Initial Environmental Examination Project Number: 47279-002 July 2019 PAK: Karachi Bus Rapid Transit Red Line Project Development of Staging Facility (Underneath Karachi Goan Association Cricket Ground) Prepared by the Transport and Mass Transit Department, provincial Government of Sindh for the Asian Development Bank. CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS (as of 19 July 2019) Currency unit – Pakistan rupee (PRs) PRs1.00 = $0.00625 $1.00 = PRs160 ABBREVIATIONS ADB – Asian Development Bank BRT – bus rapid transit DoF – Department of Forests EA – environmental assessment EAAC – Environmental Assessment Advisory Committee EARF – environment assessment review framework EIA – environment impact assessment EMP – environmental management plan EPA – Environmental Protection Agency GOP – Government of Pakistan GoS – Government of Sindh IA – implementing agency IEE – initial environmental examination KGA – Karachi Goan Association km – kilometer LAA – Land Acquisition Act (of 1984) LARP – land acquisition and resettlement plan Leq – equivalent sound pressure level NEQS – national environmental quality standards NGO – nongovernment organization O&M – operation & maintenance PAP – Project-affected person PC – public consultation PEPAct – Pakistan Environment Protection Act 1997 PFS – prefeasibility study PMU – Project Management Unit RP – resettlement plan SC – Steering Committee SEPA – Sindh Environmental Protection Agency SPS – Safeguard Policy Statement TMTD – Transport and Mass Transit Department tpd – tonnes per day NOTE In this report, "$" refers to United States dollars unless otherwise stated. This 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. Your attention is directed to the “terms of use” section on ADB’s website. 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. Content Details S/No. Version Date Summary of Revisions made 1 1 19-7-19 First Draft of IEE report Table of Content 1 Introduction ................................................................................................ 1 1.1 Project Background ............................................................................................ 1 1.2 Project Objective ................................................................................................. 1 1.3 Environmental Category of the Project ............................................................. 2 1.4 Methodology of IEE Study .................................................................................. 2 1.5 Proponent of Project ........................................................................................... 2 1.6 Structure of the Report ....................................................................................... 2 1.7 Further Additions & Updating of IEE study ....................................................... 3 2 Policy and Legal Framework .................................................................... 5 2.1 General ................................................................................................................ 5 2.2 National Policy and Legal Framework ............................................................... 5 2.3 Regulations for Environmental Assessment, Pakistan EPA ............................ 5 2.4 Sindh Environmental Protection Act, 2014 ....................................................... 5 2.5 Other National and Sindh Government Laws and Regulations ....................... 7 2.6 Regulatory Clearances, Sindh EPA ................................................................. 10 2.7 Guidelines for Environmental Assessment, Pakistan EPA ............................ 10 2.8 National Environmental Quality Standards (NEQS) 2000 ............................... 10 2.9 Interaction with Other Agencies ...................................................................... 11 2.10 Provincial EPAs ........................................................................................... 11 2.11 Provincial Departments of Forests and Wildlife ........................................ 11 2.12 Provincial Governments ............................................................................. 11 2.13 ADB’s Safeguard Policy Statement (SPS), 2009 ....................................... 11 2.14 ADB’s Access to Information Policy (AIP) 2018 ........................................ 12 2.15 ADB’s Accountability Mechanism Policy 2012.......................................... 12 2.16 Implications of ADB’s safeguard policies on proposed project .............. 12 2.17 Comparison of International and Local Environmental Legislations ...... 14 3 Description of the Project ....................................................................... 19 3.1 Project Overview ............................................................................................... 19 3.2 Justification and Need for Project ................................................................... 20 3.3 Project Construction Schedule ........................................................................ 20 3.4 Construction Camps and Work Force ............................................................. 20 3.5 Machinery Requirement .................................................................................... 24 4 Description of Environment .................................................................... 25 4.1 General .............................................................................................................. 25 4.2 Physical Resources .......................................................................................... 25 4.2.1 Meteorological Parameters ......................................................................... 25 4.2.2 Air Quality ................................................................................................... 30 4.2.3 Noise .......................................................................................................... 33 4.2.4 Climate Change and Effects ....................................................................... 33 4.3 Geology, Soils and Groundwater ..................................................................... 36 4.3.1 Seismic activity ........................................................................................... 37 4.4 Hydrology, Water Quality and Sediment ......................................................... 39 4.4.1 Ground Water Quality ................................................................................. 41 4.4.2 Climate Vulnerability—Flooding .................................................................. 41 4.5 Biological Resources ........................................................................................ 42 4.5.1 Flora ........................................................................................................... 42 4.5.2 Fauna ......................................................................................................... 43 4.6 Socioeconomic Resources .............................................................................. 46 4.6.1 Population .................................................................................................. 46 4.6.2 Land Use .................................................................................................... 49 4.6.3 Physical Infrastructure ................................................................................ 50 4.7 Physical Cultural Resources ............................................................................ 54 4.7.1 Religious, Historical, Cultural and Archaeological Sites .............................. 54 5 Analysis of Alternatives .......................................................................... 55 5.1 Overview ............................................................................................................ 55 5.2 ‘No Project’ Option ............................................................................................ 55 5.3 Rationale for selected Staging Facility Location ............................................ 55 Alternative Location Options ................................................................................. 55 5.4 Assessment of alternatives to prevent demolition of associated facilities .. 56 6 Potential Environmental Impacts and Mitigation Measures ................ 57 6.1 Design/Pre-Construction Phase ....................................................................... 57 Avoidance of demolition of Associated Facilities ................................................... 57 Relocation of Utilities ............................................................................................ 58 Identification of Locations for Labor Camps and ancillary facilities ........................ 58 Development of Traffic Management Plan ............................................................ 59 6.2 Construction Phase .......................................................................................... 60 Traffic Management .............................................................................................. 64 Air Quality ............................................................................................................