Integrated Safeguards Data Sheet Section I – Basic Information Date ISDS Prepared/Updated: May 15, 2004 Report No AC714 A. Basic Project Data Public Disclosure Authorized A.1. Project Statistics Country: India Project ID: P077856 Project: Lucknow to Muzaffarpur National TTL: Piers A Vickers Highway Project Total project cost (by component): Single component of Highway Upgrading - US$849 million Appraisal Date: May 30, 2004 Loan Amount($m): IBRD: 640 Board Date: September 23, 2004 Public Disclosure Authorized Other financing amounts by source: ($m.) Managing Unit: SASEI Sector: Roads and highways (100%) Lending Instruments: Specific Investment Loan Is this project processed under OP 8.50 (Emergency Yes? [ ] No? [X] recovery? Environmental Category: A Safeguard classification: S1 A.2. Project Objective: Public Disclosure Authorized The project development objective is for road users to benefit from an improved journey between Lucknow and Muzaffarpur. This project will be the fourth Bank loan to support the Government of India’s (GOI) National Highway Development Program (NHDP), which seeks to upgrade to four lane standard 13,000 km of the core national highway network, including the Golden Quadrilateral (linking Delhi, Kolkata, Chennai and Mumbai) and the East-West and North-South Corridors. The project will finance the upgrading of a 482 km national highway stretch between Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh and Muzaffarpur, Bihar on the East-West Corridor. Public Disclosure Authorized A.3. Project Description Highway upgrading: The national highway sections proposed for upgrading to 4-lane divided carriageway under the project are all located along a 513 km continuous stretch between Lucknow and Muzzafarpur along the East-West Corridor in the states of Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The project includes improving the existing two lane carriageway through construction of two additional lanes, rehabilitation of existing carriageway, as well as the construction of necessary railway over-bridges, flyovers, service lanes, pedestrian over/under bridges, junction improvements, cross drainage structures and safety/noise barriers. The loan will also finance new bypasses at Ayodhya, Barabanki, and Ramsanehighat. The route is divided into five homogenous sections: (i) Lucknow-Ayodhya (126 km); (ii) Ayodhya-Gorakhpur (117 km); (iii) Gorakhpur-Gopalganj (106 km); (iv) Gopalganj-Muzaffarpur (134 km), and (v) Gorakhpur Bypass (40 km). The civil works for the first four sections (total 483 km) are to be financed by the Bank, while the Gorakhpur Bypass will be financed by the GOI. As the Gorakhpur Bypass is considered an integral part of the stretch between Lucknow and Muzaffarpur, its EA and RAP has been prepared and will be implemented in the same manner as for the rest of the project financed by the Bank. The project is to be implemented by the National Highway Authority of India, a statutory body mandated to develop, maintain and manage key portions of the national highway network on behalf of the Government of India. A.4. Project Location and Salient Physical Characteristics relevant to safeguard analysis: The project is located on the National Highway 28, between Lucknow and Muzaffarpur. NH28 is part of the East-West Corridor from Silchar in Assam in the north east and Porbander in Gujarat on the west coast. The project road traverses 8 districts of Uttar Pradesh (Lucknow, Barabanki, Gonda, Basti, Faizabad, Sant Kabir Nagar, Gorakhpur and Deoria) and 3 districts of Bihar (Gopalganj, East Champaran and Muzaffarpur). The population density in these two states (and all the 11 districts traversed) is high, the economy primarily agricultural and the level of poverty very high. The highway lies below the lower periphery of the Terai (“lowlands”, foothill valleys of Eastern Himalayas), but no stretch of the highway is within 50 km of the Terai Arc, which is one of the Global 200 eco-regions. The highway does not pass through any national park or wildlife sanctuary. Protected areas close to the highway include Bakhira Wildlife Sanctuary (18 km from the highway) Udaipur Bird Sanctuary (25 km) and Valmiki National Park (40 km). There is only one stretch of Reserved Forests for about 1 km along the road in Uttar Pradesh. The Bihar section of the highway is located in the flood plains of several rivers and is currently overtopped frequently by seasonal floods. The highway passes very close to the World Heritage site of Kushinagar. These 2,500 year old Buddhist excavations at Kushinagar are about 400 m away from the highway. The highway bypasses Ayodhya-Faizabad, which are historical settlements and major pilgrimage centers. Devasharif Dargah (25 km from the highway) and Gorakhnath Math (10 km) are also important religious places. B. Check Environmental Category A [X], B [ ], C [ ], FI [ ] Comments: The project has been categorized as ‘A’ considering the impacts on the socio- economic environment and important heritage sites and cultural properties along the highway. Most of the environmental impacts are local and reversible, and can be mitigated and managed through good environmental management practices. Important cultural properties, like the World Heritage Site in Kushinagar are to be protected and enhanced where feasible. C. Safeguard Policies Triggered Yes No Environmental Assessment (OP/BP/GP 4.01) [X] [ ] Natural Habitats (OP/BP 4.04) [ ] [X] Pest Management (OP 4.09) [ ] [X] Cultural Property (draft OP 4.11 - OPN 11.03-) [X] [ ] Involuntary Resettlement (OP/BP 4.12) [X] [ ] Indigenous Peoples (OD 4.20) [ ] [X] Forests (OP/BP 4.36) [X] [] Safety of Dams (OP/BP 4.37) [ ] [X] Projects in Disputed Areas (OP/BP/GP 7.60)* [ ] [X] Projects on International Waterways [ ] [X] (OP/BP/GP 7.50) * By supporting the proposed project, the Bank does not intend to prejudice the final determination of the parties’ claims on the disputed areas Section II – Key Safeguard Issues and Their Management D. Summary of Key Safeguards Issues. D.1. Describe any safeguard issues and impacts associated with the proposed project. Identify and describe any potential large scale, significant and/or irreversible impacts. Environment Assessment (OP 4.01): The main environmental issues in the project are: (i) unavoidable felling of a large number of roadside trees (about 74,000), (ii) impairment to or worsening of the local and regional drainage and flood situations, if the road works are not properly designed and built, (iii) unavoidable conversion of some fertile agricultural to right or way and road carriageway, (iv) the potential for poorly planned or managed development induced by the improved highway, especially close to important sites like Kushinagar, (v) possible impacts on aquatic flora and fauna in the rivers and rivulets the project highway passes over, and (vi) construction related temporary impacts such as dust from the haul roads, pollution from the plants and machinery required for construction. These potential impacts will be avoided, minimized and/or mitigated through sound management practices as detailed in the Environmental Management Plans. Community resources that are impacted will be either shifted or re-built in as good or better condition than before the project, with local communities encouraged to commit to their upkeep. On the positive side, a large section of the highway will use a very significant quantity of fly ash from nearby thermal power plants in embankment construction; and a number of roadside community assets and environmental resources will be enhanced by the project. Involuntary Resettlement (OP4.12). The project road passes through a total of 527 villages and 12 districts in two states, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. Since the legal ROW varies between 18 - 90 meters, additional land will be acquired to meet the design specifications - 658 ha of private land will be acquired and 56 ha will be transferred from other government departments. This will lead to loss of properties and income. A total of 33,880 families will be affected, out of which 15,683 will lose their agriculture land partially and 1,352 will become landless. Of the remaining 16,845 families, 5,646 will be displaced due to loss of shelter or commercial structures and 11,199 families’ structures will be partially affected. Relocation or resettlement is required for 3,869 common property structures such as schools, temples, mazhars, mosques, panchayat offices, police stations, hand pumps and wells. Cultural Property (OPN 11.03): The project traverses an area of rich history, and potentially involves impacts on archaeological chance finds, particularly near the heritage sites of Ayodhya-Faizabad, Gorakhpur and Kushinagar. Kushinagar, a World Heritage site, is 400 meters from the highway. Forests (OP4.36): The project road passes through the Zaidpur Reserved Forest for a short distance. However, the forest is reported not to house any significant wildlife species. However, there is a remote possibility that the improved road ‘may affect health of the forests’ and as such the OP is triggered. In summary, there will be no significant and irreversible environmental impacts as a result of the project. However, this is a large project that has impacts on a large number of people which will require careful management. D.2 Describe any potential indirect and/or long term impacts due to anticipated future activities in the project area. No adverse long-term environmental impact is anticipated due to future activities on the highway. Due to road improvements, it is anticipated that some local drainage problems will be resolved, and road safety would be improved. However, substantial land and property development is expected to follow from the highway improvement. Poor management of this development may create negative impacts in the medium term, by way of additional stress on natural resources or by encouraging ribbon development. Co-ordination is essential with the Archaeological Departments during construction and operation periods to ensure that sites like Kushinagar can benefit from an increased tourist flow while being protected from adverse impacts of improvements to the road close to the site.