SOCIAL IMPACT ASSESMENT REPORT For PAKUR BYPASS ROAD CONSTRUCTION IN PAKUR DISTRICT Submitted to: Deputy Commissioner, PAKUR Submitted by: Social Action for Rural Development (SARDA) C/o SARDA Bhawan, Chotki Murram, Ramgarh Cantt., Ramgarh – 829122 (Jharkhand) Email: [email protected], [email protected], Website:http//sardaindia.org 1 | Page Social Action for Rural Development Table of Contents 1. Executive Summary 2. Project Description 3. Team Composition, Approach, Methodology and Schedule of the SIA 4. Land Assessment 5. Estimation and enumeration of affected families and assets 6. Socio Economic and Cultural profile 7. Social Impacts 8. Analysis of Costs and benefits and recommendation on acquisition 9. Annexure 2 | Page Social Action for Rural Development Executive Summary Pakur is an important city/District headquarters in the state of Jharkhand. It is located north east corner of Jharkhand state and is bordered by Sahibganj district in North, Dumka district in south, Godda District is West and Murshidabad District of West Bengal in the East. Most of the time intra city traffic movement is hampered due to influence on the interstate and inter district through traffic. Pakur Bypass is being constructed to provide necessary relief to the city traffic for smooth movement. Bypass for the city of Pakur have been envisaged to connect Pakur-Littipara road (Near 97.9 ) to Pakur –Malpahari Road (Near 1.5 km) through the Vacant land lying on the south west part of the city. Total land acquisition is of 47.280 acre is over the stretch of 7.23 kms passing along 13 Muaza from 3 Gram Panchayat (Saharkol, Kolajora and Hiranandpur ) and Aliganj from Nagarplaika Area. Proposed Land alignment generally passes through green field in plain terrain with cultivated land. No structure, tank, etc were found on the major part of the proposed alignment however it has been assessed that around 10 semi Pucca/ Pucca houses and few water bodies like ponds will be affected completely/ partially. One Graveyard of Tribals community was assessed to be partially affected in the earlier proposed alignment width of 200 ft, which has been completely avoided by modifying the road width by reducing to 100 ft. The area in the vicinity of the proposed road is agriculture land and mostly vacant. Communities are dependent on agriculture and daily wage labour as their source of income. However due to less irrigation facilities and by practicing rain fed agriculture, income from agriculture produce is less and hence they have to rely on some other source of income (Daily wage laborers) . Most of the raiyats in all the villages are in support of the project and its outcome. Few of the villagers at Hiranandpur demanded for realignment of the road, as the project area is selected to be included in Nagarpalika. However all the villagers are in support of the Bypass and demanded for quick completion of the project, at the same time demanded for fair compensation and higher value of the land as these lands is closer to the urban areas. Raiyats are willing to give his land under LA process to the Government of Jharkhand. No such negative impact observed or shared by villagers at any stage of the project (Pre-during or post construction). Villagers just demanded for quick completion of the project so that they may get rid of excessive traffic jam in the area. Considering the minimum negative impact on the villagers, anticipated long term benefits in the economic development at the local level, and based on discussion with the Raiyat family and villagers the land acquisition is recommended. 3 | Page Social Action for Rural Development 1. PROJECT DESCRIPTION Pakur is an important city/District headquarters in the state of Jharkhand. It is located north east corner of Jharkhand state and is bordered by Sahibganj district in North, Dumka district in south, Godda District is West and Murshidabad District of West Bengal in the East. Most of the time intra city traffic movement is hampered due to influence on the interstate and inter district through traffic. Pakur Bypass is being constructed to provide necessary relief to the city traffic for smooth movement. Bypass for the city of Pakur have been envisaged to connect Pakur-Littipara road (Near 97.9 ) to Pakur – Malpahari Road (Near 1.5 km) through the Vacant land lying on the south west part of the city covering a length of 7.30 kms. The alignment generally passes through green field in plain terrain with cultivated land. 4 | Page Social Action for Rural Development 5 | Page Social Action for Rural Development 2. TEAM COMPOSITION, APPROACH, METHODOLOGY AND SCHEDULE OF THE SIA 2.1 Social impact assessment (SIA) is a methodology to review the social effects of infrastructure projects and other development interventions. Social Impact Assessment has now become an important part of the infrastructure and development project process, especially for the preparation of Social Impact Mitigation Plan. 2.2 Approach of SIA: SIA was carried out as socio-economic survey, PRA, FGD with project affected families (PAFs) that identifies social and economic impacts on people and communities facing project-induced displacement. Social impact assessment includes the processes of analyzing, monitoring and managing the intended and unintended social consequences, both positive and negative, of planned interventions (policies, programs, plans, projects) and any social change processes invoked by those interventions. In addition, data thus generated is used in designing mitigation measures as well as in monitoring mitigation implementation. 2.3 Methodology: Social Impact Assessment methodology is based on three elements: A. Group Meeting with villagers for understanding the overall project impact on the village socio-economic and environmental changes through usage of PRA tools (Village Survey, Social –resource Map, Chapatti Diagram and Seasonality Chart ) B. A detailed assessment of the socio-economic conditions of the people through FGD and survey who may be negatively affected. C. Meeting with Project Affected families. 2.4 Schedule of SIA conducted in the Pakur Bypass Project Area: Date Name of the Name of the Village Activity Panchayat 30/1/17 Kolajora Matia Pahari, Kolajora Village Group Meeting, PRA exercise, FGD, Survey. 30/1/17 Nagarpalika Aliganj Village Group Meeting, PRA exercise, FGD, Survey. 31/1/17 Hiranandpur Piyadapur, Chakbalrampur, Village Group Meeting, PRA exercise, Mahuadang, Nandipara, Sunderpur FGD, Survey. 2/2/17 Sharkol Asandipa, Gosaipur, Durgapur, Village Group Meeting, PRA exercise, Saharkol FGD, Survey. 2.5 Team Composition for the SIA in the Project Village: Social Action for Rural Development (SARDA), having its registered office at Ramgarh, Jharkhand, is working on development issues since its inception in year 2003. Currently SARDA is working in 5 states of India (Jharkhand, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra). SARDA has been empanelled as agency for “Social Impact Assessment Units 6 | Page Social Action for Rural Development for whole of Jharkhand” by Revenue and Land Reforms Department, Government of Jharkhand. (Letter no. 858 Dated 15-12-2016, Attached). SARDA has been assigned to conduct the SIA study for the PAKUR BYPASS Road. Name of the Team Member Shishir Kumar Ripusudan Kumar Pramod Kumar Abhimanu 3. LAND ASSESSMENT 3.1 Land Assessment Bypass for the city of Pakur have been envisaged to connect Pakur-Littipara road (Near 97.9 ) to Pakur –Malpahari Road (Near 1.5 km) through the Vacant land lying on the south west part of the city covering a length of 7.30 kms and passes through 13 villages from 3 Gram Panchayat and one Nagarpalika. Name of the Panchayat Name of the Village Kolajora Matia Pahari, Kolajora Nagarpalika Aliganj Hiranandpur Piyadapur, Chakbalrampur, Mahuadang, Nandipara, Sunderpur Sharkol Asandipa, Gosaipur, Durgapur, Saharkol 3.2 Description of the Land: 1. Total land required for the proposed Bypass road construction is 47.280 acre. 2. Width of the Bypass Road is 100 ft. 3. The alignment generally passes through green field in plain terrain with cultivated land. 4. The proposed road passes through water bodies like ponds which is partially/ completely affected. 5. No structure, tank, etc were found on the major part of the proposed alignment however it has been assessed that around 15 semi Pucca/ Pucca houses will be affected completely/ partially. 6. One Graveyard of Tribals community was assessed to be partially affected in the earlier proposed alignment width of 200 ft, which has been completely avoided by modifying the road width by reducing to 100 ft. 7. The area in the vicinity of the proposed road is agriculture land and mostly vacant. 7 | Page Social Action for Rural Development Photos: 8 | Page Social Action for Rural Development Issue of Graveyard in Hiranandpur Panchayat has been resolved by reducing the Bypass road width to 100 ft from 200ft. One major issue that was raised by the Tribal Community of the Hiranandpur was the acquisition of Graveyard in the proposed alignment. It was assessed that Graveyard of Tribals community was partially affected in the earlier proposed alignment width of 200 ft, which has been completely avoided by modifying the road width by reducing to 100 ft. , which can be visible in the above picture. The graveyard is towards the left side in the photo, where as the Bypass road crosses from the right side. Now the community has no issue with the land acquisition. 9 | Page Social Action for Rural Development 4. ESTIMATION AND ENUMERATION OF AFFECTED FAMILIES AND ASSETS 4.1 Estimation of affected families & assets: Total land acquisition of 47.280 acre is over the stretch of 7. 30 kms passing along 13 Muaza from 3 Gram Panchayat (Saharkol, Kolajora and Hiranandpur ) and Aliganj area from Nagarplaika Area. Estimation of Project affected Families (PAF). Number of Description Type of Remarks Project Affected Impact Family 329 Plot owners Direct Some semi pucca/ pucca houses will be affected whose land is completely/partially in 4 panchayats.