Environmental Assessment Report Initial Environmental Examination Project Number: 38357 May 2007 Sri Lanka: National Highway Sector Project Prepared by [Author(s)] [Firm] [City, Country] Prepared by Road Development Authority for the Asian Development Bank (ADB). Prepared for [Executing Agency] [Implementing Agency] 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. The views expressed herein are those of the consultant and do not necessarily represent those of ADB’s members, Board of Directors, Management, or staff, and may be preliminary in nature. National Highway Sector Project RSC 54199 IMPROVEMENT / UPGRADING of Habarana to Trincomalee A006 National Highway INITIAL ENVIRONMENTAL EXAMINATION (IEE) FINAL REPORT Submitted to Asian Development Bank (ADB) March 2007 by Road Development Authority Government of the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Initial Environmental Examination Report- Rehabilitation of Habarana Trincomalee Road (A006) TABLE OF CONTENTS 1 INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................... 7 1.1 PURPOSE OF THE OF THE IEE REPORT................................................................................ 7 1.2 PROJECT BACKGROUND....................................................................................................... 7 1.2.1 PROJECT & PROJECT PROPONENT ....................................................................................... 7 1.2.2 BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT ................................................................................. 8 1.2.3 APPLICABLE LOCAL LAWS, REGULATIONS, STANDARDS AND REQUIREMENTS COVERING THE PROPOSED PROJECT .................................................................................................................. 9 1.3 EXTENT AND SCOPE OF THE STUDY ..................................................................................... 9 1.3.1 EXTENT ............................................................................................................................... 9 1.3.2 SCOPE OF THE STUDY.......................................................................................................... 9 1.3.3 LOCATION ......................................................................................................................... 10 1.4 THE APPROVAL NEEDED FOR THE PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT FROM STATE AGENCIES 11 1.5 ANY CONDITIONS LAID DOWN BY THE STATE AGENCIES IN GRANTING PRELIMINARY CLEARANCE FOR THE PROJECT................................................................................................... 11 1.6 NATURE OF THE PROJECT .................................................................................................. 12 1.7 MAGNITUDE OF OPERATION.............................................................................................. 12 1.8 SOURCES AND QUANTITIES OF RAW MATERIALS REQUIRED INCLUDING SOIL, SAND AND METAL ........................................................................................................................................... 13 1.9 PERSONS PERFORMING THE STUDY ................................................................................... 13 1.10 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS..................................................................................................... 13 2 DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT ................................................................................. 15 2.1 TYPE OF PROJECT............................................................................................................... 15 2.2 CATEGORY OF PROJECT .................................................................................................... 15 2.3 NEED FOR THE PROJECT .................................................................................................... 15 2.4 LOCATION ........................................................................................................................... 17 2.5 SIZE & MAGNITUDE OF OPERATION- CONSTRUCTION PROCESSES ............................... 17 2.6 PROPOSED SCHEDULE OF IMPLEMENTATION................................................................... 19 2.7 PROJECT LAYOUT............................................................................................................... 19 2.8 PROPOSED REHABILITATION WORKS (CONSTRUCTION DRAWINGS)............................. 19 3 DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT ..................................................................... 20 3.1 PHYSICAL RESOURCES ....................................................................................................... 20 3.1.1 CLIMATE & AIR QUALITY ................................................................................................. 20 3.1.2 TOPOGRAPHY AND SOIL.................................................................................................... 21 3.1.3 GEOLOGY .......................................................................................................................... 21 3.1.4 PRESENT LAND USE ........................................................................................................... 21 3.1.5 SURFACE WATER .............................................................................................................. 22 3.1.6 GROUNDWATER................................................................................................................. 23 3.2 ECOLOGICAL RESOURCES ................................................................................................. 24 3.2.1 GENERAL........................................................................................................................... 24 3.2.2 FLORA............................................................................................................................... 25 3.2.3 FAUNA ............................................................................................................................... 25 3.2.4 GENERAL........................................................................................................................... 26 3.2.5 FLORA AND FAUNA............................................................................................................ 26 1 Initial Environmental Examination Report- Rehabilitation of Habarana Trincomalee Road (A006) 3.3 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT................................................................................................ 28 3.4 SOCIAL & CULTURAL RESOURCES.................................................................................... 29 3.4.1 EXISTING SETTLEMENTS ................................................................................................... 29 3.4.2 EXISTING SOCIO ECONOMIC CONTEXT.............................................................................. 30 3.4.3 EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE FACILITIES ........................................................................... 32 3.4.4 CULTURAL, RELIGIOUS AND ARCHAEOLOGICAL CONSIDERATIONS.................................. 33 3.4.5 OTHER SENSITIVE INSTITUTIONS ...................................................................................... 35 3.5 RESETTLEMENT SITES........................................................................................................ 38 4 SCREENING OF POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS & MITIGATION MEASURES................................................................................................................................. 41 4.1 SCREENING POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS- CONSTRUCTION PHASE (A006 ROAD) ........................................................................................................................................... 41 4.1.1 EXCESSIVE EROSION/SEDIMENT RUNOFF FROM CUT-AND FILL AREAS. ............................ 41 4.1.2 EFFECTS TO WATER WAYS, DRAINS AND ADJACENT LANDS. ............................................ 41 4.1.3 IMPACTS DUE TO LAND CLEARING, FILLING, EXCAVATION, EARTH MOVING AND DUMPING OF UNWANTED MATERIALS ETC..................................................................................................... 41 4.1.4 IMPACTS DUE TO EXTRACTION AND TRANSPORTATION OF CONSTRUCTION MATERIALS.. 42 4.1.5 IMPACTS DUE TO NOISE, VIBRATION AND DUST EMISSIONS.............................................. 42 4.1.6 IMPACTS ON EXISTING ROAD STRUCTURES (BRIDGES CULVERTS ETC.) ............................ 43 4.1.7 IMPACTS ON OTHER INFRASTRUCTURE FACILITIES ........................................................... 44 4.1.8 ECOLOGICAL IMPACTS ...................................................................................................... 44 4.1.9 SOCIAL IMPACTS ............................................................................................................... 46 4.1.10 LAND USE IMPACTS ........................................................................................................ 47 4.1.11 IMPACTS DUE TO MIGRATION AND SETTLEMENTS OF TEMPORARY WORKERS (LABOUR CAMPS, SPOIL DISPOSAL ETC.) ....................................................................................................... 47 4.1.12 SOCIETAL IMPLICATIONS ................................................................................................ 47 4.2 SCREENING POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS -OPERATIONAL IMPACTS ( A006 ROAD) ..........................................................................................................................................