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Act (1987); Public Road Act (1974); Trust Corporation Act (1976); Tourism Act (1978); King Mahendra Nature Conservation Trust Act (1982); Soil and Watershed Conservation Act (1982); Nepal Petroleum Act (1983); Nepal Electricity Authority Act (1984); Mines and Mineral Act (1985); Pashupati Area Development Trust Act (1987); Solid Waste (Management and Resource Mobilization Act (1987); Town Development Act (1988); Kathmandu Valley Development Authority Act (1988); Nepal Water Supply Corporation Act (1989); Pesticides Act (1991); Village Development Committee Act (1991); District Development Committee Act (1991), Municipality Act (1991); Water Resources Act (1992); Forest Act (1992); Electricity Act (1992); Motor Vehicle and Transportation Management Act (1992); Labor Act (1992); Industrial Enterprises Act (1992); Nepal Tourism Board Act (1996); and Environment Protection Act (1996). 3 Relevant Rules include: National Parks and Wildlife Conservation Rules (1973); Plant Protection Rules (1974); Wildlife Reserve Rules (1977); Himalayan National Park Rules (1979); Mountaineering Rules (1979); King Mahendra Nature Conservation Trust Rules (1984); Petroleum Rules (1984); Khaptad National Park Rules (1987); Ancient Monuments Protection Rules (1989); Solid Waste (Management and Resource Mobilization) Rules (1989); Water Resources Rules (1993); Pesticides Rules (1993); Labor Rules (1993); Electricity Rules (1993); Forest Rules (1994); Buffer Zone Management Rules (1995); Royal Bardiya National Park Rules (1996); Conservation Area Management Rules (1997); and Environment Protection Rules (1997) 4 Relevant guidelines includes: National Environment Assessment Guidelines (1993); Environmental Impact Assessment Guidelines for the Industry Sector (1995); Environmental Impact Assessment Guidelines for the Forestry Sector (1995); and Urban Environment Management Guidelines (2009) 5 Note that IEEs are approved by the respective Ministries but EIAs are approved by the Ministry of Environment, (MOE)
6 in the area of the appropriate Village Development Committee (VDC) or municipality, as well as collection of comments and suggestions. (ii) Submission of the recommendations of the concerned VDC or municipality. After reviewing and examining the reports, it forwards the reports with comments and suggestions to MPPW. After examining and reviewing the EIA report, along with the comments/suggestions, this will be forwarded to MOE for the final approval. Then the MOE publishes a public notice in a national daily newspaper inviting concerned public and stakeholders to provide comments on the report within 30 days. For accessibility of the public to the reports, MOE places EIA reports in concerned VDC and District Development Committee (DDC) offices, central libraries and at other significant public places. During that period, if the public provides substantial valid comments on the report, MOE may instruct the proponent to address them. MOE then, convenes an EIA Report Review Committee meeting to review the EIA report and the comments and suggestions received in response to the public notice. On the basis of the suggestions made by the Review Committee, MOE then, approves the report within 60 days as per the law, provided that the report is of appropriate quality. In some instances, when the report has not incorporated all the pertinent issues or if the report is of inferior quality, the proponent will be asked to revise the report and resubmit the Final EIA report to the MOE.
Table 1: Projects Requiring IEE or EIA per Nepal Environment Protection Regulations of 1997 SN Sectoral Criteria IEE EIA 1 Overriding criteria Any development projects, physical activities, land use change activities 50,000,000 to > 250,000,000 involving cost (Rs) 250,000,000 Any activities in areas (historical, cultural and archeological significance; Yes national park, wildlife reserve, wetland and conservation area and sources of public drinking water supply). Clear felling or rehabilitation of national forests (ha) < 5 > 5 2 Drinking water (water supply and sanitation) Rainwater harvesting area (ha) < 200 > 200 Safe yield of 1 cusec of surface water resources with% of water supplied < 50% 50-100% during dry period Water purification with capacity liters per second > 25 Underground water resource development with% of recharge of total < 50% > 50% aquifer Drinking water supply project needing construction of tunnel < 1 Drinking water supply project displacing people 25-100 > 100 Drinking water supply project needing resettlement of people upstream of 500 > 500 water sources Drinking water supply projects for people 5,000-50,000 > 50,000 Drinking water supply projects linking new source for people 10,000-100,000 > 100,000 River training and diversion (length in km) > 1 Drinking water supply project with treatment and drainage system Yes Extraction of underground water (point and non-point sources) Yes Implementation of multipurpose project requiring water supply (liter per > 25 second) 3 Solid Waste Management Waste management work servicing 2,000-10,000 >10,000 Land filling of waste (tons per year) 1,000-5,000 > 5,000 Dumping of solid wastes in urban areas for people > 10,000 Selection, segregation, management and reuse of waste using chemicals, 5-10 > 10 equipments or biological methods covering area (ha) Compost plant covering area (ha) 5-10 >10 Drainage/sewerage work with investment (NRs) > 5,000,000 Any kind of work for harmful waste management (building of waste Yes disposal mechanism; construction of waste recovery plant; construction of land area filling, deposition and cover of waste; construction of waste storage place; construction of waste treatment facilities) 7
SN Sectoral Criteria IEE EIA 4. Housing Building and Urban Development Construction of residential, commercial, and their combination buildings 5,000 -10,000 >10,000 (buildup area or floor area in m2) Construction of Cinema Hall, Theater, Community Hall, Stadium, Concert, 1,000-2,000 > 2,000 Spot Complex with flow of people at a time Development of housing for families (number) or area in (ha) 50 or 1-4 > 50 or > 4 Implementation of land development project (area in ha) 10-100 > 100 Hard surface pavement – dry port, bus parking, parking lot etc (area in ha) > 10 Site development through mining and dumping of soil (m3) 20,000 Construction of building (number of storeys or height in m) 10 -16 or 25 -50 >16 or > 50 5 Roads Construction of roads District and National urban highways and main feeder roads Improvement of the standard, rehabilitation and reconstruction National National highways and highways, main feeder roads. feeder roads
13. In addition to these provisions, the Forest Act, article 68 mentions that in order to implement any project with priority status and with no other alternatives than to use the forest, only in such situation and condition that there will not be any adverse environmental effects by implementing such schemes, government of Nepal may give permission to use some part of forest (conserved forest/community forest/ leasehold forest) to implement such projects. The regulation also requires that all the costs related to the clearing of the forest, its transportation to the approved location and works related to environmental mitigation shall be borne by the project itself. It is mandatory to plant 25 saplings for every tree cut and maintain them for 5 years. The forest cutting clearance process starts with an application from the proponent to the District Forest Office of the concerned district. The application should include all the details pertaining to the project. It should also include the “measurement/dimension” of area to be cleared off from trees, number of trees to be cut down and all cost related to mitigation. The District Forest Office will review the proposal and if satisfied, it may forward it to the Ministry of Forest along with its recommendation. The ministry will forward the proposal to the cabinet for the final clearance, unless the district forest office plans to clear off rotten trees and define some area for this (demarcation) and proposed project activity is within the boundary of such demarcated area, in which case the clearance can be obtained by the district forest office. Depending on the case, IEE or EIA report must be enclosed with the proposal. If more than 5 ha of forest are cut, EIA is required. If the project is located in defined protected area, IEE/EIA is required.
3. Multilateral Environmental Requirements
14. Nepal is also a signatory to many international agreements and conventions related to environmental conservation. These include Plant Protection Agreement for Asia and the Pacific Region (1956); Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species of Wild Fauna and Flora (CITES, 1973), Convention Concerning the Protection of World Cultural and Natural Heritage (World Heritage Convention) (1972); International Tropical Timber Agreement (1983); Convention on Biological Diversity (1992); Convention on Wetland International Importance especially as Waterfowl Habitat (Ramsar Convention, 1973); UN Convention to Combat Desertification in those Counties Experiencing Serious Drought and/or Desertification Particularly in Africa (1994); UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (1992); Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer (1985); Basel Convention on the Control of
8
Trans Boundary Movement of Hazardous Waste (Basel Convention, 1989); Kyoto Protocol; Stockholm Convention on Persistent Organic Pollutants. As a signatory of international agreements, Nepal has to follow the environment conservation provisions made in these agreements.
II. DESCRIPTION OF THE SUBPROJECT
A. Project Proponent
15. The project proponent is the Government of Nepal. The Ministry of Physical Planning and Works (MPPW) is the executing agency (EA) and Department of Urban Development and Building Construction (DUDBC) is the implementing agency (IA). A Project Coordination Office (PCO) responsible for coordination and monitoring will be established at DUDBC. The subproject will be implemented by the Biratnagar Municipality.
B. Subproject Components
16. There are three components for the Biratnagar Subproject – (i) Drainage and Sanitation, (ii) Roads and Lanes, and (iii) Awareness Creation. The summary of the components and respective subcomponents identified by DUDBC are given in Table 2.The scope of drainage and sanitation includes sewerage, storm water drainage, waste water treatment, public toilets, school toilets, communal water supply (new or upgraded communal taps), hygiene and “total sanitation” programs including promoting private toilets and other awareness programs. Similarly, the roads and lanes component includes upgrading of roads, footpaths and walkways. The awareness program will cover use of solid fuel for cooking and improved stoves. The locations of major structures are given in Figures 2 to 5. 9
Figure 2: Proposed Sewer Network Component
10
Figure 3: Proposed Storm Drainage Network Component 11
Figure 4: Proposed Wastewater Treatment Sites
12
Figure 5: Proposed Roads and Lanes Components 13
Table 2: Summary of Components and Subcomponents Components and Function Description of the Quantification of Location Subcomponents /purpose activities major construction items / activities 1. Drainage and sanitation 1.1 Sewer line Develop basic Construction of major and Construction of Right of way of infrastructure for minor sewer line and 25,478 m primary the existing roads the improvement manholes sewer line, 35,000 m of urban secondary sewer line environment, and and 644 manholes health and hygiene of the people 1.2 Storm water Develop basic Construction of storm water Construction of Right of way of drainage infrastructure for drainage 16,102 primary and the existing roads the improvement 5,251 secondary of urban drains environment, and health and hygiene of the people 1.3 Waste water Develop Construction /upgrading of Construction of one 10 ha of privately treatment plants infrastructure for access roads, side waste water owned paddy field the treatment of clearance and surface stabilization pond at Jatuwa waste water and dressing, excavation of and structures reduce pond, construction of associated with it environmental risk surface drainage, manholes, Construction of one 1 ha of privately associated with collection champers, reed bed plant and owned paddy field health hazard boundary wall, structures associated at Rani administrative and with it laboratory buildings, generator house, watchmen quarter, workers changing room, parking lots, transformer yard, pump operation and control panel building, overhead tank, hand dug well, water supply distribution network, and tree plantation, turfing and landscaping 1.4 Sanitation (100% Develop basic Construction of public Construction of 15 Public land and coverage) level sanitation domestic toilets; school public toilets and 8 school and associated toilets; tube well drilling and schools; subsidies compounds water supply hand pumps; and software for 5,000 families to facilities to target promotion (awareness construct private groups – urban program) improved toilet poor, visitors and /ablution units; hand students and pumped wells and/or promote sanitation community water awareness among schemes in poor local people areas 2. Roads and Lanes 2.1 Roads associated Improve Resurfacing of roads Roads: Upgrading - Existing roads with drainage lines environment, dismantled during 80,997 sq. m roads, and footpaths health and hygiene construction, upgrading resurfacing – of the people roads to blacktopped, 118,997 sq. m and reducing the risk of construction of footpaths 13,511 m footpath adverse and kerbs improvement, environmental impacts associated with establishment of basic drainage
14
Components and Function Description of the Quantification of Location Subcomponents /purpose activities major construction items / activities facility and providing improved access Notes: m – meter; ha – hectare; sq. m – square meter.
C. Environmental Categorization
17. Environmental examination indicates that the proposed Biratnagar subproject falls within Category B6 of the ADB’s environmental categorization of projects. The planned subproject components would only have small-scale, localized impacts on the environment and can be mitigated.
D. Estimated Cost
18. The subproject investment cost is estimated at $37 million, inclusive of tax. A summary of cost estimates for the drainage and sanitation component is given in Table 3.
Table 3: Summary of Biratnagar Project Costs Total Project Costs No Particulars Roads & improved Total cost Drainage & sanitation access Foreign Local Total Foreign Local Total Foreign Local Total Million Million Million Million Million Million Million Million Million $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ 1 Land 0.000 1.237 1.237 0.000 1.237 1.237 2 Civil works 5.601 16.803 22.404 4.444 13.331 17.774 1.158 3.473 4.630 3 Equipment/Vehicles 0.023 0.008 0.031 0.023 0.008 0.031 4 Training program 0.021 0.062 0.083 0.021 0.062 0.083 5 EIA 0.017 0.050 0.067 0.017 0.050 0.067 6 Annual operating costs 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 0.000 Sub Total 5.662 18.160 23.822 4.504 14.688 19.192 1.158 3.473 4.630 7 Project management 0.960 2.880 3.840 0.799 2.396 3.195 0.161 0.484 0.645 8 Total Base Cost 6.622 21.040 27.662 5.303 17.084 22.387 1.319 3.956 5.275 9 Physical Contingencies 0.662 2.104 2.766 0.530 1.708 2.239 0.132 0.396 0.527 10 Base Cost + Physical contingencies 7.284 23.144 30.428 5.833 18.792 24.626 1.451 4.352 5.802 11 Price Contingencies 0.146 2.314 2.460 0.117 1.879 1.996 0.029 0.435 0.464 12 Total Contingencies 0.808 4.418 5.226 0.647 3.588 4.235 0.161 0.831 0.992 13 Total Cost 7.429 25.458 32.888 5.950 20.672 26.621 1.480 4.787 6.266 14 Total cost with VAT 8.395 28.768 37.163 6.723 23.359 30.082 1.672 5.409 7.081
E. Implementation Schedule
6 This category includes projects judged likely to have some adverse environmental impacts, but of less significance than Category A projects. Accordingly, there is a need for an ADB IEE during project preparation to determine whether any impacts are likely to be sufficiently significant to warrant further studies or an ADB EIA. 15
19. The Biratnagar Subroject will be implemented for over 5 years. Implementation is expected to commence in 2010 and end 2015. The project is providing capacity development support7 in advance of the Project implementation.
III. DESCRIPTION OF EXISTING ENVIRONMENT
A. Physical, Biological and Socio-economic Conditions
1. Geophysical
20. Location, Topography, Geology and Soils. Biratnagar, with an area of 59.48 sq. km, is the second largest town in the country. The altitude of the municipality ranges from only 62 m from the mean sea level in the south to 76 m in the north within a distance of 14 km. The municipality is bordered by two rivers - Singiyahi in the east and Kesaliya in the west. It is located in the Terai (Indo-Gangetic plain) at 26028’N and 86019’E and is bordered by international boundary with India in the south. The Terai is composed mainly of quaternary sediments with very fertile soil mixed with clay, silt and sand. Further information on soil properties is not available.
21. Climate. The climate is subtropical monsoon type. The mean annual temperature ranges from about 25oC to 30oC and the maximum and minimum temperature is 42oC and 0oC respectively. The annual precipitation ranges from about 1595-2279 mm. More than 80 percent of the total annual rainfall occurs in four summer months (June to September). Average sunshine duration ranges from 6.97-7.23 hrs/day and average wind speed ranges from 1.2 km/hr. -1.8 km/hr8.
22. Surface and Ground Water. The subproject area is drained by Singiyahi and Kesaliya River. These rivers are commonly flooded during summer monsoon and river bank cutting, particularly at the meander bend during flooding. During dry winter period, the water in these rivers is very low. There is absolute lack of information on the behavior of surface and ground water. Groundwater depth is between 9-15 m with 1.-2 m fluctuation during dry and wet seasons.
2. Ecological Profile
23. Flora. Almost all the area within Biratnagar municipality is under cultivation and built up area. There is no natural forest area with considerable size except a few patches of orchard and nurseries scattered in different places. The flora species found in Biratnagar area are Siris (Albizia procera), Kadam (Anthocephalus chinensis), Bakaino (Melia azederach), Sisau (Dalbergia sissoo), Simal (Bombax ceiba), and groves of Bamboo (Dendrocalamus hamiltoni). Other fodder tree species reported are Padari (Stereospermum personatum),
7 Capacity development technical assistance (CDTA) for strengthening the capacity of three municipalities in the fields of (i) financial management including revenue enhancement, (ii) technical capacity for urban service delivery, and, (iii) development of geographic information system-based urban mapping was approved in September 2009. The consultants will be mobilized in April 2010. ADB. 2009. CDTA to Nepal for Institutional Strengthening of Municipalities. Manila. 8 Department of Hydrology and meteorology, Government of Nepal. Climatological Records Books.
16
Amaltas (Cassia fistula), and Pipal (Ficus religiosa). Groves of bamboo are common in the area. Common roadside and canal species include Masala (Eucalyptus spp.) and Jacaranda (mimosifolia). Kans (Saccharum spontaneous) is found in the flood plain and banks along the river.
24. Fauna. Mammals reported from the subproject area are Nyauri (Herpestes auropunctatus), Syal (Canis aureus) and Musa (Rattus rattus). Major bird species reported are Battai (Turnix suscitator), Bhangera (Passer domesticus), Lahanche (Chrysocolaptes lucidus), Bakula (Bubulcus ibis), Saras (Ciconia episcopus), Suga (Psittacula himalayana), Koili (Cacomantis merulinus), Parewa (Columba livia), Dhukur (Streptopelia chinensis), Dangre (Acriotherus tristis) and Kauwa (Corvus splndens).
3. Protected Areas
25. The Koshi Tappu Wildlife Reserve, one of the Ramsar Sites,9 is located about 33 km north-western part from Biratnagar municipality. It is a 175 sq. km of wildlife refuge and wetlands habitat established in 1976. The reserve currently has five elephants and is home to the water buffalo (called arna), deer, nilgai, mugger crocodile, Ganges River Dolphin (also called the Gangetic Dolphin), and more than 460 species of birds. In addition to wildlife, the Reserve also protects a substantial part of the Sapta Koshi, (a tributary of the Ganges River) flood plain. No impacts to this area will occur as the subproject is located very far away (33 km).
4. Land Use and Land Cover
26. About 68% of the total area in the Biratnagar municipality is under cultivation (Table 4) residential (18%), residential/commercial (3%) and transport sector such as roads and airports (4%). The proportion of other land use/land cover types is less than 2%.
Table 4: Existing Land Use in Biratnagar Land use Area (ha) Per cent Cultivated 4,077.85 68.1 Residential 1,083.95 18.1 Residential/commercial 193.78 3.2 Industrial 99.87 1.7 Institutional 76.68 1.3 Water bodies 111.30 1.9 Transport (roads, airport ) 257.48 4.3 Open and Green land 89.49 1.5 Total 5,990.4 Source: Periodic Plan of Biratnagar Municipality, 2007.
9 The Ramsar Convention (The Convention on Wetlands of International Importance, especially as Waterfowl Habitat) is an international treaty for the conservation and sustainable utilization of wetlands. Nepal presently has eight sites designated as Wetland of International Importance. The Koshi Tappu wetland is considered of international significance and was added to the Ramsar list of wetlands of global importance on December 17, 1987. 17
5. Social and Economic Development
27. Population, Communities, and Occupation. According to Population Census of 2001, Biratnagar municipality had a total population of 166,674 with an annual growth rate of 2%.10 Male comprises about 52.6% and female 47.4%. There are more than 90 caste/ethnic groups among them 19 caste/ethnic group each shares more than 1% of the total population. Those are Hill Brahaman (17.5%), Chhetry (9.6%), Muslim (9.2%), Newar (7.1%), Terai Bahun (3.8%), Kewat (3.4%), Tharu (2.6%), Rajbansi (2.6%), Dhanuk (2.2%), Mallaha (1.9%), Baniya (1.9%), Kayastha (1.8%) Rai (1.6%), Sudhi (1.4%), Nuniya (1.3%), Kurmi (1.3%), Haluwai (1.3%), Dusad (1.3%) and Magar (1.2%).11
28. About 71% of the total population is economically active. About 46.2% of the economically active population is engaged in agriculture followed by 32.4% in service and rest in trade and labor. Total literacy rate is 50.5%, comprising of 59.5% among male and 39.6% among female. The town is experiencing very high level of in-migration. This has resulted into the emergence of squatter settlement in several areas of the town.12
29. Health. Biratnagar has three hospitals – the Koshi Zonal Hospital, Maternity Hospital and Golcha Eye Hospital. Koshi Zonal Hospital has facilities such as X-ray, laboratory, Operation Theater, OPD and ECG. Besides, Biratnagar has several private clinics and pathology labs. There are more than five nursing homes, 50 private clinics and 10 pathology laboratories within the municipality. One veterinary hospital is also located within the municipality.
30. The common diseases reported are stomach ache/problem (25% cases), cough/asthma (19%), typhoid/pneumonia (19%), diarrhea (6%), malaria (6%), head ache (6%), eye infection (6%) and throat/nose infection (6%). The main cause for gastroenteritis and diarrhea may be due to poor water quality, lack of proper surface drainage systems and solid waste management.
31. Drainage System. According to the Periodic Plan (2007), there is approximately 43 km of kerb side drains for storm water discharge. The municipality has constructed some drains along the North-South arterial road in the city core area and several nearby streets. However, these drains were constructed without taking into account for the topographic slopes and do not have adequate outlets. Some trunk drains with assistance of Town Development Fund (TDF) has been built. Still these drains are not adequate. So, inundation and flooding during rainy season are common.
32. Sewerage System and Sanitation. There is no sewerage system in Biratnagar. It is estimated that about 15% of total population has septic tanks and another 30% have pit latrines.
10 The growth of the population of the urban area as distinct from the municipality is much higher. Much of the population growth is taking place beyond municipal boundaries. This makes a regional approach to environmental management essential. 11 CBS, 2002, Population of Nepal: Village Development Committees, Municipalities. Population Census 2001. Kathmandu. 12 Scientific Centre for Environmental Consulting, 2003, Environmental Profile of Biratnagar Sub-Municipal Corporation. A report submitted to SEAM-N Project, Dharan.
18
The town seriously lacks public toilets. There are only 4 public toilets. Most of people not having toilet facilities are defecating either in open field or in stream/river side.
33. A large proportion of people still discharge the waste water/liquid in the public area and fallow land. This increases the risks of infection from water borne diseases including germination of mosquito in the region.
34. Solid Waste Management. Prior to 1997, Biratnagar did not include any household collection. Common practice was dumping waste on streets or vacant places. The concept of private sector participation in the delivery of municipal services was introduced in Biratnagar in 1997 to 1998.13 In 2001, Biratnagar municipality has started partnership with a private solid waste management company named SILT (P.) Ltd and a new model for solid waste management was introduced. The major activities under this model consisted of door-to-door collection service, source base segregation of biodegradable and non-biodegradable wastes, street sweeping and waste collection, transportation of collected waste to a landfill/composting site, development of landfill site, establishment of community compositing units, training, community mobilization, training and networking for sustainable urban waste management.
35. According to the Periodic Plan (2007), the total volume of waste generation in Biratnagar is 60 tons per day. The major source is from domestic (80%), followed by industry and commerce (7%), hat bazaar (weekly market, 6%), festivals (3%) and institution (1%). The estimated medical waste is 500 kg/day. Nearly 72.5% of the total solid waste generated in the municipality comprises organic/biotic, 10.9% plastic, 5.7% paper, 2.4% cloth, 1.9% glass, 0.2% metal, 0.2% leather/rubber and 6.2% others.
36. Out of the total solid waste generation, only 45 tons have been managed, but in the absence of proper landfill site, these wastes are dumped on low land are for filling or along the river banks. A Regional Sanitary Landfill site in Dangraha has been identified and acquisition of land, EIA study, and planning for infrastructure development is in the process. Strengthening of Environmental Administration and Management at Local Level in Nepal (SEAM-N) project with financial and technical support from the Government of Finland has been assisting to develop this regional landfill site. This project has also established a well equipped environmental laboratory in Biratnagar for water and wastewater monitoring and environmental research.14
6. Economic Characteristics
37. Industries. There are more than 101 big and 886 small and cottage industries in the municipality. Different types of big industries such as sugar mill, jute mill, textiles and dairy are located here. However, many big industries such plastic industry, Meller Mill, Biratnagar Jute Mill, Judda Match Factory, Morang Cotton Mill, Morang Sugar Mill, and Ganapati Cotton Mill are in the situation of nearly closing. Many industries do not have affluent treatment facilities and it is directly disposed to local streams. As a result, local streams downstream from the site of such industries are polluted.
13 Scientific Centre for Environmental Consulting, op. cit. 14 Nepal Final Cooperation, 2007, op. cit. Finish Consulting Group International. 2009. Preparing the Improved Water Quality, Sanitation and Service Delivery Sector Development Program, Nepal. TA No. 4972-NEP, Vol. 7: Sub- Project IEEs, SIEE. A report submitted to the Asian Development Bank and the Ministry of Physical Planning and Works, Nepal. 19
38. Agricultural Development. Agriculture is still the major source of family income of majority of people living outside the city core. More than 46% of the total population is engaged in agriculture. Average landholding size is about 0.17 ha per household. Paddy, wheat, maize, jute, sugarcane, potato are the major crops grown in this area. Lentils and peas are also grown. The fruits commonly grown are mango, lychee, pineapple, banana and lemon. Similarly, vegetables like cauliflower, cabbage, lady finger are also grown.
39. Mineral development. No mineral deposit has yet been reported from Biratnagar area.
7. Infrastructure Facilities
40. Water Supply. Water supply in Biratnagar is under the jurisdiction of Nepal Water Supply Corporation. The municipality is also involved in some tube-well water supply extension works. The majority of people have their own tap, but accessibility to tap water is still limited to 16.9% of total population followed by rower pump (5.6%) and hand pump (71.8per cent).
41. Communication. Biratnagar has good communication system. More than 18000 telephone line has been distributed. However, the demand for telephone line, prepaid and post paid mobiles is higher than the capacity to supply. The demand for public telephone booth is also high. There are four postal offices, more than 4 FM stations. Internet facilities are also available.
42. Roads and Transportation. Biratnagar is quite accessible. It is linked with different places via Koshi and East-West highways. Biratnagar is one of the major gateway towns to India. There is a total of 559 km of road within municipality out of which 96 km is black toped, 160 km is graveled, and 300 km is earthen. An estimate shows that about 2,500-3,000 heavy and light vehicles shuttle daily in the municipality. There are four bus parks for long and short distance vehicle flow. All these bus parks are narrow and small and not managed well. There is a need for a properly managed bus park for long distance traffic flow. Biratnagar is also linked by air service. Airport is located within municipality. There are more than 15,000 rickshaws in Biratnagar providing transportation services (Periodic Plan, 2007). Traffic congestion particularly in the city centre is observed.
43. Electricity. Electricity supply operated by the Nepal Electricity Authority is from the national power grid via an 11 KV transmission line from Duhabi substation. There is also an additional multi-fuel plant for providing additional and emergency power supply. There are more than 12,000 service connections covering about half of the urban population.
44. Electricity is mainly used by the majorities for lighting purpose whereas wood is still found to be major source of energy for overall domestic purposes, i.e., cooking and boiling. Kerosene and dung patch/cake are also used by large number of people. It shows the higher possibility of infection from the indoor pollutions.
45. Institutions. Biratnagar became the city of administrative importance when the district headquarters of Morang shifted from Rangeli to Biratnagar in 1914. Currently Biratnagar serves both as the district and zonal headquarters. The city also serves as the major food grain-trading centre for the Eastern Development Region. There are more than 59 primary schools, 16 lower
20 secondary, 57 secondary, 7 higher secondary schools, 7 campuses and 5 training institutions within this municipality. Besides, over 50 INGOs and NGOs are working in the district.
46. Items of Significance. Kalikasthan, Samsarimaisthan and Panaskhandi are the major places with historical and religious importance in Biratnagar. These temples are not just worshiping places. They also denote the cultural, art (including music, dance drama), Martial art, and depiction of history. It also for meditation, center for passing knowledge from generation to generation. Some places it is used as storage center of food grains for the entire village or town.
8. Quality of Life Values
47. The proposed subproject is not expected to adversely affect any cultural or recreational resources but will improve the existing quality of life values due to the improvement in hygiene and health. Several mitigation measures have been proposed in the Environmental Management Plan (EMP) in order to reduce adverse environmental impacts wherever it is necessary.
B. Major Environmental Issues
1. Industrial Effluent
48. Management of effluents from the industry is an important environmental issue in Biratnagar. Many industries are located upstream from the municipality. There are a total 18 types of industry with a total of 295 establishments in Morang district and most of them are located around Duhabi area which is located a few km upstream from Biratnagar. The Ministry of Industry and Ministry of Environment are mandated to regulate effluents from industrial sources. Industrial wastewater flowing into municipalities remain untreated, jeopardizing sanitation improvement. Urban environmental management guidelines are in the process of final approval by the Government. The Project Steering Committee will monitor the progress of enforcement of the guidelines. Implementation of the guidelines will be partially supported by the Project. Coordination with SEAM-N for effective industrial pollution control will be continued.
49. During the environmental assessment in the Biratnagar area, it was reported that only three major industries have effluent treatment facilities whereas more than 59 industries have been identified as major polluting industries.15 However, two of them are not currently functioning. Due to high cost involved in waste water treatment and weak enforcement of Acts and Regulation, industries are not interested to develop treatment facility.
50. Monitoring of 11 industries located along Biratnagar-Itahari corridor shows that many industries complied with standards such as pH and temperature. However, serious parameters such as biological oxygen demand (BOD), chemical oxygen demand (COD), and heavy metals were not met the standards prescribed by the government (Sharma, 2008).16 Another
15 R Pokharel, 2004, Surface Water Quality Monitoring in Biratnagar Dharan Industrial Corridor School of Environmental Management and Sustainable Development (SchEMS) Shanti Nagar, New Baneshor, Kathmandu. 16 Sharma, A. R. 2008. Assessment Report on the Implementation of Self-Monitoring System (SMS) in the Industries of Dharan-Biratnagar Corridor. A report submitted to the Strengthening Environnmental Administration and Management at Local Level – Nepal (SEAM-N). 21 nationwide study of 22 different industries shows that almost all industries are violating the effluents standards prescribed by the government all the times and polluting nearby rivers and soils. The implementation of the Environment Protection Act (1996) and the Environment Protection Regulations (1977) and Standards prescribed there are not complied in many of the industries.17One study on river water quality was carried out in Judhikhola a few kilometer east from Biratnagar by comparing water quality at two situations – (i) when the discharge of industrial effluent was very low, and (ii) when the discharge of industrial effluent was maximum. The results show that all the pollution indicators considered for the quality of water such as BOD, COD, chloride, and nitrogen contents and turbidity reached high level in situation when the discharge of industrial effluent was at a maximum.
51. Study of water samples collected from different reaches of Lohandra khola (a natural stream) shows that river water downstream from industrial area is most polluted. The presence of some cadmium on May 2002 and lead on December 2002 from samples collected from downstream area indicates that it is affected by industrial effluent probably using metallic salts. The BOD and COD content were also high in this site. Similarly, an assessment of river water in Keshaliya river draining the western part of the Biratnagar municipality also shows that some parameters like nitrogen, iron and sometimes aluminum were found somewhat high compared to natural water. BOD and COD were also found maximum in December 2002 and February 2003 at site located downstream from industrial area. Presence of some cadmium on May 2002 also indicates this was the most polluted site.18 Because of pollution, the water from Keshalia River in Biratnagar cannot be used for drinking and other domestic purpose like cleaning and washing. It should be treated properly before taken in use.
2. Inundation, Drainage, and River Flooding
52. Draining storm water inundated during wet monsoon period is the major environmental issue in Biratnagar. The slope of land is very gentle and the infiltration rate is very low as the soils are mixed with silt and clay. Moreover, the construction of infrastructures, such as roads, without adequate drainage provision has exacerbated the problem of inundation.
53. Black water19 is not directly discharged into the existing drain. Present sewage disposal system is on-site sanitation using septic tanks and soak pits thus black water is rarely discharged into open drains and rivers. However; grey water20 is discharged directly to the drain and rivers. The water from those rivers is used for washing utensils, cloths and vegetables and for bathing and animal feeding. So, the discharging of grey water without further treatment has increased the risk of health hazard.
54. Disasters associated with flooding and river bank cutting have also been reported. Such disasters are likely to be increased in the context of increasing events of heavy precipitation due to global warming. The river bank cutting in different reaches of Keshaliya and Sighiya rivers in Biratnagar has threatened settlements, infrastructures and cultivated land located in the bank along these rivers.
17 Sah, R. C. nd. Compliance Monitoring of Industrial Effluent Standards in Nepal. Kathmandu: Pro Public, Nepal. 18 SEAM-N, 2007, Project Phase I (2001-2007): Annual Report of River Water Qualtiy Monitoring of Dharan- Biratnagar Corridor─May 2002 to April 2003. 19 Wastewater containing fecal matter and urine. It is also known as brown water, foul water, or sewage. 20 Wastewater generated from domestic activities such as laundry, dishwashing, and bathing.
22
3. Air Pollution
55. Information on air quality is scanty. The only available data is an 8-hour survey conducted in 2000 and results are given in Table 5. It shows a very high concentration of particulate matters less than 10 microgram and total suspended particulates in the air as compared to the national standard and the standard fixed by World Health Organization (WHO). Biratnagar had also very high concentration of all the air pollution parameters as compared to its concentration in Pokhara.
Table 5: PM10, TSP, SO2, NO2, CO, and Pb Measurements Site Altitude Date Time Parameters (masl) PM10 TSP SO2 NO2 CO Pb (µg/m3) (µg/m3) (µg/m3) (µg/m3) (µg/m3) (µg/m3) Pokhara 827 26/11/2000 10:00- 90.20 118.5 74.00 9.10 NA 0.11 18:00 Birgunj 091 30/11/2000 10:00- 482.90 567.80 63.00 23.00 378.00 0.27 18:00 Biratnagar 125 04/12/2000 08:00- 961.40 1,024.30 68.70 24.50 1,145.48 0.24 16:00 Butwal 205 19/12/2000 07:00- 1,076.60 1150.20 140.50 21.38 229.09 0.09 15:00 Nepalgunj 144 26/12/2000 07:00- 2,104.80 2,222.50 68.66 17.78 1445.48 0.23 15:00 National standard 120 230 70 80 WHO guideline 70 120-230 125 150 0.5-1.0* Note: Data were collected using high volume air sampler. Source: Nepal Health Research Council and Nepal Environmental and Scientific Services(P) Ltd.(Transport Sector Air Pollution Survey, at Nine Major Urban Cities of Nepal, the World Conservation Union, Sept. 2001), Nepal Gazette B.S. 2060/4/19(4 August, 2003).
56. Many families are using fuel-wood and dung-cakes for cooking. Indoor air pollution has been noticed in almost two thirds of kitchens in Biratnagar area.21
4. Solid Waste Management
57. Solid waste management is another major problem. There is no organized door-to-door collection system. The waste segregation system at the source has not yet been strictly adapted by majorities of people. There is no permanent sanitary landfill site. Collected wastes are dumped haphazardly along river banks, ponds, by-pass roads and open spaces. Nearby areas of those places are prone to serious health hazard.
58. Selection, development and operation of sanitary landfill site have become a major challenge not only in Biratnagar but also in other municipalities in the country. It is mainly due to improper management of the already existed landfill sites. People do not easily accept solid waste to be dumped in their localities. It is mainly due to the bad odor coming from solid waste as a result of improper handling and management during collection, transportation and processing.
21 According to NLSS data, over 50% of urban households outside the Kathmandu valley cook with firewood, cow dung, leaves, straw or thatch. 23
59. It took 7 years to find such sanitary landfill site in Biratnagar. The site previously selected for landfill was occupied by Nepal Army during political insurgency. It took one year to find new site after publishing public notice in local newspaper.
60. Keeping in view the very low volume of solid waste generated in each municipality and management problem due to inadequate financial resources, a model of regional sanitary landfill was proposed in Biratnagar area under the project “Strengthening of Environmental Administration and Management at the Local Level (SEAM-N)” with support from Finland Government. The acquisition of land and assessment of the environmental impacts is currently in process. The model for solid waste collection, transportation and processing has yet to be developed.
5. Water Quality
61. Groundwater. The quality of ground water in many parts of the county, including Kathmandu, Biratnagar, Birgunj an Dhanusha, has been found to have a level of arsenic concentration that is unsafe for drinking. Arsenic concentration in the ground water is said to be much higher than the level prescribed by the World Health Organization. Besides arsenic concentration, there are other chemicals such as fluoride, manganese, iron, nitrate, chlorine and ammonium in the ground water. The groundwater table at the subproject sites range between 9- 15 meters deep with 1-2 meter fluctuation during the dry and monsoon season.
IV. ANTICIPATED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES
62. This section of the IEE reviews possible subproject-related impacts, in order to identify issues requiring further attention and screen out issues of no relevance. ADB SPS require that impacts and risks will be analyzed in the context of the project’s area of influence. This area of influence encompasses (i) the primary subproject sites and related facilities that will be developed or controlled, i.e, drainage and sewerage system, roads and lane, borrow pits and disposal areas, and construction camps; (ii) associated facilities that are not funded as part of the subproject and whose viability and existence depend exclusively on the project and whose goods or services are essential for successful operation of the subproject; (iii) areas and communities potentially affected by cumulative impacts from further planned development of the subproject, other sources of similar impacts in the geographical area, any existing project or condition, and other subproject-related developments that are realistically defined at the time the assessment is undertaken; and (iv) areas and communities potentially affected by impacts from unplanned but predictable developments caused by the subproject that may occur later or at a different location. The area of influence does not include potential impacts that might occur without the subproject or independently of the subproject. Environmental impacts and risks are analyzed for all relevant stages of the project cycle, including preconstruction, construction, operations, decommissioning, and post closure activities such as rehabilitation or restoration.
A. Environmental Impacts and Mitigation Measures
63. As mentioned in Section II, the main subproject components for Biratnagar municipality are (i) construction of: (a) major and minor sewerage line, (b) storm water drainage, (c) wastewater treatment plants, (d) toilets, (e) footpaths and kerbs; (ii) upgrading of roads associated with these infrastructure development; and (iii) awareness creation. The drainage
24 and sanitation program together with the roads and lanes component will have environmental benefits through reduction in pollution to drains. The subproject will also generate employment opportunities to the local people thus will improve local economic and livelihood conditions.
64. The anticipated adverse environmental impacts and risks, duration, and magnitude related to the subproject proposed mitigation measures and institutions responsible for implementation are given in Table 6.
65. Location. Except for the proposed waste stabilization treatment pond (10 ha) at Jatuwa and Reed Bed Treatment Plant at Rani (7 ha) which are located in privately owned cultivated land, other proposed major infrastructure (sewerage line and storm water drainage) are located in the government owned land right-of-ways of the existing roads. These proposed sites for waste water treatment are quite far from natural habitats and areas with high biodiversity value. So, there is no significant adverse impact on biological environment. These are also located quite far (more than 500 m) from the human settlement and areas with cultural values. Site specific environmental features and its implication of the proposed activities is given in Appendix 1.
66. A total of 11 families with 79 population are likely to be directly affected due to land intake for waste water treatment pond at Jatuwa and 1 family with 7 population for reed bed treatment plant at Rani. Those families likely to be directly affected due to land intake are willing to sell their land for the project and invest the received cash compensation for buying more and better quality land elsewhere.
Table 6: Potential Adverse Impacts of Proposed Activities, their Mitigation Measures and Responsible Institution in Biratnagar Potential Duration and Mitigation Measures Responsibility Adverse Magnitude of impacts Impacts A. Location and Design 1. Drainage and sanitation 1.1 Sewer line Risk of health Permanent (i) Consider the installation of separate Biratnagar Sub hazard due to and moderate sewer systems for domestic wastewater Metropolitan overflows and and storm water runoff in the overall (DSC)/Design flooding of waste planning and design of new sewerage Consultant water. Overflows systems; (ii) Limit the sewer depth where occur when the possible (e.g., by avoiding routes under collection system streets with heavy traffic). For shallower can not manage sewers, small inspection chambers can be the volume of used in lieu of manholes; (iii) Use wastewater, for appropriate locally available materials for example due to sewer construction. Spun concrete pipes high flows during can be appropriate in some circumstances rain events or as but can suffer corrosion from hydrogen the result of sulfide if there are blockages and/or power loss, insufficient slope; (iv) Ensure sufficient equipment hydraulic capacity to accommodate peak malfunctions, or flows and adequate slope in gravity mains blockages. to prevent buildup of solids and hydrogen sulfide generation; (v) Design manhole covers to withstand anticipated loads and ensure that the covers can be readily replace if broken to minimize entry of garbage and silt into the system; (vi) Equip 25
Potential Duration and Mitigation Measures Responsibility Adverse Magnitude of impacts Impacts pumping stations with a backup power supply, such as a diesel generator, to ensure uninterrupted operation during power outages, and conduct regular maintenance to minimize service interruptions. Consider redundant pump capacity in critical areas; Risk of nuisance Permanent Provide cover drains to reduce odors. DSC/Design to neighboring and moderate Consultant areas due to odor Risk of Permanent (i) Do not locate sewers and chambers DSC/Design environmental and significant near a public drinking water supply well or Consultant pollution/pollution a private drinking water supply well; (ii) of domestic Horizontal Separation: Whenever water (infiltration) possible, sewers should be laid at least due to ten (10) feet horizontally from any existing interception or proposed water line; (iii) Vertical chambers and Separation: Whenever a sewer must cross sewer under a water main, the sewer shall be laid at such elevation that the top of the sewer is at least 18 inches below the bottom of the water main. When the elevation of the sewer cannot be varied to meet the above requirement, the water main shall be relocated to provide the separation or reconstructed with ductile iron pipe for a minimum distance of ten (10) feet on each side of the sewer. At least one (1) full length of water main should be centered over the sewer so that both joints shall be as far from the sewer as possible; (iv) When it is impossible to obtain proper horizontal and vertical separation as stipulated, both the water main and the sewer shall be pressure- tested to assure water tightness Health hazard to Permanent (i) Design manholes considering man- DSC/Design workers involved and significant entry inspection; (ii) Develop Standard Consultant in sewerage Health and Safety Manual for Sewerage system System Maintenance; (iii) Provide maintenance atmospheric monitoring equipment (oxygen concentration, flammable gas/vapors, hydrogen sulfide, and carbon monoxide) which sounds an audible alarm in addition to visual readout; (iv) Provide personal protective equipment. Clearing of Permanent Trees fall under the management of the DSC/ Design vegetation and moderate District Forest Office and Ministry of Consultant Forest who issue forest clearances). (i) During the detailed design stage, a cutting and replanting program has to be developed and approved by the
26
Potential Duration and Mitigation Measures Responsibility Adverse Magnitude of impacts Impacts flexibility in decision as which side to be widened; (iii) Plan for compensatory and compulsory plantation for each felled tree, 25 trees of similar floral function/type; (iv) Disallow introduction of exotic species or species with known environmental setbacks (e.g. Eucalyptus, Prosopic). 1.2 Storm water Risk of nuisance Permanent New systems shall be designed to cope DSC/Design drainage and loss of and moderate with the design storms of at least the Consultant properties to Annual Exceedance Probability (AEP), neighboring with an allowance for effects of climate areas due change. Primary and secondary flows, overflow and shall be increased to allow for climate flooding of drain change over the asset life (engineers to water as a result consult government on recent studies to of increasing determine appropriate adaptation, frequency of potentially 20%). The design of storage / extreme attenuation and treatment systems shall precipitation also include this increase in flow. event in the context of climate change Risk of nuisance Permanent DSC/Design to neighboring and Consultant areas due to insignificant over flows and flooding from drain Risk of nuisance Permanent Provision of cover of drain particularly in DSC/Design to neighboring and city core area and other densely populated Consultant areas due to insignificant areas odor Clearing of Permanent Trees fall under the management of the DSC/ Design vegetation and moderate District Forest Office and Ministry of Consultant Forest (i) During the detailed design stage, a cutting and replanting program has to be developed and approved by the
Potential Duration and Mitigation Measures Responsibility Adverse Magnitude of impacts Impacts potential urban development area and land value is sky rocketing. But there is no alternative site other than the proposed one keeping in view the location of international boundary in nearby area in the south; and the gradient of the land and existing natural drainage Loss of Permanent Leave spaces for access between mounds DSC/Chief agricultural land, and moderate of soil; (iii) Provision of walkways and District Office crops and metal sheets where required to maintain (CDO properties access across trenches for people and vehicles; (iv) Increase workforce in front of critical areas such as institutions, place of worship, business establishment, hospitals, and schools; (v) Consult businesses and institutions regarding operating hours and factoring this in work schedules, (vi) ) Provision of sign boards for pedestrians to inform nature and duration of construction works and contact numbers for concerns/complaints; compensation for lost income for duration of impact. Risk of pollution Permanent Flow shall be increased to allow for DSC/Design of river water due and moderate climate change effects (engineers to Consultant to overflows and consult government on recent studies to flooding of raw determine appropriate adaptation, sewage potentially 20% increase in flow). Risk to structure Permanent Flow shall be increased to allow for DSC/Design and public health and significant climate change effects (engineers to Consultant due to inundation consult government on recent studies to and flooding in determine appropriate adaptation, the context of potentially 20% in flow). climate change Risk of hazard to Permanent Provision for the use of high quality DSC/Design public health due and significant materials in construction Consultant to failure of structure of stabilization pond Risk of pollution Permanent Provision of a clay liner or geo-membrane DSC/Design of ground water and significant liner at the bed Consultant or river water due to seepage from the bed
28
Potential Duration and Mitigation Measures Responsibility Adverse Magnitude of impacts Impacts Risk of Permanent Provision of 50 – 100 m buffer zone DSC/Design inadequate and moderate Consultant buffer zone around pumping and treatment plant to alleviate nuisances and protect facilities Risk of Temporary (i) Development and approval of a DSC/Design temporary silt and moderate sediment and erosion control plan prior to Consultant runoff due to land disturbance; (ii) Identification for spoil construction disposal sites at the time of detailed design Risk of air Temporary Provision for sprinkling water on gravel DSC/Design pollution due to and and unpaved roads Consultant vehicle operation insignificant during construction Public health Permanent Proposed site is in cultivated land 500m DSC/Design hazard due to and moderate from residential area and other receptors Consultant location but needs vegetative buffer and fencing the structure Health hazard to Permanent Provision of adequate water supply, DSC/Design workers in and significant sanitation and lighting facilities Consultant treatment plant Risk of water Permanent In case effluents and dried sludge, which DSC/Design pollution due to and significant are to be applied to crops, the magnitude Consultant disposal of of pollutant removal or standard will be treated effluent applied to prevent crop contamination. and sludge Clearing of Permanent Trees fall under the management of the DSC/ Design vegetation and moderate (i) During the detailed design stage, a Consultant cutting and replanting program has to be developed and approved by the < District Forest Office and Ministry of Forest who issue forest clearances and included in contract specifications; (ii) Require Contractors to limit cutting and to consult with the District Forest Office and Ministry of Forest who issue forest clearances when necessary; (iii) Incorporate technical design to minimize removal of roadside plantation; (iv) Apply flexibility in decision as which side to be widened; (iii) Plan for compensatory and compulsory plantation for each felled tree, 25 plants of similar floral function/type; (iv) Disallow introduction of exotic species or species with known environmental setbacks (e.g. Eucalyptus, Prosopic). 1.4 Sanitation Public toilet may Permanent (i) Selection of sites with due DSC/Design (100per cent not be used due and significant consideration of the users; (ii) Location of Consultant coverage) to inconvenient toilets should not be too remote from main location traffic area to avoid long distance walking; (iii) It has to be easily accessible for those with urgency and for better personal safety for the user. Risk of nuisance Permanent (i) Design for the provision of water supply DSC/Design to neighboring and significant for cleaning; (ii) Toilet cleaners should be Consultant 29
Potential Duration and Mitigation Measures Responsibility Adverse Magnitude of impacts Impacts areas due to properly trained and certified to perform odor the task well. Supervisors should also be trained with the right knowledge and skills to effectively supervise the cleaners. Risk of public Permanent Locate wells away from sources of DSC/Design health due to and significant potential water pollution such as sewer Consultant drinking of line and waste water disposal site polluted water from the tube wells Public toilet may Permanent (i) Materials used should be durable and DSC/ Design not be used due and significant resistant to vandalism and neglect. (ii) Consultant to misuse and Carefully select durable materials to breakdown minimize maintenance and prevent misuse. It is highly desirable that painted finishes are avoided, together with any materials, which are affected by moisture or corrosion (e.g. woodchip products and ferrous metals); (iii) Floor finishes must be sufficiently durable to withstand the anticipated traffic levels; (iv) Use colors to brighten the toilet, create interest, and produce a conducive environment Environmental Permanent Design of methods, mode, and materials DSC/Design risks and public and significant for communication of sanitation issues and Consultant health may not environmental risks. improve due to unimproved practices Clearing of Permanent Trees fall under the management of the DSC/ Design vegetation and moderate District Forest Office and Ministry of Consultant Forest who issue forest clearances (i) During the detailed design stage, a cutting and replanting program has to be developed and approved by the
30
Potential Duration and Mitigation Measures Responsibility Adverse Magnitude of impacts Impacts Risk of dust Temporary (i) Identification and approval of spoil DSC/Design pollution from and disposal areas; (ii) Use will be limited for Consultant spoils from road insignificant non-productive area, reclamation surface purposes, and will not be used in areas clearance for near wetlands or protected bodies of blacktopping water) Risk of land Permanent (i) Pre-determination and inclusion in the degradation due and significant design documents of quarry site locations; to excessive mining of filling materials Clearing of Permanent Trees fall under the management of the DSC/ Design roadside and moderate District Forest Office and Ministry of Consultant vegetation Forest who issue forest clearances (i) During the detailed design stage, a cutting and replanting program has to be developed and approved by the
Potential Duration and Mitigation Measures Responsibility Adverse Magnitude of impacts Impacts numbers for concerns/complaints; (ix) Minimization of the period of construction by increase workforce in front of critical areas such as institutions, place of worship, business establishment, hospitals, and schools. Impacts on Temporary (i) Full inventory of public utilities existing DSC/ public/private and moderate in construction sites by field surveys and Construction utilities, access coordination with service providers to Contractor to them or obtain layout plans; (ii) If required, damages due to preparation of relocation plans with vibration service providers to be completed during depending on the construction; (iii) Plans for immediate methods of attendance by the service providers to any construction damages to utilities during construction; used (iv) Provision of satisfactory access to buildings, dwellings, or other activity areas if construction works and new facilities disrupt the existing access; (v) Replacement of (or compensation payments to) public and private physical structures damaged due to construction or vibration; (vi) Use of machines which adhere to standards for vibration; (vii) Keeping the site free from all unnecessary obstructions and storing or disposing of any contractor’s equipment or surplus material; and clearing away and removing from the site any wreckage rubbish and temporary works which are no longer required; (viii) Reinstate roads and lanes where sewerage pipe networks works will be undertaken; (ix) DSC shall report in writing that the roads and lanes have been vacated and restored to pre-project conditions before acceptance of the works. Risk of Temporary (i) Development and approval of a DSC/ temporary silt and moderate sediment and erosion control plan prior to Construction runoff due to land disturbance; (ii) Removal of spoils as Contractor disposal of soon as it is excavated; (iii) Disposal of excavated soil spoils in DSC-approved sites Nuisance to Temporary (i) Reinstate road and footpath DSC/ public due to and moderate immediately after construction of sewer Construction excavation of line; (ii) Provision of sign boards for Contractor roads and path pedestrians to inform nature and duration from where of construction works and contact sewer lines are numbers for concerns/complaints; (iii) to be constructed Increase workforce in front of critical areas such as institutions, place of worship, business establishment, hospitals, and schools; Nuisance to Temporary (i) Avoid noise-generating activities at DSC/ public due to and moderate night; (ii) Consult with the local Construction increased noise community to inform them of the nature, Contractor levels during duration and likely effects of the construction construction work, and to identify any local concerns so that these can be addressed; (iii) Minimization of the period of
32
Potential Duration and Mitigation Measures Responsibility Adverse Magnitude of impacts Impacts construction. Clearing of Permanent Trees fall under the management of the DSC/ vegetation and moderate District Forest Office and Ministry of Construction Forest who issue forest clearances (i) Contractor During the detailed design stage, a cutting and replanting program has to be developed and approved by the
Potential Duration and Mitigation Measures Responsibility Adverse Magnitude of impacts Impacts Risk of non Permanent (i) Supervision and immediate action DSC/ Project adoption of and significant accordingly; (ii) ADB is promoting the Coordination design standards concept of environmentally responsible Office (PCO) and use quality procurement (ERP)22 through the Bank’s materials new SPS (ADB 2009). Typically, suppliers are required to demonstrate compliance with an environmental quality-assurance standard such as the ISO 14000 series23. ERP is an admirable concept, but rigorous application of ERP to this relatively small subproject would necessitate a considerable administrative overhead and is not considered to be practical for all the Project’s procurement activities. Apart from obvious requirements such as avoiding asbestos and CFCs, it is recommended that ERP is limited to aspects of international procurements such as the pumps, and possibly to wood24. Selection for Temporary (i) Avoid residential areas to protect the DSC/ Work Camps.. and significant human environment (i.e., to curb accident Construction risks, health risks due to air and water Contractor pollution and dust, and noise, and to prevent social conflicts, shortages of amenities, and crime); Cultural Assets, There is no cultural/historical/ Historical, and archaeological place in the vicinity of the Archaeological subproject right-of-way Places.. Indigenous The Subproject will not affect any ethnic Peoples minority that qualifies under ADB’s definition of indigenous peoples. 1.2 Storm water Nuisance to Temporary (i) Plan transportation routes so that heavy DSC/ drainage pedestrian and and moderate vehicles do not enter the urban area; (ii) Construction traffic congestion Scheduling transport of spoils to avoid Contractor during peak traffic periods and other important construction times; (iii) Do not use narrow local roads, except in the immediate vicinity of delivery sites; (iv) Do not block public roads; (v) Do not deposit excavated soils/mud; on public roads; (vi) Drive vehicles are in a considerate manner. (vii) Coordinate with Municipal Traffic Office for temporary road diversions; (viii) Provision of sign boards for pedestrians to inform nature and duration of construction works and contact numbers for concerns/complaints; (ix) Minimization of the period of construction by increase workforce in front of critical areas such as institutions, place of worship, business establishment,
22 ERP would cover, for example, the use of asbestos in subproject activities, or the use of CFCs and other chemicals banned under the Montreal Protocol in air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment. 23 Especially ISO 14001 concerning Environmental Management Systems (EMS), or the more rigorous European Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS). 24 Wood should be sourced from sustainable sources, if feasible; the most rigorous system is that of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
34
Potential Duration and Mitigation Measures Responsibility Adverse Magnitude of impacts Impacts hospitals, and schools. Impacts on Temporary (i) Full inventory of public utilities existing public/private and moderate in construction sites by field surveys and utilities, access coordination with service providers to to them or obtain layout plans; (ii) If required, damages due to preparation of relocation plans with vibration service providers to be completed during depending on the construction; (iii) Plans for immediate methods of attendance by the service providers to any construction damages to utilities during construction; used (iv) Provision of satisfactory access to buildings, dwellings, or other activity areas if construction works and new facilities disrupt the existing access; (v) Replacement of (or compensation payments to) public and private physical structures damaged due to construction or vibration; (vi) Use of machines which adhere to standards for vibration; (vii) Keeping the site free from all unnecessary obstructions and storing or disposing of any contractor’s equipment or surplus material; and clearing away and removing from the site any wreckage rubbish and temporary works which are no longer required; (viii) Reinstate roads and lanes where storm drainage networks works will be undertaken; (ix) DSC shall report in writing that the roads and lanes have been vacated and restored to pre-project conditions before acceptance of the works. Risk of Temporary (i) Development and approval of a DSC/ temporary silt and moderate sediment and erosion control plan prior to Construction runoff due to land disturbance; (ii) Removal of spoils as Contractor disposal of soon as it is excavated; (iii) Disposal of excavated soil spoils in DSC-approved sites Nuisance to Temporary (i) Reinstate road and footpath DSC/ public due to and moderate immediately after construction of sewer Construction excavation of line; (ii) Provision of sign boards for Contractor roads and path pedestrians to inform nature and duration from where of construction works and contact drains are to be numbers for concerns/complaints; (iii) constructed Increase workforce in front of critical areas such as institutions, place of worship, business establishment, hospitals, and schools; Clearing of Permanent Trees fall under the management of the vegetation and moderate District Forest Office and Ministry of Forest who issue forest clearances (i) During the detailed design stage, a cutting and replanting program has to be developed and approved by the
Potential Duration and Mitigation Measures Responsibility Adverse Magnitude of impacts Impacts minimize removal of roadside plantation; (iv) Apply flexibility in decision as which side to be widened; (iii) Plan for compensatory and compulsory plantation for each felled tree, 25 plants of similar floral function/type; (iv) Disallow introduction of exotic species or species with known environmental setbacks (e.g. Eucalyptus, Prosopic). Risk of health Permanent (i) Reduce dust by spraying stockpiled DSC/ and safety and significant soil, excavated materials, and spoils; (iii) Construction hazards to Cover stockpiled construction materials Contractor workers from with tarpaulin; (ii) Require Construction dust and other Contractor to produce and implement a accidents site Health and Safety (H&S) Plan and this will include such measures as: (a) excluding the public from the site; (b) ensuring that all workers are provided with and use appropriate Personal Protective Equipment; (c) H&S Training for all site personnel; (d) documented procedures to be followed for all site activities; and (e) documentation of work-related accidents; (iii) The contractors will be responsible for employing their own medical staff and for operating a small ambulance at the work sites. The contractors will implement safety measures to secure all installations from unauthorized intrusion and accident risks. Loss of livelihood Temporary Leave spaces for access between mounds DSC/PIU for businesses and moderate of soil; (iii) Provision of walkways and due to metal sheets where required to maintain excavation works access across trenches for people and vehicles; (iv) Increase workforce in front of critical areas such as institutions, place of worship, business establishment, hospitals, and schools; (v) Consult businesses and institutions regarding operating hours and factoring this in work schedules, (vi) ) Provision of sign boards for pedestrians to inform nature and duration of construction works and contact numbers for concerns/complaints; compensation for lost income for duration of impact. Risk of non Permanent (i) Supervision and immediate action DSC/ PCO adoption of and significant accordingly; (ii) ADB is promoting the design standards concept of environmentally responsible and use quality procurement (ERP)25 through the Bank’s materials new SPS (ADB 2009). Typically, suppliers are required to demonstrate compliance with an environmental quality-assurance standard such as the ISO 14000 series26.
25 ERP would cover, for example, the use of asbestos in subproject activities, or the use of CFCs and other chemicals banned under the Montreal Protocol in air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment. 26 Especially ISO 14001 concerning Environmental Management Systems (EMS), or the more rigorous European Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS).
36
Potential Duration and Mitigation Measures Responsibility Adverse Magnitude of impacts Impacts ERP is an admirable concept, but rigorous application of ERP to this relatively small subproject would necessitate a considerable administrative overhead and is not considered to be practical for all the Project’s procurement activities. Apart from obvious requirements such as avoiding asbestos and CFCs, it is recommended that ERP is limited to aspects of international procurements such as the pumps, and possibly to wood.27 1.3 Waste water Risk of dust Temporary (i) Water sprinkling on gravel roads; (ii) DSC/ treatment plant pollution due to and Scheduling transport of spoils to avoid Construction the flow of insignificant peak traffic periods and other important Contractor construction times; (iii) Do not use narrow local roads, vehicle except in the immediate vicinity of delivery sites; (iv) Do not block public roads; (v) Do not deposit excavated soils/mud; on public roads; (vi) Drive vehicles in a considerate manner. Risk of Temporary (i) Development and approval of a DSC/ temporary silt and moderate sediment and erosion control plan prior to Construction runoff due to land disturbance; (ii) Removal of spoils as Contractor disposal of soon as it is excavated; (iii) Disposal of excavated soil spoils in DSC-approved sites Clearing of Permanent Trees fall under the management of the vegetation and moderate District Forest Office and Ministry of Forest who issue forest clearances (i) During the detailed design stage, a cutting and replanting program has to be developed and approved by the
27 Wood should be sourced from sustainable sources, if feasible; the most rigorous system is that of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). 37
Potential Duration and Mitigation Measures Responsibility Adverse Magnitude of impacts Impacts and use appropriate Personal Protective Equipment; (c) H&S Training for all site personnel; (d) documented procedures to be followed for all site activities; and (e) documentation of work-related accidents; (iii) The contractors will be responsible for employing their own medical staff and for operating a small ambulance at the work sites. The contractors will implement safety measures to secure all installations from unauthorized intrusion and accident risks. Risk of non Permanent (i) Supervision and immediate action adoption of and significant accordingly; (ii) ADB is promoting the design standards concept of environmentally responsible and use quality procurement (ERP)28 through the Bank’s materials new SPS (ADB 2009). Typically, suppliers are required to demonstrate compliance with an environmental quality-assurance standard such as the ISO 14000 series29. ERP is an admirable concept, but rigorous application of ERP to this relatively small subproject would necessitate a considerable administrative overhead and is not considered to be practical for all the Project’s procurement activities. Apart from obvious requirements such as avoiding asbestos and CFCs, it is recommended that ERP is limited to aspects of international procurements such as the pumps, and possibly to wood.30 1.4 Sanitation Environmental Permanent Identification of target group, DSC/ (100per cent risks and public and significant communication media, sufficient materials Consultant coverage) health may not and skilled trainers, manageable size of improve without participants, healthy and comfortable improved venue practices Risk of non- Permanent Good rapport and involvement of local DSC cooperation of and significant people/user groups local people in construction works such as toilet, ablution block, tube wells Impacts on Temporary (i) Full inventory of public utilities existing public/private and moderate in construction sites by field surveys and utilities, access coordination with service providers to to them or obtain layout plans; (ii) If required, damages due to preparation of relocation plans with vibration service providers to be completed during depending on the construction; (iii) Plans for immediate
28 ERP would cover, for example, the use of asbestos in subproject activities, or the use of CFCs and other chemicals banned under the Montreal Protocol in air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment. 29 Especially ISO 14001 concerning Environmental Management Systems (EMS), or the more rigorous European Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS). 30 Wood should be sourced from sustainable sources, if feasible; the most rigorous system is that of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
38
Potential Duration and Mitigation Measures Responsibility Adverse Magnitude of impacts Impacts methods of attendance by the service providers to any construction damages to utilities during construction; used (iv) Provision of satisfactory access to buildings, dwellings, or other activity areas if construction works and new facilities disrupt the existing access; (v) Replacement of (or compensation payments to) public and private physical structures damaged due to construction or vibration; (vi) Use of machines which adhere to standards for vibration; (vii) Keeping the site free from all unnecessary obstructions and storing or disposing of any contractor’s equipment or surplus material; and clearing away and removing from the site any wreckage rubbish and temporary works which are no longer required; (viii) Reinstate roads and lanes where construction works will be undertaken; (ix) DSC shall report in writing that the roads and lanes have been vacated and restored to pre-project conditions before acceptance of the works. Clearing of Permanent Trees fall under the management of the vegetation and moderate District Forest Office and Ministry of Forest who issue forest clearances (i) During the detailed design stage, a cutting and replanting program has to be developed and approved by the
Potential Duration and Mitigation Measures Responsibility Adverse Magnitude of impacts Impacts the workers. Inconvenience to Temporary (i) Plan transportation routes so that heavy DSC/ travelers/vehicle and moderate vehicles do not enter the urban area; (ii) Construction due to road Scheduling transport of spoils to avoid Contractor blockages peak traffic periods and other important times; (iii) Do not use narrow local roads, except in the immediate vicinity of delivery sites; (iv) Do not block public roads; (v) Do not deposit excavated soils/mud; on public roads; (vi) Drive vehicles are in a considerate manner. (vii) Coordinate with Municipal Traffic Office for temporary road diversions; (viii) Provision of sign boards for pedestrians to inform nature and duration of construction works and contact numbers for concerns/complaints; (ix) Minimization of the period of construction by increase workforce in front of critical areas such as institutions, place of worship, business establishment, hospitals, and schools. Clearing of Permanent Trees fall under the management of the DSC/ vegetation and moderate District Forest Office and Ministry of Construction Forest who issue forest clearances (i) Contractor During the detailed design stage, a cutting and replanting program has to be developed and approved by the
40
Potential Duration and Mitigation Measures Responsibility Adverse Magnitude of impacts Impacts not disrupt natural drainage and shall be protected to prevent erosion and migration of soil particles into surface waters; (iii) temporary ditches and/or settling basins shall be dug to collect runoff water and to prevent erosion and contamination of surface water; (iv) prevent undesirable ponding of water through temporary drains discharging to natural drainage channels; (v) restore sites after construction activities have ceased; (vi) sites shall be left in a stable condition and without steep slopes; (vii) stripped material shall be spread to stable contours in order to promote percolation and re-growth of natural vegetation; (viii) sites should be drained and no standing water shall remain; (ix) land utilized for river bed extraction and quarry site access roads shall be restored; (x) exposed areas shall be planted with suitable vegetation at the earliest opportunity; (xi) the Contractor shall follow the recommendations specified in the publication entitled “Vegetatation Structures for Stabilizing Highway Slopes – A Manual for Nepal” and subsequent publications on bio- engineering; (xii) conduct site restoration work before spreading equipment is allowed to leave the sites; (xiii) DSC shall report in writing that the necessary environmental restoration work has been adequately performed before acceptance of work; (xiv) extraction of rocks, gravel, and sand from small rivers and streams shall be discouraged; (xv) if extraction is necessary, then the extraction points shall be spread out along the length of the river to minimize disruption in river flow and to prevent instability to embankments and shall not be near bridges or river training structures; (xvi) depth of material removal at any one location shall be limited, and extraction areas shall be selected where there is little fine material to be carried downstream; and (xvii) local residents and water users shall be consulted to ensure that irrigation intakes, bunds, and local fishing are not adversely impacted. Borrow/open pits Permanent (i) Obtain necessary permits must be DSC/ excavation may and moderate obtained for any borrow pits from the Construction cause land competent authorities; (ii) no excavations Contractor disputes, soil should be allowed within a distance of 100 erosion, loss of meters of the right-of-way; (iii) in borrow potential pits, the depth of the pits should be cropland, loss of regulated so that the sides of the vegetation, excavation will have a slope not steeper landscape than 1: 4; (iv) soil erosion along the borrow degradation, and pit should be regularly checked to 41
Potential Duration and Mitigation Measures Responsibility Adverse Magnitude of impacts Impacts damage to road prevent/mitigate impacts on adjacent embankments lands; (v) surface area of borrow pits shall Borrow/open pits Permanent be minimized; (vi) stripped materials shall DSC/ excavation may and moderate be stored so as to not disrupt natural Construction also become drainage and shall be protected so as to Contractor potential sources not be eroded into surface waters; (vii) of mosquito topsoil shall be stored in specific piles and breeding and the utilization of excess topsoil shall be may prove discussed with local residents; (viii) hazardous to ponding of surface water shall be human beings, prevented through adequate drainage; (ix) livestock, and sites shall be restored after construction wildlife. This will activities have ceased; (x) DSC shall also degrade report in writing that the camp has been hygienic vacated and restored to pre-project condition of the conditions before acceptance of the Subroject Area. works. Nuisance to Temporary (i) Reinstate road and footpath DSC/ public due to and moderate immediately after construction of sewer Construction excavation of line; (ii) Provision of sign boards for Contractor roads and path pedestrians to inform nature and duration from where of construction works and contact drains are to be numbers for concerns/complaints; (iii) constructed Increase workforce in front of critical areas such as institutions, place of worship, business establishment, hospitals, and schools; Clearing of Permanent Trees fall under the management of the vegetation and moderate District Forest Office and Ministry of Forest who issue forest clearances (i) During the detailed design stage, a cutting and replanting program has to be developed and approved by the
42
Potential Duration and Mitigation Measures Responsibility Adverse Magnitude of impacts Impacts personnel; (d) documented procedures to be followed for all site activities; and (e) documentation of work-related accidents; (iii) The contractors will be responsible for employing their own medical staff and for operating a small ambulance at the work sites. The contractors will implement safety measures to secure all installations from unauthorized intrusion and accident risks. Loss of livelihood Temporary Leave spaces for access between mounds for businesses and moderate of soil; (iii) Provision of walkways and due to metal sheets where required to maintain excavation works access across trenches for people and vehicles; (iv) Increase workforce in front of critical areas such as institutions, place of worship, business establishment, hospitals, and schools; (v) Consult businesses and institutions regarding operating hours and factoring this in work schedules, (vi) ) Provision of sign boards for pedestrians to inform nature and duration of construction works and contact numbers for concerns/complaints; compensation for lost income for duration of impact. Risk of non Permanent (i) Supervision and immediate action adoption of and significant accordingly; (ii) ADB is promoting the design standards concept of environmentally responsible and use quality procurement (ERP)31 through the Bank’s materials new SPS (ADB 2009). Typically, suppliers are required to demonstrate compliance with an environmental quality-assurance standard such as the ISO 14000 series32. ERP is an admirable concept, but rigorous application of ERP to this relatively small subproject would necessitate a considerable administrative overhead and is not considered to be practical for all the Project’s procurement activities. Apart from obvious requirements such as avoiding asbestos and CFCs, it is recommended that ERP is limited to aspects of international procurements such as the pumps, and possibly to wood33. Increased waste Temporary (i) Containment of wastewater effluent DSC/ generation at and significant from contractor’s workshop and equipment Construction contractors work washing yards; (ii) Training of working Contractor camp resulting to force in the storage and handling of unhygienic materials and chemicals that can conditions, potentially cause soil contamination; (iii)
31 ERP would cover, for example, the use of asbestos in subproject activities, or the use of CFCs and other chemicals banned under the Montreal Protocol in air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment. 32 Especially ISO 14001 concerning Environmental Management Systems (EMS), or the more rigorous European Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS). 33 Wood should be sourced from sustainable sources, if feasible; the most rigorous system is that of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). 43
Potential Duration and Mitigation Measures Responsibility Adverse Magnitude of impacts Impacts health risk to Solid waste generated during construction work force and will be safely disposed in demarcated general public waste disposal sites and the contractor will provide a proper waste management plan; (iv) Sanitary wastes generated from labour camps must be disposed off in environment friendly manner, i.e. provision of septic tank etc. for toilet wastes; and (v) Aggregate waste material of existing road will be reused in up-gradation of road. Surface water Temporary (i) Surface and groundwater reserves might get and moderate must be protected from any source of contaminated contamination such as the construction due to the and oily waste that will degrade its potable disposal of quality; (ii) Solid waste will be disposed off construction in designated landfill sites to sustain the waste generated water quality for domestic requirements; (iii) Regular water quality monitoring according to determined sampling schedule; (iv) Contractor to ensure that construction debris do not find their way into the drainage or irrigation canals which may get clogged; (v) Work on irrigation canal areas will be kept to a minimum, protective walls be (reconstructed); (vi) prohibit washing of machinery and vehicles in surface waters, provide sealed washing basins and collect wastewater in sedimentation/retention pond; (vii) construction work close to the streams or other water bodies will be avoided, especially during monsoon period; (viii) construct temporary or permanent devices to prevent water pollution; and (ix) wastes must be collected, stored and taken to approved disposal site. C. Operation and Maintenance Impacts 1. Drainage and Sanitation 1.1 Sewer line Risk of pollution Permanent Quality of effluent and river water need to DSC/ of ground and and significant be regularly monitored Consultant river water due to seepage of waste water Risk of health Permanent (i) Preparation and implementation of a DSC/ and safety and significant site health and safety plan ensuring the Contractor hazards to workers use protective equipments; (ii) workers from Training for all employees so that they hazardous understand the system and know what material which action to take in particular circumstances may be such as during times of peak flow or contained in accidental releases of untreated effluent. waste water Blockage of Temporary (i) Building of public awareness; (ii) Timely DSC/ drainage by and moderate supervision and monitoring Consultant people throwing waste 1.2 Storm water Risk of nuisance Permanent (i) Regular cleaning of drain; (ii) Promotion DSC/ drainage to neighboring and moderate of public awareness and practices about Contractor areas because of solid waste management and sanitation
44
Potential Duration and Mitigation Measures Responsibility Adverse Magnitude of impacts Impacts overflow and issues flooding due to blocking by solid wastes 1.3 Waste water Risk of damages Permanent Control industrial and medical waste DSCMinistiry of treatment plant to sewer system and significant discharge into drain without treatment Industry (MoI) and danger to enforcing existing legal provisions and Ministry of worker due to Environment discharge of (MoE) MoHP hazardous waste from the industries and hospitals Risk of pollution Permanent Quality of effluent and river water need to DSC/ of ground and and significant be regularly monitored and immediate Consultant river water due to action need to be taken accordingly seepage of waste water Risk of health Permanent Preparation and implementation of a site DSC/ and safety and significant health and safety plan ensuring the Consultant hazards to workers use protective equipments workers from hazardous material which may be contained in waste water Nuisance to Permanent Regular operation and maintenance (and DSC/ neighboring and moderate lime spreading on the bed) Consultant areas due to odor, insects and rodent Removal and Permanent Sludge from the drying beds will need to disposal of and moderate be cleared on a regular basis and should sludge be disposed of by the DSC or reputable contractor within their designated sludge handling facility. Soil fertilizer use is encouraged only after laboratory testing deems it safe. 1.4 Sanitation Risk of Permanent Monitoring and immediate action DSC/ (100per cent unsatisfactory and significant accordingly Consultant coverage) raw water supply Risk of poor Permanent Involve local community/users to regularly DSC management of and significant monitor and take action accordingly public structures such public toilets, school toilets, ablution blocks 1.3 Roads and Risk of nuisance Permanent Regular supervision and cleaning and DSC Lanes due to blocking and maintenance drains and insignificant culverts, and dust pollution due to dismantle of road
45
67. In the case of this subproject (i) most of the individual elements are relatively small and involve straightforward construction and operation, so impacts will be mainly localized and not greatly significant; (ii) most of the predicted impacts are associated with the construction process, and are produced because the process is invasive, such as involving trenching and other excavation. However the routine nature of the impacts means that most can be easily mitigated and the impacts are clearly a result of the construction process rather than the subproject design or location, as they would not occur if this did not involve excavation or other ground disturbance. As the potential negative environmental impacts are associated with the activities of the construction contractor(s), the potential for adverse impacts can be significantly reduced by including environmental management clauses in the individual contract documents. All safety provisions equally apply for subcontractors.
68. At the wastewater treatment plants, sewage sludge will need to be removed from the active treatment ponds every four or five years. This is a simple process that does not require a Sludge Management Plan. Ponds are allowed to dry out naturally and the solid sludge is removed by manual digging. The treatment and drying processes kill enteric bacteria and pathogens, and because of its high content of nitrates, phosphates and other plant nutrients the sludge is an excellent organic fertilizer and farmers are normally allowed to remove the dry material for application to their land. However, this should be confirmed in laboratory tests. This should be preceded by rigorous bacteriological tests to confirm that the treatment methods render all dried sludge and effluent free from enteric bacteria and pathogens, so that it is safe to humans, animals and crops. Thus the regular removal of sludge from the treatment ponds should also have no environmental impacts, and if tests show that the drying procedure removes bacterial contamination the material should be sold to farmers to fertilize soil, as this will provide an environmental gain and some cost recovery. Sludge can also be disposed at the municipal dumping site with permission from municipal authorities.
69. One of the major concerns is health and safety risk to the workers.34. Workers involved during the construction period of all the infrastructures are likely to expose to environment pollution such as dust and noise and to potential accidents. Workers involved in waste water treatment plant during operation period are likely to be exposed to physical, chemical and biological hazards. Such health and safety risks are due to falls into pond; inhalation of volatile organic compounds, gasses, chemicals, bioaerosols and methane; contact with pathogen and vectors and use of potentially hazardous chemicals. Odors from treatment facilities can be nuisance to workers. Such health and safety risk can be minimized through controlling hazardous waste at the source; designing of safe work systems; provision of appropriate personal protective equipments such as gloves, safety glass, plastic hamlets, safety shoes, gowns, face mask and first aids in conjunction with training on the use and maintenance of equipments; training on safe work procedures; and emergency preparedness response such as warning and evacuation. All safety provisions equally apply for subcontractors.
70. Another major concern is the health and safety risk to the communities living in the nearby areas. Odors from treatment facilities can be nuisance to the communities. Overflow and seepage of untreated waste water may pollute surface and ground water. Such health and safety risk can be minimized through controlling hazardous wastes at the source. Exposure of the communities will be minimized by provision of buffer zones and structural safety such as fencing and gates.
34 World Bank Group, 2008. Environmental Health and Safety General Guidelines. The World Bank, Washington D.C.
46
71. The risk of climate change impacts such as likely increasing trend of extreme precipitation events directly to the structure and indirectly to the local people is a great concern. This issue is also not addressed well in this exercise. All these major issues should be addressed during detailed design stage and to involve experts from the respective disciplines.
72. The sites proposed for waste water treatment in Biratnagar is located in wet paddy fields indicating low infiltration on the one hand and provision for leach ate collection and its treatment in the design and cost estimates on the other indicate low risk to community health due to pollution of surface and underground water. However, this should be clarified and confirmed with further scientific investigations and should be a part of full EIA and detailed design stage. Similarly, the risk of climate change impacts such as likely increasing trend of extreme precipitation events directly to the structure and indirectly to the local people is a great concern. This issue is also not addressed well in this exercise. All these major issues should be addressed during full EIA involving experts from the respective disciplines.
B. Potential Environmental Enhancement Measures
73. Enhancement measures are measures not at present incorporated in the proposed Project but which, for a small additional cost, would give significant social and/or environmental benefits. For the proposed subproject, potential enhancement measures identified by the PPTA team include:
(i) Hard and soft landscaping to improve the appearance and attractiveness of the all sites, including visual screening by urban trees.
(ii) Training of trainers in construction health, safety and environmental management practices: informal observation of construction activities in Nepal indicates a significant need for upgrading all aspects of H&S in the construction sector.
(iii) Pilot project to explore the feasibility of energy recovery (heat) from sludge digestion: sustainability factors require that system planning take every opportunity to lower net energy usage. Heat pump technology is advancing rapidly, and it may be possible to recover energy from the wastewater stream, although this would have to be converted to electricity to power the pumps; alternatively, the study could investigate on-site gas generation from sewage, which could obviate the need for backup power (standby generators).
74. Involvement of key stakeholders in different stages - planning, design, construction and operation is necessary for successful implementation proposed activities and improving environment, health and hygiene of the people in sustained way. In order to achieve inclusive, active and meaningful participation, it is also necessary to create/promote public awareness on environmental pollution and sanitation and its linkage with health and hygiene on the one hand and appropriate methods and technologies effective for the improvement of environment and sanitation. For this the Biratnagar municipality should work closely with the community organization and carry out awareness programmes. 47
1. Sewer line
75. Sufficient human resources should be trained in maintaining sewer system. System of supervision during the construction and monitoring during operation should be established. Awareness programme on sanitation and solid waste management is also necessary for smooth operation of the sewer system. Dismantling of cover slab and blockage of sewer discharge due to solid waste thrown in the drain were commonly observed during field visits.
2. Storm water drainage
76. Sufficient human resources should be trained in maintaining water drainage system. System of supervision during the construction and monitoring during operation should be established.
3. Waste stabilization treatment plant
77. Sufficient human resources should be trained in maintaining water drainage system. System of supervision during the construction and monitoring during operation should be established. The efficiency of the treatment plant should be well recorded through regular monitoring the affluent and effluent characteristics. The possibility of discharging hazardous waste from industries, hospitals and nursing home should be totally controlled by enforcing existing legal provisions.
4. Sanitation-100% coverage
78. The main objective of this sub-component is to create/promote public awareness on sanitation with a few activities focusing on urban poor and disadvantaged group designed keeping in view the inclusiveness and equity. Different awareness creation models should be designed each targeting particular group of people – women, caste/ethnicity, urban poor, civil society etc.
V. ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVES
A. Project Sites
79. The sewer line and storm water drain are aligned within the right of way of the existing roads. No significant adverse environmental impacts are found with present location of the project activities. The waste stabilization treatment pond has been proposed at Jatuwa and reed bed treatment plant at Rani. Both the sites are located quite far from the residential areas and river bank. Keeping in view the more or less uniform lithology, hydrology and land use over large part of the municipality, the most important criteria used in determining the site for waste water treatment plants are the topographic direction of the drain in terms of the gradient of land (slight topographic depression), distance from streams, human settlement and international boundary (far from stream and settlement), and land value at current (cheaper one) and proposed infrastructure development activities (railway, schools, hospitals and industries) in the
48 near future. Based upon these criteria, these two sites were found most appropriate for the location of the waste treatment plant with comparatively small potential environmental impacts.
B. Project Design, Technology Selection, and Operation
80. Different strategies and approaches have been adopted in designing project activities, selecting the technologies and operational procedures after reviewing best practices, guidelines and standards. While designing the project activities, emphasis was given to urban environment improvement with due consideration on integration among project components and concentration of investment in few localities; inclusiveness and equity in participation with focus to urban poor and disadvantaged groups; public-private partnership; and demand from the proponent i.e municipality. Sewer line and storm water drainage are well integrated with the improvement of roads and are focused on urban core areas. Keeping in view the sustainability of the proposed activities and construction and operation costs, separate storm water drainage and sewerage system and waste water stabilization pond for waste water treatment of the core area and reed bed treatment plant in the southern part of the municipality have been proposed (see Vol. 2 for detail alternative analysis of design standards). Priorities have been given to labour intensive technologies and community led basic sanitation for all with gender consideration. The working procedures proposed are participatory one. Awareness creation and skill development activities for the improvement of environment, health and hygiene have also been integrated with the development of basic infrastructure facilities. The project will use local materials as far as possible.
C. No Project Options
81. Traffic congestion, atmospheric pollution due to poor road condition, flooding and inundation due to poor drainage and incidence of health hazard due to lack of proper management of waste water and solid waste are some of the main environmental problems in Biratnagar. Such problems are likely to be intensified in the future. Implementation of the proposed project will improve the environmental condition of the city and health and safety of the community by reducing environmental pollution on the one hand and awareness creation on the other. It will also help to improve economic condition and livelihood of the poor communities by providing employment opportunities in the project activities. Ultimately, it will help to improve the quality of life of the people living in the municipality. The implementation of the proposed project will have more positive impacts. However, adverse impacts should be minimized through implementation of proposed mitigation and monitoring measures.
VI. INFORMATION DISCLOSURE, CONSULTATION, AND PARTICIPATION
82. For this subproject, consultations were carried out at two levels: (i) municipality level with participation of representatives of political parties and administrative and technical staffs in the municipality; and ii) local level at the site where major infrastructures such as waste water treatment plants have been proposed.
83. During the environmental assessment process, the Environment Safeguard Specialist visited Biratnagar municipality and the proposed project sites for consultation. The first visit was on 14-15 September and the second one was on 12-14 October in order to discuss overall environmental concerns and site specific environmental issues. The list of persons consulted 49 during that field visit is given in Appendix 2. The authorities of municipality as well as officials from DUDBC, counter part of this subproject also visited the site and discussed with the local people about environmental risks.
84. Local level consultation was limited to informal discussions with only a few local leaders and land owners. It is necessary to have formal consultation meetings with active involvement of the local bodies’ (i.e. respective municipality for this project). However, the consultants were advised by the authorities of Biratnagar municipality not to disclose information formally to people likely to be affected particularly in those sites where waste water treatment plants are proposed. The reasons behind it were that i) there are no elected representatives of the local bodies over the last four years and the authorities of the municipality could not take risk to go ahead for public consultation process and ii) likely inflation of land value, conflict between land owners/resource users group and municipality, and risk of the disturbances by the local people in organized way before acquisition of land for the project. It was risky to hold intensive consultation with all the people likely to be affected independently by the consultants themselves without having formal participation of the local body. However, information about socio-economic condition at household level of the people likely to be affected due to acquisition of land for waste water treatment plant were obtained with the assistance of local enumerators by interviewing landowners. Two informal public consultation meetings (one in each site) were organized in order to discuss with land owner about their concerns. During these consultations the land owners had expressed their willingness to sell their land for the subproject as documented in the Resettlement Plan prepared for the subproject. However, formal intensive consultation with communities living nearby areas of the proposed site should be a part of the detailed design stage and environmental management plan update.
85. Finalization of EMP. This outline EMP will be disclosed in Biratnagar as part of the public consultation process necessary for completion of the subproject’s main IEE. Comments received will form an input to EMP finalization following subproject start-up. Further public consultation may be undertaken if required by the MOE as part of its project approval conditions.
86. Implementation – Construction. During construction the primary stakeholders affected will be local residents at and near construction sites, and the traveling public. Local residents will be informed about planned activities prior to construction by DSC. Commercial enterprises in areas to be affected by civil works will be informed in advance, together with full details of the compensation entitlements and application procedures.
87. Implementation - Operation and Maintenance. The key component of the subproject’s public consultation mechanism during operation and maintenance will be DSC PIU which will be set up under the Project. Amongst other tasks, the unit will receive, record, track and respond to complaints from customers and the general public.
VII. GRIEVANCE REDRESS MECHANISM
88. Government Grievance Mechanism and Redress Process. The EPR 1997 has given authority to the Chief District Officer for grievance and compensation processes. According to this regulation, in case anyone wishes to realize compensation from any individual, institution or proponent, he may submit an application to the Chief District Officer of the concerned district
50 mentioning the type of action taken by the concerned individual, institution or proponent, the type of loss suffered by him as a result thereof, and the amount of compensation sought by him. The Chief District Officer shall conduct investigations into it, as well as into the actual situation prevailing at the concerned place, as required, and also seek the opinions and suggestions of the concerned office in the district, as well as of the Inspector, if any, deputed to the district, and thus evaluate the actual loss suffered by the applicant. If, for any reason, the loss cannot be evaluated, the Chief District Officer shall forward the application to the concerned body for its suggestion on the matter within 30 days from the date of receipt of the application. The concerned body shall conduct necessary investigations in that connection, study the actual situation prevailing at the concerned place as required, and send back the application to the concerned Chief District Officer along with its opinion and suggestion. In case the loss has been evaluated, the Chief District Officer shall determine the amount of compensation accordingly, and in case the suggestion of the concerned body has been sought, the Chief District Officer shall do so after receiving the suggestion.
89. In case an application for compensation has been forwarded to the concerned body, the Chief District Officer shall take a decision in respect to payment of compensation within 15 days from the date of receipt of suggestion from the concerned body, and in case the application for compensation has not been so forwarded to the concerned body, the Chief District Officer shall do so within 60 days from the date of receipt of the application for compensation. In connection with the determination of the amount of compensation, the Chief District Officer shall have the powers to summon the concerned individual, institution or proponent, record his/its statement, order the submission of any document, equipment, machinery, etc., and enter into and investigate the place from where pollution, noise, heat or waste has been created or emitted. The amount of compensation determined by the Chief District Officer under this Rule shall be appropriate and reasonable.
90. Within 30 days from the date of determination of the amount of compensation, the concerned individual, institution or proponent will be required to pay the amount to the concerned individual or institution. In case the concerned individual, institution or proponent submits an application for an extension of the time-limit prescribed explaining appropriate reasons for his/its failure to pay the amount of compensation within that time-limit, and in case the reason mentioned in the application is found to be appropriate, the Chief District Officer may extend the time-limit by not more than 30 days for one time. In case the concerned individual, institution or proponent fails to pay the amount of compensation within the time-limit prescribed later the individual or institution which is to receive compensation may submit an application to the Chief District Officer within three months from the date of expire of the said time-limit with a request to have the amount of compensation realized, identifying the property belonging to such individual, institution or proponent. In case an application is received, the Chief District Officer shall auction the property of the individual, institution or proponent who is to pay the amount of compensation in accordance with the existing laws, cause to pay the amount of compensation, and handover the balance to the concerned individual, institution or proponent.
91. As per the Local Governance Act 1998, the municipal council is responsible to evaluate the development and construction works within the municipality and give necessary direction. The municipality is empowered to hear and settle at first instance for complaints relating to compensation for damage of crops, forced labour and wages, water bank (ghat) and security of public properties, hidden and unclaimed properties, forcefully entering and staying into others house, pasture, fodder and fuelwood. It can form arbitration board to hear and settle the case 51 filled in the municipality for the complaints mentioned above. The Municipality shall form an arbitration board to hear and settle the cases filed in the Municipality appoint three persons as agreed upon between the parties to a case from amongst the persons enlisted in the list of arbitrators. For the purpose of hearing and settling the cases filed under this Act at first instance, the Municipality shall, immediately after the constitution of the Municipality, prepare a list of arbitrators, setting out their names, surnames and addresses as well, comprising such persons from among the local persons, social workers and legal experts, as are deemed appropriate, with the consent of such persons, and shall publish it in the Municipality Office for public information. The three arbitrators shall collectively exercise the jurisdiction of arbitrators and the opinion of majority shall be deemed the decision of the arbitrators. The arbitrators shall, to the extent possible, because the concerned parties to negotiate with each other on the case submitted to them and have the case compromised. In case the arbitrators fail to have compromise, they shall exercise their powers and decide the case. Any party not satisfied with a decision made may appeal to the concerned District Court within thirty-five days of the hearing or knowledge of the decision.
92. Project Formulated Grievance Mechanism. The project formulated grievance mechanism will be split into three phases: In the first phase, a GRC chaired by EO will come up with remedial measures. Only if the complainant is not satisfied with this decision, the issue will be brought up to the municipal board, as the second phase. If the person is still not satisfied, then he/she can go to either the court or MPPW, as a third phase. This is illustrated in the figure below.
93. The project manager of the PIU is to activate the project GRC. This process is not to supersede or impeded on the country's formal grievance processes. The GRC will meet as needed to determine the merit of each grievance, and resolve grievances within a month of receiving the complaint. The GRC with a minimum of three members will be headed by the Executive Officer. Members of the committee may also include local government representative (VDC, DDC), representatives of APs with one male and one female, a representative of vulnerable people’s organisations active in the area concerned, social safeguards consultant, the NGO, and a representative from the Project. The Committee thus appointed should be sanctioned by the municipal board. The time bound GRC process is illustrated in the figure below.
94. Complaints should be addressed to the PIU or municipality. The PIU will keep records of all grievances received including: contact details of complainant, date the complaint was received, nature of grievance, agreed corrective actions and the date these were effected, and final outcome. The GRC should provide the concerns of the complainants on issues relating to negative and physical impacts that they conceive would occur by the implementation of the particular project sub-component. All complaints should be signed with complete information on name, contact address, phone number if any so that the person can be contacted when required. An acknowledgement to the effect that the complaint has been received by the coordinator’s office should be promptly sent to the complaints. All complaints received should be first registered, categorized and prioritized. They should be analyzed and assessed the concerns raised by the affected parties and have discussion and consultation with them. Records of all such proceedings should be maintained, for future reference, and the attendance of all participants with their signature, in particular the complaints and affected groups should be recorded. If grievances cannot be addressed, the matters are brought to higher authorities (which could be the municipal board, court or central government).
52
Flow Diagram for Conflict Resolution and Grievance Redress Mechanism D A Affected Party/Group Y S
Complaint 0 (0 Days)
Phase 1 7 Initial Assessment by GRC chaired by EO (7 Days)
14 Discussion with AP and AG (7 Days)
Finalize the Initial Inform the AP/AG 21 Assessment Ineligible about Ineligibility (7 Days) (7 Days)
Eligible Complaint
28 Formulating Remedial Cases beyond Jurisdiction Measures (7 Days) of Municipality (7 Days)
31 Discussion with APs to Inform Decisions (3 Days)
38
Municipal Board Consideration (7 Days)
Phase 2
Cases beyond Jurisdiction
Remedial Refer the Case Refer the Case Action to Higher to Higher Phase 3 40 & Authorities Authorities Monitoring (2 Days) (2 Days) (2 Days)
------Keep Municipal Board Informed 53
VIII. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN (EMP)
A. Mitigation
95. Summary of the anticipated environmental impacts and mitigation measures for the drainage and sanitation components are presented in Table 7. Some of the impacts and measures shown have been consolidated to avoid repetition, and there has been some re- ordering to present together those measures that relate to the same activity or site. The table also shows how the mitigation will be implemented, who will be responsible for the monitoring, evaluation, and reporting (estimated cost of implementation to be specified at detailed design stage).
Table 7: Summary of Potential Environmental Impacts and Mitigation Measures - Drainage and Sanitation Component Potential Adverse impacts Mitigation Measures Institutional Responsibilities (I=implementation, M=monitoring, R=reporting, E=evaluation) A. Location and Design Clearing of vegetation Trees fall under the management of the Contractor (I) District Forest Office and Ministry of DSC (M/R) Forest who issue forest clearances (i) PIU (M/R) During the detailed design stage, a PCO/PMSC (E) cutting and replanting program has to be developed and approved by the
54
Potential Adverse impacts Mitigation Measures Institutional Responsibilities (I=implementation, M=monitoring, R=reporting, E=evaluation) Provide personal protective equipment. Loss of agricultural land, crops and RP prepared and to be implemented DSC (I/M/R) properties PIU (I//R) PCO/PMSC/NGO (M/E) Public health hazard due to location Proposed site is in cultivated land 500m DSC (I/M/R) from residential area and other receptors PIU (I//R) but needs vegetative buffer and fencing PCO/PMSC/NGO the structure (M/E) Public toilet may not be used due to (i) Selection of sites with due DSC (I/M/R) inconvenient location consideration of the users; (ii) Location of PIU (M/R) toilets should not be too remote from PCO/PMSC (E main traffic area to avoid long distance walking; (iii) It has to be easily accessible for those with urgency and for better personal safety for the user. Public toilet may not be used due to (i) Materials used should be durable and DSC (I/M/R) misuse and breakdown resistant to vandalism and neglect. (ii) Municipality (I/M) Carefully select durable materials to minimize maintenance and prevent misuse. It is highly desirable that painted finishes are avoided, together with any materials, which are affected by moisture or corrosion (e.g. woodchip products and ferrous metals); (iii) Floor finishes must be sufficiently durable to withstand the anticipated traffic levels; (iv) Use colors to brighten the toilet, create interest, and produce a conducive environment Rejection of the location by affected Mutual agreement between the DSC (I/M/R) families as well as the local municipality and the community/land Municipality (I/M) community since the proposed site owners concerned PIU (I/M) is located in potential urban development area and land value is sky rocketing. But there is no alternative site other than the proposed one keeping in view the location of international boundary in nearby area in the south; and the gradient of the land and existing natural drainage Risk of environmental (i) Do not locate sewers and chambers DSC (I/M/R) pollution/pollution of domestic water near from a public drinking water supply PIU (M/R) (infiltration) due to interception well or private drinking water supply well; PCO/PMSC (E) chambers and sewer (ii) Horizontal Separation: Whenever possible, sewers should be laid at least ten (10) feet horizontally from any existing or proposed water line; (iii) Vertical Separation: Whenever a sewer must cross under a water main, the sewer shall be laid at such elevation that the top of the sewer is at least 18 inches below the bottom of the water main. When the elevation of the sewer cannot be varied to meet the above requirement, the water main shall be relocated to provide the separation or reconstructed 55
Potential Adverse impacts Mitigation Measures Institutional Responsibilities (I=implementation, M=monitoring, R=reporting, E=evaluation) with ductile iron pipe for a minimum distance of ten (10) feet on each side of the sewer. At least one (1) full length of water main should be centered over the sewer so that both joints shall be as far from the sewer as possible; (iv) When it is impossible to obtain proper horizontal and vertical separation as stipulated, both the water main and the sewer shall be pressure-tested to assure water tightness Risk of hazard to public health due Provision for the use of high quality Contractor (I) to failure of structure of stabilization materials in construction DSC (M/R) pond PIU (M/R) PCO/PMSC (E) Risk of health hazard due to (i) Consider the installation of separate Contractor (I) overflows and flooding of waste sewer systems for domestic wastewater DSC (M/R) water. Overflows occur when the and storm water runoff in the overall PIU (M/R) collection system can not manage planning and design of new sewerage PCO/PMSC (E) the volume of wastewater, for systems; (ii) Limit the sewer depth where example due to high flows during possible (e.g., by avoiding routes under rain events or as the result of power streets with heavy traffic). For shallower loss, equipment malfunctions, or sewers, small inspection chambers can blockages. be used in lieu of manholes; (iii) Use appropriate locally available materials for sewer construction. Spun concrete pipes can be appropriate in some circumstances but can suffer corrosion from hydrogen sulfide if there are blockages and/or insufficient slope; (iv) Ensure sufficient hydraulic capacity to accommodate peak flows and adequate slope in gravity mains to prevent buildup of solids and hydrogen sulfide generation; (v) Design manhole covers to withstand anticipated loads and ensure that the covers can be readily replace if broken to minimize entry of garbage and silt into the system; (vi) Equip pumping stations with a backup power supply, such as a diesel generator, to ensure uninterrupted operation during power outages, and conduct regular maintenance to minimize service interruptions. Consider redundant pump capacity in critical areas; Risk of inadequate buffer zone Provision of 50 – 100 m buffer zone Contractor (I) around pumping and treatment plant DSC (I/M/R) to alleviate nuisances and protect PIU (M/R) facilities PCO/PMSC (E) Risk of nuisance and loss of New systems shall be designed to cope properties to neighboring areas due with the design storms of at least the overflow and flooding of drain water Annual Exceedance Probability (AEP), as a result of increasing frequency with an allowance for effects of climate of extreme precipitation event in the change. Primary and secondary flows, context of climate change shall be increased by 20% (DSC to check with PCO and government on
56
Potential Adverse impacts Mitigation Measures Institutional Responsibilities (I=implementation, M=monitoring, R=reporting, E=evaluation) climate studies to confirm this adaptation) to allow for climate change over the asset life. The design of storage / attenuation and treatment systems shall also include this increase in flow. Risk of nuisance to neighboring (i) Design for the provision of water Contractor (I) areas due to odor supply for cleaning; (ii) Toilet cleaners DSC (I/M/R) should be properly trained and certified PIU (M/R) to perform the task well. Supervisors PCO/PMSC (E) should also be trained with the right knowledge and skills to effectively supervise the cleaners; (iii) Provision of cover of drain particularly in city core area and other densely populated areas Risk of nuisance to neighboring New systems shall be designed to cope Contractor (I) areas due to over flows and flooding with the design storms of at least the DSC (I/M/R) from drain Annual Exceedance Probability (AEP), PIU (M/R) with an allowance for effects of climate PCO/PMSC (E) change. Primary and secondary flows, shall be increased by 20% (DSC to check with PCO and government for climate studies to confirm this adaptation) to allow for climate change over the asset life. The design of storage / attenuation and treatment systems shall also include this increase in flow. Risk of pollution of ground water or Provision of a clay liner or geo- Contractor (I) river water due to seepage from the membrane liner at the bed DSC (I/M/R) bed PIU (M/R) PCO/PMSC (E) Risk of pollution of river water due to Flow shall be increased by 20%(DSC to Contractor (I) overflows and flooding of raw check with PCO and government for DSC (I/M/R) sewage climate studies to confirm this PIU (M/R) adaptation) to allow for climate change PCO/PMSC (E) effects. Risk of public health due to drinking Locate wells away from sources of Contractor (I) of polluted water from the tube wells potential water pollution such as sewer DSC (I/M/R) line and waste water disposal site PIU (M/R) PCO/PMSC (E) Risk of temporary silt runoff due to (i) Development and approval of a Contractor (I) construction sediment and erosion control plan prior DSC (I/M/R) to land disturbance; (ii) Identification for PIU (M/R) spoil disposal sites at the time of detailed PCO/PMSC (E) design Risk of water pollution due to In case effluents and dried sludge, which Contractor (I) disposal of treated effluent and are to be applied to crops, the magnitude DSC (I/M/R) sludge of pollutant removal or standard will be PIU (M/R) applied to prevent crop contamination. PCO/PMSC (E) Risk to structure and public health Flow shall be increased by 20% (DSC to Contractor (I) due to inundation and flooding in the check with PCO and government on DSC (I/M/R) context of climate change climate studies to confirm this PIU (M/R) adaptation)to allow for climate change PCO/PMSC (E) effects. B. Construction impacts Clearing of vegetation Trees fall under the management of the Contractor (I) District Forest Office and Ministry of DSC (I/M/R) Forest who issue forest clearances (i) PIU (M/R) 57
Potential Adverse impacts Mitigation Measures Institutional Responsibilities (I=implementation, M=monitoring, R=reporting, E=evaluation) During the detailed design stage, a PCO/PMSC (E) cutting and replanting program has to be developed and approved by the
58
Potential Adverse impacts Mitigation Measures Institutional Responsibilities (I=implementation, M=monitoring, R=reporting, E=evaluation) restored to pre-project conditions before acceptance of the works. Indigenous Peoples The Subproject will not affect any ethnic Contractor (I) minority that qualifies under ADB’s DSC (I/M/R) definition of indigenous peoples. PIU (M/R) PCO/PMSC (E) Loss of livelihood for businesses Leave spaces for access between Contractor (I) due to excavation works mounds of soil; (iii) Provision of DSC (I/M/R) walkways and metal sheets where PIU (M/R) required to maintain access across PCO/PMSC (M/E) trenches for people and vehicles; (iv) Increase workforce in front of critical areas such as institutions, place of worship, business establishment, hospitals, and schools; (v) Consult businesses and institutions regarding operating hours and factoring this in work schedules, (vi) ) Provision of sign boards for pedestrians to inform nature and duration of construction works and contact numbers for concerns/complaints; compensation for lost income for duration of impact. Nuisance to pedestrian and traffic (i) Plan transportation routes so that Contractor (I) congestion during construction heavy vehicles do not enter the urban DSC (I/M/R) area; (ii) Scheduling transport of spoils to PIU (M/R) avoid peak traffic periods and other PCO/PMSC (E) important times; (iii) Do not use narrow local roads, except in the immediate vicinity of delivery sites; (iv) Do not block public roads; (v) Do not deposit excavated soils/mud; on public roads; (vi) Drive vehicles in a considerate manner. (vii) Coordinate with Municipal Traffic Office for temporary road diversions; (viii) Provision of sign boards for pedestrians to inform nature and duration of construction works and contact numbers for concerns/complaints; (ix) Minimization of the period of construction by increase workforce in front of critical areas such as institutions, place of worship, business establishment, hospitals, and schools. Nuisance to public due to excavation (i) Reinstate road and footpath Contractor (I) of roads and path from where drains immediately after construction of sewer DSC (I/M/R) are to be constructed line; (ii) Provision of sign boards for PIU (M/R) pedestrians to inform nature and duration PCO/PMSC (E) of construction works and contact numbers for concerns/complaints; (iii) Increase workforce in front of critical areas such as institutions, place of worship, business establishment, hospitals, and schools; Nuisance to public due to increased (i) Avoid noise-generating activities at Contractor (I) noise levels during construction night; (ii) Consult with the local DSC (I/M/R) community to inform them of the nature, PIU (M/R) duration and likely effects of the PCO/PMSC (E) 59
Potential Adverse impacts Mitigation Measures Institutional Responsibilities (I=implementation, M=monitoring, R=reporting, E=evaluation) construction work, and to identify any local concerns so that these can be addressed; (iii) Minimization of the period of construction. Risk of dust pollution due to the flow (i) Water sprinkling on gravel roads; (ii) Contractor (I) of construction vehicle Scheduling transport of spoils to avoid DSC (I/M/R) peak traffic periods and other important PIU (M/R) times; (iii) Do not use narrow local roads, PCO/PMSC (E) except in the immediate vicinity of delivery sites; (iv) Do not block public roads; (v) Do not deposit excavated soils/mud; on public roads; (vi) Drive vehicles in a considerate manner. Risk of health and safety hazards to (i) Reduce dust by spraying stockpiled Contractor (I) workers from dust and other soil, excavated materials, and spoils; (iii) DSC (I/M/R) accidents Cover stockpiled construction materials PIU (M/R) with tarpaulin; (ii) Require Construction PCO/PMSC (E) Contractor to produce and implement a site Health and Safety (H&S) Plan and this will include such measures as: (a) excluding the public from the site; (b) ensuring that all workers are provided with and use appropriate Personal Protective Equipment; (c) H&S Training for all site personnel; (d) documented procedures to be followed for all site activities; and (e) documentation of work- related accidents; (iii) The contractors will be responsible for employing their own medical staff and for operating a small ambulance at the work sites. The contractors will implement safety measures to secure all installations from unauthorized intrusion and accident risks.. Risk of non adoption of design (i) Supervision and immediate action Contractor (I) standards and use quality materials accordingly; (ii) ADB is promoting the DSC (I/M/R) concept of environmentally responsible PIU (M/R) procurement (ERP)35 through the Bank’s PCO/PMSC (E) new SPS (ADB 2009). Typically, suppliers are required to demonstrate compliance with an environmental quality-assurance standard such as the ISO 14000 series36. ERP is an admirable concept, but rigorous application of ERP to this relatively small subproject would necessitate a considerable administrative overhead and is not considered to be practical for all the Project’s procurement activities. Apart from obvious requirements such as avoiding asbestos
35 ERP would cover, for example, the use of asbestos in subproject activities, or the use of CFCs and other chemicals banned under the Montreal Protocol in air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment. 36 Especially ISO 14001 concerning Environmental Management Systems (EMS), or the more rigorous European Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS).
60
Potential Adverse impacts Mitigation Measures Institutional Responsibilities (I=implementation, M=monitoring, R=reporting, E=evaluation) and CFCs, it is recommended that ERP is limited to aspects of international procurements such as the pumps, and possibly to wood37. Risk of non-cooperation of local Good rapporting and involvement of local Contractor (I) people in construction works such people/user groups DSC (I/M/R) as toilet, ablution block, tube wells PIU (M/R) PCO/PMSC (E) Risk of temporary silt runoff due to (i) Development and approval of a Contractor (I) disposal of excavated soil sediment and erosion control plan prior DSC (I/M/R) to land disturbance; (ii) Removal of spoils PIU (M/R) as soon as it is excavated; (iii) Disposal PCO/PMSC (E) of spoils in DSC-approved sites Selection for Work Camps.. (i) Avoid residential areas to protect the Contractor (I) human environment (i.e., to curb DSC (I/M/R) accident risks, health risks due to air and PIU (M/R) water pollution and dust, and noise, and PCO/PMSC (E) to prevent social conflicts, shortages of amenities, and crime); Blockage of drainage by people (i) Building of public awareness; (ii) Municipality throwing waste Timely supervision and monitoring Nuisance to neighboring areas due Regular operation and maintenance (and Municipality to odor, insects and rodent lime spreading on the bed) Removal and disposal of sludge Sludge from the drying beds will need to Municipality be cleared on a regular basis and should be disposed of by the DSC or reputable contractor within their designated sludge handling facility. Risk of damages to sewer system Control industrial and medical waste Municipality and danger to worker due to discharge into drain without treatment discharge of hazardous waste from enforcing existing legal provisions the industries and hospitals Risk of health and safety hazards to (i) Preparation and implementation of a Municipality workers from hazardous material site health and safety plan ensuring the which may be contained in waste workers use protective equipments; (ii) water Training for all employees so that they understand the system and know what action to take in particular circumstances such as during times of peak flow or accidental releases of untreated effluent. Risk of nuisance to neighboring (i) Regular cleaning of drain; (ii) Municipality areas because of overflow and Promotion of public awareness and flooding due to blocking by solid practices about solid waste management wastes and sanitation issues Risk of pollution of ground and river Quality of effluent and river water need to Municipality water due to seepage of waste be regularly monitored and immediate water action need to be taken accordingly Risk of poor management of public Involve local community/users to Municipality structures such public toilets, school regularly monitor and take action toilets, ablution blocks accordingly
37 Wood should be sourced from sustainable sources, if feasible; the most rigorous system is that of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC). 61
96. Summary of the anticipated environmental impacts and mitigation measures for the roads and lanes component are presented in Table 8. The table also shows how the mitigation will be implemented, who will be responsible for the monitoring, evaluation, and reporting, and the estimated cost of implementation.
Table 8: Summary of Potential Environmental Impacts and Mitigation Measures – Roads and Lanes Component Potential Adverse impacts Mitigation Measures Institutional Responsibilities (I=implementation, M=monitoring, R=reporting, E=evaluation) A. Location and Design Risk health hazard due to (i) Provision for drainage and culverts, and for Contractor (I) impoundment of water and debris collection structures; (ii) Design road DSC (I/M/R) increased soil erosion due to drainage according to the probability of PIU (M/R) alteration of surface water occurrence of an expected peak discharge during PCO/PMSC (E) hydrology of water ways the design life of the installation; Risk of dust pollution from (i) Identification and approval of spoil disposal Contractor (I) spoils from road surface areas; (ii) Use will be limited for non-productive DSC (I/M/R) clearance for blacktopping area, reclamation purposes, and will not be used PIU (M/R) in areas near wetlands or protected bodies of PCO/PMSC (E) water) Risk of land degradation due (i) Pre-determination and inclusion in the design Contractor (I) to excessive mining of filling documents of quarry site locations; DSC (I/M/R) materials PIU (M/R) PCO/PMSC (E) Industrial wastewater flowing Urban environmental management guidelines are PCO (I/M)/Ministry of into municipalities remain in the process of final approval by the Industry and Ministry of untreated, jeopardizing Government. The Project Steering Committee will Environment/DDC/SEAM-N sanitation improvement. monitor the progress of enforcement of the guidelines. Implementation of the guidelines will be partially supported by the Project. Coordination with SEAM-N for effective industrial pollution control will be continued. Clearing of roadside Trees fall under the management of the District Contractor (I) vegetation Forest Office and Ministry of Forest who issue DSC (I/M/R) forest clearances (i) During the detailed design PIU (M/R) stage, a cutting and replanting program has to be PCO/PMSC (E) developed and approved by the
62
Potential Adverse impacts Mitigation Measures Institutional Responsibilities (I=implementation, M=monitoring, R=reporting, E=evaluation) B. Construction impacts Deterioration of air quality and (i) Dust control by equipping asphalt, hot mix and Contractor (I) increase in dust/suspended batching plants with fabric filters or wet scrubbers DSC (I/M/R) particulate matter to reduce the level of dust emissions; (ii) Surface PIU (M/R) treating or sprinkling water across diversion PCO/PMSC (E) tracks; (iii) Ensuring that haul trucks carrying aggregate fill materials are kept covered with canvass sheet to help contain construction material being transported between sites; (iv) Enforcing the National Air Quality Standards applicable to gaseous emissions generated by construction vehicles, equipment and machinery; (v) Provision of dust mask to the workers. Inconvenience to (i) Plan transportation routes so that heavy Contractor (I) travelers/vehicle due to road vehicles do not enter the urban area; (ii) DSC (I/M/R) blockages Scheduling transport of spoils to avoid peak traffic PIU (M/R) periods and other important times; (iii) Do not use PCO/PMSC (E) narrow local roads, except in the immediate vicinity of delivery sites; (iv) Do not block public roads; (v) Do not deposit excavated soils/mud; on public roads; (vi) Drive vehicles are in a considerate manner. (vii) Coordinate with Municipal Traffic Office for temporary road diversions; (viii) Provision of sign boards for pedestrians to inform nature and duration of construction works and contact numbers for concerns/complaints; (ix) Minimization of the period of construction by increase workforce in front of critical areas such as institutions, place of worship, business establishment, hospitals, and schools. Clearing of vegetation Trees fall under the management of the District Contractor (I) Forest Office and Ministry of Forest who issue DSC (I/M/R) forest clearances i) During the detailed design PIU (M/R) stage, a cutting and replanting program has to be PCO/PMSC (E) developed and approved by the
Potential Adverse impacts Mitigation Measures Institutional Responsibilities (I=implementation, M=monitoring, R=reporting, E=evaluation) safety. The LEP approach of green road construction prohibits the use of blasting materials during road construction. Mitigation measures include: (i) clearing of trees and other desirable vegetation shall be discouraged; (ii) stripped material should be stored so as to not disrupt natural drainage and shall be protected to prevent erosion and migration of soil particles into surface waters; (iii) temporary ditches and/or settling basins shall be dug to collect runoff water and to prevent erosion and contamination of surface water; (iv) prevent undesirable ponding of water through temporary drains discharging to natural drainage channels; (v) restore sites after construction activities have ceased; (vi) sites shall be left in a stable condition and without steep slopes; (vii) stripped material shall be spread to stable contours in order to promote percolation and re-growth of natural vegetation; (viii) sites should be drained and no standing water shall remain; (ix) land utilized for river bed extraction and quarry site access roads shall be restored; (x) exposed areas shall be planted with suitable vegetation at the earliest opportunity; (xi) the Contractor shall follow the recommendations specified in the publication entitled “Vegetatation Structures for Stabilizing Highway Slopes – A Manual for Nepal” and subsequent publications on bio-engineering; (xii) conduct site restoration work before spreading equipment is allowed to leave the sites; (xiii) DSC shall report in writing that the necessary environmental restoration work has been adequately performed before acceptance of work; (xiv) extraction of rocks, gravel, and sand from small rivers and streams shall be discouraged; (xv) if extraction is necessary, then the extraction points shall be spread out along the length of the river to minimize disruption in river flow and to prevent instability to embankments and shall not be near bridges or river training structures; (xvi) depth of material removal at any one location shall be limited, and extraction areas shall be selected where there is little fine material to be carried downstream; and (xvii) local residents and water users shall be consulted to ensure that irrigation intakes, bunds, and local fishing are not adversely impacted. Borrow/open pits excavation (i) Obtain necessary permits must be obtained for Contractor (I) may cause land disputes, soil any borrow pits from the competent authorities; (ii) DSC (I/M/R) erosion, loss of potential no excavations should be allowed within a PIU (M/R) cropland, loss of vegetation, distance of 100 meters of the right-of-way; (iii) in PCO/PMSC (E) landscape degradation, and borrow pits, the depth of the pits should be damage to road embankments regulated so that the sides of the excavation will Borrow/open pits excavation have a slope not steeper than 1: 4; (iv) soil Contractor (I) may also become potential erosion along the borrow pit should be regularly DSC (I/M/R) sources of mosquito breeding checked to prevent/mitigate impacts on adjacent PIU (M/R) and may prove hazardous to lands; (v) surface area of borrow pits shall be PCO/PMSC (E) human beings, livestock, and minimized; (vi) stripped materials shall be stored
64
Potential Adverse impacts Mitigation Measures Institutional Responsibilities (I=implementation, M=monitoring, R=reporting, E=evaluation) wildlife. This will also degrade so as to not disrupt natural drainage and shall be hygienic condition of the protected so as to not be eroded into surface Subroject Area. waters; (vii) topsoil shall be stored in specific piles and the utilization of excess topsoil shall be discussed with local residents; (viii) ponding of surface water shall be prevented through adequate drainage; (ix) sites shall be restored after construction activities have ceased; (x) DSC shall report in writing that the camp has been vacated and restored to pre-project conditions before acceptance of the works. Nuisance to public due to (i) Reinstate road and footpath immediately after Contractor (I) excavation of roads and path construction of sewer line; (ii) Provision of sign DSC (I/M/R) from where drains are to be boards for pedestrians to inform nature and PIU (M/R) constructed duration of construction works and contact PCO/PMSC (E) numbers for concerns/complaints; (iii) Increase workforce in front of critical areas such as institutions, place of worship, business establishment, hospitals, and schools; Clearing of vegetation Trees fall under the management of District Forest Contractor (I) Office and Ministry of Forest who issue forest DSC (I/M/R) clearances i) During the detailed design stage, a PIU (M/R) cutting and replanting program has to be PCO/PMSC (E) developed and approved by the
Potential Adverse impacts Mitigation Measures Institutional Responsibilities (I=implementation, M=monitoring, R=reporting, E=evaluation) people and vehicles; (iv) Increase workforce in PCO/PMSC (E) front of critical areas such as institutions, place of worship, business establishment, hospitals, and schools; (v) Consult businesses and institutions regarding operating hours and factoring this in work schedules, (vi) ) Provision of sign boards for pedestrians to inform nature and duration of construction works and contact numbers for concerns/complaints; compensation for lost income for duration of impact. Risk of non adoption of design (i) Supervision and immediate action accordingly; Contractor (I) standards and use quality (ii) ADB is promoting the concept of DSC (I/M/R) materials environmentally responsible procurement (ERP)38 PIU (M/R) through the Bank’s new SPS (ADB 2009). PCO/PMSC (E) Typically, suppliers are required to demonstrate compliance with an environmental quality- assurance standard such as the ISO 14000 series39. ERP is an admirable concept, but rigorous application of ERP to this relatively small subproject would necessitate a considerable administrative overhead and is not considered to be practical for all the Project’s procurement activities. Apart from obvious requirements such as avoiding asbestos and CFCs, it is recommended that ERP is limited to aspects of international procurements such as the pumps, and possibly to wood40. Increased waste generation at (i) Containment of wastewater effluent from Contractor (I) contractors work camp contractor’s workshop and equipment washing DSC (I/M/R) resulting to unhygienic yards; (ii) Training of working force in the storage PIU (M/R) conditions, health risk to work and handling of materials and chemicals that can PCO/PMSC (E) force and general public potentially cause soil contamination; (iii) Solid waste generated during construction will be safely disposed in demarcated waste disposal sites and the contractor will provide a proper waste management plan; (iv) Sanitary wastes generated from labour camps must be disposed off in environment friendly manner, i.e. provision of septic tank etc. for toilet wastes; and (v) Aggregate waste material of existing road will be reused in up-gradation of road. Surface water might get (i) Surface and groundwater reserves must be Contractor (I) contaminated due to the protected from any source of contamination such DSC (I/M/R) disposal of construction waste as the construction and oily waste that will PIU (M/R) generated degrade its potable quality; (ii) Solid waste will be PCO/PMSC (E) disposed off in designated landfill sites to sustain the water quality for domestic requirements; (iii) Regular water quality monitoring according to determined sampling schedule; (iv) Contractor to ensure that construction debris do not find their way into the drainage or irrigation canals which
38 ERP would cover, for example, the use of asbestos in subproject activities, or the use of CFCs and other chemicals banned under the Montreal Protocol in air-conditioning and refrigeration equipment. 39 Especially ISO 14001 concerning Environmental Management Systems (EMS), or the more rigorous European Eco-Management and Audit Scheme (EMAS). 40 Wood should be sourced from sustainable sources, if feasible; the most rigorous system is that of the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC).
66
Potential Adverse impacts Mitigation Measures Institutional Responsibilities (I=implementation, M=monitoring, R=reporting, E=evaluation) may get clogged; (v) Work on irrigation canal areas will be kept to a minimum, protective walls be (reconstructed); (vi) prohibit washing of machinery and vehicles in surface waters, provide sealed washing basins and collect wastewater in sedimentation/retention pond; (vii) construction work close to the streams or other water bodies will be avoided, especially during monsoon period; (viii) construct temporary or permanent devices to prevent water pollution; and (ix) wastes must be collected, stored and taken to approved disposal site. Risk of nuisance due to Regular supervision and cleaning and Municipality blocking drains and culverts, maintenance and dust pollution due to dismantle of road
97. Tables 8 and 9 show that most mitigation activities are the responsibility of the Construction Contractors (CC) employed to build the infrastructure during the construction stage, or the O&M Contractors employed to conduct maintenance or repair work when the system is operating. Responsibility for the relevant measures will be assigned to the Contractors via the contracts through which they are appointed (prepared by the PIU) during the detailed design stage), so they will be legally required to take the necessary action.
B. Monitoring
98. Tables 7 and 8 show that most of the mitigation measures are fairly standard methods of minimizing disturbance from constructing in urban areas (maintaining access, planning work to avoid sensitive times, finding uses for waste material, etc), and experienced Contractors should be familiar with most of the requirements. Monitoring of such measures normally involves making observations in the course of site visits, although some require more formal checking of records and other aspects. There will also be some surveys of residents, as most of the measures are aimed at preventing impacts on people and the human environment.
99. A program of monitoring will be conducted to ensure that all parties take the specified action to provide the required mitigation, to assess whether the action has adequately protected the environment, and to determine whether any additional measures may be necessary. This will be conducted by a qualified Environmental Specialist (one of the project engineers) from the PIU. The Environment Specialist will be responsible for all monitoring activities and reporting the results and conclusions to the DUDCB PIU, and will recommend remedial action if measures are not being provided or are not protecting the environment effectively. The Environment Specialist may be assisted by environmental specialists' in particular technical fields, and junior or medium-level engineers who can make many of the routine observations on site. Post- 67 construction monitoring will be conducted by the Biratnagar municipality to whom responsibility for the infrastructure will pass once it begins to operate.41
100. Table 9 shows the proposed Environmental Monitoring Plan (EMP) for this subproject, which specifies the various monitoring activities and performance indicators to be conducted during all phases. Environmental monitoring will be done during construction in three levels; namely monitoring development of project performance indicators done by the Environmental Specialist of the Design Management and Supervision Consultants, monitoring implementation of mitigation measures done by the Contractor; and overall regulatory monitoring of the environmental issues done by Environmental Specialist of the PMU. The Mop describes: (i) mitigation measures, (ii) location, (iii) measurement method, (iv) frequency of monitoring, and (v) responsibility (for both mitigation and monitoring). It does not show specific parameters to be measured because as indicated above, most measures will be checked by simple observation, by checking of records, or by interviews with residents or workers. The purpose of the environmental monitoring (physical, chemical and biological) will be (i) compliance monitoring – to check compliance with discharge and ambient standards (discharge to sewers, discharge to outfalls, inland surface water quality, coastal waters quality), i.e., and (ii) effects monitoring - to check system performance.
1. Compliance Monitoring
101. Environmental compliance monitoring will be carried out at four levels:
(i) The financing agency (ADB) will monitor the compliance of the EA with the environmental provisions in the loan agreement by (i) reviewing regular progress reports, and (ii) by periodic supervision missions;
(ii) the MOE as principal environmental regulator42 will monitor implementation by the Project of any conditions imposed on construction through the Nepali environmental approvals system;
(iii) the PIU, through the supervision consultants, will monitor the work of the contractors responsible for the physical works, which will include enhanced health, safety and environment (HSE) provisions; and
(iv) the contractors’ senior staff will undertake (i) internal quality control procedures, (ii) frequent site inspections, and (iii) the direct supervision of workers, in order to implement appropriate HSE practices on site.
41In the operational period some infrastructure will be the responsibility of the Municipal Boards/Councils, whilst others will be the responsibility of the appropriate branch of the State government. 42Rule 14 of the EPR, 1997 requires MOE to undertake an environmental audit of a project subjected to EIA after two years of the commencement of service. As per Rule, MOE is responsible for carrying out environmental auditing and maintain the updated records thereof. In addition, Schedule 6 of the EPR, 1997 requires the project proponent to develop auditing format in the EIA report. The National Environmental Impact Assessment Guidelines, 1993 has mentioned 6 types of audits. Those are decision point (effectiveness of EIA), implementation (consented condition), performance (effectiveness of project implementation and management), project impact (environmental change), predictive technique (accuracy and utility of prediction) and EIA procedure (method and approaches). Preparing auditing format should be part of the detail EIA processes.
68
2. Impact/Effects Monitoring
102. The selection of indicators and the design of monitoring programs require careful consideration to (i) minimize the effort and resources required whilst ensuring that potentially significant issues are covered; (ii) utilize and support the most appropriate institutions; and (iii) ensure that the sampling and analysis exercises are linked directly to a management mechanism for evaluation of the findings.
103. Flow measurement monitoring. As a priority, the subproject will establish a system of flow measurement by installing meters at key points in the system. This data is essential for optimizing designs, forward planning, and (in conjunction with rainfall records) in checking the effectiveness of the program to separate the surface and wastewater drainage systems.
104. Water quality monitoring. Associated with the flow measurements system will be a program of water quality monitoring. This program will be specifically linked to wastewater management and will have both regulatory (compliance) and performance (effects and planning) aspects. It is therefore seen as the responsibility of the DUDBC rather than the regulator (MOE). Three categories of water quality monitoring will be the program’s focus: wastewater (discharges), groundwater, and inland waters.
(i) Wastewater monitoring will start during the baseline study and eventually would involve regular grab sampling during construction and operational stages. In addition to pollutants (COD and BOD) concentration, it will also reflect hydrological events such as heavy rainfall or the connection of a new area to the system. The frequency of sampling and range of determinants would be greater at the beginning of the program to establish a formal baseline, and could be reduced once the normal variability has been determined.
(ii) Groundwater monitoring will involve existing tube wells and water supply sources. Similarly to establish a baseline, and subsequently at a lower frequency.
(iii) The inland waters sampling would involve regular grab sampling, again initially to establish a baseline, and subsequently at a lower frequency.
105. All analyses will be carried out by a quality-controlled lab, with results forwarded to the MOE on regular basis (at least every six months). Purpose-designed software packages are available for water quality analysis.43
106. Occupational health, public health and gender issues will be monitored as part of the Project’s overall monitoring system. DUDBC will maintain a database of standard operating parameters, occupational health and safety, and incidents such as overflows. Public health will be monitored through the usual system of public health statistical surveys and the reporting of notifiable diseases. The Monitoring and Evaluation (M&E) Unit will ensure that gender issues are incorporated in the program and surveys.
43 For example, the AARDVARK package from the UK’s Water Research Center. 69
107. Public involvement in the monitoring system will be obtained through input of local information through DUDBC and associated surveys.
70
Table 9: Environmental Monitoring Plan and Performance Indicators
Indicators Parameters to be Monitored Targets Frequency Responsibility Remedial action Construction Stage Ambient air quality RPM, SPM, SO2, NOx, CO Government standards Once in a season (except Contractor Stricter implementation of emission monsoons) for the entire norms construction period Dust suppression No. of tankers for water No dust rising from Random checks PIU through DSC Increase in frequency of water sprinkling, Timing of sprinkling, construction site, No dust sprinkling Location of sprinkling rising from haul roads, Twice daily sprinkling Surface and ground pH, BOD, Fecal Coli form, Free Designated best use Twice a year (pre monsoon Contractor Identify source of contamination and water quality Ammonia, EC, SAR, Boron parameters and/or and post monsoon) for the treat effluent before discharge into government standards entire period of receiving waters. Instruct contractor construction against violation and in case of Silt runoff in water location of silt fencing Locate while working Throughout construction PIU through DSC continued non compliance invoke bodies close to water bodies period penalty clauses Working condition Maintain the geo textile Throughout construction PIU through DSC free from clogging period
Effluent discharge TDS, TSS, pH, Hardness, Discharge standards of Twice a year (pre monsoon Contractor through from construction BOD, Fecal Coli form, Free government and post monsoon) for the approved Monitoring camps Ammonia, EC, SAR, Boron entire period of Agency construction Ambient noise Equivalent Day & Night Time Government standards Once in a season during Contractor Identify noise source and strictly Noise Levels construction stage regulate noise emissions. In case of continued non-compliance invoke penalty clauses against contractor Machinery noise Noise dB(A) <75 dB(A) at 1m free Once in a season during Contractor field from M/C construction stage Noise from Timings of construction Only day time at Continuous PIU through DSC construction settlements activities OHS Management Plan covers all activities Compliance with Continuous Contractor Identify non-compliance and modify Plan applicable labour laws plan Supply of PPE provision of PPE on site, Compliance with OHS Continuous Contractor Ensure adequacy as per plan and adequacy of equipment instruct contractor to comply. In case of continued non-compliance, invoke penalty clauses Training in H&S No. of sessions conducted, Compliance with OHS Continuous Percent attendance 71
Establishing Installation of equipment Compliance with OHS Start of construction camp Medical facilities specified in OHS Plan Safety plan Reporting compliance Compliance with OHS Continuous Contractor Ensure compliance as per plan and implementation instruct contractor to comply. In case OHS Site maintenance, Medical Compliance with OHS of continued non-compliance, invoke Implementation facilities maintenance, Training penalty clauses record sessions
Accident record No. of fatal accidents, No. of Compliance with OHS injuries, No. of disabilities
Community Health Reporting compliance Compliance with OHS Continuous Contractor Ensure compliance as per plan and and Safety plan instruct contractor to comply. In case of continued non-compliance, invoke penalty clauses Dissemination of No of community health Compliance with OHS Community health dissemination sessions, issues dissemination mechanisms
Health records No. of recorded cases of Compliance with OHS community health as respiratory illness, HIV/STD,
Operation stage Physico-chemical pH, BOD, Fecal Coli form, Free Designated best use Continuous Municipality Identify source of contamination and characteristics Ammonia, EC, SAR, Boron parameters treat effluent before discharge into receiving waters Effluent discharge TDS, TSS, pH, Hardness, Discharge standards of Twice a year (pre monsoon Municipality BOD, Fecal Coli form, Free government and post monsoon) for the Ammonia, EC, SAR, Boron entire period of construction Water quality Ca, Mg, Hardness, TDS, TSS, Government standards Three times a year (peak Municipality Identify source of contamination and pH, Hardness, BOD, Fecal Coli of summer, winter and treat effluent before discharge into form, Hg, Cd, Se, Ar, Cr monsoon) receiving waters
Drainage Time required for draining Within 30m of rainfall Thrice a year, before, Municipality Assess need for drainage effectiveness stopping during and after the improvements, and if required provide
72
Water logging / No of locations, extent of No water logging / monsoons additional facilities as per design flooding retention flooding recommendations.
Economic Income levels, livelihood Equivalent to baseline Once a year, for five years Municipality Initiate detailed socio-economic indicators options conditions from the completion of the studies. Identify reasons for economic project decline and correlation with study interventions.
73
C. Implementation Arrangement
1. Institutional Arrangement
108. The Ministry of Physical Planning and Works (MPPW) will be the Executing Agency (EA), working through its Department of Urban Development and Building Construction (DUDBC), which will establish a project coordination office (PCO) for the Project headed by project director. Biratnagar, Birgunj and Butwal municipalities will be the Implementing Agencies (IAs) for the subprojects, each with a project implementation unit (PIU) headed by project manager. Another PIU will be established for the Kavre valley water supply subproject, comprising representatives from Banepa, Dhulikhel and Panauti municipalities. At the central level, a project steering committee (PSC) will be set up with the secretary of MPPW as the chair, and the director general of the DUDBC, the executive director of TDF, a senior representative from the National Planning Commission, joint secretaries of the Ministry of Finance, the Ministry of Local Development (MLD), and the Ministry of Environment (MOE), and the executive officers of relevant municipalities as members, and the project director as member secretary. The PSC will review overall progress and recommend key policy decisions. In each municipality, a municipal project management committee (MPMC) will be established in order to discuss project implementation issues, enhance collaboration among relevant departments and organizations, and expedite decision-making processes with an aim at achieving intended project output and outcome. MPMC will be chaired by the executive officer , and comprise relevant department heads of the respective municipality, chief of the divisional office of DUDBC, DWSS and other relevant government departments, a representative from district development committee, four members representing the local disadvantaged communities, NGOs, women's groups and the private sector, and the respective project manager working as secretariat.
109. The implementation arrangements are summarized in Table 11 and described in detail in the PAM.
110. Environmental Safeguards Implementation Arrangements. Environmental Management Plans (EMPs) were prepared for each municipality (Biratnagar, Birgunj, and Butwal) and for Kavre Valley subproject as part of the Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) reports, and an Environmental Assessment and Review Framework (EARF) was prepared to guide environmental assessment and reporting for subprojects to be defined after Board approval (e.g., public toilets in Biratnagar, Birgunj, and Butwal; and Butwal water supply). The following are institutional roles and responsibilities to ensure EMPs are implemented during design and construction stages:
111. Project Coordination Office. The PCO, with assistance from the project management support consultant is to (i) confirm IEEs/EMPs are updated based on detailed designs (ii) confirm whether EMPs are included in bidding documents and civil works contracts; (iii) provide oversight on environmental management aspects of the Project and ensure EMPs are implemented by PIU, DSC consultants, and contractors; (iv) establish a system to monitor environmental safeguards of the project including monitoring the indicators set out in the monitoring plan of the EMP; (v) facilitate and confirm overall compliance with all Government
74 rules and regulations regarding forest and environmental permits and clearances as well as any other approved environmental guidelines, as relevant; (vi) supervise and provide guidance to the DSCs to properly carry out the environmental assessments as per the EARF; (vii) review, monitor and evaluate the effectiveness with which the EMPs are implemented, and recommend necessary corrective actions to be taken as necessary; (viii) consolidate quarterly environmental monitoring reports from PIU and submit annual monitoring report to ADB; and (ix) ensure timely disclosure of final IEEs/EMPs in locations and form accessible to the public.
112. Project Implementation Units. The four PIUs in Biratnagar, Birgunj, Butwal, and Kavre Valley, with the assistance of design supervision consultants, are to: (i) ensure IEEs and EMPs are updated by DSC during detailed design stage; (ii) ensure EMPs are included in bidding documents and civil works contracts; (iii) ensure compliance with all Government rules and regulations regarding forest and environmental permits and clearances; (iv) oversee implementation of EMPs including environmental monitoring by contractors; (v) take corrective actions when necessary to ensure no environmental impacts; and (vi) submit quarterly environmental monitoring reports to the PCO.
2. Responsibilities for Mitigation and Monitoring
a. Mitigation
113. Institutional responsibilities for mitigation are noted in Tables 7 and 8.
114. During project design, the primary responsibility for mitigation will lie with the PCO, which must ensure that all identified and agreed mitigation measures are incorporated in the Project design and, importantly, in the tender documents for construction and for construction supervision.
115. During construction, primary responsibility for mitigation will lie with the contractor(s) who must implement the provisions in the contracts. Supervision and enforcement (compliance) will be undertaken by respective PIUs.
116. During operation, primary responsibility for mitigation will lie with the operators, DUDBC and respective municipalities under the terms of their performance agreements.
b. Monitoring
117. Institutional responsibilities for monitoring are noted in Table 10.
118. During project design, the primary responsibility for monitoring will lie with the PCO.
119. During construction, monitoring will be carried out at several different levels, by the contractor(s), by PIU, and by ADB.
120. During operation, the operators (DUDCB and respective municipalities) will undertake environmental monitoring of flows, overflows, other environmental pollution incidents, disposal 75 of grit, pest control, and occupational hygiene topics (accidents, injuries, diseases). DUDBC will retain overall responsibility for environmental monitoring, and will have direct responsibility for some aspects of monitoring especially water quality and social and public health impacts.
3. Skills Needs and Institutional Strengthening
121. Mitigation skills needs will be included, by design, in the contractors’ and supervision consultant’s teams.
122. The Project’s water quality monitoring program will be specifically linked to wastewater management and will have both regulatory (compliance) and performance (effects and planning) aspects. It is therefore seen as the responsibility of DUDBC rather than the regulator (MOE). Some outsourcing may be possible, which is responsible for research in the field of water quality. The PCO safeguard specialists (the environmental specialist will be a project engineer) will require:
(i) Full time staff specialized in monitoring and evaluation (M&E);
(ii) Inputs from Environmental Specialists to draft the final, detailed version of the environmental provisions for the International Competitive Bidding (ICB) and local tender documents, assist in bid evaluation and ensure the agreed HSE provisions are incorporated in the contract documents, train local staff in environmental construction supervision, and finalize the environmental monitoring system;
(iii) Inputs from Social Specialists and Public Health Specialists to finalize the social impact monitoring system, establish the health baseline, and implement social impact monitoring.
123. These management and monitoring areas (M&E; environment, social, and health) will require support by international and local technical assistance. These inputs are considered a minimum in order to ensure that environmentally-related monitoring is carried out in a timely and effective manner. Terms of Reference for the recommended environmental consulting services are attached as Appendix 5.
4. Cost Estimates
124. Cost estimates for the mitigation measures identified in this IEE are given in Table 10. Note that most of the measures are designed into the Project and therefore already included in Project cost estimates.
125. The cost of upgrading the standards of health, safety and environmental management on site during construction is difficult to estimate. These could be considered standard items consistent with best practice, and therefore included in the unit rates for other items (i.e. a contractor’s overhead). In practice, unless there are both financial incentives for implementing best practice (pay items in the Bills of Quantities) and financial penalties for inadequate
76 performance, and adequate professional resources for supervision, HSE can fail to receive adequate attention. The costs are unlikely to exceed 0.5% of total project costs, and may be much less, depending how the contracts are structured.
126. With respect to environmental monitoring, costs will depend on the ability of DUDBC to provide logistical support to the program from existing resources. The major costs will be (i) transport, (ii) sampling equipment, (iii) any required lab upgrades, (iv) analyses, (v) quality assurance, and (vi) staff training (upgrades and continuing professional development). Provision will be made on a contingency basis for some equipment and supplies, with details to be confirmed following more detailed investigation by the Environment Specialist. The Biratnagar: storm-water drainage government Environmental Assessment report is estimated to cost Rs 2 million, and the Biratnagar: sewage treatment plant (waste stabilisation ponds) government Environmental Assessment Report is estimated to cost Rs 3 million. These costs are included in the overall project costs.
Table 10: Cost Estimates Measure Additional Cost ($) Responsibility/Source of (excluding consulting Funds services) Project Location Land acquisition for 2 WTP sites Nil PCO responsibility Consultation on detailed alignment of Nil PCO responsibility sewers Consultation on existing utilities Nil PCO responsibility Project Design Source control program Nil Project will establish pre- conditions for source control, for later implementation Control of all discharges Nil PCO responsibility Use of corrosion-resistant materials Nil PCO responsibility through tender documentation Construction Limit and control working hours, noise, dust, Nil PCO responsibility through vibration, construction traffic, flooding tender documentation through contract provisions Control of construction materials and Nil PCO responsibility through sources through contract provisions tender documentation Schedule pipelaying in areas prone to Nil PCO responsibility, with flooding for dry season contractor Limit length of trench open at any one time Nil PCO responsibility through & control contractor’s pipelaying activities & tender documentation methods Provide incentives & disincentives to Nil PCO responsibility through encourage fast pipelaying & penalize delays tender documentation Provide compensation for loss of income to TBD PIU/DSC/Contractor to ensure commercial enterprises affected by loss of continued access to access during construction businesses. In the event income loss occurs, compensation for lost income by Municipality overseen by PIU. Control contractor’s potentially polluting Nil PCO responsibility through activities through contract provisions tender documentation Develop and implement safe working Nil Designed into Project practices for sewer cleaning, provide and use safety equipment 77
Measure Additional Cost ($) Responsibility/Source of (excluding consulting Funds services) Apply ERP to some aspects of ICB Nil PCO responsibility packages Operation Monitor noise and odor through complaints Nil Designed into Project system Develop and implement safe working Nil Designed into Project practices for system operation, provide & use safety equipment, develop emergency response procedures Prioritize non-lethal pest & vermin control Nil Standard best practice Water quality monitoring program See para 126 Major environmental monitoring program
5. Reporting and Review
127. The DSC is to submit monthly reports to PIU, and PIU is to take corrective actions where necessary. PIU is to submit quarterly reports to PCO. PCO to consolidate quarterly reports and submit to ADB annually. ADB will perform annual or biannual environmental reviews where environmental aspects of the Project will be reviewed together with project implementation.
6. Feedback and Adjustment
128. The feedback and adjustment process will take place following the reporting and review process. Therefore those charged with receiving and reviewing monitoring reports will be responsible for giving back their feedback to senders of the reports regarding appropriateness of monitoring methods, effectiveness of impact mitigation measures, etc. Adjustments will be made if both the monitoring institution and the reviewing institution concur in the change.
129. During implementation, the EMP will be revised once construction and operational activities are well defined. Additional information will be provided on (i) the responsibilities for reporting, (ii) the work plan, (iii) the procurement plan, (iv) detailed cost estimates, and (v) mechanisms for taking corrective action.
IX. FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
130. The screening process carried out in the IEE has not identified any significant negative environmental impacts likely to be caused by the subproject. Environmental issues were considered throughout development of the subproject and necessary changes were made to the designs to reduce or avoid these impacts. Potential negative environmental impacts associated with construction activities are (i) mostly of the individual elements that are relatively small and involve straightforward construction and operation, so impacts will be mainly localized and not greatly significant; and (ii) mostly predicted impacts associated with the construction process which can be mitigated by the application of standard health, safety, and environmental clauses in contract documents, close supervision, and close attention to transparency in tendering, and to quality control and supervision on site. Mitigation measures for other impacts are provided in detail in the IEE.
78
131. One concern is health and safety risk to the workers. Health and safety risk can be minimized through controlling hazardous waste at the source; designing of safe work systems; provision of appropriate personal protective equipments such as gloves, safety glass, plastic hamlets, safety shoes, gowns, face mask and first aids in conjunction with training on the use and maintenance of equipments; training on safe work procedures; and emergency preparedness response such as warning and evacuation.
132. Another concern is the health and safety risk to the communities living in the nearby areas. Exposure of the communities can be minimized by provision of buffer zones and structural safety such as fencing and gates.
133. The sites proposed for waste water treatment in Biratnagar is located in wet paddy fields indicating low infiltration on the one hand and provision for leachate collection and its treatment in the design and cost estimates on the other indicate low risk to community health due to pollution of surface and underground water. However, this should be clarified and confirmed with further assessment and should be a part of full EIA and detailed design stage.
134. The subproject components it will operate without major environmental impacts, providing DUDBC and the contractors follow the Operations Manual procedures prepared during the design stage. STIUEIP will provide DUDBC with training, and budgets to enable them to fulfill these responsibilities.
135. If budgetary resources permit, a number of activities which would give a high developmental return for a low investment could be added to the Project. These potential enhancement measures include: landscaping at pumping stations; investigation of best use of redundant pumping station buildings; training in construction health, safety and environmental management practices; pilot project to explore the feasibility of energy recovery from sewage (heat) and/or screenings (combustion or gasification) for sewage pumping.
X. CONCLUSIONS
A. Results of ADB Environmental Assessment
136. The project is not expected to give rise to any significant negative environmental impacts, and therefore does not require an ADB Environmental Impact Assessment.
137. The subproject will significantly improve inland surface water quality, lower risks to public health from waterborne diseases, and improve quality of life. Therefore it will have significant positive environmental impacts.
138. Mitigation of minor adverse impacts can be carried out as an integral part of the subproject, during both the detailed design and implementation stages. Mitigation measures will be included in the tender documents for the civil works. 79
B. Nepali Environmental Clearance
139. Although primarily a Category B subproject under ADB Environmental categorization, the subproject’s sanitation component trigger a requirement for an environmental impact assessment (EIA) under EPR 1997. Prior to commencement of detailed design and finalization of land acquisition, this IEE together with the scope and ToR will be formally submitted to the principal regulatory authority (the MOE), by the proponent (the DUDBC) as the “proposal” required under the regulations to initiate the approval process.
80
Appendix 1: Features of Identified Waste Water Treatment Plants Feature Jatuwa Location Ward no 18, Jatuwa and Mills area Topography Flat Soil Mixed clay, very fertile Drainage Singiya river about 700 meter east Climate Subtropical monsoon Water table 9-15m deep with 0.5-1 m fluctuation during dry and rainy season Land use/land cover Paddy field Number of land owner 15 (14 STP, 1 RBT) Settlement/houses 500 m distance Access road Yes Major infrastructure Drinking water tower 1 km distance Flood recorded No Geographical Adjacent to or within environmentally sensitive areas (cultural No heritage, protected areas, wetland, buffer zone of protected areas, special areas for protecting biodiversity) Impairment of environmentally sensitive areas/ historical/cultural no monuments/areas and loss/damage Interference with other utilities and blocking of access to building Less likely Nuisance to neighbor areas Less likely, settlement located 500 m distance Dislocation of people No Impairment of downstream water quality due to inadequate sewage Less likely, sewage will be treatment or release of untreated sewage treated to comply with the Government Generic Effluent Discharge Standards Overflow and flooding of raw sewage At detailed design stage, the drainage is to be designed as part of site and capacity to be designed to overflow flooding. Environmental pollution due to inadequate sludge disposal Sludge is settled in the ponds and either sold to farmers for fertilizer (after laboratory testing) or placed in landfill Noise and vibration due to blasting or other civil works Insignificant, no blasting is necessary Discharge of hazardous materials into sewers, resulting in damage to Less likely. Urban sewerage system and danger to workers environmental management guidelines are in the process of final approval by the
Potential environmental impacts Government. The Project Steering Committee will monitor the progress of enforcement of the guidelines. Implementation of the guidelines will be partially supported by the Project. Coordination with SEAM-N for effective industrial pollution control will be continued. Inadequate buffer zone around pumping and treatment plants to No, electric pumps are used alleviate noise and other possible nuisances Social conflicts between construction workers from other areas No, labor is locally available Road blocking and temporary flooding due to land excavation during Insignificant, excavation will be rainy season carried out during dry season Noise and dust from construction activities Insignificant 81
Traffic disturbances due to construction material transport and wastes Insignificant, currently traffic is very low in nearby areas Temporary silt runoff due to construction Insignificant, spoils will be used for road improvement Hazards to public health due to overflow flooding and ground water Less likely, adequate diversion pollution due to failure of sewerage system structure and bund Deterioration of water quality due to inadequate sludge disposal or Less likely direct discharge of untreated sewage water Contamination of surface and ground waters due to sludge disposal No on land Health and safety hazards to workers from toxic gases and No, nothing giving toxic gases hazardous materials which may be contained in sewage flow and exposure to pathogens in sewage and sludge Sludge Disposal Note: The biophysical and locational characteristics of the site proposed for Reed Bed Treatment Plant at Rani is more or less the same as Jatuwa.
82
Appendix 2: List of Resource Persons Consulted During Field Visits between 14-15 September and 12-14 October in Biratnagar Name of the person consulted Designation Discussion 1. Mr. Silip Kumar Chapagain Executive Chief , Prioritization of project components and Biratnagar sub metropolis environmental issues with particular emphasis on the selection of site for waste stabilization treatment plant and reed bed 2. Mr.Umesh Ojha Senior Engineer “ 3. Mr. Bharat Kumar Neupane Engineer “ 4.Ms. Pramila Nepal Environment Engineer “ 5.Mr. Madhav Prasad Subedi non Gazetted first class “ officer 6.Mr. Prem Bahadur Tamang Sub –Engineer Field data collections in different components of the project 7. Tapendra Khadka Chief, Regional Urban Prioritization of project components, alignment of Development Office sewer line and location of waste treatment plant 8. Bikrant Bikram Chand SEAM-N2 Project Office, Discuss surface water quality and solid waste Dharan processing centre and future solid waste management system for Biratnagar area 9. Dr Pasilaihonen,Team leader SEAM-N2 Project Office, Discuss surface water quality and solid waste Dharan processing centre and future solid waste management system for Biratnagar area 10. Ghanasyam Jha SEAM-N-NMA Water and waste water monitoring and Environmental Laboratory, environmental research activities in Biratnagar Biratnagar
83
Appendix 3: National Standards and Codes
Tolerance Limits for Different Industrial Effluents Discharged into Inland Surface Water Characteristics Land Surface Water Public Inland Surface Water Sewerage Total Suspended solids, mg/l, Max 30-200 600 50 Shall pass 850-micron Particle size of total suspended particles Shall pass 850-micron sieve Sieve pH value 5.5-9.0 5.5-9.0 5.5-9.0 Temperature, 0C, Max Shall not exceed 40 degree C 45 Shall not exceed 40 in any section of the stream degree C in any section of within 15 meters downstream the stream within 15 from the effluent outlet meters downstream from the effluent outlet Total Chromium, mg/l, Max - 2 Sulphates (So4), mg/l, Max 500 Total Dissolved Solids, mg/l, Max - 2100 Biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) for 5 50 400 50 days at 20 degree C, mg/l, Max Oils and grease, mg/l, Max 10 50 10 Phenolic compounds, mg/l, Max 1 10 1 Cyanides (as CN), mg/, Max 0.2 2 0.2 Sulphides (as S), mg/l, Max 2 2 2 Radioactive materials Alpha emitters, c/ml, max 10-7 10-7 Beta emitters, c/ml, max 10-8 10-8 Insecticides Absent Absent Absent Total residual chlorine, mg/l 1 1 Fluorides (as F), mg/l, Max 2 10 2 Arsenic (as AS), mg/l, Max 0.2 1 0.2 Cadmium (as Cd), mg/l, Max 2 2 2 Hexavalent chromium (as Cr,) mg/l, Max 0.1 0.1 Copper (as Cu), mg/l, Max 3 3 3 Lead (as pb), mg/l, max 0.1 0.1 0.1 Nickel (as Ni), mg/l, Max 3 3 3 Selenium (as Se), mg/l, Max 0.05 0.05 0.05 Zinc (as Zn), mg/l, Max 5 5 5 TDS, mg/l, max Chloride (Cl), Mg/l, max Sulphate (So4), mg/l, max Mercury (as Hg), mg/l, max 0.01 0.01 0.01 Mineral oils, mg/l, max 10 Inhibition of nitrification test at 2000 ml/l <50% Sodium, % max Ammonical nitrogen, mg/l, max 50 50 50 Chemical Oxygen Demand, mg/l, max 250 1000 250 Silver, mg/l, max 0.1 0.1 0.1 Source: Nepal Gazette, 2058/01/17 (30 April 2001) and 2060/03/09 (23 June 2003).
84
Generic Standard/Tolerance Limits for Different Industrial Effluents Discharged into Inland Surface Water Characteristics Environmental Standard and Norms, 1/6/1999 Tanning Wool Fermentat Paper Dairy Sugar Cotton Soap Brick Kiln Industry industry processing industry & pump Industry industry and industry Suspended Heights industry industry textile particulate of industry matter Chimney (Max. Limit) (Max. Limit) TSS mg/l 100 100 100 100 150 100 100 200 Particle size of TSS pH Value 5.5-9.0 5.5-9.0 5.5-9.0 5.5-9.0 5.5-9.0 5.5-8.5 5.5-9.0 6.0-9.0 5.5-9.0 Temperature 0C 40 TDS, mg/l, max 2100 Color and odor Absent* BOD for 5 days 100 60 100 100 100 100 100 100 100 at 200 0C, mg/l, max Oils and 10 10 10 10 grease, mg/l, max Cyanides (as (as C6. h5, 101 CN), mg/l, max OH) Sulphides (as 2 2 S), mg/l, max Radioactive 5.5-10 materials Total residual 61 Chlorine, mg/l Nickel (as Ni), 3 mg/l, max Chlorides (as 600 CI), mg/l, max Sodium, % max 60 Chemical 250 250 250 250 250 250 250 oxygen demand mg/l, max Total Chromium 2 2 (as Cr), mg/l, max Bull’s Trench 600mg/Nm3 17 Meter Kiln forced Draught (Mixed Chimney) Bull’s Trench 600mg/Nm3 30 Meter Kiln natural Draught (Fixed Chimney) Vertical shaft 600mg/Nm3 15 Meter Brick Kiln (VSBK) Hexavalent 0.1 chromium (as Cr), mg/l, max Phenolic 5 Compounds (as C6. C5, OH), mg/l Temperature 0C 40 Source: Nepal Gazette (2058/01/17 (30 April, 2001) and 2060/03/09 (23 June 2003)).
85
Nepal’s Drinking Water Quality Standards Group Parameter Unit Maximum Concentration Limits Turbidity NTU 5 (10)** pH 6.5-8.5* Color TCU 5 (15)** Taste & Odor Would not be objectionable Total Dissolved Solids mg/l 1000 Electrical Conductivity µg/l 1500 Iron mg/l 03 (3)* Manganese mg/l 0.2 Physical Arsenic mg/l 0.05 Cadmium mg/l 0.003 Chromium mg/l 0.05 Cyanide mg/l 0.07 Fluoride mg/l 0.5-1.5 Lead mg/l 0.01 Ammonia mg/l 1.5 Chloride mg/l 250 Sulphate mg/l 250 Nitrate mg/l 50 Copper mg/l 1 Total Hardness mg/l 500 Chemical Calcium mg/l 200 Zinc mg/l 3 Mercury mg/l 0.001 Aluminum mg/l 0.2 Residual Chlorine mg/l 0.1-0.2* Micro Germs E-Coli MPN/100ml 0 Total Coli form MPN/100ml 95% in sample Note: *These standards indicate the maximum and minimum limits. ** Figures in parenthesis are upper range of the standard recommended. Source: Ministry of Physical Planning (Nepal Gazette (B.S. 2063/03/12)).
86
Nepal Water Quality Guidelines for Irrigation Water
Microbiological Constituents: SN Parameter Name Target Water Quality Range Remarks 1 Coli forms (fecal) < 1 count/100 ml 1-1000 count/100ml could be used for plants for which edible parts are not wetted
Physical constituents SN Parameter Name Target Water Quality Range Remarks 1 pH 6.5-8.5 Adverse effect on plants outside this range 2 Suspended Solids < 50 mg/l Above the limit problem with sedimentation and irrigation system 3 Electrical Conductivity < 40 mS/m Up to 450 mS/m depending upon sensitivity of crops
Chemical Constituents: SN Parameter Name Target Water Quality Range Remarks 1 Aluminum < 5 mg/l Up to 20 mg/l max. acceptable conc. 2 Arsenic <0.1 mg/l > 2 mg/l creates severe problem 3 Beryllium < 0.1 mg/l 0.1-0.5 mg/l max acceptable conc. 4 Boron < 0.5 mg/l Up to 15 mg/l depending upon species 5 Cadmium < 0.01 mg/l 0.01-0.05 mg/l max acceptable conc. 6 Chloride < 100 mg/l Up to 700 mg/l depending upon species 7 Chromium < 0.1 mg/l Up to 1.0 mg/l max. acceptable conc. 8 Cobalt < 0.05 mg/l Up to 5.0 mg/l max. acceptable conc. 9 Copper < 0.2 mg/l Up to 5.0 mg/l max. acceptable conc. 10 Fluoride < 2.0 mg/l Up to 15 mg/l max. acceptable conc. 11 Iron < 5.0 mg/l (no- toxic) > 1.5 mg/l creates problem in drip irrigation system 12 Lead < 0.2 mg/l Up to 2.0 mg/l max. acceptable conc. 13 Lithium < 2.5 mg/l For citrus < 0.75 mg/l 14 Manganese < 0.02 mg/l Up to 10 mg/l max. acceptable conc. 15 Molybdenum < 0.01 mg/l Up to 0.05 mg/l max. acceptable conc. 16 Nickel < 0.2 mg/l Up to 2.0 mg/l max. acceptable conc. 17 Nitrogen (inorganic) < 5 mg/l Higher concentration may affect sensitive plants and may contaminate ground water 18 Selenium < 0.02 mg/l Up to 0.05 mg/l max. acceptable conc. 19 Sodium Adsorption Ratio < 2.0 Up to 10 depending upon sensitivity of crops (SAR) 20 Sodium < 70 mg/l Up to 460 depending upon sensitivity of crops 21 Total Dissolved Solids (as < 40 mS/m Up to 540 mS/m depending upon sensitivity of EC) crops 22 Uranium < 0.01 mg/l Up to 0.1 mg/l max. acceptable conc. 23 Vanadium < 0.1 mg/l Up to 1.0 mg/l max. acceptable conc. 24 Zinc < 1.0 mg/l Up to 5.0 mg/l max. acceptable conc. Source: Department of Irrigation: Ground Water Project (Nepal Gazette (Number 10, BS, 2065-03-02). 87
Nepal Water Quality Guidelines for Aquaculture SN Constituents Target Water Quality Range Remarks 1 Algae No criteria 2 Alkalinity 20-100 mg/l as CaCO3 High alkalinity reduces natural food production in ponds below optimal production 3 Aluminum < 30µg/L (pH > 6.5) Highly toxic to trouts (1.5 30µg/l < 10µg/L (pH < 6.5) is fatal to brown trout) 4 Ammonia (for cold 0-25 µg/L water fish) 5 Ammonia (for warm 0-30 µg/L water fish) 6 Arsenic 0-0.05 mg/L 7 Bacteria (E. Coli) < 10 counts of E. coli/g of fish flesh 8 BODs < 15 mg/l 9 Cadmium Hardness: 0-60 mg/l < 0.2 mg/l Cadmium toxicity depends Hardness: 60-120 mg/l < 08 mg/l upon hardness of water Hardness: 120-180 mg/l < 1.3 mg/l Hardness: >180 mg/l < 1.8 mg/l 10 Carbon dioxide < 12 mg/l, up to 75 mg/l for warm water fish 11 Chloride Value not recommended (fish can survive at < 600 mg/l Chloride but the production is not optimum) 12 Chlorine <2µg HOCI/L for cold water fish <10µg HOCI/L for warm water fish 13 Chromium (VI) <20µg/L 14 COD <40µg/L 15 Colour <100 Pt-Co Unit 16 Copper <5µg/L 0.006 and 0.03µg/L are upper limits for hard and soft water 17 Cyanides <20µg/L as HCN LC50 starts from 100 µg/L upwards 18 Dissolved oxygen 6-9 mg/l for cold water species 5-8 for intermediate water species 5-8 for warm water species 19 Fluoride <20µg/l 20 Iron <10µg/l 0.2-1.75 general lethal threshold for fish 21 Lead <10µg/l 30 µg/L max. conc. Limit for brook trout 22 Magnesium < 15 mg/l 23 Manganese <100 µg/l Above 500 µg/L increasing risk of lethal effect 24 Mercury <1 µg/l Bioaccumulation and biomagnifications occurs 25 Nickel <100 µg/l 26 Nitrate-N <300 µg/l 100 mg/l is below the 96-hour LC50 values for most fish 27 Nitrite-N g/l for cold water fish > 7 mg/L is LC50 for many fish species 0.06-0.25 mg/l for warm water fish 28 Nuisance Plant Less than 10% of the fish pond should be covered by aquatic plants 29 Oil and Grease < 300 µg/L (including petrochemicals) 30 PCBs No quantitative guidelines, should not be detected in fish 31 pH 6.5 – 9.0 Outside this range the health of fish is adversely affected 32 Phenols < 1 mg/l > 7.5 mg/l 24 hr. LC50 starts for most fish
88
SN Constituents Target Water Quality Range Remarks 33 Phosphorus < 0.6 mg/l as orthophosphate > 12.5 mg/l 96 hr. LC50 starts 34 Selenium (VI) < 0.3 mg/l for most fish 35 Sulphide as H2S < 0.001 mg/l > 0.002 mg/l long term health hazard for fish 36 Temperature 4-18 for cold water fish 16-32 for intermediate species 24-30 for warm water fish Mortality increases with 37 Total Dissolved Gases < 100 % for cold water fish increasing TGP as Total Gas Pressure (TGP) < 105 % for warm water fish 38 Total Dissolved Solids < 2000 mg/l 39 Total Harness as 20-100 mg/l In > 175 mg/l osmoregulation of CaCO3 fish is affected 40 Total Suspended Matter < 20,000 mg/l for turbid water species < 25 NTU for clear water species 41 Zinc, depends upon Hardness Cold water Warm water water hardness: mg/l 10 mg/l 0.03 0.3 dissolved Zn 50 mg/l 0.2 0.7 Warm water fish are more 100 mg/l 0.3 1 tolerant 500 mg/l 0.5 2 Pesticides: No guideline values provided. Source: Source: Department of Irrigation: Ground Water Project (Nepal Gazette (Number 10, BS, 2065-03-02). 89
Nepal Water Quality Guidelines for Livestock Watering SN Constituent Proposed concentration 1 Algae No visible blue-green scum 2 Aluminum < 5 mg/l 3 Arsenic < 0.2 mg/l 4 Beryllium < 0.1 mg/l 5 Boron < 5 mg/l 6 Cadmium < 0.01 mg/l 7 Calcium < 1000 mg/l 8 Chloride 9 Chromium (VI) < 1 mg/l 10 Cobalt < 1 mg/l 11 Copper < 0.5 mg/l 12 Electrical conductivity < 1.5 mg/l 13 Fluoride < 2 mg/l 14 pH 6.5-8.5 15 Iron Not toxic 16 Lead < 0.1 mg/l 17 Magnesium < 500 mg/l 18 Manganese < 10 mg/l 19 Mercury < 10 µg/l 20 Molybdenum < 0.01 mg/l 21 Nickel < 1 mg/l 22 Nitrate/Nitrite < 100 mg/l as nitrate 23 Nitrite-N < 10 mg/l 24 Selenium < 0.05 mg/l 25 Sodium < 2000 mg/l 26 Sulphate < 1000 mg/l 27 Total Dissolved Solids Dairy Cattle < 7100 mg/l Sheep < 12800 mg/l Horse < 6400 mg/l Pigs < 4300 mg/l Poultry <2800 mg/l 28 Vanadium < 0.1 mg/l (FAO) 29 Zinc < 24 mg/l (FAO) Pathogens: 1 Fecal coliform count < 200 count/100 ml < 100 count for < 20 % of the samples Pesticides: Guidelines applicable for human beings Chlorinated Hydrocarbons: Guidelines for human beings apply Source: Source: Department of Irrigation: Ground Water Project (Nepal Gazette (Number 10, BS, 2065-03-02).
90
Nepal Water Quality Guidelines for Recreation
Biological Parameters: SN Parameter Name Full Contact Partial Contact Non Contact 1 Algae, macrophytes, Should not be present in excessive amount phytoplankton scum, etc. Indicator Organism Total Coil form Bacteria Fecal coliform < 130 count/100ml < 1000 count/100ml No target value Escherichia coli < 130 count/100ml No target value No target value Entero cocci Fecal Streptococci < 30 count/100ml 0-230 count/100ml No target value Coliphase < 20 count/100ml No target value No target value Schistosoma/Bilharzia No snails capable of acting No snails capable of acting No target value as the intermediate host of as the intermediate host of the bilharzias parasite the bilharzias parasite Nuisance Plants Swimmer should not be Boats should not be entangled entangled Chemical Irritant The Criteria are qualitative and no specific irritant and quantitative measures are given Chemical Parameters pH 6.5-8.5 6.5-8.5 No target value Physical Parameters Clarity > 1.6 (Sechchi disc depth No target value No target value Metres) Colour 100 Pt-Co units 100 Pt-Co units No target value Floating Matter and refuse Free of floating or No target value No target value submerged debris Odour No objectionable or No objectionable or No unpleasant odour unpleasant odour objectionable or unpleasant odour Residual Chlorine 0.1 mg/l No target value No target value Surface films Should not be noticeable Should not be noticeable Should not be noticeable Turbidity 0.5 NTU Source: Source: Department of Irrigation: Ground Water Project (Nepal Gazette (Number 10, BS, 2065-03-02).
Nepal Water Quality Guidelines for Industries SN Parameter Name Recommended Value Category 1 Category 2 Category 3 Category 4 < 50 mg/l < 120 mg/l < 300 mg/l < 1200 mg/l 2 COD < 10 mg/l < 15 mg/l < 30 mg/l < 75 mg/l 3 Chloride < 20 mg/l < 40 mg/l < 100 mg/l < 500 mg/l 4 Iron < 0.1 mg/l < 0.2 mg/l < 0.3 mg/l < 10 mg/l 5 Manganese < 0.01 mg/l < 0.1 mg/l < 0.2 mg/l < 10 mg/l 6 pH 7.0-8.0 6.5-8.0 6.5-8.0 5.0-10.0 7 Silica < 5 mg/l 0-10 mg/l < 20 mg/l < 150 mg/l 8 Sulphate < 30 mg/l < 80 mg/l < 200 mg/l < 500 mg/l 9 Suspended solids < 3 mg/l < 5 mg/l < 5 mg/l < 25 mg/l 10 Total Dissolved Solids TDS: < 100 mg/l TDS: < 200 mg/l TDS: < 450 mg/l TDS: < 1600 mg/l EC: < 15 mS/m EC: < 30 mS/m EC: < 70 mS/m EC: < 250 mS/m 11 Total Hardness < 50 mg/l as CaCO3 < 100 mg/l as CaCO3 < 250 mg/l as < 100 mg/l as CaCO3 CaCO3 Source: Source: Department of Irrigation: Ground Water Project (Nepal Gazette (Number 10, BS, 2065-03-02). 91
Nepal Water Quality Guidelines for the Protection of Aquatic Ecosystem SN Parameter name Target Water Quality Range Chronic Effect Value Acute Effect Value 1 Aluminum (mg/l) At pH <6.5:5 10 100 At pH <6.5:10 20 150 2 Ammonia (µg/l) <7 < 15 < 100 3 Arsenic (µg/l) <10 < 20 < 130 4 Atrazine (µg/l) <10 < 19 < 100 5 Cadmium Soft water (60 mg/l <0.15 0.3 3 CaCO3) Medium water 60-119 mg/l <0.25 0.5 6 Hard water 120-180 <0.35 0.7 10 mg/l Very hard > 180 mg/l <0.40 0.8 13 6 Chlorine (Residual) µg/L <0.2 0.35 5 7 Chromium (VI) µg/L 7 10 200 8 Chromium (III) µg/L <12 24 340 9 Copper µg/L Soft water (60 mg/l < 0.3 0.53 1.6 CaCO3) Medium water (60-119 mg/l) < 0.8 1.5 4.6 Hard water 120-180 mg/l < 1.20 2.4 7.5 Very hard > 180 mg/l <1.40 2.8 12 10 Cyanide µg/L 1 4 110 11 Dissolved Oxygen (% 80-120 > 60 > 40 saturation) 12 Endosulphan (µg/L) < 0.01 0.02 0.2 13 Fluoride (µg/L) < 750 1500 2540 14 Iron The iron concentration should not be allowed to vary by more than 10% of the background dissolved iron concentration for a particular site or case, at a specific time. 15 Lead µg/L Soft water (60 mg/l < 0.2 0.5 4 CaCO3) Medium water (60-119 mg/l) <0.5 1.0 7 Hard water 120-180 mg/l < 1.0 2.0 13 Very hard > 180 mg/l < 1.2 2.4 16 16 Manganese (µg/L) < 180 370 1300 17 Mercury (µg/L) < 0.04 0.08 1.7 18 Nitrogen (inorganic) Inorganic nitrogen concentrations should not be changed by more than 15% from that of the water body under local unimpacted condition at any time of the year; The trophic status of the water body should not increase above its present level, though a decrease in trophic status is permissible (see effect): The amplitude and frequency of natural cycles in inorganic nitrogen concentrations should not be changed 19 pH All aquatic ecosystems pH values should not be allowed to vary from the range of the background pH values for a specific site and time of day, by > 0.5 of a pH unit, orby > 5% and should be assessed by whichever estimate is more conservative 20 Phenols (µg/L) < 30 60 500 21 Phosphorus (inorganic) Inorganic phosphorus concentration should not be changed by > 15% from All surface waters that of the water body under local, unimpacted conditions at any time of the year The trophic status of the water body should not increased above its present level, though a decrease in trophic status is permissible (see effect) The amplitude and frequency of natural cycle in inorganic phosphorus concentration should not be changed 22 Selenium (µg/L) < 2 5 30 23 Temperature Water temperature should not be allowed to vary from the background (All aquatic ecosystem) average daily water temperature considered to be normal for that specific site
92
SN Parameter name Target Water Quality Range Chronic Effect Value Acute Effect Value and time of day, by > 2 0C or by 10% whichever estimate is the more conservative 24 Total Dissolved Solids TDS concentrations should not be changed by > 15% from the normal cycle of (All inland water) the water body under unimpacted conditions at any time of the year The amplitude and frequency of natural cycles in TDS concentration should not be changed 25 Total Suspended Solids Any increase in TSS concentrations must be limited to < 10 % of the (All inland waters) background TSS concentrations at a specific site and time 26 Zinc (µg/L) < 2 3.6 36 Source: Department of Irrigation: Ground Water Project (Nepal Gazette (Number 10, BS, 2065-03-02).
Emission Guidelines for “Hospital/Medical/Infectious Water” by Incinerator Pollutant Small Medium Large Particular matter (<= 91kg/h) (> 91-227kg/h) (> 227kg/h) 115 mg m3 69 mg m3 Carbon monoxide (Co) 40 ppmv 40 ppmv Dioxins/furans 125 mg/m3 125 mg/m3 125 mg/m3 Total CCD/CCF or Total CCD/CCF or Total CCD/CCF or 2.3 mg/ m3 TEQ 2.3 mg/ m3 TEQ 2.3 mg/ m3 TEQ Hydrogen Chloride (HCI) 100 ppmv or 100 ppmv or 100 ppmv or 93 % reduction 93 % reduction 93 % reduction Sulfur dioxide (SO2) 55 ppmv 55 ppmv 55 ppmv Nitrogen oxides 250 ppmv 250 ppmv 250 ppmv Lead 1.2 mg/m3 1.2 mg/m3 or 1.2 mg/mg/m3 or 70 % reduction 70 % reduction 70 % reduction Cadmium 0.16 mg/mg/m3 0.16 mg/mg/m3 0.16 mg/mg/m3 65 % reduction 65 % reduction 65 % reduction Mercury 0.55 mg/mg/m3 0.55 mg/mg/m3 0.55 mg/mg/m3 85 % reduction 85 % reduction 85 % reduction Source: World Health Organization (Safe Management of Wastes from Health Care Activities and National Health Care Waste Management Guidelines, 2002)
Generic Standards, Tolerance Limits for Wastewater Discharged into Inland Surface Water from Combined Waste Water Treatment Plant SN Parameters Tolerance Limit
1 Temperature, 0C < 40 2 pH 5.5 - 9.0 3 Total Suspended Solids, (mg/l) 50, max 4 BOD5 at 20 0C, (mg/l) 50, max 5 Oils and Grease, (mg/l) 10, max 6 Phenolic Compounds, (mg/l) 1, max 7 Cyanides as CN, (mg/l) 0.2, max 8 Total Residual Chlorine, (mg/l) 1 9 Sulfides as S, (mg/l) 2, max 10 Fluorides as F, (mg/l) 2, max 11 Arsenic as As, (mg/l) 0.2, max 12 Cadmium as Cd, (mg/l) 2, max 13 Hexavalent Chromium as Cr, (mg/l) 0.1, max 14 Copper as Cu, (mg/l) 3, max 15 Leas as Pb, (mg/l) 0.1, max 16 Mercury as Hg, (mg/l) 0.01, max 17 Nickel as Ni, (mg/l) 3, max 18 Zinc as Zn, (mg/l) 5, max 19 Selenium as Se, (mg/l) 0.05, max 20 Ammoniacal Nitrogen, (mg/l) 50, max 21 Chemical Oxygen Demand, (mg/l) 250, max 22 Silver, (mg/l) 0.1, max Source: Nepal Gazette, 2060/3/9 Bs (2003), Country Environmental Analysis for Nepal, ADB 2004. 93
National Ambient Air Quality Standards for Nepal 2003 Parameters Units Averaging Time WHO Concentration in Test Method Guideline Ambient Air, Maximum TSP (Total µg/m3 Annual 120-230 - HVS 24 hour sampling (one Suspended weak sample on 2 road side Particulates) 24-hours* 230 station
3 PM10 µg/m Annual 70 - Light Volume Sampling 24-hours* 120 Sulphur Dioxide µg/m3 Annual 125 50 Diffusive sampling based on 24-hours** 70 weekly average Nitrogen Dioxide µg/m3 Annual 150 40 Diffusive sampling based on 24-hours** 80 weekly average Carbon Monoxide µg/m3 8 hours** 100000 10,000 To be determined before 2005 15 minute 100,000 Indicative Sampler Lead µg/m3 Annual 0.5-1.0* 0.5 Atomic absorption 24-hours - spectrometry analysis of PM10 samples Benzene µg/m3 Annual - 20**** Diffusive sampling based on 24-hours - weekly average Note: *24 hourly values shall be met 95% of the time in a year. 18 days per calendar year the standard may be exceeded but not on two consecutive days. **24 hourly standards for NO2 and SO2 and 8 hours standard for CO are not to be controlled before MOPE has recommended appropriate test methodologies. This will be done before 2005. *** if representativeness can be proven, yearly averages can be calculated from PM10 samples from selected weekdays from each month of the year. **** To be re-evaluated by 2005. Source: Nepal Gazette B.S. 2060/4/19 (4 August, 2003).
National Indoor Air Quality Standards, 2009 Pollutant Maximum Concentration Level Averaging Time Particulate Matter, PM10 120µgm3 24 – Hours 200µgm3 1 – Hours Particulate Matter, PM2.5 60µgm3 24 – Hours 100µgm3 1 – Hours Carbon Monoxide, CO 9ppm (10mg/m3) 8 – Hours 35ppm (40mg/m3) 1 – Hours Carbon Monoxide, CO2 1000ppm (1800mg/m3) 8 – Hours Source: National Indoor Air Quality Standards and Implementation Guideline, 2009; GoN, Ministry of Environment.
Nepal Vehicle Mass Emission Standard for Gasoline and Diesel Operated Vehicles Fuel Vehicle Type Model Year CO% HC, ppm HSU,% Test Four wheeler Up to 1980 4.5 1000 - Idle After 1981 3.0 Petrol Three wheeler Up to 1990 4.5 7800 Idle After 1991 3.0 Two wheeler All 4.5 7800 Idle LPG/CNG All categories - 3.0 1000 Idle Dissel Four wheeler Up to 1994 75 (Ka=3.22per meter) Free After 1995 65 (Ka=2.44per meter) Acceleration K = Coefficient of light absorptions for managing emissions from motor vehicles Source: Urban Transportation and the Environment in Katmandu Valley, Nepal Shobhakar Dahal, 2006
94
WHO Guideline Value on Noise Pollution (Sound level in dBA) Description Level of Hearing Threshold of hearing 0-10 Very peace sound 20-30 Peace Sound 50-60 Medium Sound 70-80 Very high sound 90-100 Uncomfortable sound 120-130 (Threshold of feeling) Source: World Health Organization cited in Batu Krishna Upreti, Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development, 2001.
General Noise Level Standard for different land use/activities zone Noise Area Land Use Activity Day Time Night Time Average Day Classification Noise Level Noise Level and Night (Ld) dB (A) (Ln) dB (A) (Ldn) dB (A) 1 Sensitive area (School, Hospital) 55 45 50 2 Residential areas 60 50 50 3 Commercial and tourist areas (residential 65 55 53 hotels, cultural activities and nature exhibitions, resorts and group camps, cultural activities and recreational activities 4 Industrial areas 75 70 60 5 High traffic areas 65 55 56 Source: Draft of the Urban Environment Management Directives-2009.
Nepal National Building Code, 2060 SN Building code Contents Remarks 1 NBC 000 Requirements for State of the Art Design: An Building for Foreign Donor Introduction Organization 2 NBC 001 Materials Specifications 3 NBC 002 Unit Weight of Materials 4 NBC 003 Occupancy Load (Imposed Load) 5 NBC 004 Wind Load 6 NBC 005 Seismic Design of Building > 1000 Sq. Ft Plinth Area and 7 NBC 006 Snow Load more than 3 Flats. Building 8 NBC 007 Provisional recommendation on first safety Designer and Monitoring by 9 NBC 008 Site consideration for seismic hazards Architecture Engineer 10 NBC 009 Masonry: Unreinforced 11 NBC 010 Plain and reinforced concrete 12 NBC 011 Steel 13 NBC 012 Timber 14 NBC 013 Aluminum 15 NBC 014 Construction safety 16 NBC 201 Mandatory rule of timber: Reinforced concrete buildings with masonry infill < 1000 Sq. Ft Plinth Area and 17 NBC 202 Mandatory rule of timber: Load bearing masonry less than 3 Flats. Building 18 NBC 203 Guidelines for earthquake resident building Designer and Monitoring by construction: Low strength masonry Architecture Sub-Engineer 19 NBC 204 Guidelines for earthquake resident building construction: Earthen Building (EB) 20 NBC 205 Mandatory rule of timber: Reinforced concrete buildings without masonry infill 21 NBC 206 Architectural Design Requirements > 1000 Sq. Ft Plinth Area and 22 NBC 207 Electrical Design Requirements for (Public Building) more than 3 Flats. Building 23 NBC 208 Sanitary and Plumbing Design Requirements Designer and Monitoring by Architecture Engineer Source: Department of Housing and Urban Development. 95
Appendix 4 Proposed Support in Finalizing and Piloting and the Urban Environmental Management Guidelines
Main activities under the proposed support will include the following:
1. Review and finalize the draft urban environmental management guidelines (the Guidelines).
2. Review the existing institutional and legal frameworks in order to institutionalize/ enforce the guidelines at all levels and entities involved in licensing and enforcement of environmental regulations, such as
2.1. Municipalities (issuing of building and other permits), 2.2. Ministry of Industries (industrial licensing), 2.3. Ministry of Environment (clearing and monitoring EIAs/ IEEs, etc), and 2.4. District Development Committees.
The consultants will make all necessary recommendations for amending the existing bye- laws, regulations, acts, etc, or introducing new ones, as appropriate in order to align and enforce the Guidelines at each of these level/ entities.
3. Conduct needs assessment at the Project municipalities/DDCs and a selected DDC, in terms of their existing capacities and resources available, in enforcing the Guidelines on a pilot scale on industrial wastewater pollutant;
4. Build the capacity of the municipalities in pilot enforcing the Guidelines, which will consist of the following tasks:
4.1. Map the major industrial polluters in and around the Project municipalities and the selected DDC44, 4.2. provide necessary software and hardware to the municipalities and DDC as appropriate in order to pilot the enforcement of the Guidelines on industrial wastewater pollution for one year, and 4.3. Train the relevant personnel involved at these entities.
5. Assist the municipalities/ DDC in setting up and enforcing the above for one year.
44 A GIS based map already exists, dated 2007, covering all industries around Biratnagar. GIS based map of similar nature is expected for the other municipalities.