Environmental Impact Assessment December 2013 IND: SASEC Road Connectivity Investment Program (formerly SASEC Road Connectivity Sector Project) Asian Highway 2 (India /Nepal Border to India/Bangladesh Border) Asian Highway 48 (India/Bhutan Border to India/Bangladesh Border) Prepared by Ministry of Roads Transport and Highways, Government of India and Public Works Department, Government of West Bengal for the Asian Development Bank. This is a revised version of the draft originally posted in July 2013 available on http://www.adb.org/projects/47341- 001/documents/. CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS (As of 30 April 2013) Currency unit – Indian rupee (INR) INR1.00 = $ 0.01818 $1.00 = INR 55.00 ABBREVIATION AADT Annual Average Daily Traffic AAQ Ambient air quality AAQM Ambient air quality monitoring ADB Asian Development Bank AH Asian Highway ASI Archaeological Survey of India BDL Below detectable limit BGL Below ground level BOD Biochemical oxygen demand BOQ Bill of quantity CCE Chief Controller of Explosives CGWA Central Ground Water Authority CITES Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species CO Carbon monoxide COD Chemical oxygen demand CPCB Central Pollution Control Board CSC Construction Supervision Consultant DFO Divisional Forest Officer DG Diesel generating set DO Dissolved oxygen DPR Detailed project report E&S Environment and social EA Executing agency EAC Expert Appraisal Committee EFP Environmental Focal Person EHS Environment Health and Safety EIA Environmental impact assessment EMOP Environmental monitoring plan EMP Environmental management plan ESCAP United Nations Economic and Social Commission for Asia and Pacific GHG Greenhouse gas GIS Geographical information system GOI Government of India GRC Grievance redress committee GRM Grievance redress mechanism HFL Highest flood level IA Implementing Agency IMD Indian Meteorological Department IRC Indian Road Congress IUCN International Union for Conservation of Nature IVI Important value index JDA Jalpaiguri Development Authority LCS Land Custom Station LHS Left hand side LPG Liquefied petroleum gas Max Maximum Min Minimum MJB Major bridge MNB Minor bridge MOEF Ministry of Environment and Forests MORSTH/ Ministry of Road Surface Transport and Highways MORTH MPRSD Master Plan Road Sector Development N, S, E, W, Wind Directions (North, South, East, West or combination of NE, SW, Two directions like South West, North West) NW NBU North Bengal University NGO Non-governmental organization NH National Highway NOC No Objection Certificate NOx Oxides of nitrogen NPL National Physical Laboratory, U.K. NWBI National Wildlife Board of India PAH Project Affected Household PAP Project Affected Persons PAS Protected Areas PCC Portland Cement Concrete PCR Public Community Resources PCU Passenger Car Units PD Project Director PM Particulate Matter PIU Project Implementation Unit PPE Personal protective equipment PPT Parts per trillion PPTA Project Preparedness Technical Assistance PUC Pollution Under Control PWD Public Works Department R & R Rehabilitation and Resettlement RCC Reinforced cement concrete RHS Right hand side ROB Road Over Bridge ROW Right of way RSPM Respiratory suspended particulate matter SAARC South Asian Association for Regional Corporation SC Scheduled Cast – Name of a community in India SEIAA State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority SEMU Social and Environmental Management Unit SH State highway SIA Social Impact Assessment SJDA Siliguri Jalpaiguri Development Authority SO2 Sulphur Dioxide SOI Survey of India SPCB State Pollution Control Board SPL Sound Pressure Level SPM Suspended Particulate Matter SPS ADB Safeguard Policy Statement, 2009 ST Scheduled Tribes TA Technical assistance TDS Total dissolved solids TSS Total Suspended Solids UA Urban Agglomeration UIDSSMT Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns UNESCO United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization USEPA United States Environmental Protection Agency UT Union Territories WBHDC West Bengal Highway Development Corporation WBPWD West Bengal Public Works Department WBSPCB Waste Bengal State Pollution Control Board WHC Water holding capacity WWF World Wildlife Fund ZSI Zoological survey of India WEIGHTS AND MEASURES dB(A) – A-weighted decibel ha – hectare km – kilometre km2 – square kilometre KWA – kilowatt ampere Leq – equivalent continuous noise level µg – microgram m – meter MW (megawatt) – megawatt PM 2.5 or 10 – Particulate Matter of 2.5 micron or 10 micron size NOTE In this report, "$" refers to US dollars. This environmental assessment and review framework 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. CONTENTS Page EXECUTIVE SUMMARY i A. Introduction i B. Description of the Tranche I Subprojects iii C. Description of the Environment iv D. Anticipated Environmental Impacts and Mitigation Measures vii E. Alternative Analysis x F. Environmental Management Plan and Grievances Redress Mechanism x G. Public Consultation and Information Disclosure xi H. Conclusions and Recommendations xii I. INTRODUCTION 1 A. Project Background 1 B. Policy, Legal and Administrative Framework 7 C. Asian Development Bank Safeguard Policies and Category of the project 16 II. SUB-PROJECT DESCRIPTION 18 A. Location and Magnitude of the Sub-Projects 18 B. Design Criteria and Salient Features 21 D. Characteristics of Existing Road 23 E. Proposed Improvements and Project Activities 27 F. Recommended Lane Configurations and Typical Cross-Sections: 28 G. Geometric Improvements 30 H. Intersection Improvements 30 I. Vertical Alignment Improvement 31 J. Bridge and Culvert Improvement 32 K. Road Safety Barriers 34 L. Construction Material and Sources 34 M. Relocation of Utilities and Land Acquisition 34 N. Cost Estimate 34 O. Proposed Implementation Schedule 35 P. Strip Maps 35 III. DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT 36 A. General 36 B. Baseline Environmental Conditions 36 C. Physical Environment 38 D. Biological Environment 72 E. Socio-Economic Environment 100 IV. ANTICIPATED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES 111 A. Impact on Physical Environment 111 B. Design Stage 111 C. Construction Stage Impacts 125 D. Operation Phase 137 V. CLIMATE CHANGE SCREENING AND MITIGATION 142 VI. ALTERNATIVE ANALYSIS 145 A. Alternatives to the Project 145 B. Alternative Analysis of Bypasses/Realignment 146 C. Conclusion 152 VI. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN AND GRIEVANCES REDRESS MECHANISM 153 A. The EMP 153 A. Responsibilities of MORTH and WBHDC at the Executing Agency level 155 b. Responsibilities of WBPWD as Implementing Agency 155 B. Environmental Monitoring Plan (EMoP) 157 C. Institutional Capacity 158 E. Mitigation, Monitoring and Institution Strengthening Cost 158 F. Grievance Redress Mechanism 159 VII. INFORMATION DISCLOSURE, CONSULTATION, AND PARTICIPATION 161 A. Consultation Method Applied 161 B. Public Consultation Milestones 162 C. Information Disclosed 163 D. Compliance with Applicable Regulatory Requirements for Public Consultation 164 E. Major Comments Received and Community Acceptability of the Project 164 F. Integration of Comments into the EIA 166 G. Post EIA Consultation 166 VIII. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 168 A. Conclusions 168 B. Recommendations 170 Appendixes: Appendix 1.1: Rapid Environmental Assessment Checklist ........................................................ 172 Appendix 2.1 : Bridge Inventory – Nepal Bangladesh Road ( AH-02) ......................................... 178 Appendix 2.2 : Bridge Inventory – (Additional Corridor VIA Rangapani) ( AH-02) ....................... 179 Appendix 2.3 : Bridge Inventory – Bhutan Bangladesh Road ( AH-48) ....................................... 180 Appendix 2.4 : Strip Maps and Alignment Features (AH-2) ........................................................ 181 Appendix 2.5: Strip Maps and Alignment Features (AH-48) ....................................................... 185 Appendix 3.1: Ambient Air Quality and Noise Level Sampling Methodology .............................. 191 Appendix 3.2: Details of Faunal Species with IUCN Status found in in AH-02 and AH-48 Road Area .................................................................................................................................... 194 Appendix 3.3 : Inventory of Community Infrastructure ................................................................ 206 Appendix 4.1.: Climate Change Study Report ............................................................................ 211 Appendix 4.2: Drawings for Elephant Underpass proposed in AH-48 ......................................... 228 Appendix 4.3: Notification of Jaldapara NP, Elephant Conservation Area and Elephant Movement Corridor ............................................................................................................................... 231 Appendix 5.1: Calculations on Passenger Car Unit per Day………………………………………..235 Appendix 6.1: Environmental Management Plan ........................................................................ 236 Appendix 6.2 : Tree Plantation and Management