Environmental Assessment Report Initial Environmental Examination for Chainpur-Khandbari Road Project Number: 44143 August 2010 NEP: Subregional Transport Enhancement Project Prepared by Department of Roads, Ministry of Physical Planning and Works for the Asian Development Bank (ADB). The 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. Table of Contents I. NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE INSTITUTION PREPARING THE REPORT............... 1 A. NAME OF THE PROPOSAL .............................................................................................. 1 B. NAME AND ADDRESS OF THE PROPONENT ..................................................................... 1 II. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY................................................................................................. 2 C. OBJECTIVE OF THE PROPOSAL ...................................................................................... 2 D. RELEVANCE OF THE PROPOSAL ..................................................................................... 2 E. ANTICIPATED IMPACTS BY THE PROPOSED SUBPROJECT ................................................ 2 III. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT AND SUBPROJECT.............................................. 4 A. THE PROJECT ............................................................................................................... 4 B. RATIONALE ................................................................................................................... 4 C. THE SUBPROJECT ......................................................................................................... 6 1. Salient Features ...................................................................................................... 6 2. Type of Goods to be Delivered................................................................................ 6 3. Proposal’s Capacity................................................................................................. 6 4. Materials to be Used ............................................................................................... 6 5. Details of the Technology........................................................................................ 8 6. Manpower Requirement.......................................................................................... 8 7. Resources Required for Implementation of the Proposal........................................ 8 IV. DESCRIPTION OF ENVIRONMENT............................................................................... 9 A. PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT .............................................................................................. 9 1. Existing Alignment................................................................................................... 9 2. Geography, Topography and Land Use................................................................ 10 3. Geology and Soil................................................................................................... 13 4. Climate and Rainfall .............................................................................................. 13 5. Material Sources ................................................................................................... 13 6. Hydrology .............................................................................................................. 13 7. Air, Water and Noise Quality................................................................................. 14 B. BIOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT ......................................................................................... 14 1. Conservation Status.............................................................................................. 14 2. Vegetation and Forest........................................................................................... 14 3. Non Timber Forest Product (NTFP) ...................................................................... 15 4. Wildlife................................................................................................................... 15 5. Fish and Other Aquatic Animals............................................................................ 15 C. SOCIOECONOMIC AND CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT ......................................................... 15 1. Demography.......................................................................................................... 15 2. Ethnicity................................................................................................................. 16 3. Religious/Cultural and Ritual Sites........................................................................ 16 4. Education and Health Facilities............................................................................. 16 5. Economic Activities ............................................................................................... 16 6. Human and Economic Development, and Quality of Life Values.......................... 17 7. Transportation ....................................................................................................... 17 8. Archeological and Historical Values...................................................................... 17 9. Market Centre........................................................................................................ 17 V. IMPACT OF THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE PROPOSAL ON THE ENVIRONMENT ....................................................................................................................................... 18 A. BENEFICIAL IMPACTS................................................................................................... 18 i ii 1. Construction Stage................................................................................................ 18 2. Operation Stage .................................................................................................... 19 B. ADVERSE IMPACTS...................................................................................................... 20 1. Construction Stage................................................................................................ 20 2. Operation Stage .................................................................................................... 24 VI. ALTERNATIVE ANALYSIS .......................................................................................... 26 A. NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE............................................................................................ 26 B. DESIGN ...................................................................................................................... 26 C. TECHNOLOGY ............................................................................................................. 26 D. TIME SCHEDULE.......................................................................................................... 26 E. RAW MATERIALS......................................................................................................... 26 VII. MEASURES TO REDUCE OR CONTROL THE IMPACT OF THE IMPLEMENTATION ON THE ENVIRONMENT.............................................................................................. 27 A. BENEFIT AUGMENTATION MEASURES........................................................................... 27 1. Construction Phase............................................................................................... 27 2. Operation Stage .................................................................................................... 27 B. MEASURES TO MITIGATE ADVERSE IMPACTS................................................................ 28 1. Construction Phase............................................................................................... 28 2. Operational Stage ................................................................................................. 33 VIII. MATTERS TO BE MONITORED WHILE IMPLEMENTING THE PROPOSAL ............ 35 A. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITY ...................................... 35 1. DOR Project Directorate (ADB)............................................................................. 36 2. Design and Supervising Consultant (DOR’s representative) ................................ 36 3. Construction Contractor ........................................................................................ 36 B. SITE SUPERVISION, MONITORING AND REPORTING....................................................... 36 1. Pre-construction Phase......................................................................................... 37 2. Construction Phase............................................................................................... 37 3. Post –Construction Phase..................................................................................... 37 4. Operational Phase................................................................................................. 37 C. PROJECT ORGANIZATION ............................................................................................ 38 D. MONITORING AND EVALUATION.................................................................................... 38 E. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING PLAN ........................................................................... 40 F. PROMOTION OF GREEN HOUSE GAS REDUCTION ........................................................