Initial Environmental Examination Document Stage: Draft Project Number: 40031-053 May 2014 IND: Rajasthan Urban Sector Development Investment Program - Churu Road Subproject Prepared by Local Self Government Department For the Government of Rajasthan Rajasthan Urban Infrastructure Development Project 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. ABBREVIATION ADB - Asian Development Bank DSC - Design and Supervision Consultancy EA - Executing Agency EAC - Expert Appraisal Committee FI - Financial Intermediary GLSR - Ground Level Service Reservoir GoI - Government of India GoR - Government of Rajasthan GSI - Geological Survey of India IA - Implementing Agency IEE - Initial Environmental Examination IPMC - Investment Programme Management Consultancy IPMU - Investment Programme Management Unit JNNURM - Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission LSGD - Local Self-Government Department MFF - Multitranche Financing Facility MoEF - Ministry of Environment and Forests NAAQS - National Ambient Air Quality Standards OD - Outer Diameter OHSR - Over Head Service Reservoir OM - Operations Manual PHED - Public Health Engineering Department PMU - Project Management Unit RCC - Reinforced Cement Concrete ROW - Right of Way RPCB - Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board RSPM - Respirable Suspended Particulate Matter RUIDP - Rajasthan Urban Infrastructure Development Project RUSDIP - Rajasthan Urban Sector Development Investment Program SPM - Suspended Particulate Matter STP - Sewerage Treatment Plant ToR - Terms of Reference UA - Urban Agglomeration UIDSSMT - Urban Infrastructure Development Scheme for Small and Medium Towns USEPA - United States Environmental Protection Agency WEIGHTS AND MEASURES Lakh – 100 thousand = 100,000 Crore – 100 lakhs = 10,000,000 µg/m3 – micrograms per cubic meter Km – Kilometer Lpd – liters per day M – Meter mg/l – milligrams per liter Mm – Millimeter Ppm – parts per million NOTES (i) In this report, "$" refers to US dollars. (ii) “INR” and “Rs” refer to Indian rupees CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION 1 A.Purpose of the report .......................................................................................................................... 1 B.Extent of the IEE study ........................................................................................................................ 1 II. DESCRIPTION OF THE SUB PROJECT 5 A.Type, Category and Need ................................................................................................................... 5 B.Location, Size and Implementation Schedule ..................................................................................... 5 C.Description of Sub-Project .................................................................................................................. 5 III. DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT 9 A.Physical Resources ............................................................................................................................. 9 IV. ANTICIPATED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION 22 A. Pre Construction Phase-Screening out areas of no significant impact ..................................... 22 B.Road Construction ............................................................................................................................ 23 C.Operation and maintenance (O&M) .................................................................................................. 29 V. PUBLIC CONSULTATION AND INFORMATION DISCLOSURE 29 A.Project stakeholders .......................................................................................................................... 29 B.Consultation and disclosure to date .................................................................................................. 30 C.Future consultation and disclosure ................................................................................................... 31 VI. Grievance Redress Mechanism ........................................................................................................... 33 VII. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN 34 A.Summary of environmental impacts and mitigation measures ......................................................... 34 B.Institutional arrangements for project implementation ...................................................................... 34 C.Environmental Monitoring Plan ......................................................................................................... 52 D.Environmental Management and Monitoring Costs .......................................................................... 53 VIII. FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 54 A.Findings ............................................................................................................................................. 54 B.Recommendations ............................................................................................................................ 55 IX. CONCLUSIONS 57 ANNEXURE– I: PHOTOGRAPH 58 ANNEXURE- II: RAPID ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT 60 ANNEXURE- III: PUBLIC CONSULTATION- ENVIRONMENT 64 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. Introduction and Regulatory Framework: Rajasthan Urban Sector Development Investment Program (RUSDIP) is intended to optimize social and economic development in 15 selected towns in the State, particularly district headquarters and towns with significant tourism potential. RUSDIP Phase II to be implemented over a seven year period beginning in 2008, and will be funded by a loan via the Multitranche Financing Facility (MFF) of the ADB. RUSDIP will improve infrastructure through the design and implementation of a series of subprojects, each providing improvements in a particular sector (water supply, sewerage, drainage, road, solid waste etc) in one town. 2. The impacts of subprojects prepared according to ADB Safeguard Policy Statement (2009) and Indian National Law. Projects are screened for their expected environmental impacts and are assigned to Category A, B, C and F1. RUSDIP has been classified by ADB as environmental assessment category B (some negative impacts but less significant than category A). Environmental Clearance is not required for Churu Road sub project and but subject to Environmental Examination. The present Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) report for the Churu Road Project discusses the generic environmental impacts and mitigation measures relating to the location, design, construction and operation of physical works proposed under this subproject. 3. Project Description: The sub-project is located in Churu, the headquarters town of Churu district, in the North West part of Rajasthan. The main component of the sub-project is Improvement and Widening of road from Collectorate circle to Bhaleri road up to PMC campus via Bahad circle (Pankha Circle) and Stadium to Johari Sagar via Bahad circle (Pankha circle) on Tara Nagar Road. 4. Description of Environment: Churu the district administrative headquarter town, is located in the eastern part of the “Thar” Desert and in the middle portion of the north–east Rajasthan at latitude 28o18’ north and longitude 74o58’ east, at a height of about 286m above the mean sea level (MSL). The town is surrounded by Hanumangarh district in the north, Nagaur, Sikar and Jhunjhunu districts in the south. Hissar (Haryana) district in the east and Bikaner in the west. The total area of the district is 16,830 sq.km. (4.92% of the State). 5. The climate of Churu city is hot and arid with large variation in temperature. Rainfall is scanty. The average temperature variation in summers and winters are 37.54o to 24.94oC and 29.05 oC to 9.15 oC respectively. The maximum and minimum temperature recorded is 47.2 oC in summer and 0.5 oC in winter. 6. The south-west monsoon is active in the region from July to mid September, recording an annual rainfall of 377 mm. Dust storm and thunder storm occur all through the summer and are particularly active in pre-monsoon period. In summer mean humidity as 60%. The predominant wind direction is from west and southwest. 7. Churu being a desert district generally faces famines & drought. The bulk of population depends upon agriculture & animal husbandry. Being district headquarter, Churu town is the main regional centre for the entire district and is working as service centre for providing services like trade and commerce, transport, commercial and other higher level public facilities for the entire district. 8. The economic condition of people in Churu is not satisfactory. As per information in 1998 about 28% population comprised of families below poverty line. These people are mostly labour class working in industries, shops, restaurant, construction, transport and certain other. Churu has moderate tourist inflows with main attractions being Jain Temple, Ganga Mata Temple, Balaji Temple and Satya Narain Temple. The tourist attractions within the city are places Nagar Shree Museum, Taknet Chhatri, Nath Ji ka Dhora, Bagla Dharmshala, Sethani ka Jhohra and Aath Khamba ki Chhatri. 9. Potential environmental impacts and mitigation measure: All pre-construction (design), construction, and operation activities that are likely to cause environmental impacts were identified, and evaluated to assess their magnitude, duration, and potential receptors in consultation with the stakeholders. Most of the individual elements of the subproject are relatively