India: Mumbai Urban Transport Project 3A – Station Improvement

OBJECTIVE

To provide passengers with improved quality of service at selected stations of the Mumbai Suburban Rail network in an inclusive, safe, and environmentally sustainable manner.

DESCRIPTION

Component A of the Project involves the improvement of selected existing stations. The improvements involve the renovation of suburban rail entry/exit areas, the construction of additional Foot-Over-Bridges (FOB) connecting the platforms, skywalks, and deck level connecting FOBs for better passenger circulation, the construction of additional ticket offices and toilets, the widening of platforms, additional staircases, escalators and lifts, and parking lots for two-wheelers. In addition, the works include the development of gender-responsive facilities and facilities for People with Disabilities (PwD). The relocation of the office area at the stations and general electrification works are also included. The new constructed features follow Indian Green Building Committee (IGBC) station building standards.

Component B of the Project provides capacity building and preparation support, as well as finance technical studies.

ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL INFORMATION

Applicable Environmental and Social Policy. The Bank’s Environmental and Social Policy 2022 (ESP), including the Environment and Social Standards (ESSs) and the Environmental and Social Exclusion List, applies to this Project. ESS 1 (Environmental and Social Assessment and Management) and ESS 2 (Land Acquisition and Involuntary Resettlement) will be triggered due to the identified rehabilitation impacts and potential additional land requirements for the project. ESS 3 (Indigenous Peoples) will not be applicable to the Project as the project-affected area is highly urbanized and does not contain distinct social and cultural group(s) possessing the distinct characteristics as per ESS 3.

Categorization and Instruments. The components of the Project have been screened and reviewed in accordance with the ESP and ESSs and re-classified as Category B, given the limited and localized construction stage environmental and social (E&S) impacts. Environmental and Social Impact Assessment (ESIA) including an Environmental and Social Management Plan (ESMP), and the Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) were prepared as per Bank’s ESP and disclosed in English including summaries of ESIA/ESMP and RAP in Marathi by MRVC and the Bank in March 2022.

Environmental Aspects. The potential environmental impacts of the Project are site-specific and reversible construction stage impacts including air and water pollution, noise pollution, and disposal of construction and demolition wastes which were assessed in the ESIA. The assessment confirmed no impact on historical and cultural monuments. The assessment confirmed no impact on Historical and Cultural Monuments. For any chance finds during excavation, relevant national policies will be followed. The ESMP provides mitigation measures including institutional arrangements, schedule and budget for the implementation and its monitoring. The ESMP also includes mitigation plans, measures and provisions related to occupational health and safety, construction site management, and traffic and public utility management, among others. Additional wastewater and solid wastes on account of improved facilities will be managed by WR and CR during the operational phase.

Climate Change Risks and Opportunities. The Project design considers climate change effects of anticipated continuous increases in ambient temperature, heavy precipitation events, sea-level rise, earthquakes, and tsunamis. The Mumbai Suburban Rail network is located along the periphery connecting with the center, thus causing rainwater to pass through outlets below railway tracks before entering the sea or creek. To limit the impact of a potential precipitation and temperature increase, MRVC has integrated climate change considerations into the design of the Project. The design of the station improvements includes: (i) use of large open spaces for unrestricted air movement, cross-ventilation, and ensuring that enclosed areas are well-ventilated to improve adaptability to seasonal thermal variations in the stations; (ii) provision of shading to all platforms, decks, FOBs, and skywalks to prevent passengers from high temperature and rainfalls; (iii) provision of roof shading of light color with high Solar Reflective Index (SRI) value to reflect most of the solar energy and keep the underneath cool; (iv) design dimensioning to withstand expansion and contraction forces due to changes in temperature of the materials of the structure; and (v) use of steel structure with reinforced concrete foundation as the structural type for the FOBs, decks, and skywalks. The steel structure has the advantage of flexibility and endurance to bear required loads and the coating of the steel structure is selected to have the ability to get wet and then dry out with minimal damage. Therefore, the Project will contribute to building resilience to climate-induced shocks such as floods and increased temperatures.

Social Aspects. The station improvement works require 15.8 ha of land, 1.01 percent of this land is government land the remaining land belongs to the railway authority. No private land is assessed to be acquired. Efforts were made by the design to avoid private land acquisition and to utilize existing railway land for the Project. There are a total of 9 structures affected, including 5 commercial structures in Chembur station and 4 residential structures in Mumbai Central and 18 Project-affected persons (PAPs) are identified at these two stations. A RAP including a summary is prepared and disclosed in accordance with the MRVC RPF for addressing these limited impacts.

Gender and Inclusion Aspects. The Project will increase the ease and safety of travel of women and PwD commuters and thereby, increase access to markets, employment, education, and health services. The potential impact of the AIIB-supported components on women in the community has been assessed in the ESIA, and MRVC has prepared a Gender Action Plan (GAP) for the entire MUTP3A Program. Based on the recommendations from the stakeholder engagement, detailed station designs have been incorporated. MRVC engaged an experienced consultant to strengthen the station improvement measures in the areas of inclusion and accessibility based on international experiences. As part of the ESIA, the potential impact on women during construction was assessed, and mitigation measures are identified in ESMP and RAP, including non-discriminating in wage payment for construction work; measures to ensure the safety and health of female workers; the gender-based violence and prevention plan.

Project-level Grievance Redress Mechanism. The existing GRM for addressing project-related grievances for MUTP 3 (P000228) established in accordance with the requirements of Bank’s ESP will be applicable for this Project as well. The GRM includes a procedure to receive and facilitate the resolution of Project-affected peoples’ and project contracted workers’ concerns, complaints, and grievances. Communities and individuals who believe that they are adversely affected by the Project will be able to submit complaints and concerns to the Project-level GRM. The due diligence and field missions confirm the functioning and performance of the GRM.

Stakeholder Engagement, Consultation, Information Disclosure, and Monitoring. MRVC has conducted several public consultations with project-affected people (PAPs), focus group discussions (FGDs), and key informant interviews/discussions in Mumbai stations. It involved different stakeholders including shop owners, informal settlers, daily passengers, students, and others. Major findings include issues related to trespassing, noise and vibration, employment of female security guards, resettlement logistics, and others. The project design benefited from these inputs. The E&S instruments are disclosed on AIIB website and the MRVC website. Considering this is a Category B project, as agreed with the PMO, project E&S matters, including ESMP implementation, will be monitored by the MRVC. The MRVC will prepare a biannual E&S monitoring report based on agreed format and report to the Bank. AIIB will conduct onsite implementation support missions regularly.