RP1753 V2 REV Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized VOL 2 Resettlement Action Plan EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Introduction land, especially from the existing BWDB embankment. Along the 50 km priority reach, a total The length of the proposed River Management of 5,751 entities have been affected by the project Improvement Project (RMIP) is about 147 km from from which 3,480 residential households, 148 Jamuna Bangabandhu Bridge approach road to business units, 84 residence-cum business and 78 Teesta Bridge. The flood and riverbank erosion community properties will be physically displaced. component of the program will be implemented in Apart from this 1,437 households are losing only two phases, starting with the 50 km long priority agricultural land plots. reach (the Project or RMIP-I) from Shimla (Sirajganj Sadar Upazila) to Hasnapara (Sariakandi Upazila) and Project Affected Area followed by the remaining works (RMIP-II) consisting of a 17km reach between Jamuna Bridge access road The program/project is located in northern central and Simla and the approximately 70km long reach part of Bangladesh in Rajshahi and Rangpur divisions between Hasnapara and the newly established covering four districts namely Sirajganj, Bogra, Teesta Bridge near Chilmari. The alignment of RMIP-I Gaibandha and Kurigram. The RMIP is about 147km is running through 4 upazilas under the districts of along the Central Jamuna Right Embankment 2 Bogra and Sirajganj. A total of 5,751 households will (historically known as Brahmaputra Right be affected by the project from which 3,4801 Embankment (BRE) from which 50km has been residential households will be displaced from their prioritised as first batch for construction of an homestead. Total 78 community properties will be embankment with a two-lane highway (with four- displaced. The project has made provisions for the lane provision) and river bank protection. The relocation of the affected households in designated priority reaches starts from Simla of Sirajganj Sadar resettlement sites with necessary civic amenities. Upazila (17km from the Jamuna Bangabandhu Bridge The Bangladesh Water Development Board (BWDB) approach road) and ends at Hasnapara of Sariakandi is the executing agency (EA) of the program. Upazila under Bogra District. The existing Central JRE has been eroded several times and shifted towards Project Components and Impact of Land Acquisition the West affecting cropping field, fishing ground, displaced households, business premises and The RMIP priority reach is being designed with community properties. The project districts (Bogra various components such as river bank protection, and Sirajganj) have a combined gross area of an embankment with a two-lane road and the 5,396.63 sq km with a total population of 6,498,363 provision for a four-lane highway, intersections on of which 4.8 million are directly or indirectly affected the village road to facilitate access for the villagers by RMIP-1. There are some chars in the river within between the the river, the villages and the road, 315 km from the riverbank where people are living resettlement sites with necessary civic amenities. but they will not be impacted by the project. The project (50km priority reach) will affect about 4,236 households (excluding agricultural plot users) Project Impact Assessment comprising of 18,235 people and 3,628 households/units (15,558 people) will be physically The implementation of the project will protect displaced. The rest will be economically affected by people, livestock, crops and other assets from way of loss of agricultural lands and other assets fish further erosion and displacement. A shorter and ponds without being dislocated. developed road communication from Teesta to Jamuna Bangabandhu Bridge will also be provided by To implement the project, about 370ha land of the RMIP. The project will have some significant various categories will need to be acquired. Apart impacts from land acquisition, the project will use some GOB 1 Includes residential households, residential with business, residential with agritural land, residential with land otherthan 2 The population refers to the Brahmaputra River as Jamuna in agricultural land. Bangladesh from Teesta to confluence with the Ganges. BWDB i River Management Improvement Project Table-Ex 1: Upazila wise Category of Affected Land (ha) Sl no Category of Land Total Land % Sirajganj Sadar Kazipur Dhunat Sariakandi Total 1 Dwelling land/Vita/high 8.34 13.76 15.32 27.57 65.00 17.57 land/Commercial land 2 Agricultural Land 24.54 69.14 28.55 104.34 226.57 61.24 3 Agricultural Land for 5.20 6.04 8.79 29.99 50.02 13.52 resettlement site 4 Orchard 1.36 4.47 2.21 7.18 15.21 4.11 5 Bamboo groves 0.62 0.62 1.23 3.96 6.43 1.74 6 Pond 0.17 0.46 0.46 4.53 5.62 1.52 7 Wet land/ditch 0.00 0.17 0.47 0.35 0.99 0.27 8 Fallow land 0.00 0.01 0.00 0.11 0.12 0.03 Total /ha 40.23 94.66 57.04 178.03 369.95 100 Source: Census & IOL survey April-December 2014 due to land acquisition and displacement of land owners are losing only up to 50 decimal of their residential houses, commercial premises and land parcels due to the linear acquisition of land. At physical cultural resources/community properties. the time of this report, most of the affected The proposed Phase 1 of the River Management households (54%) have opted for self-relocation in Improvement Project (priority reach 50 km) will host villages and the remaining households indicated require the acquisition of 370 ha of land. The a preference for the project sponsored resettlement proposed priority reach alignment will affect a total sites. There will be 15 resettlement sites for the of 5,751 entities (18,235 people) of which 3,480 are displaced households along the 50 km priority reach. residential households, 148 are shops and 84 are In spite of minor impact on livelihood, the project housing cum shops. In addition, 78 community has designed a livelihood and social development properties will need to be displaced due to the plan which will be implemented over a 5-year project interventions. Apart from these, 1,437 period. households will lose agricultural land plots only. Summary of project impacts is given in Table Ex-2. Minimization and Mitigation of Impacts According to the studies and surveys there are no The project is being implemented along the river indigenous communities within the project bank following the existing embankment where alignment. possible and acquiring mostly agricultural private Given the project’s nature, the main impact of the land. The proposed alignment avoided settlements project is the relocation of large numbers of housing where ever possible to minimize the number of structures and community properties. The affected displacements. Although a lot of people are living on housing structures have been mostly identified as the river bank due to frequent displacement as a squatters on the embankment. According to the result of river erosion. In spite of taking necessary survey results, the majority of the affected structures steps to minimize displacements, about 3,480 are made of corrugated iron (CI) sheet and residential households and 148 commercial bamboo/straw which are easily shiftable. The structures have been affected by the project. Mostly affected squatters are mostly wage laborers by of the affected households are sqatters living or occupation or involved in agriculture farming. The running small shops on the existing embankment. In relocation of the affected households in nearby order to mitigate the potential impacts of villages or in designated resettlement sites (within involuntary displacement, this resettlement action 1.50 km of their present place of residence) will not plan (RAP) has been prepared following the World severely affect their means of livelihood. Impact on Bank Operation Policy 4.12 (Involuntary agricultural land plots is also marginal as 98% of the Resettlement) and GoB LA law. According to the ii Revised Draft March 2015 VOL 2 Resettlement Action Plan policy adopted in this document, the affected land replacement cost. He/she will also be entitled for owners will be paid compensation at Table Ex-2: Summary of Project Impacts Impacts/Types of losses Sirajganj Bogra Total Sirajganj Sadar Kazipur Dhunat Sariakandi A. Alignment Length and Required Land Acquisition 1. Total length of alignment/km 5.595 13.276 7.895 22.759 49.525 2. Required Land acquisition in ha 40.23 94.67 57.04 178.03 370 including resettlement site (50 ha) B. Number of physically displaced HHs requiring relocation3 3,628 1. Affected Residential HHs only 164 812 424 856 2,256 2. Affected Business HHs only 04 60 29 55 148 3. Affected Residential & Business HHs 04 39 03 38 84 only 4. Affected Residential & Agricultural 00 02 02 15 19 land only 5. Affected Residential Structure & 93 212 259 557 1121 Land other than Agricultural B.1. Number of person required 1,264 5006 3116 6172 15,558 relocation B.2 Average HH Size 4.75 4.45 4.34 4.03 4.28 C. Number of Affected units requiring relocation (other than item 2 &4 ) 1. Affected CPRs 7 9 18 44 78 2 Affected Fish Pond only 01 00 01 09 11 3. Affected sallow tube-well 0 01 03 02 06 4. Only trees affected HHs 62 156 95 278 591 D. Affected HHs loosing agricultural plots only D.1. Number of HH’s losing agricultural 171 369 648 249 1437 plots4 D.2. Affected population due to loss of 953 2,189 3,386 1,498 8,026 agricultural land D.3.