Initial Environmental Examination Document Stage: Revised Project Number: 42265-023 April 2015 IND: Assam Urban Infrastructure Investment Program – Project 1: Guwahati Water Supply Subproject Construction of Water Storage Reservoir and Water Transmission Pipelines and Allied Works at Guwahati Prepared by Guwahati Development Department & Urban Development Department, Government of Assam for the Asian Development Bank 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. Preface During June 2011 ADB TA team finalized draft Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) Report for Guwahati water supply project covering water intake, water treatment plant, water reservoir, water transmission and distribution for Tranche 1 loan processing. That Report was already disclosed. Later, it was decided to consider intake, water treatment plant, raw water transmission and distribution under Tranche 2 funding and at the same time few locations of water storage reservoirs changed and accordingly route for transmission main also changed. This is updated and revised Initial Environmental Examination report for Tranche 1 water supply subproject for Guwahati covering only Construction of Water Storage Reservoir and water Transmission pipelines and Allied works at Guwahati. Presently, both the subprojects under implementation WEIGHTS AND MEASURES cm - centimeter dbA - decibels dia. - diameter ha - Hectare kg - kilogram km - kilometer l - liter m - Meter m2 - square meter m3 - cubic meter mg/l - Milligrams per liter ml - milliliter MLD - million liters per day mm - millimeter sq. km. - square kilometers sq. m. - square meters μg/m3 - micrograms per cubic meter 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. ABBREVIATIONS ADB - Asian Development Bank CTO - Consent to Operate DSC - Design and Supervision Consultant EARF - Environmental Assessment and Review Framework EMP - Environmental Management Plan GDD - Guwahati Development Department GRM - Grievance Redress Mechanism IEE - Initial Environmental Examination MFF - Multi tranche Financing Facility PIU - Project Implementation Unit SPS - Safeguards Policy Statement UDD - Urban Development Department TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 I. INTRODUCTION 4 II. DESCRIPTION OF SUBPROJECT 8 III. DESCRIPTION OF ENVIRONMENT 25 IV. ANTICIPATED IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES 41 V. INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS AND RESPONSIBILITY 54 VI. CONSULTATION, INFORMATION DISCLOSURE, AND GRIEVANCE REDRESS MECHANISM 58 VII. ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN 62 VIII. FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS 94 IX. CONCLUS IONS 94 APPENDIX APPENDIX 1: PHOTO ILLUSTRATION 95 APPENDIX 2: RAPID ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESS (REA) CHECKLIST 98 APPENDIX 3: TRAFFIC MANAGEMENT PLAN 103 APPENDIX 4: ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING FORMAT 107 APPENDIX 5: RECORDS OF PUBLIC CONSULTATION 102 APPENDIX 6: SAMPLE GRIEVANCE REGISTRATION FORM 132 APPENDIX 6: RECOMMENDED CONTRACT CLAUSES 146 EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. The Assam Urban Infrastructure Investment Program is a key urban infrastructure initiative of the Government of Assam (GoA), and aims to improve the urban environment and quality of life in the cities of Guwahati and Dibrugarh through the delivery of improved water supply, sanitation, solid waste management (SWM) and drainage infrastructure. The Program uses a Multi- tranche Financing Facility (MFF) modality and will be implemented over a 6-year period from 2012 to 2017. Investments under the MFF will be delivered in two tranches. For Guwahati these included water supply, sewerage, and transportation while for Dibrugarh included drainage and solid waste management. 2. The major outputs of the Program include: (i) for Guwahati, improved water supply, and sanitation, and ii) for Dibrugarh, improved drainage, and comprehensive Solid Waste Management (SWM). 3. The Government of Assam’s Guwahati Development Department (GDD) is the executing agency. A state-level PMU, headed by a Project Director (PD), established as the Implementing Agency which will be in-charge of overall execution and technical supervision, monitoring, and financial control of all activities under the project. Project Implementation Units (PIUs) dedicated exclusively to the project set up in Guwahati and Dibrugarh. The PIUs headed by a senior technical officer and assisted by qualified and experienced officers seconded from ULBs, finance and other line departments. The PIUs responsible for the day-to-day activities of project implementation in the field and under the direct administrative control of the PMU. 4. The PMU will have Safeguards Compliance and Monitoring Unit (PMU SCMU) to ensure mitigation of negative environmental and social impacts due to the subproject, if any. The PMU SCMU will have a Safeguards Officer (PMU SO). The PMU assisted by the Project Management Consultant Safeguards Specialist (PMC SS). The PIUs will each have an Environment Officer (EO) and Resettlement Officer (RO) who will be responsible for implementation of the Initial Environmental Examination (IEE)/Environmental Management Plan (EMP) and the Resettlement Plan (RP) respectively. An Environment Specialist as part of the Design and Supervision Consultant (DSC) team is to assist the PIUs in updating the IEE during detailed design stage and monitoring of the subproject’s EMP during the construction stage. ADB will review and approve all final IEEs prior to contract award. 5. ADB requires the consideration of environmental issues in all aspects of its operations, and the requirements for environmental assessment are described in ADB’s Safeguard Policy Statement (SPS), 2009. According to the SPS, environmental assessment is required for all subprojects under a MFF modality. 6. The overall investments for the proposed subproject in Guwahati will be aimed at providing improved quality and regular 24 hours a day water supply to about 5,10,000 residents in the south-eastern zone of Guwahati by 20301. This will involve 1) Expanding water production capacity through water intake works, 98 million liters per day (MLD) water treatment plant, clear water pumping and primary transmission mains, new distribution 1 The Guwahati water supply sub project ensures piped water supply 24 hours a day for nearly 5,10,000 people (by 2030) who presently depend on bore wells and water tankers which would adversely impact the ground water table in the long run and cause negative impacts on the micro-climate of the city. The assured piped water supply to individual houses when the project is completed will reduce wastage of water and transportation of water by tankers and indirectly help climate change in a positive way. 1 systems, six water storage reservoirs, and machinery; and installing bulk and consumer meters.2 Installation of 100% new distribution pipes; limiting NRW to 15% as per the Ministry of Urban Development’s (MOUD’s) benchmark of 15% and the move from flat to volumetric rate tariffs will result in effective demand management and water conservation. The infrastructure improvements will be supported by awareness campaigns to promote water conservation, sustainability and cost recovery objectives. 7. Under Project 1, one of the sub project is planned as “construction of water storage reservoir for supply of drinking water and construction of Transmission of water supply pipelines in Guwahati”. At present sub projects are under implementation. 8. This Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) is prepared for the said subproject. This is updated IEE depicts some changes in project locations. Construction work was already commenced and likely to be completed by 2017. 9. The subproject sites are located in existing government-owned land. NOC and permission from the Govt. department will be required for construction of storage reservoir. Process has been initiated for handing over the land to Executing Agency. 10. The process described in this document has assessed the environmental impacts of the said Guwahati Water Supply Project part. Potential negative impacts were identified during construction and operation of the improved infrastructure while no impacts were identified as being due to the project design or location. Mitigation measures have been developed to reduce all negative impacts to acceptable levels. These were discussed with specialists responsible for the engineering aspects, and as a result some measures have already been included in the designs of the infrastructure. 11. Locations and siting of the proposed infrastructures were considered to further reduce impacts. These include (i) locating all facilities on government-owned land to avoid the need for land acquisition3 . Regardless of these actions, there will still be impacts on the environment when the infrastructure is built and when it is operating. This is mainly because of (i) the excavation of earth and (ii) transportation of the same along high traffic roads of the city to the disposal site. 12. During the construction phase, impacts mainly arise from (i) need to dispose significant quantities of waste soil and import a similar amount of sand to support the construction works and (ii) from disturbance of residents, businesses, traffic and important buildings