India: Assam Secondary Road Network Improvement Project

OBJECTIVE

The project objective is to improve the connectivity, safety and climate resilience of the secondary road network in project districts of Assam and enhance the institutional capacity of the state’s Public Works Roads Department (PWRD).

DESCRIPTION

The Project aims to upgrade and improve the State Highways (SH) and Major District Roads (MDR) (around 1000 km) in Assam, with enhanced climate adaptation and road safety measures. It will also help build the institutional capacity of the Public Works Roads Department (PWRD). The project has three components:

A. This component comprises two subcomponents: 1) upgrading about 250 km of state highways (SH) and major district roads (MDR); and 2) retrofitting road safety engineering measures in about 750 km of SH and MDR.

B. Modernization of PWRD’s Asset Management System and Computerization.

C. Project Management Support and Institutional Capacity Building.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL INFORMATION

AIIB’s Environmental and Social Policy (ESP), including the Environmental and Social Standards (ESSs) and the Environmental and Social Exclusion List (ESEL), applies to this Project. ESS 1 (Environmental and Social Assessment and Management) and ESS 2 (Involuntary Resettlement) are applicable, as the road widening and construction activities will have environmental and social impacts, and temporary and permanent land acquisition. The project is expected to impact Tribal households and therefore ESS 3 (Indigenous Peoples) is also applicable. The Project has been assigned Category “A”, in accordance with the ESP, because of the physical and economic displacement of people and impact on vulnerable groups including tribal households. The PWRD has prepared Environmental Impact Assessments (EIAs) (including Environmental and Social Management Plans [ESMPs]) and Social Impact Assessments (SIAs)/Resettlement Plans (RPs) for all road packages. In addition, an Environmental and Social Management Planning Framework (ESMPF) has been prepared to address the impacts of activities under Component A.2, retrofitting road safety in about 750 km of SH and MDR. The ESMPF for the Project, EIAs and SIAs prepared for all subprojects both in English and local language (Assamese) have been disclosed at the PWRD website and AIIB website and hard copies made available at the respective division field office. Further public and meaningful consultation will be carried out during project implementation. A Resettlement Planning Framework (RPF) and an Indigenous Peoples Planning Framework have also been prepared and disclosed.

Based on the initial findings of the EIAs, the negative environmental impacts were found to be typical of road construction projects and are expected to be temporary and reversible, occurring mostly during the construction period: air pollution, noise and vibration, loss of vegetation, soil erosion, tree cutting, surface water and groundwater pollution, temporary disruption of traffic, impacts on borrow areas, temporary disruption of public utilities such as water, irrigation and electricity, occupational safety particularly during bridge construction, and disposal of construction wastes. Impacts on biodiversity have been screened for each road subproject. Measures to manage impacts of biodiversity are included in the ESMP of each road subproject, as required. Major project E&S impacts during the operation phase of the Project include noise and vibration, dust emission, public health impacts associated with dust and noise emissions, and biodiversity impacts, which will also be properly mitigated by the implementation of prepared ESMP for each subproject. In addition, a semi-annual monitoring report on the implementation of ESMPs and the ESMPF will be prepared and a summary of this semi-annual monitoring reports in local language (Assamese) at least be prepared and disclosed on the website of PMU.

The upgrade of the secondary road network for the proposed alignments, and road safety improvement activities will require additional land. The land acquisition is expected to affect agricultural land, residential structures, businesses, community properties and informal settlers. Other potential temporary social impacts, such as disruptions to commercial activities and livelihoods, traffic and public utilities interruption, and access restrictions due to construction activities will be mitigated through the provisions outlined in the entitlement matrix included in the RPF and RPs and by carrying out meaningful consultation.

Adverse impacts related to labor influx will be addressed using the labor code of conduct included with the bidding documents. Project related activities are also likely to impact upon Scheduled tribes. Indigenous Peoples Plans have been prepared to mitigate the adverse impacts on the Scheduled Tribes.

A Grievance Redress Mechanism (GRM) at the project level in accordance with the requirements of the ESP will be established and disseminated to local communities and in particular to the vulnerable people in a timely and appropriate manner. Communities and individuals including project workers who believe that they are adversely affected by the Project will be able to submit complaints to the project level GRM for their resolution. Information disclosure of the GRM at the project level and the Project-Affected People’s Mechanism (PPM) of AIIB will be in local language (Assamese) and a brochure will be prepared and made available by the PMU. The following is the link to the disclosed documents: http://asrip.apwd.in:8085/asrip/asrip.html?source=aiib