Southern Transport Development Project (Supplementary Financing Loan and Technical Assistance Grant)

Environmental Assessment Report Summary Environmental Impact Assessment Project Number: 26522 April 2007 Sri Lanka: Southern Transport Development Project (Supplementary Financing Loan and Technical Assistance Grant) Prepared by Road Development Authority for the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The summary environmental impact assessment 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. CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS (as of 5 March 2007) Currency Unit – Sri Lanka rupee/s (SLRe/SLRs) SLRe1.00 = $0.0092 $1.00 = SLRs108.85 ABBREVIATIONS ADB – Asian Development Bank CEA – Central Environmental Authority CSC – construction supervision consultant EIA – environmental impact assessment EMP – environmental management plan ESD – Environment and Social Division GPAR – Galle Port Access Road JBIC – Japan Bank for International Cooperation Leq – equivalent sound pressure level Lmax – maximum sound pressure level NAAQS – national ambient air quality standards PMU – project management unit RDA – Road Development Authority ROW – right-of-way SEIA – summary environmental impact assessment Stage 1 – construction of the Southern Highway to two-lane standard (ADB section to date) Stage 2 – construction of the Southern Highway to four-lane standard St2EIA – EIA for Stage 2 Expansion of ADB Section of Southern Highway to Four Lanes SupEA – Supplementary Environmental Assessment (of Final Trace, August 2006 by University of Morotuwa, Colombo) WEIGHTS AND MEASURES dB(A) – decibels [measured in audible human range] km – kilometer km2 – square kilometer m – meter mm – millimeter NOTE In this report, “$” refers to US dollars CONTENTS Page MAPS I. INTRODUCTION 1 II. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT 2 III. DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT 5 A. Physical 5 B. Biological 7 C. Economic Development 7 D. Social 8 IV. ALTERNATIVES 9 V. ANTICIPATED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES 10 A. Impacts Due to Siting of the Project 10 B. Impacts Due to Construction 11 C. Impacts Due to Operation 16 VI. ECONOMIC ASSESSMENT 19 VII. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN 20 VIII. PUBLIC CONSULTATION AND INFORMATION DISCLOSURE 23 IX. CONCLUSIONS 24 APPENDIXES 1. Summary Environmental Management Plan 26 2. Summary Monitoring Plan for Performance Indicators 48 o o o 80 00'E 80 00'E 81 30'E Kankasanturai i t a r t S Kodikamam k l a Jaffna P Bay o f Bengal Completed Provincial Road Project Kilinochchi P a l k B a y Ongoing Provincial Road Project Mullaittivu National Capital Tanniyuttu Provincial Capital Talaimannar Mankulam o o City/Town 7 00'N NORTHERN 7 00'N Interchange Mannar Puliyankulam Southern Highway Project Vavuniya Gulf of ADB-Financed Road Project Mannar Access Road Horowupotana Trincomalee National Road Anuradhapura Other Road Railway NORTH CENTRAL River Tambuttegama Puttalam Hingurakgoda Provincial Boundary Kekirawa Welikanda Boundaries are not necessarily authoritative. Polonnaruwa Valaichchenai Dambulla EASTERN Batticaloa NORTH Chilaw WESTERN CENTRAL Negombo Kurunegala Matale Madampe Polgahawela Kandy Negombo Warakapola Ampara Kegalle Gampaha Gampola Minuwangoda o o Gampaha 9 00'N 9 00'N o Badulla o 9 00'N Nuwara Eliya 9 00'N Avissawella WESTERN COLOMBO Talawakele U V A Hatton Monaragala Moratuwa Bandarawela COLOMBO Ratnapura Avissawella Wellawaya WESTERN Pelmadulla Matuce Kalutara Halangoda Maharagama SABARAGAMUWA Dehiwala Alutgama Makumbura Kottawa Elpitiya Kahatuduwa Ambalangoda Moratuwa Hikkaduwa Akuressa SOUTHERN Hambantota Panadura Gelanigama Galle Tangalle I N D I A N O C E A N Ratnapura PROJECT LOCATION Matara o o JAPAN BANK FOR INTERNATIONAL 80 00'E 81 30'E COOPERATION (Package 1) Kalutara Dodanggoda Agatawatta Matugama Alutgama Lewanduwa JAPAN BANK FOR INTERNATIONAL SRI LANKA COOPERATION (Package 2) SOUTHERN TRANSPORT DEVELOPMENT PROJECT Elpitiya Kurunduguhahetekma ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK (North) Package 1 Ambalangoda Nagoda Nayapamula SOUTHERN N Hikkaduwa Yakkalamulla Akuressa Pinnaduwa 0 5 10 20 30 Galle Kokmaduwa Kilometers Godagama ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK (South) Package 2 Matara I N D I A N O C E A N 80 o 00'E 07-0790 HR Figure 1 I. INTRODUCTION 1. This document is the summary environmental impact assessment (SEIA) of the findings of the 2005 and 2006 environmental assessments for the Southern Transport Development Project:1 (i) Supplementary Environmental Assessment (SupEA)2 and (ii) EIA of Expansion to 4 Lanes (St2EIA).3 The SEIA is presented to streamline the disclosure of two very closely related and overlapping documents, which have a common environmental background. The SEIA was prepared following the Environmental Impact Assessment Guidelines (2003) of the Asian Development Bank (ADB). 2. In 1999, ADB and the Central Environmental Authority (CEA) of Sri Lanka approved an environmental impact assessment (EIA) for the Southern Expressway; the SEIA4 was disclosed in July 1999. Subsequently the alignment was revised as a condition of CEA approval to reduce environmental impacts, but CEA did not require any further environmental assessment study.5 The 1999 EIA did not explicitly include an assessment of environmental impacts of the construction of Galle Port access road (GPAR). 3. ADB and its Board of Directors required the SupEA study (August 2006), which was part of recommendations of the Compliance Review Panel. The study aimed to verify whether other environmental impacts emerged that needed to be mitigated because of revisions to the alignment after taking account of CEA’s recommendations. In addition, the SupEA includes an assessment of environmental impacts associated with GPAR construction. 4. ADB required the St2EIA (footnote 3) to comply with ADB requirements for providing a supplementary financing loan. The study assessed the environmental impacts associated with expanding the expressway from two to four lanes from Kurundugahahetekma to Godagama in Matara. 5. Both the SupEA and St2EIA were to supplement the findings of the 1999 EIA. The environmental management plans (EMPs) developed by these two studies are incorporated in the approved 2005 EMP.6 The updated EMP will be presented to CEA for approval. 6. The findings presented in the SupEA and the St2EIA are based on review and analysis of available background data and data acquired through fieldwork. The SupEA field studies concentrated on the deviations of the Final Trace from the Combined Trace (subject of the 1999 EIA) and locations along parts of the Final Trace covered by the 1999 EIA, where environmental settings had undergone marked changes. The field studies for St2EIA concentrated on the wider carriageway works for expansion of the Final Trace for the four-lane expanded 1 Asian Development Bank. 1999. Loan 1711-SRI: Southern Transport Development Project, Report and Recommendation of the President to the Board of Directors. Manila. 2 Road Development Authority. 2006. Supplementary Environmental Assessment Study and Updating Environmental Management Plan for the Final Alignment, Southern Transport Development Project. By the University of Morotuwa, Colombo. 3 Road Development Authority. 2006. Environmental Impact Assessment of Expansion to Four Lanes. Colombo. The EIA of stage 2 expansion of the Southern Highway from two to four lanes, ADB Section Kurundugahahetekma to Matara, September 2006. The ADB section of the Southern Highway is being considered for early improvement to four-lanes and requires further environmental assessment under ADB operating procedures. 4 ADB. 1999. Summary Environmental Impact Assessment Report, Southern Transport Development Project. Manila. 5 The provisions of the National Environmental Act 1980 (as amended) required an environmental assessment for the original Southern Highway. CEA has indicated that the Road Development Authority has completed the environmental assessment process to CEA’s satisfaction and the Government does not require any further environmental assessment. 6 The updated EMP based on the SupEA study was submitted to CEA on 26 January 2007. The updated EMP incorporating the recommendations from the EIA study of stage 2 will also be submitted to CEA. 2 expressway in the ADB section. Impacts of the ongoing construction were also observed, and where mitigation measures need improvement, additional measures are proposed. II. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT 7. The main objective of the Project is to bring the Southern Region into the economic mainstream of Sri Lanka and improve socioeconomic opportunities for residents. Faster travel and greater economic activity are the indicators of achievement. The expressway is expected to improve links with the more northerly commercial and industrial areas and thus improve the living standards of the population in the area. It will serve as a catalyst for increasing economic/commercial growth of the region, which will contribute to poverty alleviation through development in agriculture, trade, and tourism. 8. The Road Development Authority (RDA) will be the Implementing Agency for the Project, and the Ministry of Highways and Road Development is the Executing Agency. The Project finances construction of a new access-controlled highway, the Southern Expressway, linking Colombo (at Kottawa) with Galle and Matara. ADB, through the Asian Development Fund, and the Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC) are providing parallel funding. The Government of Sri Lanka, through RDA, will finance operation and maintenance. JBIC is financing the northern section, which is about 66 kilometers

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