Draft Initial Environmental Examination June 2011 IND: Assam Urban Infrastructure Investment Program – Dibrugarh Solid Waste Management Subproject 1 Prepared by Government of Assam for the Asian Development Bank. WEIGHTS AND MEASURES cm – centimeter dbA – decibels dia. – diameter ha – Hectare kg – kilogram km – kilometer l – liter m – Meter m2 – square meter m3 – cubic meter mg/l – Milligrams per liter ml – milliliter MLD – million liters per day mm – millimeter sq. km. – square kilometers sq. m. – square meters μg/m3 – micrograms per cubic meter This 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. 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 BRT - Bus Rapid Transit CTO - Consent to Operate DSC - Design and Supervision Consultant EARF - Environmental Assessment and Review Framework EMP - Environmental Management Plan GDD - Guwahati Development Department GRM - Grievance Redress Mechanism IEE - Initial Environemental Examination MFF - Multi tranche Financing Facility PIU - Project Implementation Unit SPS - Safeguards Policy Statement UDD - Urban Development Department 3 CONTENTS Page EXECUTIVE S UMMARY I. INTRODUCTION 7 A. Environmental Compliance Requirements 7 II. DESCRIPTION OF SUBPROJECT 5 A. Need for the Subproject 5 B. Implementation Schedule 7 C. Subproject Benefits 8 III. DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT 8 A. Physical Features 8 B. Surface waters 9 C. Ecological Features 10 D. Economic Development 11 IV. ANTICIP ATED IMP ACTS AND MITIGATION MEAS URES 13 A. Pre-construction: Location and Design 14 B. Construction Impacts 17 C. Operation and Maintenance (O&M) impacts 22 D. Cumulative Impact Assessment 26 V. INS TITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENT 28 A. Implementation Arrangements 28 B. Monitoring and Reporting 29 C. Institutional Capacity 30 VI. GRIEVANCE REDRESS MECHANIS M 32 VII. PUBLIC CONSULTATION AND INFORMATION DISCLOSURE 34 A. Process for Consultation 34 B. Future Consultation and Disclosure 36 VIII. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT P LAN 37 A. Environmental Mitigation and Monitoring Program 37 B. Environmental Management Plan Costs 60 IX. FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 62 X. CONCLUSIONS 63 APPENDIXES 1. Central Pollution Control Board/Applicable Environmental Standards 64 2. ADB Rapid Environmental Assessment Checklist 69 3. Environmental Monitoring Format 73 4. Suggested Outline for the Landfill Operations and Maintenance Manual 75 5. Sample Grievance Registration Form 78 6. Recommended Contract Clauses for the Construction Contractors 79 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. The Assam Urban Infrastructure Investment Program is a key urban infrastructure initiative of the Government of Assam (GoA), and aims to improve the urban environment and quality of life in the cities of Guwahati and Dibrugarh through the delivery of improved water supply, sanitation, solid waste management (SWM), drainage infrastructure, and a sustainable urban transport system such as a Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) corridor. The Program uses a Multi- tranche Financing Facility (MFF) modality and will be implemented over a 6-year period from 2012 to 2017 (December). Investments under the MFF will be delivered in two tranches. For Guwahati these included water supply, sewerage, and transportation while for Dibrugarh included drainage, solid waste management and basic services for the poor were identified. 2. The major outputs of the Program include: (i) for Guwahati, improved water supply, sanitation, and urban transport through a BRT corridor; and (ii) for Dibrugarh, improved drainage, and comprehensive SWM. 3. The Government of Assam’s Guwahati Development Department (GDD) will be the agency. A state-level PMU, headed by a full-time Project Director (PD), will be established as the Implementing Agency which will be in-charge of overall execution and technical supervision, monitoring, and financial control of all activities under the project. Project Implementation Units (PIUs) dedicated exclusively to the project would be set up in Guwahati and Dibrugarh. The PIUs will be headed by a senior technical officer and assisted by qualified and experienced officers seconded from ULBs, finance and other line departments. The PIUs will be responsible for the day-to-day activities of project implementation in the field and will be under the direct administrative control of the PMU. 4. The PMU will have Safeguards Compliance and Monitoring Unit (PMU SCMU) to ensure mitigation of negative environmental and social impacts due to the subproject, if any. The PMU SCMU will have a Safeguards Officer (PMU SO). The PMU will be assisted by the Project Management Consultant Safeguards Specialist (PMC SS). The PIUs will each have an Environment Officer (EO) and Resettlement Officer (RO) who will be responsible for implementation of the Initial Environmental Examination (IEE)/Environmental Management Plan (EMP) and the Resettlement Plan (RP) respectively. An Environment Specialist will also be appointed as part of the Design and Supervision Consultant (DSC) team to assist the PIUs in updating the IEE during detailed design stage and monitoring of the subproject’s EMP during the construction stage. ADB will review and approve all final IEEs prior to contract award. 5. ADB requires the consideration of environmental issues in all aspects of its operations, and the requirements for environmental assessment are described in ADB’s Safeguard Policy 5 Statement (SPS), 2009. According to the SPS, environmental assessment is required for all subprojects under a MFF modality. 6. This Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) has been prepared for Dibrugarh Solid Waste Management Subproject which covers (i) improvement of collection efficiencies, both primary and secondary; (ii) improvement in the existing system; and (iii) treatment and disposal of wastes and capping of existing dumpsite in accordance with Government of India Municipal Solid Waste Handling Rules. Construction work is likely to commence in 2012 and will be completed in approximately 24 months). 7. The environmental and public health benefits of the project include reduced risks of soil and water contamination, and microbial and vector and water-borne diseases from improved solid waste management. The site for the landfill is located in vacant undeveloped private lands which will be acquired by the government. There are no protected areas, critical habitat areas, wetlands, mangroves, or estuaries within 10 kilometer (km) radius of the site. The site is at least 500 meters (m) from the nearest inhabited areas. Trees, vegetation (mostly shrubs and grasses), and animals those commonly found in built-up areas. The proposed landfill site however, lies in flood plains of Sessa River. Though there would be no major impacts to the river water quality with environmental management measures, the location is still vulnerable to flooding. The following additional protection measures have been worked out in the design: (i) construction of retaining wall along the bank of the river, and (ii) provision of a 100-m wide green buffer along the boundary of the site abutting the river 8. The process described in this document has assessed the environmental impacts of the subproject. Potential negative impacts were identified during construction and operation of the improved infrastructure while no impacts were identified as being due to the subproject design or location. Mitigation measures have been developed to reduce all negative impacts to acceptable levels. These were discussed with specialists responsible for the engineering aspects, and as a result some measures have already been included in the designs of the infrastructure. 9. Regardless of these there will still be impacts on the environment when the infrastructure is built and when it is operating. During the construction phase, impacts mainly arise from (i) need to excavate and dispose significant quantities of waste soil; and (ii) disturbance of residents, businesses, traffic and important buildings by the construction work. These are common impacts of construction in urban areas, and there are well developed methods for their mitigation. Once the system is operating, most facilities will operate with routine maintenance, which should not significantly affect the environment. It is proposed that the 100-m wide green buffer be planted with tall trees and endemic species. The subproject will also employ in the workforce people who live in the vicinity in the longer term to maintain and operate the new facilities. 10. An Environmental Management Plan (EMP) is proposed as part of this IEE which includes (i) mitigation measures for significant environmental impacts during implementation; (ii) an environmental monitoring program, and the responsible entities for mitigation, monitoring, and reporting; (iii) public consultation and information disclosure; and (iv) a grievance redress mechanism. Mitigation measures have been developed to reduce all negative impacts to acceptable levels. A number of impacts and their significance have already been reduced by amending the designs. 11. Mitigation will be assured by a program of environmental monitoring to be conducted