Environmental Compliance Monitoring Report Nepal: Rural Connectivity Improvement Project
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Environmental Compliance Monitoring Report Semi-Annual Report No. 1 Loan Number: 3620 NEP Project Number: 48218-003 December 2018 Nepal: Rural Connectivity Improvement Project Prepared by the Government of Nepal for the Asian Development Bank. This Environmental Compliance Monitoring Report 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. Your attention is directed to the “terms of use” section of this website. In preparing any country program or strategy, financing any project, or by making any designation of or reference to a particular territory or geographic area in this document, the Asian Development Bank does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area. Abbreviations ADB – Asian Development Bank AP – Affected People CC – Construction Contractor CDO – Chief District Officer CSC Construction Supervision Consultant CTEVT – Council for Technical Education and Vocational Training DBST – Double Bituminous Surface Treatment DFO – District Forest Office DOF Department of Forest DOLIDAR – Department of Local Infrastructure Development and Agricultural Roads EA – Executing Agency EMP – Environmental Management Plan EMoP Environmental Monitoring Plan ES Environment Specialist ESMP Environmental and Social Management Plan GESI – Gender Equality and Social Inclusion GoN – Government of Nepal GRM – grievance redress mechanism Ha – Hector IA Implementing Agency IEE – initial environmental examination IUCN – International Union for Conservation of Nature KM – Kilometer kV – Kilovolt M – Meter Masl – meter above sea level MOFE – Ministry of Forest and Environment MoFAGA – Ministry of Federal Affair and General Administration MOFALD – Ministry of Federal Affair and Local Development NCB – National Competitive Bidding NEA – Nepal Electricity Authority NRS – Nepal Road Standard PCU Project Coordination Unit PIU – Project Implementation Unit RCC – Reinforced cement concrete RCIP – Rural Connectivity Improvement Project Rural Connectivity Improvement Project 2 TABLE OF CONTENTS 1. INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................................... 5 2. Brief Project Description ............................................................................................. 5 3 COMPLIANCE TO NATIONAL REGULATIONS .......................................................... 12 3.1 Environmental Protection Rules 1997 ................................................................... 12 4 COMPLIANCE TO ENVIRONMENTAL COVENANTS FROM THE ADB LOAN AGREEMENT ..................................................................................................................... 12 a. Schedule 5 Environment .......................................................................................... 12 5. COMPLIANCE TO ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN ................................... 13 5.1 Institutional Arrangement for Safeguards Implementation ..................................... 13 5.2 Clearance for Major Construction Work ................................................................ 14 6. SAFEGUARD MONITORING RESULTS AND UNANTICIPATED IMPACTS ............... 14 6.1 Pre- construction Activities ........................................................................................ 14 6.1.1 Baseline Monitoring ............................................................................................. 14 6.1.2 Compliance Monitoring .................................................................................. 20 7. PLEMENTATION OF GRIEVANCE REDRESS MECHANISM AND COMPLAINTS RECEIVED FROM STAKEHOLDERS ................................................................................ 21 7.1 Establishment of GRM ............................................................................................... 21 8. OTHERS ACTIVITIES ..................................................................................................... 21 9. CONCLUSION ................................................................................................................ 21 List of Figure Figure 1: Location Map of RCIP Districts and Roads 5 List of Table Table 1: List of Roads 6 Table 2: District/ Package wise contract Agreement date and Commencement date and 10 Completion date Table 3: Compliance Status with Environmental Loan Covenants 11 Table 4: Status of Forest Clearance/Tree Cutting 15 Table 5: WHO Ambient Air Quality Guidelines 17 Table 6: Status of Existing Road Condition 18 Status of Existing Road Condition Appendices Appendix I: Compliance to Environmental Management Plan Appendix II: Environmental Monitoring Plan Rural Connectivity Improvement Project 3 Appendix III : Environmental Safeguard Compliance Matrix Appendix IV: Air and Water Quality Monitoring Locations Appendix V : Photographs of Progress Activities Appendix VI: Issued letters related to Environmental Management AppendixVII: Sample Contractor’s Environmental Management Plan Rural Connectivity Improvement Project 4 1. INTRODUCTION 1. The Rural Connectivity Improvement Project (RCIP) will construct about 380.6 kilometers of rural roads to all-weather standard covering 16 priority rural development districts throughout the country. The project will also focus on improving institutional arrangements, business processes, and associated capacity building, particularly on road asset management and road safety. The Project aims to improve transport efficiency of the rural road network, which will contribute to expansion of economic opportunities and poverty reduction. This will be realized by: (i) improving the district road network, (ii) facilitating safe and appropriate road usage, (iii) increasing efficiency of transport services and (iv) enhancingDOLIDAR capacity for road asset development and management. Project immediate outcomes will be improved accessibility to social services and markets, increased fuel efficiency, reduced travel time, accidents, vehicle emissions and better employment opportunities outside agriculture, both through improved access to economic centers and increased industrial activities in the project districts. The Project is funded by Asian Development Bank (ADB). 2. Brief Project Description 2. Under the project there are 27 road subprojects. The total length of the road is 380.686 km and these roads are located in 16 districts. Jhapa, Ilam, Panchthar, Morang, Sunsari, Dhankuta (Eastern Cluster 13 Roads); Dolakha, Kavre, Sindhuli, Sindhupalchowk, Kathmandu, Bhaktapur (Central/ East Cluster: 7 Roads), Chitawan (Central/ West Clusters: 1 Road); Parbat (Central/ West Cluster: 2 Roads); Rukum (West Cluster: 2 Roads) and Rolpa (West Cluster: 2 Roads). These roads are in 11 packages (or 11 NCB contracts). The civil work contracts are being awarded to contractors by PCU in various dates. Until June, 7 NCB contracts have been materialized. Remaining 4 is expected to be awarded in September 2018. The construction period of each of the contracts is 2 years with additional 3 years of maintenance 1 year DLP of the constructed road and 2 years for PBM. The Project started on April, 2018. 3. The RCIP is being financed by the Asian Development Bank. MoFAGA through DoLIDAR is responsible for implementation of this Project. DoLIDAR is the executing agency and the Project Coordination Unit (PCU) headed by Project Coordinator under DoLIDAR is the central office for overall project management, contract administration and implementation through its regional PIUs headed by the PMs established at Jhapa (PIU1), Lalitpur (PIU2), Parbat (PIU3), Rolpa (PIU4) and Rukum (PIU5) and with support of the Consultant, CSC. 4. RCIP, PCU has appointed Yooshin Engineering Corporation, Korea in Association with Environment & Resource Management Consultant (P) Ltd, Nepal &BDA, Nepal (P) Ltd, Nepal as a Construction Supervision Consultant for all contract packages. The target of the Project is to improve the existing grave/earthen rural road to asphalt paved road with gravel shoulder on either sides. The Project work mainly comprises of 30 mm of Asphalt pavement, 150 mm of crushed stone base course, 200 mm of granular sub base course and 350 mm gravel on either side of shoulder. The construction work also includes cross drainage, side drain, masonry and gabion structure, bio-engineering, traffic safety works and maintenance work on Performance Based Maintenance. Rural Connectivity Improvement Project 5 Figure1: Location Map of RCIP Districts and Roads Table 1: List of Roads A. Eastern Cluster (Province 1) Package & Length of Road Civil Contract Road Section District Section (km) (NCB) No. Under Amaldagi - Samayaghad -Babwari - Solmari 11.509 PIU1: road Package No. 1 Charpane - Chaitubari-Matigada-Sadhukuti - 15.484 (NCB - 01) Khodamara-Rajgadh Kharsangwari - Jalthal -Mangalware - Baundoka Jhapa 6.519 -AdhikariChowkSadak Padajungi (Lakhanpur) -Guhawari- Laladhbandra - Jharka-BaluwathanChapramari - 10.003 Khajurgachhi Total Length (Km) 43.515 Under Nepaltar-Shantidada - Gagrebhangyang - PIU1: MangalbareDhuseni - Gajrmukhi - Ebhang - Package No. 2 ChaturmoadAadipur - Larmwa-GhartiDobhan - 13.279 Ilam (NCB - 05) Chapeti - BeldagiDamak Road (Ebhang - Chature road Sector) Mangalbare - Phungfung - EktappaSikariBhanjyang - Phakphok - Ra.Ma.Bi. KhambangChowk - Thingepur - 9.510 Aamchok - Jungetar - Phuyatappa - Rabi road (Surubindukhanda) Rural Connectivity Improvement Project 6 Package & Length