Initial Environmental Examination Updated 2 Project Number: 49107- 006 October 2020 IND: West Bengal Drinking Water Sector Improvement Project – Water Distribution Systems for Bhangar II Block, South 24 Parganas (OHR Zones: 4,10,12 13 and 15 Pipe line Zones: 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15,16 and 17) (Package No: WBDWSIP/DWW/N24P/02B) Prepared by Public Health Engineering Department, Government of West Bengal for the Asian Development Bank CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS (as of 11 July 2018) Currency Unit – Indian rupee (₹) ₹1.00 – $0.014 $1.00 = ₹68.691 ABBREVIATIONS ADB – Asian Development Bank DSISC – design, supervision and institutional support consultant EAC – expert appraisal committee EHS – environmental health and safety EIA – environmental impact assessment EMP – environmental management plan GESI – gender equality and social inclusion GRM – grievance redress mechanism GOWB – Government of West Bengal HSGO head, safeguards and gender officer IEE – initial environmental examination O&M – operation and maintenance OHS – occupational health and safety OHR – overhead reservoir MOEFCC – Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change WBPCB – West Bengal Pollution Control Board NOC – No Objection Certificate PHED – Public Health Engineering Department PIU – project implementation unit PMC – Project Management Consultant PMU – Project management unit PPTA – Project preparatory technical assistance REA – Rapid environmental assessment ROW – right-of-way SEMP – site environmental management plan SGC – safeguards and gender cell SPS – Safeguard Policy Statement WHO – World Health Organization WBDWSIP – West Bengal Drinking Water Sector Improvement Project ii WEIGHTS AND MEASURES dia diameter C degree Celsius g/km gram per kilometer g/kmhr gram per kilometer per hour kl kiloliter km kilometer kph kilometer per hour lpcd liter per capita per day msl mean sea level m meter mbgl meter below ground level µg/m3 microgram per cubic meter mg/l milligrams per liter mm millimeter ppb parts per billion ppm parts per million km2 square kilometer NOTE In this report, "$" refers to United States dollars. Initial Environment Examination covers OHR Zones: 4,10,12 13 and 15 Pipe line Zones: 1, 3, 4, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15,16 and 17 This initial environmental examination is a document of the borrower and has been updated by including the zones where construction has commenced by 31st August 2020 in the Bhangar-II Block of South 24-Parganas. 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. iii 113 List of Participants in Consultation: Bhangar 114 Stakeholder Consultations 115 Public consultation, Uttar Rajapur village, Zone-16, Bhangar II Date & No of Block Zone Concerns/ Issues Discussed Photographs Place Participants Bhangar Date: 16 Total - 10 Discussion: II 26.12.2019 Male - 09 • Discussion on Benefits of project, how the project works, why the project At Uttar Female - 01 is taken by the Govt. Rajapur • 70 lpcd potable water through metered house connections on a 24/7 village, basis. Chaltaberia • The main goal of the project is to supply safe drinking water to every GP person. • All educational, commercial, religious, health etc. institutions will also get the same potable water from this project. • In Bhangar II block 18 Overhead Reservoirs (OHRs) will be constructed and from those OHRs water will be supplied to the houses and other community & government institutions. • The project is to supply safe Arsenic free drinking water to reduce health problem and use surface water to save ground level water. • Water quality issue was also discussed - Arsenic in ground water is a big issue in Bhangar II block, hence in entire Bhangar II block surface water will be supplied after proper treatment. • Reduce time for women to fetch water. • Operation & Maintenance (O&M) - the project will be finally handed over to the Gram Panchayats for maintenance and distribution of water. • People can write their grievances/ suggestions/ opinions and ask questions to know specific things about the project and Grievance Registers should be available with the supervisor working at the site. • People don’t need to pay anything to anybody for pipeline distribution work now. At their premises pipelines and meters will be installed by PHED. • Safety & security of the labors has been taken care off in the project. At all sites, handholding training programs on First Aid were organized for the labors. Concerns of the Participants: • Capacity of Gram Panchayat to maintain the project of this kind properly is insufficient. They wanted to know who will take responsibility of training for capacity building. They wanted to know how much may have to be paid by them for drinking water? 116 Attendance Sheet 117 SUMMARY OF PUBLIC CONSULTATION DURING CONSTRUCTION Date & No of Sl. Block Zone Concerns/ Issues Discussed Photographs Place Participants 1 Bhangar Dated 9 & Total - 27 Discussions: II 11.07.19 17 Male - 15 • Discussed on what is the project, how it benefited the peoples, who will at Female - 12 operate & maintained the project, what is the role & responsibility of GP Bhogali-I and VWSC (Village Water & Sanitation Committee). • Goals of the Project: 1) The project is to supply safe Arsenic free drinking water to reduce health problem. 2) Use the surface water to save the ground level water. 3) This project also generates the livelihood for the poor & marginalized sections of the society. 4) Provision for Income augmentation as an attempt to stop migration. 5) Women empowerment is a key component. • For Operation & Maintenance training will be given to selected persons nominated by GP/VWSC. • Target is to provide purified water 70 liters per capita per day through metered house connection on 24/7 basis. Also, this project will give the safe water to all Commercial, Educational Religious and Health institutions. • All participants are informed about the roles & responsibilities of all stakeholders right from PHED and its consultants to the VWSCs. • PHED should bear all cost of pipe line distribution and meter connection of each house. • VWSC formation or reformation is very important for the project. The appointed NGO will give training to strengthen the VWSCs and finally PHED will hand over all assets to the Gram Panchayats. • 33% of the Members of VWSC should be female as per Institutional set up, • ADB wants to give special emphasis to women’s empowerment & their livelihood issues. Women members of the VWSC in the Gram Panchayat can take leadership training and other training to perform their envisaged role. • Detail discussion on GRM and how to register Complaints/ Questions/ Comments/ suggestions was elaborated to the GP members and participants. Organogram of GRM provided to GP. And asked them to distribute in public with phone no of Pradhan & GP member in every Gram Sansad. • It was informed that one grievance register should be available with site supervisor at all sites. People can write down their comments/ 118 Date & No of Sl. Block Zone Concerns/ Issues Discussed Photographs Place Participants suggestions/ complains in that. Many problems can be resolved through discussions with the contractor’s people in the site. • Connection of pipeline will be one in every single structure, even the brothers are separated. • Pipelines will be installed in government land beside the road. And It will be Underground. • Soft copy of the National Population Register of the GP is necessary for same unique ID of every household. • DISCS specialist asked the participants to look after the safety of the worker. If they are not following the rules then public can complain in Grievance Register. And also ask for cooperation to the project because the project will not be completed without support of villagers/GP members. Concerns of the Participants: • Who will take responsibility for Income Generation activities training? • Two or three brothers are in one house, but all are separated now. Will they get separate water pipeline connections for each one of them? • After preparing the National Population Register many families have been separated and new families are not enrolled. In this case what will be the Unique ID of those families? • About the pipeline laying on the road or underground? • About the pipeline laying middle of the road or one side of the road? 119 No of Date & Sl. Block Zone Participant Concerns/ Issues Discussed Photographs Place s 2 Bhangar Date: 4 & 7 Total - 21 Discussions: II 25.07.19 Male - 15 • Goals of the Project: 1) The project is to supply safe Arsenic free at Polerhat Female - 6 drinking water to reduce health problem. 2) Use the surface water to I save the ground level water. 3) This project also generates the livelihood for the poor & marginalized sections of the society. 4) Provision for Income augmentation as an attempt to stop migration. 5) Women empowerment is a key component. • Target is to provide purified water 70 liters per capita per day through metered house connection on 24/7 basis. Also, this project will give the safe water to all Commercial, Educational Religious and Health institutions. • Connection of pipeline will be one in every single structure, even the brothers are separated. • Village Water & Sanitation Committee (VWSC) of Gram Panchayat is the most important committee to this project. Because Government will hand over the assets and operations & maintenance will be the responsibilities of the GPs. • According to ADB norms 33% members of the VWSC should be females. • Women members of the VWSC in the Gram Panchayat can take leadership training and other training to perform their envisaged role.