GOVERNMENTOF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBULCOF BANGLADESH ROADS AND HIGHWAYSDEPARTMENT OFFICE OF THE ADDITIONAL CHIEF ENGINE SARAK BHABAN, RAMNA, DHAKA Public Disclosure Authorized )ETAILED ENGINEERING, PREPARATION OF BID DOCUMENTS ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT AND RESETTLEMENT PLAN OF NALKA - HATIKAMRUL - BONPARA Public Disclosure Authorized NEW ROAD Public Disclosure Authorized E-236 VOL. 6 DETAILED ENVIRONMENIAL STUDY part 3 Environmental Baseline Survey Public Disclosure Authorized DECEMBER 1996 DHV Consultants BV Consulting Engineering Services (India) Pvt., Ltd. The Netherlands DevelopmentDesign Consultants Ltd., Bangladesh in assoc=anonwh Desh UpodeshLtd., Bangladesh, DHV CES DDC DUL The Governmentof the People's Republic of Bangladesh NALKA - HATKAMRUL - BONPARA NEW ROAD Loan Agreement 2638 BD DETAILED ENVIRONMENTAL STUDY Part 1 Executive Summary Part 2 Socio-EconomicSurvey Part 2a Appendices Socio-EconomicSurvey Part 3 BASE LINE SURVEY Part 4 ResettlementIssues Part 5 EnvironmentalManagement and MonitoringPlan Part 5a Air Pollution Assessment Part 5b Noise PollutionAssessment Subject Detailed EnvironmentalStudy File K4008.01.001 Date December 1996 Status Version 1 Our reference NHB/LJW/DES.VR1 ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS AASHTO American Association of HiglhwayTechnical Officers BAFRU BangladeshAquaculture and FisheriesResources Unit / ODA BBS BangladeshBureau of Statistics BDT Bangladeshi Thaka BRAC Bangladesh Rural AdvancementCommittee CIECC China InternationalEngineering Consulting Corporation CL Centre Line DC Deputy Commissioner DCP DynamicCone Penetrometer EIA EnvironmentalImpact Assessment EMAP EnvironmentalManagement Plan EP Entitled Person ERR Economic Rate of Return FAP Flood Action Plan FCD Flood Control and Drainage FCDI Flood Control, Drainage and Irrigation HFL High Flood Level HYV High Yield Variety IDA InternationalDevelopment Association LGED Local Government EngineeringDepartment MPO Muriate Potash (K20 - fertiliser) NGO Non-GovernmentalOrganisation NHBNR Nalka - Hatikamrul - BonparaNew Road NW North West OC Officer in Charge OD Operational Directive (of World Bank) PAP(s) Project Affected Person(s) RAP ResettlementAction Plan RHD Roads and Highways Department ROW Right Of Way RRMP2 Second Road Rehabilitationand MaintenanceProject SWMC Surface Water Modelling Centre ToR - Termnsof Reference TSP Triple Super Phosphate (P205) US$ United States Dollars WB World Bank I ha = 2.47acres = 247decimals Monetaryvalues are expressedin BDT (BangladeshiThaka). Where applicable, US$-equivalents are given,using an exchangerate of BDT42 per US$ 1.00as per September1996. i ENVIRONMENTAL BASELINE STUDY TABLE OF CONTENTS Page 1. Introduction 3 1.1 Background 3 1.2 Terms of Referenceand Objectives 3 1.3 Scope of Survey 4 1.4 Boundariesof Investigationand Definitionof Project Area 5 1.5 Approachand Methodologies 6 1.5.1 Ecological Information 7 1.5.2 Socio-economicInformation 9 2. Natural Physical Environment 12 2.1 Topography 12 2.2 Soil Conditions 12 2.2.1 MorphogeneticFeatures 12 2.2.2 Physical Soil Characteristics 13 2.2.3 Chemical Properties 13 2.3 Climatic Conditions 14 2.4 Hydrology 17 2.4.1 Rivers and Channels 17 2.4.2 Drainage 19 2.4.3 Groundwater 20 2.4.4 Wave run-up 21 3. Natural Biological Environment 22 3.1 Terrestrial Environment 22 3.1.1 Flora 22 3.1.2 Wildlife 23 3.1.3 Identification of Key Habitatsalong the Route Corridor 23 3.2 Aquatic and Semi-AquaticHabitats 26 3.2.1 Flora 26 3.2.2 Fauna 26 3.3 Fishing Areas and Fishponds 28 3.4 Ecologically Sensitive Areas and Habitats, with Special reference to the 29 Remaining Chalan Beel Wetlands DHV ConsultantsBV 4. Socio - Economic Conditions 31 4.1 Demographic Features 31 4.2 Religion and Education 33 4.3 Utilities 34 4.3.1 Administration and Services 34 4.3.2 Communication and Market Conditions 34 4.3.3 Water Supply 36 4.3.4 Sanitation and Public Health 37 4.3.5 Electric Supply 37 4.4 Land Use 37 4.4.1 Holding Size and Distribution of Landownership 37 4.4.2 Land Rent 38 4.4.3 Land in Use 40 4.5 Other Assets 41 4.6 Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Fisheries 42 4.6.1 Crop Culture 42 4.6.2 Tree Crops and Use of Natural Plants 45 4.6.3 Animal Husbandry 46 4.6.4 Capture Fisheries 46 4.6.5 Culture Fisheries 54 4.7 Small-Scale Rural Industries and Products 55 4.8 Cultural properties and Sites of Religious Significance 56 Annex A List of Agenciesand InstitutionsContacted for this Project Work Annex B Maps Consulted Annex C List of Plants and Animals Encounteredin the ProjectArea Annex D Reference List EnvironmentalBaseline Survey October1996 C: \ EIA \ BASELINEDOC 2 DHV Consultants BV ENVIRONMENTAL BASELINE STUDY 1. Introduction 1.1 Background The Roads and Highways Department has undertakenthe Detailed Engineering,Preparation of Bid Documents,Environmental Impact Assessmentand ResettlementPlan of the Nalka - Hatikamrul - Bonpara (NHB) New Road under financing of the IDA. The contract for detailed engineering design based on a comprehensiveanalysis of the possible environmental impacts*)and elaboration of an EnvironmentalManagement Plan (EMAP) was awarded by the RHD to DHV Consultants BV (The Netherlands), in association with Consulting Engineering Services Pvt Ltd (India), DevelopmentDesign Consultants Ltd (Bangladesh)and Desh Upodesh Ltd (Bangladesh). Prior to the detailed engineering design a preliminarybaseline study was carried out in 1993 to test the feasibility of the project. The former study also incorporated the assessment of the impact of four alignment choices, along which the baseline conditions were recorded. Due to time and personnel constraints, the features described and the assessment relied mainly on secondary sources with some field work inputs (CIECC,Vol.2, 1993). The Feasibility Study recommendeda more detailed field investigation,including a comprehensiveEIA and a mitigation plan. 1.2 Terms of Reference and Objectives A detailed environmental study of the planned construcition,concerning environmental and resettlement issues, to be undertaken in accordancewith WB Operational Directives4.30 and 4.01, is included in the ToR and constitutes an integrated part of the detailed engineering design. This baseline survey is designed to meet the requirements as basis for a comprehensive EIA and elaboration of an Environmental Management Plan, including the ToR for a Resettlement Action Plan. Because of the planned construction of NHB new road a variety of ecologically important habitats will be affected, and land will have to be expropriated and people displaced. The Project is therefore likely to cause serious environmental,social and economic problems. It is the policy of the WB to absolutely minimise both adverse environmental effects and the involuntary resettlement of people. As for the first, the Project needs to ensure that the key physiographic and biological components will maintain to the maximum possible their ecological function, and wherever possible, to incorporateenvironmental enhancement features in the Project's design. As for the latter, the Project should be designedto provide the project affected persons (PAPs) with the means to improve, or at least restore, their former living standards, earning capacity and production levels. Where the displacement of PAPs can not be avoided a detailed resettlement plan, includinga timetable and budget, is required. *) TheProject is classifiedby WORLDBANK as a CategoryA project,requiring a full EIA as partof fundingconditions EnvironmentalBaseline Survey 3 October 1996 C: \ EIA \ BASELINE.DOC DHV Consultants BV Followingthis overall rationale,the ecologicalbaseline survey serves the following objectives: - providing an overview of the bio-physicalcharacteristics of the ProjectArea; - describe the ecological functionof key habitats, refenringto their biodiversityvalues; - analyse the particular hydraulic features of the floodplain, and identify measures to mitigate the effects of floodingand drainage associatedwith thteNHBNR project; - describing the nature and uses of the natural resources, and how theses uses are associated with the PAP; - investigating key habitats with respect to their sensitivity towards environmental impacts, particularly to define the degree of susceptibilityagainst excavationactivities; - analyse the biological and ecological properties of plant and animal species that will, in one way or another, play a role in implementingthe EMAP. The socio-economicsample survey serves the purposes of. - providing a broad overview of the characteristics of direct PAPs, their numbers and composition,their occupation,income, assets and resourcesetc; - estimatingthe magnitudeof displacementof people,how many households are affected; - being a directive for the proper planning, budgeting and implementationof the PAP census to be done by the NGO to be appointed; - determiningtypical PAP categories for RAP implementation; - to make a first assessment of measures to be taken to off set resettlement draw backs faced by the PAPs and to group these measures into packages; - providing the elementary data on households,land and structures for the preparationof a cost estimate for the RAP. 1.3 Scope of Survey The scope of the baseline survey undertaken corresponds to the purpose and the objectives of this Project as explained above. ' The ecological survey data have been compiled to serve as basis for drafting the Environmental Management Plan EMAP, which delineates, among others, the proposed mitigation measures and environmentalmonitoring activities.Part of the EMAP is linked to the detailed engineering