Environmental Assessment Report Initial Environmental Examination – National Roads Component: Navathkuli–Karaitivu Jetty (A032) Project Number: 42254 May 2010 Sri Lanka: Northern Road Connectivity Project Prepared by [Author(s)] [Firm] [City, Country] Prepared by the Ministry of Local Government and Provincial Councils 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 The views expressed herein are those of the consultant and do not necessarily represent those of ADB’s in nature. members, Board of Directors, Management, or staff, and may be preliminary in nature. Initial Environmental Examination Report for Rehabilitation and improving Navatkuli – Karativu – Mannar (A032) Highway Table of Contents LIST OF ANNEXURES.....................................................................................................2 LIST OF FIGURES ...........................................................................................................2 LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS..............................................................................................2 Chapter 1: Introduction and Background .....................................................................4 1.1 Objectives of the Project .............................................................................................. 5 1.2 Objectives of the Initial Environmental Examination................................................. 6 1.3 Scope, extent of study and personnel......................................................................... 6 1.4 Applicable Laws, Regulations, Standards and Requirements Covering the Proposed project ........................................................................................................................................ 7 Chapter 2: Description of the Project............................................................................8 2.2 Alternative Analysis ...................................................................................................... 8 2.3 Location of the Project.................................................................................................. 9 2.4 Magnitude of Operations ............................................................................................ 10 2.5 Sources and Quantities of Material Required........................................................... 11 2.6 Proposed Schedule of Implementation..................................................................... 11 Chapter 3: Description of the Existing Environment.................................................12 3.1 Existing Land Use along the Selected Highway Sections....................................... 12 3.2. Physical Environment...................................................................................................... 14 3.3. Ecological Resources...................................................................................................... 16 3.4. Social and Cultural Resources ....................................................................................... 18 Chapter 4: Identification of Impacts and Mitigation Measures .................................20 4.1: Screening of potential environmental impacts during design and construction stages ....................................................................................................................................... 20 4.2. Screening of potential environmental impacts during operational stage.................. 26 4.3. Positive impacts............................................................................................................... 26 Chapter 5: Institutional responsibilities and Environmental Management Plan (EMP) ........................................................................................................................................28 5.1 Institutional Requirements and Environmental Monitoring Plan................................. 28 Chapter 6: Public Consultation and Grievance Redress Mechanism ......................29 6.1. Public consultation process ........................................................................................... 29 6.2. Disclosure of information................................................................................................ 29 6.3. Grievance redress mechanisms..................................................................................... 29 Chapter 7: Findings, Recommendations and Conclusions ......................................31 Chapter 8: References..................................................................................................32 1 Initial Environmental Examination Report for Rehabilitation and improving Navatkuli – Karativu – Mannar (A032) Highway LIST OF ANNEXURES Annexure 1.1 Clearance letter from Central Environmental Authority Annexure 2.1 Rapid Environmental Assessment Checklist Annexure 2.2 Typical Cross Sections Annexure 2.3 Inventory of culverts within 0.00km to 17km Annexure 2.4 Map showing locations of sources of material Annexure 3.1 Drainage map Annexure 3.2 List of flora and fauna Annexure 5.1 Environmental Management Action Plan Annexure 5.2 Environmental Monitoring Plan Annexure 6.1 Summary of Public Consultation Map 1~2 Maps showing general land use pattern along each highway LIST OF FIGURES Figure 2.1 General location of A032 Highway Figure 3.1 A009/A032 junction at Navatkuli Figure 3.2 Karativu Jetty Figure 3.3 B357/A032 junction at Poonarin Figure 3.4 Forest and the cashew plantation Figure 3.5 Road passes an open area LIST OF TABLES Table 2.1: DS divisions crossed by A032 Highway Table 2.2: Bridges observed along roads/highways Table 3.1: Agro ecological zones of the project area Table 3.2: Geology of the project area Table 3.3: National ambient air quality standards Table 3.4: Population Distribution among DS divisions crossed by road LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AC Asphalt Concrete ADB Asian Development Bank CEA Central Environmental Authority CEB Ceylon Electricity Board DoF Department of Forestry DS Divisional Secretary EMP Environmental Management Plan EMoP Environmental Monitoring Plan ESC Environmental Safeguards Compliance ESD Environmental & Social Division GoSL Government of Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka GPS Global Positioning System GSMB Geological Survey and Mines Bureau ICTAD Institute for Construction Training and Development IEER Initial Environmental Examination Report ILO International labor organization 2 Initial Environmental Examination Report for Rehabilitation and improving Navatkuli – Karativu – Mannar (A032) Highway LHS Left Hand Side MOH & RD Ministry of Highways and Road Development MOH Ministry of Health NAAQS National Ambient Air Quality Standards NBRO National Building Research Organization NEA National Environmental Act NGO Non Government Organizations NIRP National Involuntary Resettlement Policy PIU Project Implementation Unit RDA Road Development Authority RHS Right Hand Side ROW Right of Way SPC State Pharmaceutical Corporation WB World Bank 3 Initial Environmental Examination Report for Rehabilitation and improving Navatkuli – Karativu – Mannar (A032) Highway Initial Environmental Examination Report and Environmental Management Action Plan Chapter 1: Introduction and Background 1. For the past three decades Sri Lanka was badly affected by the ethnic conflict. This conflict situation negatively affected the socio-economic development of Sri Lanka by means of poor/ inefficient resources allocation, productivity losses, destruction of property and infrastructure, under utilization of production capacity and weak investor confidence. Northern Province (NP) which is comprised of Jaffna, Killinochchi, Mullaitivu, Mannar and Vavuniya districts was severely affected during this conflict period. With the conflict being over the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) has decided addressing the issues of Northern community is an important and urgent need. A rapid need assessment has been conducted by the Government in this regard and the priority areas such as re-settlement, rehabilitation and development are now identified. 2. In line with the said objectives, the Government is now ready to implement the development agenda which is titled as “Wadakkil Wasantham” – ‘Uthuru Wasanthaya’ (Northern Development Project) for the Northern Province. This development agenda is a step wise programme which will address the urgent issues in the first 180 days while the rest of the programme will be implemented in the medium term. A need assessment for the north and its people reveals that immediate rehabilitation of roads is crucial to facilitate humanitarian, social and economic activities and to help bring back the normalcy in the area. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) has decided to assist GOSL in rehabilitating selected road sections in the Northern Province. The project will be implemented as the “Northern Roads Connectivity Project”. The road section from Navatkuli (0.0km) to Karativu Jetty (17.4km) of Navathkuli – Karaitivu – Mannar (A032) Highway will also be rehabilitated and improved under this project. 3. Sri Lanka has a national highway network that is comprised of class A and B roads which spans to a total length of about 12,000 km. The Road Development Authority (RDA) of Ministry of Highways and Road Development (MOH