Social Assessment Report Public Disclosure Authorized Rehabilitation and Upgrading Road Sections from Ambepussa (00km) _ Dambulla (90+500km) - A006 Kanthale (157km - Trincomalee (200km) – A006 Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized World Bank Funded Road Sector Assistance Project (II) Sri Lanka Ministry of Highways and Road Development Government of Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka January, 2011 Public Disclosure Authorized Social Assessment Report for Road Sector Assistance Project II August 2010 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Summary 1. The Project. Economic and Social development of a country mainly depends on roads. Compared to many other countries in the South Asian region, Sri Lanka has a higher road density (1.5km of road / km2 or 5.5 km of road per 1000 people). The objective of the Road Sector Assistance Project II (RSAP II) is to improve two road sections of A006 highway. The total length of these road sections is 133km. These road sections run across four provinces of the country. (Sri Lanka is administratively divided into 9 provinces). These road sections will not be widened significantly under the proposed project and there will be no major resettlement or relocation of communities/affected persons living close to the road. The project needs to prepare social assessments for each road section along with a Resettlement Plan in compliance with the Government‟s National Policy on Involuntary Resettlement and World Bank‟s Operational Policy (OP) 4.12 on Involuntary Resettlement. 1.2. Proposed Road sections that are to be rehabilitated under the RSAP II Following road sections will be improved and rehabilitated the under the proposed project (total length of both road sections is 133km) . Ambepussa – Habarana Road Section – A006 ( from 00km to 90km) Kanthale – Trincomalee Road Section – A006 (from 157km – 200km) 2. Project Related Impacts: The positive impacts envisage, a) Reduction of the rate of accidents b) Improvement of communication with other regions c) Less traffic congestion d) Improving business (Commercial) environment 2 Social Assessment Report for Road Sector Assistance Project II August 2010 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ e) Increase in value of lands and other properties f) Better employment opportunities with opening of the region to other areas g) Economy of the region will improve h) Savings in travel time with better roads i) Improving the health and education with better access to facilities. The negative impacts that can be anticipated are loss of : a) lands, b) assets, infrastructures, livelihood located in the ROW, etc. c) trees and d) utilities and drinking water supply lines. While during the construction phase, the potential negative impacts can be listed as: a). Increase in traffic congestions, b). Increase in dust and noise c). Disturbance to some groups such as school children, infants and old and sick persons living in close proximity to construction sites. d) Loss of access to houses/business etc. and e) social disturbances with inflow of migrant labor for construction work. 3. Conflict Analysis Road sections of the proposed project are the main access roads to North and Eastern regions of Sri Lanka from the other parts of the country. Northern and Eastern provinces were the core areas where the 30 year long civil war took place. This led to destruct the road system in this area and crippled the entire economic activities due to lack of transport facilities. Therefore, the proposed road rehabilitation project would help to accelerate the on going development programmes of these conflict affected area as well as the rest of the country. The road sections traverse over different geographical regions in terms of natural resources, ethnic groups, cultural and religious values, economic activities and main urban and semi-urban areas in this country. Different communities in these areas can travel and transport their produce easily after completing proposed project. And also, people in the project affected area would 3 Social Assessment Report for Road Sector Assistance Project II August 2010 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ be able to fulfill several needs traveling fat away regions such as; visiting relatives, worshipping religious places, transporting agricultural produce to market, and buying basic needs from the regional commercial hubs. There is a considerable number of project affected Female Headed Families in the proposed project area. These families also would benefit through improving income sources and livelihood after completion the work of the project. Conflicts related to the project area are provided in chapter 02 of this report. 4. Gender Analysis According to the Annual report of Central Bank of Sri Lanka -2009, the estimated mid year population of the country is 20.4 million in 2009 and 51% of the population is female. Total labor force comprises 7.6millions employed and 0.5 millions unemployed persons. Female Labor Force Participation Rate is 33% of the population in 2009 in Sri Lanka. The field studies carried out for the social survey relevant to current study highlighted the majority of the house units comprised with male - headed or father – based families. But, there are 21 female headed the proposed road sections include families. The total population of these families is 90. Total number of female population of these families is 37. Details of gender analysis are provided in chapter 03 of this report. 5. Grievance Redress Mechanism A grievance redressal mechanism will be established to prevent grievances at the outset rather than react to problems. Grievances can be minimized through careful design and implementation by ensuring active participation and consultation with affectees establishing rapport between the community and the RDA and the PMU through frequent interactions, transparency and monitoring. 6. Identification of PAPs and affected assets/property etc. The total number of affected persons of the project is 1099 and they belong to 407 households. The details of affected structures and affected persons are given in table 1. 4 Social Assessment Report for Road Sector Assistance Project II August 2010 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ Table 1 Persons and Properties of the affected families Type of Impact Ambepussa-Dambulla Kanthale-Trincomalee Total road section road section number of affected Number of Affected Number of Affected persons Properties Persons Properties Persons (a + b) (a) (b) Front walls of houses 16 47 24 53 100 Access of business 130 268 12 45 313 places/ Concrete steps Concrete/cement 09 0 3 0 0 steps of public places Fences 11 26 8 15 41 Gates 19 43 55 75 118 Parapet walls 12 32 64 86 118 Front wall of business 39 87 19 59 146 places Permanent sales huts 12 39 6 36 75 Lands 58 plots 130 19 plots 58 188 Total 306 672 210 427 1099 Source- Social Survey for RAP, 2010 7. Scope of Land Acquisition and Resettlement. It has found that small portions (2550m2) of lands are to be required to purchase or acquire for this road construction at some places. Sixty eight (68) households will be loosing their lands and total population of these households is 188. The lands will be purchased on willing buyer-willing seller basis. It will be at the replacement value at current market prices. The seller will have the option to refuse it. If any acquisition is carried out it will follow normal acquisition procedure without following the section 38A Proviso, which is the emergency procedure of the LAA. To purchase or acquire required lands the RDA will follow a transparent process as follows; 5 Social Assessment Report for Road Sector Assistance Project II August 2010 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ The lands will be taken on willing buyer-willing seller basis. The RDA ensures that land is appropriate for the intended purpose It will be at the replacement value at current market prices of the area. The seller will have the option to refuse it. It will be at replacement value at current market prices. It does not negatively impact on the livelihood of any vulnerable group, and if so, that community developed mitigation measures are acceptable to the affectee. There are no encumbrances on the lands. The lands should not belong to any person who is below the poverty line. In addition to the affected properties mentioned in table 1, the following trees and common infrastructure facilities will be affected during construction stage of the road sections. There are 2008 trees (557 fruit trees and 1451 trees of timber value) to be removed. Out of them 203 trees (trees of timber value 117 and fruits trees 86) are privately owned by 96 individuals. Details of affected trees are given in Table 3.2. 1897 of electricity posts, 2049 of telephone posts and 4030m of water distribution line. 8. Socio-Economic Profile and Vulnerability of PAPs The PAPs belong to 407 households. About 7% of the households affected are reported as women headed households. The rest, 93% of households are male headed units. Only about 1.5% of the affected PAPs have obtained higher education. Majority (25%) have education qualification between grades 6