IEE: Bangladesh
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City Region Development Project (RRP BAN 39298) Initial Environmental Examination Document Stage: Draft for Consultation Project Number: 39298 September 2010 BAN: City Region Development Project—Ashulia Industrial and Residential Clusters Subproject Prepared by the Local Government Engineering Department, Government of Bangladesh This IEE 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. ABBREVIATIONS ADB – Asian Development Bank BDT – Bangladesh Taka BOD – biological oxygen demand BOQ – Bill of Quantities CEO – Chief Executive Officer CRDP – City Region Development Project DCC – Dhaka City Corporation DMDP – Dhaka Metropolitan Development Plan DOE – Department of Environment DPHE – Department of Public Health Engineering DSMC – Design, Supervision and Management Consultant DWASA – Dhaka Water Supply and Sewerage Authority EARF – Environmental Assessment and Review Framework ECR – Environmental Conservation Rules EIA – Environmental Impact Assessment EMP – Environmental Management Plan GRC – Grievance Redress Committee GRM – Grievance Redress Mechanism IEE – initial environmental examination LGED – Local Government Engineering Department LGI – Local Government Institution MDSC – Management, Design and Supervision Consultant NGO – nongovernment organization NOC – no objection certificate O&M – operations and maintenance PIU – Project Implementation Unit PMCU – Project Management Coordination Unit REA – Rapid Environmental Assessment ROW – right of way RPM – respiratory particulate matter RSS – resettlement support staff SPS – Safeguard Policy Statement SWM – Solid Waste Management EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. This Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) is prepared to comply with the Government of Bangladesh (the Government) and Asian Development Bank (ADB) requirements for the proposed Ashulia Industrial and Residential Clusters subproject. The Ashulia Cluster subproject envisages the implementation of the following physical infrastructure components in the first phase: (i) improvement of priority road stretches (including the roadside drainage conditions) for a length of 7.65km, and (ii) provision of a water supply system to the residents of Ashulia. 2. All the proposed interventions are proposed within the Sawar Upazilla and within the existing industrial clusters. There are no environmentally sensitive areas in the project locations. Assessment of the potential environmental impacts due to the subproject, as part of the IEE reveals that the impacts shall be largely generic construction related impacts associated with laying of distribution networks and improvement of roads. The siting of new production tube wells shall be based on the assessment of the safe yield, arrived based on test tube wells prior to the finalization of the location. Further, measures to arrest the further decline in the ground water levels, as rain water harvesting, minimization of water extraction through water losses reduction etc. are integrated in the subproject design. For all construction related impacts, environmental management measures are integrated into the IEE. An environmental monitoring plan to monitor the effectiveness of the mitigation /management measures is also included as part of the IEE. 3. Sawar Upazila shall be the implementing agency for this subproject and the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) shall be housed within the Upazila. Capacity building and training of the PIU officials towards implementation of the environmental provisions have been detailed in the IEE and costs included in the IEE budget. The IEE includes plans for continued participation during project implementation, disclosure of information and mechanisms for redressal of grievances pertaining to environmental issues during the project implementation. 4. The IEE carried out for the subproject shows that the proposed sub-components will result in net environmental benefits, and that any adverse environmental impact can be addressed through proper location, planning, and design of the proposed subproject; control of construction activity and mitigation measures. The Environment Management Plan (EMP) provides for mitigation of all identified impacts and the contract clauses for the environmental provisions will be part of the civil works contracts. Further, the proposed subproject elements have been consulted with the stakeholders and no significant issues requiring redressal in terms of environmental safeguards exist. INITIAL ENVIRONMENTAL EXAMINATION: ASHULIA I. INTRODUCTION A. Background 1. The City Region Development Project (CRDP) (the Project) emphasizes economic growth in Dhaka and Khulna city regions of Bangladesh through (i) creation of an enabling environment towards improved governance and capacity building of the local governments, and (ii) prioritized investments in infrastructure sectors in the two regions. The objectives of CRDP are: (i) to improve the regional economic and social context through long-term development plans and investment programs, set within an institutional and regulatory context that will ensure implementation and review; (ii) to improve the capacity and mandate of local government to govern and to invest in improved economic activity at local level; (iii) to improve the economic context for sustainable commercial and industrial growth; and (iv) to improve the economic and social needs of the urban population, as an inclusive aspect of the CRDP. 2. The Project has been designed as a project loan using a sector approach and is formulated to provide opportunities for replication of the project in other Local Government Institutions1 (LGIs) within the identified city regions. The initial environmental examination (IEE) for the proposed Ashulia industrial and residential clusters subproject is prepared in line with the Environmental Assessment Review Framework (EARF)2 prepared for the CRDP. This IEE is prepared to comply with both the Government and Asian Development Bank (ADB) requirements. 3. The IEE assesses the environmental impacts due to the Ashulia subproject and specifies measures towards addressing the impacts. The IEE was based on a review of subproject site plans and reports; field visits; collection of secondary data to characterize the environment and identifies potential impacts. It contains the results of interviews and consultations with stakeholders. An environmental monitoring plan (EMP) outlining the specific environmental mitigation measures to be adhered to during implementation of the subproject has been prepared. During the detailed design stage, the IEE/EMP shall be further updated and stand-alone EMPs prepared for each of the procurement packages (and will be appended to contract documents). This will enable integration of environmental provisions / management measures in the Contract Document. B. Purpose of the IEE 4. The Ashulia Cluster subproject envisages the implementation of the following physical infrastructure components: (i) improvement of priority road stretches (including the roadside drainage conditions) for a length of 7.65km, and (ii) provision of a water supply system to the residents of Ashulia. During the operation of the water supply systems, the project will have positive impacts particularly to the beneficiary households, through the provision of improved 1 Urban local government institutions include City Corporations, Pourashavas, Upazila and Union Parishads. 2 The sector approach requires preparation of EARF to provide a comprehensive framework for environmental management during the project implementation. The EARF is in accordance with Government of Bangladesh rules and ADB safeguard policies. The EARF reviews the types of subprojects anticipated under the project and summarizes potential environmental impacts. The EARF provides an overview of the regulations of the Government of Bangladesh and ADB related to environmental assessment, specifically concerning project environmental classification, review and approval requirements. Further, the EARF sets out specific procedures to be followed for subprojects, and for implementation of the project as a whole. 2 access to clean water and access to sanitation facilities. In addition, the proposed road improvements and improvement of roadside drainage shall ensure provision of an improved all- round access to workplaces and residences for a significant resident population of the industrial cluster. Given the type of civil works, there would be typical construction related impacts, which can be mitigated by appropriate measures and adoption of good construction practices. Further, these will be of limited intensity and of short duration. None of the subproject interventions are proposed within locations in or near sensitive and valuable ecosystems. As per ADB's Safeguard Policy Statement, 2009 (SPS), the subproject has been categorized as ‘B’ and an IEE carried out. This IEE provides mitigation measures for impacts related to location and design, construction, operation, and maintenance. C. Environment Regulatory Compliance 5. Government of Bangladesh. The provisions for environmental protection and pollution control in Bangladesh are contained in the Environmental Conservation Rules (ECR) 1997. This legislation also provides the principal mechanism for assessing and mitigating the environmental impacts of projects, both existing and proposed. Projects are classified as green, orange, or red. The roads to be improved