Transport Network Development Investment Program (RRP AFG 44482-02)

Initial Environmental Examination Project Number: 44482-02 June 2011

Islamic Republic of Afghanistan: Transport Network Development Investment Program (Kabul-Jalalabad Road: Bagramy–Sapary)

Prepared by Ministry of Public Works, Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, for the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

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.

Environmental Assessment and Report

CURRENCY EQUIVALENTS (as of 31 May 2011)

Currency Unit – Afghani (AF) AF1.00 = $.0215 $1.00 = AF 46.40

ABBREVIATIONS

ADB - Asian Development Bank AP - Affected People CALINE - California Line Source Model CH4 - Methane CO - Carbon Monoxide CRTN - Calculation of Road Traffic Noise CSC - Construction Supervision Consultant DPR - Detailed Project Report EC - Elemental Carbon EHSMU - Environment, Health, and Safety Management Unit EIA - Environmental Impact Assessment EMP - Environmental Management Plan ESMU - Environmental and Social Management Unit FAO Food and Agriculture Organization GHG - greenhouse gas GOA - Government of Afghanistan HC - hydrocarbon HIV/AIDS - Human Immuno Deficiency Virus/Acquired Immuno

Deficiency Syndrome IEE - initial environmental evaluation IPCC - Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change LPG - liquefied petroleum gas MM - man month MPW - Ministry of Public Works N2O - Nitrous Oxide NEPA - National Environment Protection Agency NGO - Non-governmental Agency NILU - Norwegian Institute of Air Research NMVOC - Non-methane Volatile Organic compounds NO2 - Nitrogen Dioxide NOX - Nitrogen Oxide OC - Organic Carbon PM - Particulate Matter PMU - Project Management Unit ROW - right-of-way SO2 - Sulfur Dioxide STD - Sexually Transmitted Disease TSP - Total Suspended Particles UNHCR - UN High Commissioner for Refugees UNMAC - UN Mine Action Center USAID - United States Agency for International Development USEPA - US Environmental Protection Agency USGS - US Geological Survey UXO - Unexploded Ordnance WHO - World Health Organization

UNITS cm - Centimeter °Χ - degree Celsius dB - A’ decibel ha - Hectares hr - Hour kg - Kilogram km - Kilometer m - Meter m2 - square meter mg/L - milligram per liter μμ/γ3 - microgram per cubic meter ppm - parts per million

NOTE In this report, "$" refers to US dollars.

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.

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 I. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................................9 A. Background .....................................................................................................................10 B. Environmental Clearance Requirements ........................................................................10 1. Government Environmental Laws, Regulations and Guidelines ................................. 10 2. ADB Environmental Requirements.............................................................................. 11 II. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT .................................................................................... 11 A. Overview .........................................................................................................................11 B. Type of Project ................................................................................................................11 C. Need for Project ..............................................................................................................12 D. Location...........................................................................................................................12 E. Size or Magnitude of Operation ......................................................................................12 F. Traffic Volume .................................................................................................................13 G. Proposed Schedule for Implementation ..........................................................................14 H. Detail of the Project.........................................................................................................14 I. General Environmental Profile of the Project Roads.......................................................16 1. Bagramy –Sapary........................................................................................................ 16 2. Sapary – Totu............................................................................................................. 17 3. Totu – Surkhrod Junction ............................................................................................ 18 III. DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT .......................................................................... 21 A. Physical Resources in Project Area ................................................................................21 1. Topography ................................................................................................................. 21 2. Climate ........................................................................................................................ 21 3. Soil and Geological Characteristics............................................................................. 23 4. Water Resources......................................................................................................... 25 5. Groundwater Resources ............................................................................................. 27 6. Water Quality...............................................................................................................28 7. Natural Hazards .......................................................................................................... 28 8. Quarries and Borrow Pits ............................................................................................ 30 9. Air and Noise Quality................................................................................................... 32 B. Ecological Resources in Project Area .............................................................................34 1. Flora and Fauna.......................................................................................................... 34 2. Fisheries...................................................................................................................... 35 3. Protected Areas........................................................................................................... 36 4. Land Use..................................................................................................................... 37 C. Socioeconomic Resources in Project Area .....................................................................38 1. Population ................................................................................................................... 38 3. Agriculture ................................................................................................................... 44 4. Industries and Minerals ............................................................................................... 46 5. Road Safety.................................................................................................................49 6. Tourism ....................................................................................................................... 50 IV. screening environmental impacts and mitigation measures ........................................ 51 D. Physical Environment........................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. 1. Soils and Materials ........................................................ Error! Bookmark not defined. 2. Slope Stability Problems ............................................................................................. 53 3. Climate ..........................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. 4. Water.............................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. 5. Air Quality......................................................................Error! Bookmark not defined.

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6. Noise and Vibration.......................................................Error! Bookmark not defined. 7. Rock Blasting .............................................................................................................. 60 8. Demining ..................................................................................................................... 60 9. Quarry sites ................................................................................................................. 61 A. Ecological Environment...................................................................................................61 1. Flora ............................................................................................................................ 61 2. Fauna .......................................................................................................................... 62 3. Fish, Fisheries, and Aquatic Biology ........................................................................... 62 B. Socioeconomic Environment...........................................................................................63 1. Compensation Plan..................................................................................................... 63 2. Construction Camps.................................................................................................... 63 3. Community Impacts..................................................................................................... 64 4. Health, Safety and Hygiene......................................................................................... 65 5. Culturally and Religiously Sensitive Locations ............................................................ 65 6. Proper Construction Practices..................................................................................... 66 7. Road Safety Measures................................................................................................ 66 8. Transport of Hazardous and Toxic Materials .............................................................. 66 9. Tourism ....................................................................................................................... 67 10. Roadside Service Stations .......................................................................................... 67 11. Accessibility and Regional Cooperation ...................................................................... 67 V. INSTITUTIONAL REQUIREMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING PLAN.......... 68 C. Institutional Framework ...................................................................................................68 D. Environmental Monitoring Program.................................................................................69 E. Environmental and Social Management Training ...........................................................71 VI. Stakeholder Consultation and Information Disclosure.................................................. 72 A. Stakeholder Consultations ..............................................................................................72 B. Consultation Process and Documentation ......................................................................72 C. Information Disclosure ....................................................................................................75 VII. FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ............................................................................ 79 VIII. CONCLUSION.....................................................................................................................80

List of Tables

Table 1: Details of Project Components .............................................................................13 Table 2: Forecasted Traffic ..................................................................................................14 Table 3: Details of Existing Bridges in Project Areas...........................................................15 Table 4: Details of Proposed New Bridges in Project Areas................................................15 Table 5: Discharge data of Kabul River .............................................................................25 Table 6: Locations of Quarries and Borrow Pits ..................................................................30 Table 7: Summary of NILU Air Quality Data in Kabul. .........................................................32 Table 8: Proposed Ambient Air Quality Standards of Afghanistan ......................................34 Table 9: Wildlife status in the Project Region ......................................................................35 Table 10: Fish Families in the Project Areas .......................................................................36 Table 11: Land Cover Classification in the Project Watersheds ..........................................38 Table 12: Population of the Project Effected Districts (in thousands) ..................................40 Table 13: Villages located along the Project Road ..............................................................42 Table 14: Information on the Educational System of the Six Districts within the Project Area43 Table 15: Details of Hospitals and Clinics in the Project Districts........................................44 Table 16: Wheat Production and Cattle Population in the Project Provinces ......................44 Table 17: Agricultural Information in the Project Districts ....................................................45

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Table 18: Details of the Industries in Project Influence Areas .............................................48 Table 19: Bills of Quantities During Construction ................................................................52 Table 20: Slope Stability Measures .......................................Error! Bookmark not defined. Table 21: Predicted Annual Emissions along the Project ......Error! Bookmark not defined. Table 22: PM, NO2, and CO Concentrations for 2027 ..........Error! Bookmark not defined. Table 23: Estimated Annual Emission of GHG’s along the Project ..... Error! Bookmark not defined. Table 24 Locations Affected by Noise and Vibration .............Error! Bookmark not defined. Table 25: Predicted Noise Levels along the Project (dBA) ..................................................60 Table 26: Summary of Land Acquisition and Resettlement Impacts ..................................63 Table 27: Location of Construction Camps along the Project ..............................................64 Table 28 : Road Safety Measures .......................................................................................66 Table 29: Environmental Monitoring and Mitigation Cost of the Project. .............................70 Table 30: Public Consultations and Focused Group Discussions .......................................73

LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Location Map of the Project ..................................................................................13 Figure 2: Elevation Profile of Project....................................................................................21 Figure 3: Climatic Data of the Project ..................................................................................23 Figure 4: Geological Map of the Project Area ......................................................................25 Figure 5: Watershed Map of the Project ..............................................................................26 Figure 6: Hydrogeological Cross-section of the Kabul Basin...............................................27 Figure 7: Seismic Hazard Map of Afghanistan.......................Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 8: Natural Disaster Occurred in 2007 in Afghanistan..Error! Bookmark not defined. Figure 9: Locations of Sensitive Environment in Project Area .............................................31 Figure 10: Riparian Vegetation in Afghanistan ....................................................................35 Figure 11: Protected Areas in Afghanistan ..........................................................................37 Figure 12: Land Use Map of the Project ..............................................................................40 Figure 13: Settlements Along the Project ............................................................................41 Figure 14: Agricultural Map of the Project............................................................................46

ANNEXURES

Annex 1 Environmental Management Plan Annex 2 Terms of Reference for Consulting Services for Strengthening Capabilities in

Environmental and Social Management Training Annex 3 Original Signed Sheets of Participants Who Attended Public Consultations Annex 4 Translated List of Participants Who Attended Public Consultations Annex 5 Guidelines for Campsite Management Annex 6 Guidelines for Plant Site Management

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY

1. The objective of the project is to provide transport facilities to hinterlands of Kabul and Nangarhar provinces in order to improve the region’s economy and welfare. The Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) was prepared for the Project in accordance with the ADB’s Safeguards Policy Statement, 2009. The IEE was prepared based on detailed field investigations, review of proposed civil works, stakeholder consultations, and detailed review and analysis of available spatial database for all environmental parameters in project areas such as terrain, soils, geology, rivers, forests, protected areas, land use and population. The IEE was prepared with the active cooperation of the Ministry of Public Works (MPW) and the National Environment Protection Agency (NEPA) of Afghanistan.

• Description of the Project

2. The Project will reconstruct and improve 152.15 kilometers (km) road to a two-lane major road connecting Bagramy and Surkhrod through Tizin, Hisarak, and Gandamak areas of Kabul and Nangarhar provinces.

3. The Project will be implemented in 3 packages – the Package 1 covers Km 0–50 (Bagramy to Saprary), this IEE covers that section.

• Description of the Environment

4. Topography: The Project is located in different offshoots of Spinghar (or Sefid Koh) range, which lies immediately south of Jalalabad and forms a mountain frontier with Pakistan. The elevation in the Project ranges from 600m to 2,890m. Nearly 30% of the Project road passes through mountainous terrain, 32% passing through rolling to mountainous terrain, 27% passing through rolling terrain and 11% through flat terrain.

5. Climate: The Project areas have mainly dry, continental climate with four distinct seasons, winter from December to February, spring from March to April, summer from May to September and autumn from October to November. The mean monthly temperatures in Kabul vary from -1.9oC (in January) to 25.1oC (in July); while in Jalalabad, it varies from 8.4oC (in January) to 32.9oC in July. The average annual precipitation at Bagramy and Jalalabad are 316mm and 170mm, respectively. The areas where elevations are more than 2,000 meters (m), snow fall occurs during winter.

6. Soils: Soils in the project area primarily consist of sediments eroded from the mountains and comprise alternating layers of gravels, sands, silts and clays. Adjacent to the mountains, the sediments are dominated by coarse deposits such as gravels and pebbles, deposited by the runoff water from the mountains. Further away from the mountains, the deposits would be expected to become increasingly dominated by finer sediments such as fine sands/silts.

7. Geology: The dominant rocks along the Project road are sedimentary and volcanic rocks. The rocks are limestone and marls, sandstones, volcanics and greenschists.

8. Water Resources: The Project area is located in Kabul watershed. The major rivers located in the Project area are Kogdara River, Gandamak River, and Hashem Khel River. Further, the Kabul watershed drains numerous torrents between Kabul and Nangarhar provinces. The most important of these torrents is the Surkh Ab, taking its source from Azra and Hisarak districts and joining the Kabul River below the Darunta dam in Surkhrod District. River flows generally depend on the magnitude of annual rain and snow falls. When snow begins to melt in late winter and spring, the rivers rise. Hence these rivers have a peak flow at the end of the winter and in spring, and a minimum flow in summer and autumn.

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9. Groundwater occurs primarily in the weathered, fracture and fissured zones of the rocky aquifers. The water table in the weathered zone is normally within 10m while in fractured zones, the water strata encounters between depths 30 to 90m. In valley and river basin areas, the groundwater flow is through saturated alluvium and other basin fill sediments. The water table in these aquifers generally follows the topography and flows towards the direction of surface water discharge.

10. Water Quality: In some areas of the Kabul River Basin, groundwater quality is excellent, showing no signs of problematic water constituents. However, there are some areas that have high concentrations of nitrate, boron, and dissolved solids and could be harmful to humans and crops. In lower reaches of river valleys, groundwater is frequently saline or brackish and not usable for either drinking or irrigation purposes. In a groundwater quality survey of 1,400 wells conducted in 1996, it was reported that 45 percent of wells exceeded US Environmental Protection Agency Standard for E. Coli and 10.8 percent exceeded nitrate standard.

11. Natural Hazards: The earthquake intensity map of Afghanistan suggests that eastern and north eastern parts of Afghanistan have a high seismic hazard probability. The Project passes through earthquake intensity zones of ‘Degree VII and VIII’ on Modified Mercalli Scale, which indicates that there is a 20% probability that this intensity will exceed in 50 years.

12. Quarries and Borrow Pits: The quarries and borrow pits required for construction activities are located in all the project areas. The stones, subbase material and embankment material are located respectively - at Km 13, 20 and 38 for Package 1; at Km 63, 85 and 70 for Package 2; and at Km 110, 131 and 120 for Package 3.

13. Air and Noise Quality: There is no continuous air quality monitoring in the Project influenced areas. Air quality in Kabul is measured by Norwegian Institute of Air Research (NILU) at four stations during 2004 and the results suggested that the air quality in Kabul is polluted by various sources like vehicular traffic, windblown dust, brick kilns and fuel consumption by industrial, commercial and residential sources. The average PM10 (24-hr average) concentration is 198 μg/m3 at Station 1 and 328 μg/m3 at Station 2. The 7 day average maximum NO2 and SO2 concentrations are 87 μg/m3 and 46 μg/m3. All the metal concentrations are found to be within the limits of WHO guidelines except for cadmium.

14. Flora and Fauna: The natural vegetation in the subprojects mainly consists of grasses and trees that dry out in summer and some sparse shrubs. Overgrazing combined with an increasing population and corresponding demands for fuel wood in recent decades have resulted in extensive decline in these woodlands. In cultivated districts the major trees seen are mulberry, willow, poplar, ash and occasionally the plane. Vineyards and orchards grow near the towns. The Project road belongs to the “Baluchistan xeric woodlands” eco-region. There are 547 wildlife fauna recorded from this eco-region, 25 of them are endemic to this region. Among these 25 species, Calomyscus baluchi (Baluchi Mouse-like Hamster) and Calomyscus hotsoni (Hotson's Mouse-like Hamster) are threatened to be extinct. There is no wildlife found around the project alignment

14. Fish, Fisheries and Aquatic Biology: Fishing in rivers and streams at the project sites are found to be very limited, and information on the number of fisherman, fish species captures, yields and total catch does not exist. It is observed that fish does not contribute much to the economy of the country and therefore not much attention is paid on aquatic resources. No fish species in Afghanistan are classified into endangered status. The NEPA of Afghanistan, in consultation with relevant ministries is planning to prepare a national biodiversity strategy and action plan by 2008. The most commonly available fish in Afghanistan is trout. No marine protected areas, mangroves and coral reefs are located near the Project area.

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15. Landuse: The Project passes mostly through range land and mountainous terrain. Various land use types along the Project road are: built up -4%; semi built up – 10%; agricultural – 37%; and barren land – 49%.

16. Protected Areas: There is no protected area within the Project road. However, the nearest protected area is Kole Hashmat Khan Lake (a waterfowl sanctuary) located 10 km far from Bagramy, the starting point of the Project.

17. Population: The Project road passes through Bagramy and Khakijabbar districts of Kabul province, Hisarak, Sherzad, Kogiyani, and Surkhrod districts of Nangarhar province. The major settlements located along the Project are Bagramy, Buthkak, Hisarak, Gadamak, Memla, Fateabad, Sultanpur and Surkhrod.. The total population of the Project area is 362,400. Population in these districts varies from 12,000 to 113,100. Male and female ratio is 51:49.

18. Economic Resources: Major sources of economy along the project area are agriculture and animal husbandry. Major food crops cultivated along the road corridor are wheat, rice, barley, pulses and vegetables. Fruit trees are grown within the project areas. Mulberry, oranges, and dates are among the dominant ones. Main livestock are cows, goats, and sheep.

19. Road Safety: Road safety is a major issue at the last 23 km of the Project road as the shoulder width is very limited and the available Right of Way varies from only 15 to 20m. Shops, schools and houses are located very close to the road thus creating a traffic and safety hazard. Also, some sections in the mountainous areas have very narrow pathways; the pedestrians and the motorists all use the same lane.

20. Tourism: The Project road has a significant tourism potential due to its rich cultural, historical heritage and picturesque views. The major tourist attraction in the Project area is Memla gardens (also known as Nimla Bagh), a collection of gardens located in the village of Memla, Khogyani District. It is recognized to be the living legacy of centuries of refined and dedicated horticulture by Mughal emperors. The layout of this garden is a re-creation of Eden (‘chahar bagh’ in Persian) with four quadrants and four rivers. The traces of the gardens remain as cypresses and formal arrangement of flowerbeds and fountains. These gardens/nurseries were also used to grow orchard fruits. Another significant tourist attraction is the Moi Buharak Mosque located in the village of Sawati at Km150.06 near Surkhrod. The mosque secures the Hair of the Prophet Mohammad (pbh). There is another historical religious place located in Sultanpur, a Hindu holy place near a spring, where the Hindus used to undergo mass marriages. Buddhism sculptures are also said to be found in the Sherzad district. It was reported that illegal excavations were done here few years back to dig various artefacts which include Buddhist icons, coins, jewellery and dishes.

• Screening Environmental Impacts and Mitigation Measures

21. Anticipated environmental impacts of the Project, on the basis of the IEE study, are broadly classified into three categories during preconstruction, construction and operation;

• Preconstruction • Pedestrian and high speed traffic • Land acquisition issues for new right-of-way (ROW) areas • Compensation issues for other fixed assets from acquired ROW land areas

• Construction • Increased soil erosion, landslides and/or siltation from cut and fill operations,

including increased risks to downstream rivers and coastal resources

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• Clearing of right of way, removal of vegetation (trees and shrubs) and disposal of spoils

• Extraction and transport of construction material from existing quarry sites • Temporary use of land immediately adjacent to the road for siting of contractor’s

yard, asphalt plant and construction camps • Reduced air quality and visibility (Air quality impacts and/or noise pollution from

construction activities, quarry sites, material storage sites, temporary diversion roads, excavations, vehicle and equipment use, concrete and asphalt plants)

• Water pollution (Water and soil pollution) at bridge rehabilitation sites from improper handling of and disposal of wastes and materials

• Drainage from construction camps, material stockpiles, excavations and quarry activities

• Interruption to smooth traffic flow, increased traffic congestion and public safety problems

• Social conflicts due to project activities • Operation

• Increased traffic volume and related air, noise and public safety concerns • Possible spills from transport of hazardous cargo

22. While perceived benefits from the project includes • Reduced soil erosion and landslides due to slope stabilization measures • Improved access in the Project area and resulting economic development

23. Usually implementation of civil works do not have major or long-term impacts but there can be localized, short-term impacts that will be addressed in the detailed designs and through application of site specific environmental management plans. These construction related impacts can be mitigated by (i) the contractors’ work practices, especially those related to the storage of construction materials and cleanliness of the work sites; (ii) cooperation by the local authorities with the contractor in terms of traffic management and use of public space and utilities; (iii) project management’s strict enforcement of the correct construction practices and standards; and (iv) the incorporation of the mitigation measures identified in the IEE. An environmental management and monitoring plan is prepared to mitigate the negative environmental impacts of the Project along with the cost estimates.

24. Soils and Materials: The main impacts on land during construction are from (i) spoils due to clearing of land for site preparation (ii) extraction of fill materials from cut section, and/or borrow pits; (iii) excess cut from the landslide areas; (iv) conversion of the existing land uses such as agriculture and grassland to stockpiles of materials; (v) soil erosion in mountainous slope, side slope, borrow pits and uncompacted embankments; (vi) excess rocks from the mountain scaling; and (vi) contamination of the land from hazardous and toxic chemicals and construction material spillage.

25. Slope stability problems such as landslides, rock fall and soil erosion occur in some project areas. These slopes cut pose an immediate threat to the stability of the roadway and cause huge siltation problems in the drainage structure. About 67.69 km stone masonry roadside drainage and 96.51 km natural channel are included in the engineering design for the project.

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26. Soil Erosion and Slope Stability Problems: Slope stability problems such as landslides, rock fall and soil erosion occur in some project areas. These slopes cut pose an immediate threat to the stability of the roadway and cause huge siltation problems in the drainage structure. About 67.69 km stone masonry roadside drainage and 96.51 km natural channel are included in the engineering design for the project.

27. Potential landslide zones are identified at KM 46.5, 54, 59.2, 110.8 and 123.9. While potential rock-fall zones are identified at KM 61.3, 63.6 and 108.8. About 124,999 cubic meters (m3)retaining structures are proposed to protect landslides and 16,009 m length snow fences are proposed for rock-fall protection. For a long term solution to the slope stability problem, it is crucial that land degradation is stopped. Short vertical grade exceeding the geometric standard is recommended to avoid indiscriminate hill-cutting which may pose slope stability at the later stage. For very steep slope section, short tunnels are recommended. Maintaining a vegetative cover on agricultural land in the mountain areas would reduce erosion through run-offs, land and mud slides. It would also help ensure an efficient and reliable supply of water for irrigation in the valleys. The IEE recommends planting trees and landscaping along the corridor under the supervision of a local NGO. Improper rock scaling of hills may also become potential rockslide/landslide areas. Rockslides and landslides will be prevented by cutting slopes at only 450 with approximate spaced branches. Any cut and fill that result in a slope steeper than 450 will need to be secured by a protective wall and protected by bioengineering methods.

28. Water: Project roads will cross a number of small streams and rivers and could affect the surface runoff flow pattern. In terms of water quality, the Project will increase silt load during construction in bridge sites. Embankments and construction materials (fill, sand, and gravel) are subject to wash out with rainwater. There is the potential for hydrocarbon leakage and spills from storage and mixing plants; discharge of sewerage from work camps to the water resources; or percolation through seepage and contamination of the local water table.

29. To mitigate this, (i) bridges and culverts will be rehabilitated and installations of small drainage structures are proposed in the engineering design. In sections streams earths and stones will be disposed properly so that they do not block rivers and streams; (ii) open surface will be covered by grasses and creepers to reduce wash-away material; (iii) hydrocarbons will be stored in secure, impermeable, and bounded compounds away from surface waters and all contaminated soil will be properly handled according to NEPA or other acceptable standards. As a minimum, these areas will be maintained such a way that any spills can be immediately contained and cleaned up. Prior to initiating the work, the contractor will meet with the PMU to determine the proper siting of mixing areas and the handling and management of any such spills. Any petroleum products used in the preparation of bitumen mixes must also be carefully managed to avoid spills and contamination of the local water table; (iv) construction and work sites will be equipped with sanitary latrines that do not pollute surface waters and contractors will submit a simple sewage management plan to PMU; (v) cofferdams, silt fences, sediment barriers or other devices will are included in the design to prevent migration of silt during excavation and boring operations within streams. Dewatering and cleaning of cofferdams will be performed to prevent siltation by pumping from cofferdams to a settling basin or a containment unit. In bridge demolition sites, efforts will be made to avoid "dropping the bridge" into rivers/streams. This will be done by "sawing" appropriate sections of the bridge and using cranes to lift these sections away, or alternatively by construction of a platform onto which the bridge could be dropped; (vi) discharge of sediment-laden construction water (e.g., from areas containing dredged spoil) directly into surface watercourses will be forbidden. Sediment laden construction water will be discharged into settling lagoons or tanks prior to final discharge; and (vii) drainage system will be periodically cleared so as to ensure adequate storm water flow. Local community groups under contract from MPW will be responsible for cleaning the drainage

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facilities especially clearing the clogging of drains, cutting of grasses, and clearing the shrubs, etc. Employing local people will be efficient and effective, as well as economic as these localized problems can be easily resolved at the early stages.

30. Air Quality: During construction, air quality is likely to be degraded by exhaust emissions from the operation of construction machinery; fugitive emissions from asphalt plants; and dust generated from haul roads, unpaved roads, exposed soils and material stock piles. In order to mitigate these, the following will be implemented: (i) Construction equipment will be maintained to a good standard and idling of engines will be discouraged. Machinery causing excessive pollution (e.g., visible smoke) will be banned from construction sites. (ii) The contractor will submit a dust suppression program prior to construction. The plan will detail action to be taken to minimize dust generation (e.g., spraying of roads with water, vegetation cover in borrow sites), and will identify equipment to be used. (iii) Construction materials will be stored away from the residential areas and will be properly covered. (iv) The asphalt plants will be located about minimum 1 km away from the settlements to avoid direct impact of emissions on local settlements. The operation of the Project road will lead to emissions of major air pollutants such as Hydrocarbon (HC), Carbon Monoxide (CO), Nitrogen Oxides (NOx), Sulfur Dioxide (SO2), and Particulate Matter (PM) due to increased traffic. Dust generation from the unpaved and damaged roads will be reduced by the improvement of pavement. The health risk to roadside communities and damage to the biological environment will also be reduced by pavement improvement.

31. Noise and Vibration: Operation of heavy machinery can generate high noise and vibration levels. Health centers, schools and prayer halls are the sensitive receptors residential areas, in general, are the major receptors. Strong vibrations by compaction equipment and rock blasting can damage nearby houses and other structures. To prevent noise and vibration, the operation will be restricted between 0600 to 2100 hours within 500 m of settlements and 150m from sensitive receptors (hospitals and schools). During any blasting activities, local community will be informed in advance on detonation schedule. Blasting will be held only during day time and should be carried out not using high powered explosives. During operation, noise levels along the project roads, especially in Yogyakarta, will be increased due to the higher traffic volume. Noise monitoring will be carried out during operation stage to assess noise levels, and if required noise mitigation measures such as preventing blowing horns near schools, hospitals and other sensitive areas, reducing vehicle speeds near traffic intersections, and establishing sound barriers are to be designed..

32. Quarry Sites: Quarry sites are the major sources of environmental impact due dust and noise pollution, loss of biodiversity, and generation of spills. Management plan to be followed for quarry sites are (i) Priority must be given to the use of existing quarry sites, if they are available and suitable; (ii) Quarry sites must be selected amongst those offering the highest ratio between extractive capacity (both in terms of quality) and loss of natural state; (iii) Quarry sites lying close to the alignment, with a high level of accessibility and with a low hill gradient, are preferred; (iv) In the case of quarries located in the mountainous or hilly Ares, or wherever the slopes are important, terraces are implemented. After implementing terraces and drainage system, a vegetal coverage is provided by seeding grass and planting both bushes and trees. Maintenance of the vegetal layer is required in the first two years after plantation.

33. Rock Blasting: Rock blasting is required at Km7.57-Km13.14 for about 1000 m in length; Km21.23 for about 50 m; Km123.8 for 100 m; and Km129.15 for another 100 m. Acquisition, transport, storage, handling and use of explosives possess potential risk on the workers and environment. There will be no major impact due to rock scaling and blasting because the nearest settlements are more than 500 m away from the rock scaling areas. However, blasting will be carried out only with permission of MPW, using a pre-established

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schedule. Where possible blasting mats will be used to reduce noise levels when blasting is carried out. Nearby communities will be informed about the schedule of controlled blasting during the construction phase.

34. Demining: Cleared land mines are noticed at Km 84.17 close to the Project road. All the identified mines and Unexploded Ordnances (UXOs) are to be demined before starting of the civil works. United Mine Action Center (UNMAC) coordinates nationwide demining activities through seven regional action centers in Kabul, Heart, Kandhahar, Mazar-i-Sharif, Kunduz, Gardez, and Jalalabad. These regional offices work directly with communities, UN offices, government representatives and development organizations in each area. In addition 11 partner organizations are also undertaking humanitarian mine action. Mines should be removed or destroyed to a depth to which they can be detected. Generally this would not be less than 200 millimeters (mm). A record must be kept in all mines and monitoring cleared, stating location and type when known, and reported monthly during the clearance period

35. Flora and Fauna: Flora degradation is expected to occur marginally through clearance of small areas of vegetation (ground cover) at major worksites and ancillary sites. The potential impacts from construction worker camps are poaching of edible animals and birds of the locality. The contractors’ environmental health and safety manager will be responsible for providing adequate knowledge to the workers regarding the protection of fauna.

36. Fish, Fisheries, and Aquatic Biology: The main potential impacts to aquatic flora and fauna in the watercourses from the proposed project are increased suspended solids from earthworks erosion and bridge construction, sanitary discharge from work camps and hydrocarbon spills. Mitigation measures to address these issues are presented in paragraph 30.

37. Social Impacts: The Project will require considerable land acquisition or permanent resettlement. It is estimated that 2,099 households will be losing 105 hectares of agricultural land. Another 418 structures, including 379 private structures, 8 government structures and 31 religious structures, will also be affected. Total number of affected households is 3,420 which will result in 34,130 numbers of affected persons. A resettlement and compensation plan has been prepared for the project. Campsites for construction workers are the important locations that have significant impacts such as health and safety hazards on local resources and infrastructures of nearby communities. This may lead to antagonism between residents and workers. To prevent such problems, the contractor will provide temporary worksite facilities such as health care, eating space, and praying places. In addition, a mechanism will be established to allow local people to raise grievances arising from the construction process. The use of local during the construction will increase benefits to the local community and resolve such conflicts. The construction sites may potentially impact public health through the spread of malaria, HIV/AIDs and other sexually transmitted diseases. Mitigation measures will include creating a good environment at work sites and educating the construction workers. Awareness campaigns for the education of road users on the importance of the culturally sensitive sites normally help to preserve them. Improved road signage and awareness display boards will be placed at the religiously sensitive sites: the cemetery and mosques located along the Project roads. These will alert construction workers and road users. During construction, extreme precautions will be taken to ensure that cemetery and religiously sensitive places are protected and respected. It is highly recommended that contractors consult with local people during civil works close to these sites.

• Institutional Requirement and Environmental Monitoring Plan

38. The Executing Agency for the Project is the MPW. The Project Management Unit (PMU) will be in charge of project management to ensure that the contract provisions are properly

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maintained. The construction supervision consultants (CSC) under the PMU are responsible for environmental monitoring and management of project implementation.

39. A budget is allocated for implementing the environmental monitoring program and mitigation measures provided in the IEE that is estimated US$ 7,140,238. The proposed environmental budget is US$ 15,678,602 and included as civil work package. The environmental management budget under PMU during construction and operation stages are US$ 272,300. In addition, a budget of US$ 119,800 is provided for road safety campaign, procurement of office equipment for proposed environmental and social management unit of PMU, and environmental and social management training. PMU/MPW will retain a recognized organization for environmental monitoring and ensure that the road is monitored regularly for the first three years of its operation.

40. The CSC in cooperation with PMU/MPW and NEPA during project implementation will be required to:

Develop an environmental auditing protocol for the construction period, and formulate a detailed monitoring and management plan; and

Supervise the environmental monitoring regularly, and submit quarterly reports based on the monitoring data and laboratory analysis report:.

The contractor will be responsible for subcontracting data collection of environmental monitoring to a recognized organization..

41. The PMU shall submit the following environmental reporting documentation to the ADB: (i) Baseline Monitoring Report prior to commencement of civil work, (ii) Environmental Monitoring Reports twice annually during the construction period and annually for three years after completion of construction; and (iii) Project Completion Environmental Monitoring Report, three years after completion of construction, summarizing the overall environmental impacts from the Project.

42. The MPW has very limited experience, resources and equipment for environmental and social/resettlement management and monitoring. It will be very difficult for PMU to efficiently supervise monitoring of the environmental and social safeguard parameters. For a better understanding of road related environmental issues, implementation of mitigation measures and subsequent monitoring and capacity building of PMU and regional administration, there is a requirement of environmental management training of officials at the national and regional level. Training for the officials is crucial for proper environmental and social/resettlement monitoring addressed in the IEE. A training program with a budget of US$69,800 is proposed for capacity building of the MPW staff.

• Stakeholder Consultations and Information Disclosure

43. The IEE process included stakeholder participation and consultation to help MPW achieve public acceptance of the Project. Stakeholder consultations were performed in the district governor’s offices and a number of small settlements adjacent to the road.

44. The results of the consultation were positive, with people considering that the road will bring significant economic benefits to the region and increase trade flows. Recommendations from the consultations are incorporated in the engineering design of the Project (e.g., construction of retaining structures, drainage structures, widening of the pavement, and strengthening of the shoulders.

25. Information disclosure will be made available by (i) making copies of the IEE available on request, (ii) preparing and disseminating an information brochure in Pasthu, explaining affected peoples’ entitlements and the compensation and grievance procedures, and (iv)

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establishing a formal grievance redress committee, including community representatives. The MPW/Contractor will be responsible for managing the grievance program

• Findings and Recommendations

45. The present IEE reveals that there will be both negative and positive impacts due to the construction activities and normal operations of the bypass roads. Recommendations are made to mitigate expected negative environmental impacts and adequate fund is provided to cover environmental monitoring and mitigation cost.

46. The major positive impact of the Project will be economic and better accessibility. Road safety will be improved by stabilizing unstable sections, constructing retaining structures for landslide and rock fall, realigning difficult horizontal radii and clearing forward sight distance, installing road safety barriers including proper traffic engineering signs and display boards. Soil erosion and rock falls will be minimized after Project completion. Landslide, critical side slope and unstable batters will be protected by retaining structures, and rock fall fences. Village markets will be improved. The residual impact on the environment will be minor and in some cases positive where erosion has been active and henceforth will be controlled. The cost of the retaining structure and other protective measures for slope stability is included in the engineering design.

47. The temporary construction works could create more impacts than the activities related to the permanent works. For this reason, environmental management and monitoring will be required covering construction and operation stages and is estimated to cost US$ 7,140,438. • Conclusions

48. The Project is anticipated to have significant positive impact on the economies of the local communities and to the national economy. Based on the results of the IEE, the Project will not generate significant environmental impacts provided the mitigation measures detailed in IEE and the Environmental Management Plan are implemented appropriately. No further environmental assessment study is required for the Project.

INTRODUCTION A. Background

49. This Initial Environmental Examination (IEE) has been prepared as part of the Government of Afghanistan’s (GOA) Project to prepare detailed project report (DPR) for 152.2 km Bagramy–Khakijabbar–Hisarak–Sherzad–Surkhrod Road. The overall project constitutes three packages: (a) Package 1: Bagramy to Sapary (Km 0–50), (b) Package 2: Sapary to Totu (Km 50–102.2), and (c) Package 3: Totu to Surkhrod (Km 102.2–152.2). The proponent of this project is the Ministry of Public Works (MPW). The objective of the project is to provide transport facilities to hinterlands of Kabul and Nangarhar provinces, in order to improve the region’s economy and welfare. As such, the project will foster production and trade of major farm products, and increased use of transport services in the project areas, regional and international trade, and sustainable economic growth. MPW has requested Asian Development Bank (ADB) to consider Package 1 (Bagramy to Sapary) under the MFF: Transport Network Development Investment Program with the Bagramy–Sapary road as a key component of the Project 1.

50. Engconsult Ltd., Canada prepared this IEE as part of this project on the basis of field investigations, stakeholder consultation, primary and secondary data collection, analysis, and review of other road project reports in Afghanistan and other central Asian countries. The IEE covers the general environmental profile of the project area and includes an overview of the potential environmental impacts and their magnitude. The IEE was prepared with the active cooperation of MPW and the National Environment Protection Agency (NEPA) of Afghanistan.

51. The IEE considered environmental impacts on physical, environmental, ecological, social, and cultural resources for the whole project influence area during construction and operation phases of the project.

B. Environmental Clearance Requirements

52. According to the terms of reference (TOR), the environmental assessment of the project is prepared as the IEE in accordance with ADB’s Safeguard Policy, 2009.

1. Government Environmental Laws, Regulations and Guidelines

53. The Government’s regulation on environmental impact assessment is based on the Environmental Law of Islamic Republic of Afghanistan, approved by the National Assembly of Afghanistan through Gazette No. 912, dated 25 January 2007. The National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA), as an independent institutional entity, is responsible for coordinating and monitoring conservation and rehabilitation of the environment, and for implementing this act. Article 14 and 15 of Chapter 3 describe the process of preparing a preliminary assessment, an environmental impact statement (EIS) and a comprehensive mitigation plan to be conducted by the proponent of each project. Article 15 prohibits any activity having potential significant adverse impact without obtaining permit from NEPA. Article 16 describes the approval procedure of environmental impact assessment; this article imposes the pursuance and authorization of the project by NEPA if adverse effects are unlikely to occur. NEPA will appoint an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Board of Experts to review, assess, and consider applications and documents submitted by the proponent. Acting on the advice of the EIA Board of Experts, NEPA shall either grant or refuse to grant a permit in respect of the project. A permit granted will lapse in the event that the proponent fails to implement the project within 3 years of the date of which the permit was granted. Article 17 describes the appeal procedure. Any person may appeal within 30 days of the granting or refusal of a permit, appeal the decision to the Director-General of the NEPA. The Director General shall review the appeal application and

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thereafter make an appropriate decision. Should the appellant wish to appeal the Director General’s final decision, the matter shall be referred to the relevant court.

54. Chapter 6 of the Environmental Law of the government describes national biodiversity strategy and protected areas management. NEPA will prepare a national biodiversity strategy and action plan within two years of the entry into force of the Environmental Act. NEPA will also develop a comprehensive plan for the national protected areas system

55. Article 19 of the Environmental Law emphasizes the importance of public participation. Opinions of the population that may be affected by any proposed project, plan, and policy will be considered before the approval of the project, plan, and policy.

56. Based on the Environmental Law (Article 14 section 1 and 2), the proponent is obliged to submit accurate information to NEPA who will determine the potential adverse effects and positive impacts of the project. After reviewing the information, NEPA will decide the project is qualified to get environmental permit with or without conditions. If it is required, project proponent has to submit an environmental impact statement or a comprehensive mitigation plan for issuing the environmental clearance permit. Following Article 20, NEPA appointed EIA Board of Experts will recommend for environmental permits after reviewing the documents submitted by the project proponent.

57. The project does not anticipate any significant environmental impact. Therefore ‘Article 15’ is not applicable for the project. For this project, MPW is required to submit the IEE report to NEPA for its review and confirmation of Article 15 and also obtaining permit, if found applicable.

2. ADB Environmental Requirements

58. According to ADB safeguards Policy Statement 2009 (SPS) the project can be classified as category “B” for Environmental Assessment and therefore an IEE is required for the project roads. For category ‘B’ projects, the IEE is reviewed by the executing agency. Depending on the scope of public consultation activities, additional comments may be sought from the project affected people and other stakeholders. All comments are to be incorporated into the final documents. The MPW and NEPA make a final review of the IEE report. This IEE is prepared in accordance with the Safeguard Policy Statement, 2009. The project involves reconstruction and rehabilitation of roads, bridges and other drainage structures, protection of landslide, rock fall, and side-slopes, and is predicted to rise to both negative (air and noise) and positive (reduced soil erosion) environmental impacts.

II. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT

A. Overview

59. The objective of the project is to prepare a DPR for a 152.2 km Bagramy–Khakijabbar–Hisarak–Sherzad–Surkhrod Road to a two-lane major road standard. The DPR will also include the safeguard documents (Initial Environmental Examination and Resettlement Plan) in order to be eligible for donor funds.

B. Type of Project

60. The project will reconstruct and improve 152.2 km of road to a two-lane major road connecting Bagramy and Surkhrod through Tizin, Hisarak, and Gandamak areas of Kabul and Nangarhar provinces. Construction of the project components will involve a number of

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associated activities. These include reconstruction and rehabilitation of bridges, culverts and other associated drainage structures; land acquisition and resettlement; site preparation, land clearing and disposal of gravel, soil, vegetation and unstable material; construction of temporary access roads to the construction sites; setting up of temporary construction camps to house the workers; excavation and operation of borrow pits; the operation of a boulder quarry; extraction of material for embankments using cut and fill procedures; protection of landslide, rock-fall, and snowfall areas; measures to protect critical side-slopes; and extraction and cartage of sand for aggregate mixtures, batch, concrete and asphalt plants.

C. Need for Project

61. The last 30 years of hostilities in the country virtually have ceased the development and maintenance of road networks and have caused widespread damage. Over 90% of national highways and provincial roads are either earthen or gravel, and over 60% are in a poor condition. Many of them are impassable at locations such as river crossings and sections where severe erosion or landslides have occurred. Except for newly constructed bridges, most bridges and culverts along national highways and provincial roads are in poor condition. Many are in danger of collapsing under heavily loaded vehicles or being washed away. The government’s budget allocations and capacity for rehabilitation, preventive maintenance and management of the roads fell far short of the needs and standards. This has had an adverse effect of increasing transport costs for the agriculture, business, petroleum and industrial sectors and their associated cross-border trade flows. These roads are essential for the revival of Afghan economy and development as a whole.

62. The GOA has declared that reconstructing and rehabilitating the road network is the country’s top priority. Improved roads will facilitate physical and social integration of Afghanistan by providing its populace with an efficient mode of transport and extending the reach of the central government. Rebuilding the road network is also critical to facilitate humanitarian and development assistance. The project will connect hinterlands of Kabul and Nangarhar provinces from Kabul to Jalalabad. This project will support the people in the region in terms of better transport and access to health facilities, improved economy and labor market. In addition, the proposed road will provide an alternative route from Kabul to Jalalabad and reduce congestion in the existing route and provide access to traffic during crisis period when the existing route is closed for maintenance.

D. Location

63. The project road passes through Bagramy and Khakijabbar districts of Kabul province, Hisarak, Sherzad, Kogiyani, and Surkhrod districts of Nangarhar province. The major settlements located along the Project are Bagramy, Buthkak, Hisarak, Gadamak, Memla, Fateabad, Sultanpur and Surkhrod. The location of the project road is shown in Figure 1.

E. Size or Magnitude of Operation

64. The project will construct or reconstruct 129.15 km of existing gravel road and rehabilitate 23 km of existing asphalt road. In addition, the project will construct and rehabilitate several bridges, culverts, washes (causeways), snow protection fence, and retaining walls as shown in

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Table 1.

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Table 1: Details of Project Components

Structure Existing Rehabilitation

Reconstruction New Construction

Total

Road 152.2 km 23.5 km 128.65 km 152.2 km Bridge 22 (1154 m) - - 13 (406 m) 35 (1560 m) Culverts (no) 1 166 159 326 Washes 22 (398 m) - 22 (398 m) - 22 (398 m) Retaining Wall - - - 105,106 m 105,106m Snow Fence - - - 16,009 m 16,009 m

km = kilometer, m = meters, no = number.

Figure 1: Location Map of the Project

F. Traffic Volume

65. The present traffic flow in the project is very minimal due to lack of good and drivable roads. After construction, the project is expected to improve the traffic in the region and is also expected to serve as an alternate route between Kabul and Jalalabad. In estimating environmental impacts due to traffic flow in the project, it is assumed that 50% of the traffic of Kabul Jalalabad regional highway will use this new road plus locally generated traffic due to the new paved road and given in Table 2. The generated traffic volume has been estimated 12% increase in base year 2012 and 8% increase in 2017. The traffic volume of Kabul Jalalabad highway has been estimated based on the base year (2007) traffic data from ADB Project (TA 4828: Preparing Road Rehabilitation and Capacity Building Cluster Project–Project Preparation)

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1 in June–July, 2007. This traffic volume has been used for the environmental assessment of the study.

Table 2: Forecasted Traffic Year Car Pickup Mini

Bus Medium

Bus Large Bus

2 Axle

Truck

3 Axle

Truck

>3 Axle

Truck

Tractor Military Total

2007 1480 85 48 384 103 277 132 213 28 43 27912008 1554 89 50 404 108 290 138 223 29 45 29312009 1631 94 53 424 114 305 145 234 30 47 30772010 1713 99 55 445 119 320 152 246 32 49 32312011 1799 103 58 467 125 336 160 258 34 52 33932012 2069 119 67 537 144 387 184 297 39 59 39022013 2172 125 70 564 151 406 193 312 41 62 40972014 2281 131 74 592 159 426 203 328 43 66 43022015 2395 138 78 622 167 447 213 344 45 69 45172016 2514 145 81 653 175 470 224 361 47 72 47432017 2798 161 91 727 195 523 249 402 52 80 52782018 2938 169 95 763 205 549 261 422 55 84 55422019 3085 178 100 801 215 576 274 443 58 89 58192020 3239 186 105 841 226 605 288 465 61 93 61102021 3401 196 110 883 237 636 302 489 64 98 64152022 3075 177 100 799 214 575 273 442 57 88 58002023 3229 186 105 838 225 603 287 464 60 93 60902024 3390 195 110 880 236 633 301 487 63 97 63952025 3560 205 115 924 248 665 317 512 66 102 67142026 3738 215 121 971 260 698 332 537 70 107 70502027 3923 226 127 1019 273 733 349 564 73 113 74002028 4120 237 133 1070 287 770 366 592 77 118 7770

G. Proposed Schedule for Implementation

66. Implementation of the project is expected to commence in 2011 and is forecasted to take three years to complete in total.

H. Detail of the Project

67. Bagramy to Surkhrod is a 152.2 km road, in which 82 km is a gravel road, 47.15 km is earth/substandard gravel road and 23 km is a two-lane asphalt concrete road. The project involves construction of a two-lane road and associated drainage structures. The details of the Project are:

• Reconstruction of 82 km of gravel road from Bagramy to Tizin and Hisarak to Fateabad • Reconstruction of 47.15 km of road between Tizin and Hisarak (Km 31.2 to Km 86.0) • Rehabilitation of 23 km asphalt concrete road between Fateabad and Surkhrod Junction • Construction of 13 new bridges (Total length 406 m) and rehabilitation of all the existing

bridges (Total length 1154 m). All existing bridges need some kind of rehabilitation work. The details of the existing and proposed bridges are given in Table 3 and 4.

1 ADB TA 4828, 2007, Preparing Road Rehabilitation and Capacity Building Cluster Project – Project Preparation.

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• Construction of 166 new culverts (Total length 1,914 m), reconstruction of 159 existing culverts

• Construction of 105,106 m retaining walls • Reconstruction of 22 washes (Total length 398 m)

Table 3: Details of Existing Bridges in Project Areas

No. Beginning End Length (m)

1 35+955 36+016.65 61.65 2 39+990 40+051.9 61.65 3 46+570 46+600.55 30.55 4 48+825 48+859.24 34.24 5 67+335 67+396.65 61.65 6 72+315 72+361.1 46.1 7 74+060 74+141.65 81.65 8 74+415 74+461.1 46.1 9 75+020 75+50.55 30.55 10 77+260 77+300.55 40.55 11 85+705 85+827.75 122.75 12 105+245 105+275.55 30.55 13 107+615 107+676.65 61.65 14 107+960 108+021.65 61.65 15 109+790 109+912.75 122.75 16 113+210 113+240.55 30.55 17 114+950 114+996.1 46.1 18 122+665 122+695.55 30.55 19 124+515 124+561.1 46.1 20 129+177 129+223.6 46.1 21 129+335 129+375.55 40.55 22 148+717.5 148+737.5 20

m = meters.

Table 4: Details of Proposed New Bridges in Project Areas

No.

Chainage (km)

Location Length (m)

Recommended width

(m) 1 35+560 Qalagay 30 10 2 41+210 Tizin 30 10 3 50+840 Abandoned village 16 10 4 66+930 Lahorekhel 30 10 5 72+510 Kogdara/abjangani 20 10 6 74+480 Kogdara/abjangani 40 10 7 74+760 Kogdara/abjangani 40 10 8 75+630 Kogdara/abjangani 20 10 9 77+980 Doaw 30 10 10 87+080 Hisarak 80 10 11 95+220 Ashpan 20 10 12 131+520 Darwazagy 20 10 13 132+070 Darwazagy 30 10

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km = kilometers, m = meters.

I. General Environmental Profile of the Project Roads

1. Bagramy –Sapary

68. Km 0–10: The project starts at the end of the completed four-lane arterial road on the outskirts of Bagramy. The existing road is a gravel road which was improved as a temporary diversion route while the main Kabul – Surobi highway is being rehabilitated. This section goes through a flat terrain up to Km 6.65 followed by rolling/hilly terrain ending at Km 9.02; the hilly track starts again at Km 9.81 and continues up to Km 10.00. Hills on right side and a stream with a little gorge on left side (known as Ghazak gorge) are present after Km 7.57. The gravel surface is in fair to good condition for most of its length and has a ROW of more than 40 m. MPW is currently carrying out routine maintenance on the surface, shoulders and drainage. At Km 3.27 the road takes a diversion at Buthkak village towards south while the existing road goes to Surobi via Lataband. A culvert and two washes are located in this section and their condition is good. Agricultural lands are present at Km 6.65. Small bushiness shops are located along the first three kilometers of the project while a police check post is situated at Km 9.02. Rock blasting is required from Km 7.57 up to 10 km.

69. Km 10–20: This section is a characterized by a gravel road on a rolling and hilly terrain. Rocky hills continue to exist right up to Km 13.14. The hills are made up of hard limestone; white and rose-colored marble stones are being mined commercially from these hills. The hills are also being quarried for construction materials. The gravel road all throughout this section is in good condition since it was only during last year. This part of the project has two slab culverts and two washes. At Km 13.62, the irrigation canal from Amir Ghazi dam crosses the track. The Amir Ghazi reservoir, an irrigation dam is located at Km 14.58. The dam was recently rehabilitated to provide irrigation water to Kabul. Km 16.00 marks the border of Bagramy and Khakijabbar districts; agricultural lands are dominant from Km 17.98 to Km 20.36. Also, at Km 14.68, a grove (group of trees) is located on the right side of the road. Rock blasting is required from the beginning of this section up to Km 13.14.

70. Km 20–30: This section lies on rolling and hilly terrain. A stream on the right side and a small hill on the left are located at Km21.72. The hills continue to run on the left side of the road until Km 26.27; the track continues to run on a hilly terrain up to Km 30.00 Ten culverts and four washes are located this section. The village of Dawran Khel and Talo Khel are situated at Km 20.36 and Km 25.77, respectively. An abandoned house is found at the right-hand side of the road at Km 27.2 while houses exist at Km 29.25. Landslides are likely to occur at Km 29.0 due to unstable rocks. Rock blasting for about 100 m is needed at Km 21.23 while slope protection measures are needed at Km 25.77.

71. Km 30–40: This section is characterized by rolling/hilly to mountainous terrains. A stream crossing is found at Km 30.38 followed by a rolling terrain at Km 30.73. A hill is situated

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at Km 31.57. The track crosses a stream at Km 31.77, Km 35.03 (about 700 m), Km 36.87, and Km 39.68. The track at Km 31.97 climbs down the hill with steep gradient and at Km 36.87, it is characterized by boulder terrain with boulders on the right side. At Km 39.31, the track climbs down to the Tizin Valley, again on a steep gradient. The condition of the track at this location is poor and realignment is required. Vehicles coming from Buthkak divert at this point towards the left and pass through the stream to reach Surobi. A graveyard and three houses are located on the right side of the track at Km 31.27. Tizin village is situated at Km 39.68 with the roads passing through the valley of wheat fields distributed along the valley. Land acquisition is required in the valley.

72. Km 40–50: Immediately after the Tizin valley, the road branches off into two at Km 40.15 and one road goes to Surobi. The mountainous terrains start at Km 40.92 and end at Km 41.15. The track passes through a gorge from Km 46.46 to Km 49.31. This gorge forms the border of Khakijabbar and Hisarak districts Km 49.47 marks the starting point of Haji Skimo Pass, the highest peak of the project alignment with an elevation of 2,890 m. Qalagay village is located along the Km 41.53 of the section and Horankik (Zandeh Kalay) is located at Km 46.00. Acquisition of agricultural lands is required.

2. Sapary – Totu

73. Km 50–60: This section is passing through Haji Skimo Pass. The highest elevation of 2,873 m of the pass is located at Km 54.09. Valleys are found on the left and hills on the right; some sections of the hills are made of chromate ore. The track all throughout this section has width of about three to four meters and is in poor condition. A bunker with caves that was used store ammunition during the civil war is found at Km 50.92. Geotechnical investigations are required since some of the caves are long. Villages located in this section are abandoned at present but they return during summers since winters are severe in this area. The pass finished at Km 58.27 and enters the Kogdara valley. Qader Khel is the first village in the valley and is located at Km 58.27. The valleys are covered with wheat and fruit bearing trees such as mulberry, walnut, and citrus. Slope protection measures are required in the hill sections especially at Km 54.09 to Km 55.69 as hills are unstable.

74. Km 60–70: This section passes through Kogadara valley. Kogdara River (also known as Abjangani River) passes through the valley. Several micro hydro stations are located near this river. The villages located in this section are Kafar Khel, Gulab Khel, and Godara. Potential rock fall areas are located at Km 61.27 and Km 63.64; rock fall protection measures are required. Four major bridges are to be

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constructed in this section. This section passes through hilly terrain with last two km pass through a floodway. Still continues to be on a mountainous terrain but ends with a two-kilometer floodway. A finished floodway is found at Km 71.5 with a stream now flowing. The track continues to pass through a stream/floodway for about two km. Boday-naw and Doaw villages are located in this section.

75. Km 70–80: This section passes through rolling/hilly terrain (first eight km) and mountainous terrain (last two km). Hisarak is located Km 77.64. After Hisarak the track passes through two rivers and mountains. Local community proposed an alternate alignment which crosses only one mountain and one river. There are 20 culverts located in this section with lengths that range from 5.5–8.0 km. All the valleys in this section are irrigated with. Resettlement of houses and businesses are required in Hisarak and Navur. Mulberry and walnut trees are located within ROW.

76. Km 80–90: This passes through a rolling terrain with a good right of way. Land mines are located at Km 84.17. Boulders and gravel material are located all along the ROW which can be used for construction. The hills in the initial section the track are being mined for marble. The alternate alignment proposed from Hisarak joins this section at Km 84.2 after Hisarak, the track passes through a major stream. A primary school is located at Km 83.18. The villages located in this section are Khanjar, Pitla, and Dhai. Houses, agricultural lands and water wells near these villages are required to be resettled.

77. Km 90–102: The section passes through a plateau/rolling terrain. The villages located in this alignment are Kandai, Bar Asphan, Peshdare, and Totu. A spring water source is located in this section. All the villages are surrounded by expansive wheat fields. In Bar Ashpan, Buddhism sculptures are relics are located. Tents of several nomadic tribes are located in this section. Totu is a bigger village after Hisarak in the Project road and has market, educational and health care facilities. Land acquisition, resettlement and vegetation removal is required at Totul village.

3. Totu – Surkhrod Junction

78. Km 102–110: This section is characterized by a combination of a plateau/rolling terrain and mountainous terrain. The section passes through the major rivers Gandamak River at Km 105.46 and 106.81 and Hasham Kale River at Km 112.11. Three major bridges were constructed along the rivers about ten years ago and all these bridges were destroyed immediately after construction due to heavy logs carried by flash floods. Gandamak and Nokor Khil villages are located in this section. Resettlement and land acquisition is required in both the villages. Schools, healthcare, market facilities including gas stations are located in both these villages. Potential rock fall area is noticed Km 108.86.

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79. Km 110–120: Two major valleys Memla and Araban are located in this section. Memla valley starts on Km 113.46 and ends at Km 118.79. Araban valley starts at Km 112. The mountain after Araban is the border of Sherzad and Kogiyani districts. Both these valleys are extensively cultivated with wheat. Memla is a very big village with a population of over 25,000. An historical garden, Memla garden is located at the left of Km 116.08. This garden was said to be constructed during Mughal period about 400 years ago. The garden was constructed in 40 hectares and consists of several pines, mulberry, walnut and various types of citrus tree. Farhan (Dharwazagay) village is located at this section.

80. Km 120–130: This section runs through a valley terrain. The track crosses a major torrent at Km 124.26. The gravel road ends at Gaza village and meets the asphalt concrete road of Surkhrod and Kogiyani. A graveyard is found on the left side of the track at Km 128.15. Two bridges are located at Km 129.85. These torrents are known as Kogiyani floodways. One of the causeways was constructed recently to replace the previously damaged one. Big boulders deposited along the floodway have sizes that range from few centimeters to one meter. Although these bridges are in fair to good condition, installation of railing and slope protection are required. About 100 m of rock blasting is required at Km 129.15.

81. Km 130–140: the project road meets the existing Jalalabad–Kogiyani asphalt road at Km 131.2. The asphalt road in this section was constructed last year while the 10 km section at the end of the project was built about 10 years ago. Two gas stations are found at Km 131.15 and Km 135.65. At Km 130.35, a deep tube is located on the right side of the track and; this is used for irrigation. Fateabad, a major village is located at Km 131.15. Resettlement of houses and business are required at this village. Agricultural lands are located on both sides of the road. Small hills are located on the left side from Km 132.95 to Km 134.35. The condition of the asphalt pavement in this section is very poor. Deposits of gravel and boulders are located on the right side of the track from Km 133.45 and they can be used for construction.

82. Km 140–150: This section passes through asphalt concrete road. Except at few sections, agricultural lands are dominant on either side of the road. Brick Kilns are noticed in this section. A graveyard is located at Km 142.45, five mosques are located at Km 142.55, Km 143.85, Km 144.85, Km 144.98, and Km 146.84. The villages of Aji Saheban, Ahmedzai, and Mastikhel are located at Km 144.98, Km 146.15, and Km 147.38, respectively. Gas stations are located at Km 147.29 and Km 147.83. Irrigation canals from Surkhrod River are passing along the road. Agriculture in this area includes wheat, corn, barley, onions and various vegetable crops. Several NGOs are working in this area to promote new techniques in agriculture.

83. Km 150–152.2: This is an asphalt section passing on a flat terrain. Available ROW varies from 15 m to 21 m. A bridge over an irrigation canal is located at Km 150.43. A most significant mosque is Moi Buharak mosque located at Km 150.06 and it secures the hair of the

21

Prophet Mohammad (pbh). The villages of Sawati, Naghrak, and Surkhrod are located at Km 150.06, Km 150.47, and Km 152.2, respectively. Two gas stations are located at Km 150.15 and Km 151.7. Agricultural lands are located on both sides of the road. The road ends at Km 152.2 near the Surkhrod junction. Land acquisition is required all along the section and resettlement of houses and businesses are required in all the villages.

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III. DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT

A. Physical Resources in Project Area 1. Topography

84. The project is located in different offshoots of Spinghar (or Sefid Koh) range, which lies immediately south of Jalalabad and forms a mountain frontier with Pakistan. The elevation profile of the project is given in . The elevation in the project ranges from 600 m to 2,890 m. Nearly 30% of the project road passes through mountainous terrain, 32% passing through rolling to mountainous terrain, 27% passing through rolling terrain and 11% through flat terrain.

Figure 2: Elevation Profile of Project

2. Climate

85. The project areas have mainly dry, continental climate with four distinct seasons, winter from December to February, spring from March to April, summer from May to September and autumn from October to November. The climatic data of the Kabul and Jalalabad weather stations is shown in

Bagrami

Surkhrod

Gandamak

Hisarak

Tizin

Haji Skimo Pass

23

Figure 3. The mean monthly temperatures in Kabul vary from -1.9oC (in January) to 25.1oC (in July); while in Jalalabad, it varies from 8.4oC (in January) to 32.9oC in July. The average annual precipitation at Bagramy and Jalalabad are 316 mm and 170 mm, respectively. The areas where elevations are more than 2000 m, snow fall occurs during winter.

24

Figure 3: Climatic Data of the Project

0

10

20

30

40

50

60

70

80

90

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec

Mea

n M

onth

ly P

reci

pita

tion,

mm

-5

0

5

10

15

20

25

30

35

Mea

n M

onth

yly

Tem

p, o C

Precip. - Kabul

Precip. - Jalalabad

Mean Temp. - Kabul

Mean Temp. - Jalalabad

3. Soil and Geological Characteristics

86. Soils in the project area primarily consist of sediments eroded from the mountains and comprise alternating layers of gravels, sands, silts and clays. Adjacent to the mountains, the sediments are dominated by coarse deposits such as gravels and pebbles, deposited by the runoff water from the mountains. Further away from the mountains, the deposits would be expected to become increasingly dominated by finer sediments such as fine sands/silts. 87. The dominant rocks along the project road are sedimentary and volcanic rocks. The geology of project area is shown in

25

Figure 4. The rocks are limestone and marls, sandstones, volcanics and greenschists.

26

Figure 4: Geological Map of the Project Area

4. Water Resources

88. About 80% of Afghanistan’s natural storage of water is in the form of snow precipitation at elevations above 2,000 m. As a result, the country is covered by a relatively dense network of rivers although most of the smaller rivers only run with water during rainy period or during the thaw. Afghanistan is divided into five major river basins, which comprise 41 watersheds. The major river basins are: (i) Amu Darya River Basin, which contributes 57% of the total river flow in Afghanistan, (ii) Northern River Basin, (iii) Harirud–Murghab River Basin, and (iv) Kabul (Indus) river basin. The project is located in the Kabul watershed. The watershed map is shown in Figure 5 while the average monthly discharge flows in Kabul Basin are given in Table 5.

Table 5: Discharge Data of Kabul River Rainfall (mm)

Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Annual

Mean 80.2 81.8 183 476 624 671 589 256 82.1 67.6 82 89.5 274 Max 113 193 410 1,560 815 795 755 525 284 127 150 158 1,560 Min 47 49 40 178 492 588 375 100 50 43.4 44.3 50 40

mm = millimeter.

27

89. River flows in Afghanistan depend on the magnitude of annual rain and snow falls. When snow begins to melt in late winter and spring, the rivers rise. Most of the rivers in Afghanistan have a peak flow at the end of the winter and in spring, and a minimum flow in summer and autumn. Kabul River originates from eastern side of the Paghman Mountains from the Jalrez district of Wardak province and Paghman district of Kabul province. Kabul River flows mainly from the contribution of other rivers, in which the most important are the Logar, Panjshir, Alinghar and Kunar Rivers. Other minor rivers that run through the project areas are Kogdara River, Gandamak River, and Hashem Khel River. 90. The Kabul watershed drains numerous torrents between Kabul and Nangarhar provinces. The most important of these torrents is the Surkh Ab, taking its source from Azra and Hisarak districts and joining the Kabul River below the Darunta dam in Surkhrod District.

Figure 5: Watershed Map of the Project

28

5. Groundwater Resources 91. Groundwater in Afghanistan occurs primarily in the weathered, fracture and fissured zones of the rocky aquifers. The water table in the weathered zone is normally within 10 m while in fractured zones, the water strata encounters between depths 30 m to 90 m. In valley and river basin areas, the groundwater flow is through saturated alluvium and other basin fill sediments. The water table in these aquifers generally follow the topography and flows towards the direction of surface water discharge. A schematic hydrogeological cross-section of Kabul Basin is shown in Figure 6. The aquifer in the Kabul basin consists of three strata: loamy soils, gravel and sand deposits, and fractured conglomerates and sand stones. The surface soils are loams with an average thickness of 1 m to 5 m at the center of the basin, and up to 20 m at the edges of the basin. The depth to water table varies from 4 m to 13 m and thickness of aquifer varies from 18 m to 66 m. The different layers within the Kabul aquifer are considered to be interconnected and forms one aquifer. Pump tests in the Kabul aquifer during 1971 revealed an average pumping rate of 14 l/s to 34 l/s (50 m3/hr to 122 m3/hr).

Figure 6: Hydrogeological Cross-section of the Kabul Basin

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6. Water Quality 92. In some areas of the Kabul River Basin, groundwater quality is excellent, showing no signs of problematic water constituents. However, there are some areas that have high concentrations of nitrate, boron, and dissolved solids and could be harmful to humans and crops. In lower reaches of river valleys, groundwater is frequently saline or brackish and not usable for either drinking or irrigation purposes. In a groundwater quality survey of 1,400 wells conducted in 1996, it was reported that 45% of wells exceeded US Environmental Protection Agency Standard for E. Coli and 10.8% exceeded nitrate standard.

7. Natural Hazards 93. The earthquake intensity map of Afghanistan is shown in Error! Reference source not found.. The eastern and northeastern parts of Afghanistan have a high seismic hazard probability. The project passes through earthquake intensity zones of ‘Degree VII on Modified Mercalli Scale, which indicates that there is a 20% probability that this intensity will exceed in 50 years. The road and structure designs of the project considered seismic activity of the area.

Figure 7: Seismic Hazard Map of Afghanistan

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94. Afghanistan in general is prone to a number of natural disasters: earthquakes, flooding, drought, landslides and avalanches. Floods are dominant in the spring, when the snow begins to melt and rainfall is heavy. For instance, during March and April of 2007, Afghanistan faced natural disasters from heavy rains and floods. According to International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, 300 families in Kabul city and 154 families in the eastern provinces of Laghman, Nangrahar and Kunar were affected at that time. The provinces affected by the natural disasters in 2007 are shown in Error! Reference source not found.. A total of 3,019 families were severely affected in Afghanistan by various disasters like floods due to heavy rains and snow-melting, avalanches, landslides and earthquake. These disasters have also caused severe damages to infrastructure, houses and public service centers. Some 432 families were severely affected in the Northern region, 1,813 families were affected in the west region and 320 families were affected in the southwest region.

Figure 8: Natural Disaster Occurred in 2007 in Afghanistan

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8. Quarries and Borrow Pits

95. The quarries and borrow pits required for construction activities are located in all the project areas close to the project roads. The locations of the quarries and borrow pits are given in Table 6. Locations of quarries and borrow pits to be used for the project road construction are shown in Table 6..

Table 6. Locations of Quarries and Borrow Pits

Package No.

Location

1 Km 13 (Existing Stone Quarry) Km 20 and Km 41 (Sub-base Material) Km 38 (Embankment Material)

2 Km 63 and Km 85 (Stone Quarry) Km 70 and Km 85 (Sub-base Material) Km 70 (Embankment Material)

3 Km 110 (Stone Quarry) Km 131 (Sub-base Material) Km 120 (Embankment Material)

Km = kilometer, No. = number.

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Figure 9: Locations of Sensitive Environment in Project Area

33

9. Air and Noise Quality

96. There is no continuous air quality monitoring in the project influenced areas. Air quality in Kabul is measured by Norwegian Institute of Air Research (NILU) at four stations during 2004 and the summary of these results are given in Table 7. The results suggested that the air quality in Kabul is polluted by various sources like vehicular traffic, windblown dust, brick kilns and fuel consumption by industrial, commercial and residential sources. The average PM10 (24-hr average) concentration is 198 μg/m3 at Station 1 and 328 μg/m3 at Station 2. The seven-day average maximum NO2 and SO2 concentrations are 87 μg/m3 and 46 μg/m3. All the metal concentrations are found to be within the limits of WHO guidelines except for cadmium. During November 2005 a survey was undertaken at various border entry points into Afghanistan and in Kabul to determine the quality of fuels entering the country. Lead concentrations in all seven samples are less than national specification of ‘0.005 q/L’2.

Table 7: Summary of NILU Air Quality Data in Kabul.

24-hour average concentrations

(μg/m3)

7 day average concentrations

(μg/m3) PM10 OC EC TC NO2 SO2

Maximum 12 36 11 47 70 46 Minimum 486 8 2 10 38 11 Station 1

(Camp) Average 198 21 6 27 61 28 Maximum 63 109 27 138 87 34 Minimum 704 55 20 74 34 14 Station 2

(Embassy) Average 328 81 23 104 60 21 Maximum 63 32 Minimum 29 <2 Station 3

(Admin.) Average 48 15 Maximum 41 16 Minimum 5 5 Station 4

(Background) Average 32 10 Source: Luftkvalitet i Kabul Målinger for det Norske forsvaret, NILU, 2004

97. The major factors affecting the air quality in the project area are dust emissions from fuel combustion and brick kilns in Surkhrod district. Dust from the unpaved roads is the major source of air pollution in rural areas. Increased use of generators and kerosene lamps for lighting and wood for cooking and space heating are likely to further effect the air quality. During late autumn and winter, air quality is reportedly worsened by domestic emissions arising from increased use of ovens, stoves and open fires. Air quality standards are not yet established in Afghanistan. The ADB TA Kabul Air Quality Management has recommended ambient air quality standards (AAQS) for Afghanistan based on the WHO guidelines. The proposed AAQS standards for Afghanistan are presented in

2 ADB TA No. 4415-AFG: Kabul Air Quality Management - TA completion Report, March 2007

34

Table 8.

35

Table 8: Proposed Ambient Air Quality Standards of Afghanistan

Pollutant Averaging Period

Interim Target 1,

µg/m3

Interim Target 2,

µg/m3

Interim Target 3,

µg/m3

Final Target (Air Quality Guideline),

µg/m3 PM10 Annual 70 50 30 20

24-hour 150 100 75 50 PM2.5 Annual 50 25 15 10 24-hour 75 50 37.5 25 SO2 24-hour 125 50 20

10 minute 500 CO 8 hour 0.01 Ozone 8 hour 160 100

Source: Engconsult Ltd., KAQM Strategy Report, ADB TA 4415, 2007.

98. No noise monitoring data is available for the existing and proposed sites, it is expected that noise quality will conform to international noise standards with low background noise level. B. Ecological Resources in Project Area

1. Flora and Fauna 99. The vegetation in Afghanistan is directly related to the amount of precipitation. Trees are only found in a few areas as a consequence of massive deforestation which has taken place in recent decades. There is also no continuous plant cover areas of relatively dense vegetation, only rarely present in the vicinity of water deposits. Apart from these small localized patches, the country is dominated by steppe and semi-deserts with steppe vegetation. 100. The natural vegetation in the subprojects mainly consists of grasses and trees that dry out in summer and some sparse shrubs. Overgrazing combined with an increasing population and corresponding demands for fuel wood in recent decades have resulted in extensive decline in these woodlands. In cultivated districts the major trees seen are mulberry, willow, poplar, ash and occasionally the plane. Vineyards and orchards grow near the towns. The vegetation map of Afghanistan is shown in Figure. 10.

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Figure 10: Riparian Vegetation in Afghanistan

101. The project road belongs to the “Baluchistan xeric woodlands” eco-region. There are 547 wildlife fauna recorded from this eco-region, 25 of them are endemic to this region. Among these 25 species, Calomyscus baluchi (Baluchi Mouse-like Hamster) and Calomyscus hotsoni (Hotson's Mouse-like Hamster) are threatened to be extinct. Wildlife status in the region is shown in Table 9. However, there is no wildlife found around the project alignment.

Table 9: Wildlife status in the Project Region

Total Near Threatened

Lower Risk

Vulnerable Endangered Critical

547 13 76 12 5 1

Source: World Wildlife Fund (http://www.worldwildlife.org/wildfinder)

2. Fisheries

102. Fishing in rivers and streams at the project sites are found to be very limited, and information on the number of fisherman, fish species captures, yields and total catch does not exist. It is observed that fish does not contribute much to the economy of the country and therefore not much attention is paid on aquatic resources. No fish species in Afghanistan are classified into endangered status. The National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) of Afghanistan, in consultation with relevant ministries is planning to prepare a national biodiversity

37

strategy and action plan by 2008. The most commonly available fish in Afghanistan is trout. Various varieties of fish families available in Kabul river are shown in Table 10. 103. Small-scale fish farming used to exist in some towns, but the sector has been dormant for the past years, mainly as a result of high costs incurred by imports of fish eggs. Local fish production could develop into a promising economic activity in Kabul province once local fish egg production is facilitated. Due to abundant water resources in Nangarhar province, there is huge potential for development of fishery sector. Some local NGOs are providing technical and financial assistance to the interested farmers for establishing private commercial fish farms. Some people have established fish farm on self help basis. The total number of such private small scale commercial farms ranges from 40–50 in Nangarhar province.

Table 10: Fish Families in the Project Areas

Localities Fish Family

Kabul River Cyprinidae Cobitidae Bagridae Siluridae

Schilbeidae Channidae

3. Protected Areas

104. There is no effective protected area system in Afghanistan, although some progress was made in implementing a protected area network designed during the 1970s. About five hundred years ago in Mughal period, specified areas were set aside as hunting grounds. More recently, in the 1970s, a small number of sites were similarly used by the former royal family, having been declared by royal decree as waterfowl sanctuaries or wildlife reserves. A 1992 government review listed the existing protected areas as one national park (Band-e–Amir), three waterfowl sanctuaries (Ab-i–Estada, Dasht-e-Nawar and Kole Hashmat Khan) and two wildlife reserves (Ajar Valley and Pamir-i-Buzurg). Between 1977 and 1999, additional ten sites were proposed for protected area status, including three important areas in the western half of the country: Registan Desert Wildlife Management Reserve, Hamun-i- Puzak Waterfowl Sanctuary, and Northwest Afghanistan Game Management Reserve. However, there has never been an overall enabling legislation providing for the establishment and management of protected areas, and the precise current legal status of each protected area is uncertain. Most were never formally gazetted and institutional structures have since changed. Afghanistan is not yet party to the Ramsar Convention, though several wetland sites in the country have previously been identified as of international importance for migratory and breeding water birds. In addition, despite some of the rich biodiversity contained within the country, a comprehensive assessment of biodiversity has never been conducted. The protected areas of Afghanistan are shown in Figure 11. There is no protected area within the project road. However, the nearest protected area is Kole Hashmat Khan Lake (a waterfowl sanctuary) located 10 km far from Bagramy, the starting point of the project.

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105. Band-i-Amir National Park has been declared as Afghanistan's first national park on April 22, 2009. Though much of the park's wildlife has been lost, recent surveys indicate3 that the park still contains ibex (a species of wild goat) and urial (a type of wild sheep) along with wolves, foxes, smaller mammals and fish, and various bird species including the Afghan snow finch, which is believed to be the only bird found exclusively in Afghanistan. Snow leopards were once found in the area but vanished due to hunting in the early 1980s. The lakes in the Park are under growing threat from pollution and other human-caused degradation to the fragile travertine dams. Now six natural lakes have been protected in this National Park.

Figure 11: Protected Areas in Afghanistan

4. Land Use

3 Source: Wildlife Conservation Society (WCS) at http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090422085148.htm

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106. The land cover map of the Project area is shown in Figure 12. The project passes mostly through range land and mountainous terrain. The detail land use pattern of the watersheds covering the subproject areas are given in Table 11. The Kabul watershed, in which the Project is located, is covered with 48% range land and 31% rock outcrop or bare soil.

Table 11: Land Cover Classification in the Project Watersheds

Watershed (as a percentage of watershed area)

Kabul

Degenerated forests/High Shrubs 0.42 Fruit trees 0.19 Irrigated : intensively cultivated (1 crop/year) 5.18 Irrigated : intensively cultivated (2 crops/year) 2.01

Irrigated: intermittently cultivated 2.79 Marshland : Permanently inundated 0.55 Natural Forests (closed cover) 5.82 Natural Forests (open cover) 1.97 Permanent Snow 0.41 Rainfed crops (flat-lying areas) 0.23 Rainfed crops (mountain slopes) 0.10 Rangeland (grassland/forbs/low shrubs) 48.32 Rock outcrop/Bare soil 30.85 Settlements 0.98 Vine yards 0.03 Water Bodies 0.06 Watershed area (km2) 12,996.7

Source: Watershed Atlas of Afghanistan, 2004. C. Socioeconomic Resources in Project Area

1. Population

107. Population of the project influenced districts is given in

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Table 12. The total population of the project area is estimated at 362,400. Population in these districts varies from 12,000 to 113,100. Male and female ratio is 51:49.

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Table 12: Population of the Project Effected Districts (in thousands)

Total Population ('000) Rural Population ('000) Province District Total Male Female Total Male Female

Kabul Khakijabbar 12.4 6.4 6.0 12.4 6.4 6

Bagramy 48.1 24.7 23.4 48.1 24.7 23.4

Nangarhar Surkhrod 104.5 53.8 50.7 104.5 53.8 50.7

Sherzad 57.5 29.3 28.2 57.5 29.3 28.2

Hisarak 26.8 13.7 13.1 26.8 13.7 13.1

Khogyani 113.1 58.1 55.0 109.2 56.1 53.1

Total 362.4 186 176.4 358.5 184 174.5

Figure 12: Land Use Map of the Project

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108. Villages located close to the project road are given in Table 13. The project passes through about 50 villages. Figure 13 shows the settlements along the project road. Some new settlements established by returning refugees are noticed along the project road. Refugees keep on returning to Bagramy, Hisarak, and Surkhrod while the population movement in Khakijabbar is described by the return of mostly male and young members of Afghan families who acquired shelter in Pakistan and Iran during wartime. 109. Nomads or Kuchis are prevalent in all the project districts. Kuchi families reside in tents. They mainly move from one place to the other to graze their animals and to seek agricultural jobs. In the winter they move toward Jalalabad, and in the summer they return to their original villages located in other provinces of Western and Northern Afghanistan.

Figure 13: Settlements along the Project

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Table 13: Villages Located Along the Project Road

Sl. No

District Village Chainage (km)

1. Bagramy Buthkak 3.27 2. Khakijabbar Dawran Khel 20.36 3. Talo Khel 25.77 4. Tizin 39.68 5. Qalagay 41.53 6. Horankik (Zandeh Kalay) 46.00 7. Kami Khel 46.77 8. Hisarak Qaderkhel 58.27 9. Wate 59.23 10. Kafar Khel 61.27 11. Gulab Khel 62.77 12. Lahuri 64.40 13. Shiwari 65.05 14. Godara 65.90 15. Hasan Kac 71.02 16. Halimkhel 73.88 17. Hisarak 77.64 18. Navur (Chahartut) 78.82 19. Dagyan 81.71 20. Khanjar 87.26 21. Pitla 82.96 22. Sherzad Totu 102.00 23. Aman Khel 105.65 24. Nookal Kale 107.66 25. Hashamkhel 107.85 26. Nokor Khil 108.16 27. Araban 112.15 28. Khogyani Memla 113.46 29. Surkhrod Farhan (Dharwazagay) 120.66 30. Khogyani Gazaa 128.65 31. Surkhrod Fateabad 131.15 32. Khayarabad 137.45 33. Kushkaki 138.15 34. Burhanuddin 140.15 35. Baghe Bawlay 142.45 36. Dand 143.85 37. Sultanpur 144.51 38. Aji Saheban 144.78 39. Ahmedzai 146.15 40. Mastikhel 147.38 41. Sawati 150.06 42. Naghrak 150.47 43. Dusaraka Surkhrod 152.2

110. Socioeconomic indicators derived from the socioeconomic surveys of 563 households in the project districts are given below:

• 82% of the households live in rural areas, 16% live as Kuchis (Nomads) and 2% in urban areas. All households are headed by male member. Literacy rate is 23%. Total number of schools and students in the project districts are given in Table 14. There are 16 primary schools, 89 secondary schools and 9 home based schools in the project districts and the total number of students is 53,792.

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Table 14: Education System Information of the Six Districts within the Project Area

Pupils District Number of Primary School

Number of Secondary

School

Number of Home

based School

Male Female

Bagramy 5 9 1 6000 4000Khakijabbar 1 4 0 400 0Khogyani 4 34 4 15745 3013Sherzad 2 11 1 7086 1101Hisarak 1 14 3 4023 1505Surkhrod 3 17 0 7537 3382Total 16 89 9 40791 13001

• 82% of the households do not have access to electricity while others get electricity from

government generators, personal generators (engine and micro-hydro), and community generators.

• 79% use oil lamps as a source of lighting houses in the summer (81% in winter) while others use candles, gas, firewood, and electricity.

• 74% use firewood for winter heating while the rest use burning straw, manure, electric heater.

• Potable water is scarce in some Project districts. In Sherzad, only 20% is potable, 57% in Khogyani, 44% in Hisarak, 50% in Surkhrod and 85% in Khakijabbar.

• The main sources of income in each district are from agriculture and animal husbandry. The overall average annual income of the households in the project districts is AF78,618 while the average annual expenditure is AF74,640. The major expenditures of each household are food (annual average of AF13,600), celebration and social events (AF4,150), clothing (AF4,000), and medical expenses (AF3,800). Most of the people possess the minimum household goods like radio, television, carpets, clocks, etc.

• 68% of households have land holding while 32% of households are landless. • 30% of the households have no access to any type of agriculture land (e.g. rained land,

including cultivated and fallow lands). • Indebtedness is prevalent. 49% of households take loans from different sources for

various household needs. The average value of the loans acquired is AF29,750. • 77% on average do not know anything about HIV/AIDS. • Availability of health services is very limited except in Surkhrod and Khogiyani districts.

The details are given in

45

Table 15.

46

Table 15: Details of Hospitals and Clinics in the Project Districts

District No. of Clinics

No. of Mobile Clinics

No. of Hospitals

No. of Nurses and Midwives

Bagramy 4 0 0 -Khakijabbar 2 0 0 -Khogyani 2 0 1 13Sherzad 2 0 0 0Hisarak 1 0 0 0Surkhrod 6 1 0 177

Source: UNHCR Sub-Office Jalalabad, 2002. 3. Agriculture

111. Agriculture has been the mainstay of the Afghanistan economy, and irrigation traditionally provides 85% of all crop production. Decades of civil war resulted in degradation of rangeland and damaged irrigation system. Further severe drought from last few years has resulted in the reduction of crop production by 50% and heavy depletion of livestock herds. Land cultivation is concentrated in river valleys and livestock breeding is generally nomadic in character. Wheat is the main crop cultivated on both irrigated and rained land throughout the country. Cropping and rotational systems show considerable regional variation depending on climate, precipitation and the availability of irrigation water and altitude. Traditional crop rotations are practiced in many places including a combination of cereal crops with a variety of pulses and fodder crops. Wheat is the staple crop, accounting for about 81% of total cereal production in Afghanistan. Other grains include rice, maize, barley, and pulses. Wheat production in the project influence provinces in 2005 is given in Table 16.

Table 16: Wheat Production and Cattle Population in the Project Provinces

Irrigated Wheat Rainfed Wheat Cows Population/Family

Province Area ('000 ha)

Yield (t/ha)

Production ('000 t)

Area ('000 ha)

Yield (t/ha)

Production ('000 t)

Total cows/family

Milking cows/family

Kabul 21 2.6 55 1 1.05 1 0.3 0.2

Nangarhar 51 2 102 - - - 1.3 0.8

Source: Agricultural Prospects Report, Ministry of Agriculture, Animal Husbandry and Forest, Afghanistan, 2005.

112. Nangarhar province produces most of the crops for Afghanistan. Main summer crops grow in the project areas are poppy, rice, maize, cotton, sunflower, beans, potato, and the winter crops are wheat, barley, sugarcane, potato and mustard. Vegetable such as okra, tomato, eggplant, pepper, pumpkins, cucumbers, spinach, cauliflower, turnip, spinach, radish, carrots and cabbage are also grown due to their high demand and better price. Fruit trees are grown within the project areas. Mulberry, oranges, and dates are among the dominant ones. Nurseries and flower gardens can also be found in Surkhrod district. The information on the agriculture of the six districts within the project area is listed on Table 17.

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113. Most agricultural products go to Kabul or Jalalabad for sale. Drought as well as floods destroys the arable lands of Bagramy, Kogiyani, Sherzad and Hisarak. In the 1960s, high-value horticulture and dried fruit provided Afghanistan with almost half of its export revenue. By-products of orchard fruits, such as pomegranate rind and walnut husks, were used to dye the brightly colored carpets for which the country is famous, along with madder root, which produces the unique and varied red hues prized by buyers. 114. In the villages near Surkhrod, three crops can be grown each year. While wheat is the fall-seeded crop, it is often followed by sugarcane, vegetables, intercropped maize, cotton, rice, squash, food legumes, and potatoes. Due to its nearness to the Kabul International airport and its economic productivity, this region of the country is best suited for investment in high value export products, including seed potatoes and vegetable and flower seed 115. According to FAO livestock census in 2003, there are 3.7 million cattle in Afghanistan out of which 2.1 million are cows. The population of the cows in the Project provinces is shown in Table 16. Furthermore, goats are kept by the households of Khogyani and Sherzad districts. Kochis (Nomads) have big herds of sheep. The livestock are both kept for household consumption and also for sale in time of need. Products such as milk, meat, skins, and hides are obtained from livestock. Milk is process into different products like cheese, yogurt, and butter. The agricultural and irrigation map of the project is shown in Figure 14.

Table 17: Agricultural Information in the Project Districts District Main crops Current Land

Condition Existing Irrigation Schemes

Agriculture/Tool Banks

Animal Husbandry

Bagramy Wheat, corn, potato, tomato, and vegetables

There is enough land but no water to cultivate

River, stream Locally made tools and 2 tractors

Almost each family has animals

Khaki Jabbar

Wheat, corn, potato, beans, barley

Amount of rain fed land is high

Karezes and streams

Locally made tools and tractors

Cows, sheep, goats, donkeys, poultry

Hisarak Wheat, maize corn and some rice

20% of the land has been destroyed by flooding. Some of the remaining land is uncultivated due to lack of water for irrigation

Karezes 70% of people use tractors, 20% use plowing by oxen

Cows, goats, sheep, donkeys, and poultry

Khogyani Wheat, maize, vegetables

More than 60% of the land is not cultivated due to drought

Karezes Locally made tools and tractors

Cows, sheep, goat, mules and camels

Sherzad Wheat, maize, and vegetables

40% of agricultural land is not cultivated due to drought

Channels and streams

- Cows, goat, donkeys, sheep

Surkhrod Sugarcane, wheat, maize, vegetables

60% of the land is directly affected by drought. The remaining land is cultivated

Irrigated by canal, tube wells, and river

Locally made tools

Goats, cows, sheep, donkey

Source: UNHCR Sub-Office Jalalabad, 2002

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Figure 14: Agricultural Map of the Project

4. Industries and Minerals

116. The major industries in Afghanistan are textiles, cement, fertilizer, hand woven carpets, natural gas, coal and copper. Main industrial units close to the project are given in

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Table 18. Production capacity of these industries and their present utilization status are also in this table.

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Table 18: Details of the Industries in Project Influence Areas

Factory Region Production capacity Utilization/status

Textile and Clothing Guzarghah Textile Kabul 305 million m of cloth 0% Kabul Textile Mill Kabul 1.6 million m silk cloth 0% Kabul Thread Textile Kabul 1,200 tons of cotton

thread 70%

Afghan wool industry Kabul 420 000 m of cotton cloth and blankets

80%

Bagramy Cotton Textile Mill Bagramy 20 million m of cloth 0% - destroyed Kabul Textile Mill Kabul 2.8 million m of woolen

cloth 0%

Ukab shoe factory Kabul 36,000 pairs destroyed Cement And Construction Materials Bagramy Brick Co. Bagramy 0% Afghan Carpenter Kabul 40% Marble Stone Kabul 0% - destroyed Housing construction plant Kabul Concrete/building

materials complex

Agriculture, Food Processing Kabul Silo Kabul 120,000 tons of wheat

4,200 tons of bread 80% - partly rehabilitated

Mazar Silo 60% Pul-i-Khomri silo 50% - partly

rehabilitated Nangrahar Sugar Co. Nangraha

r 0% - destroyed

Chemical Afghan klemd Kabul 60,000 litters of alcohol

drinking and medical) 100%

Metal Jangalak Steel Mill* Kabul Machines and engines 10% - mostly

destroyed, but partly working

Oxygen Factory* Kabul 1,350 million liters of oxygen

0% - destroyed

Metal Mining Co.* Tarakhel, Kabul

Note: Firms dependent on the MMI Source: ADB TA 4088 AFG - Energy Sector Review and Gas Development Master Plan, 2004.

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117. Afghanistan is well-endowed with a wide range of industrial minerals, which remain largely undeveloped and have enormous potential to supply the increasing global market demands on minerals. The project area has abundant mineral resources including marble, talc and chromate. Marble extraction near the project area is noticed at Bande Amir Reservoir near Bagramy and near Hisarak. The popular fine-grained marble available at Bagramy areas is known as the ‘Ghazak Black’. In Khogyani district, there are huge mines of high quality marbles known as the ‘Afghan White’ which are used locally and also exported to other countries. 118. Talc is another mineral that are being extensively mined in the Khogyani district, and primarily exported to Pakistan. All the trucks carrying the talc use the Project road. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) conducted a preliminary assessment of non-fuel mineral resources of Afghanistan in 2007 and estimated 1,250,000 metric tons of metasomatic talc and 50,000 metric tons of ultramafic-hosted talc magnesite are found in the province of Nangarhar. 119. Occurrence of Chromate is also reported in the Project areas. It has been reported in 1969 (by Bureau of Mines, Minerals, and Fuels, 1969) that two deposits of chromate have been known in Hisarak district for several years, but development has not been attempted. According to a USGS 2002 Report, a minor amount of chromate ore was mined in the early 1980s in Hisarak and many small chromate deposits are located in surrounding areas. Small deposits of chromate are noticed at Haji Skimo pass near Kami Khel village.

5. Road Safety

120. Road accidents are common in Afghanistan. Lack of road signs, pavement markings, reflectors and barriers coupled with reckless driving are the major causes of road accidents in Afghanistan. It was reported that 1554 traffic accidents took place in Kabul in 2004.4 Road safety is a major issue at the last 23 km of the project road as the shoulder width is very limited and the available Right of Way (ROW) varies from only 15 m to 20m. Shops, schools and houses are located very close to the road thus creating a traffic and safety hazard. Also, some sections in the mountainous areas have very narrow pathways; the pedestrians and the motorists all use the same lane.

4 Source: Afghanistan Statistical Year Book, 2005

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6. Tourism

121. The project road has a significant tourism potential due to its rich cultural, historical heritage and picturesque views. The major tourist attraction in the project area is Memla gardens (also known as Nimla Bagh), a collection of gardens located in the village of Memla, Khogyani District. It is recognized to be the living legacy of centuries of refined and dedicated horticulture by Mughal emperors. The layout of this garden is a re-creation of Eden (‘chahar bagh’ in Persian) with four quadrants and four rivers. The traces of the gardens remain as cypresses and formal arrangement of flowerbeds and fountains. These gardens/nurseries were also used to grow orchard fruits. 122. Another significant tourist attraction is the Moi Buharak Mosque located in the village of Sawati at Km 150.06 near Surkhrod. The mosque secures the Hair of the Prophet Mohammad (pbh). There is another historical religious place located in Sultanpur, a Hindu holy place near a spring, where the Hindus used to undergo mass marriages. 123. Buddhism sculptures are also said to be found in the Sherzad district. It was reported that illegal excavations were done here few years back to dig various artifacts which include Buddhist icons, coins, jewelry and dishes.

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IV. SCREENING ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES

124. Environmental impacts from the project can broadly be classified as those taking place during construction and during operation. The environmental impacts during construction are highly dependent on: (i) remedial measures for landslide, rock fall, snowfall, and critical side slope section; (ii) the temporary use of land immediately adjacent to the road, some local removal of roadside vegetation, temporary land-take for the siting of contractor’s yard, batch, asphalt and concrete plant and as well as the extraction and the transport of construction material from existing borrow sites, (iii) the contractors’ work practices, especially those related to the storage of construction materials and cleanliness of the work sites; (iv) cooperation by the local authorities with the contractor in terms of traffic management and use of public space and utilities; (v) project management’s strict enforcement of the correct construction practices and standards; and (vi) the incorporation of the environmental management plan (Annex A1) prepared in the IEE into the bid documents and specifications. 125. The potential direct and indirect environmental adverse impacts associated with the proposed road projects are relatively minor in comparison with benefits resulting from the construction. Identified environmental impacts from the project during construction and operation stages are described in the following sections.

D. Impact and Mitigation During Construction D.3.1 Physical Environment

Impact 126. The land use pattern of the project corridor is mainly barren with some agriculture land and some semi built-up or built-up areas. The impact on potential land use and current land use will be due to following project activities:

• Site clearing and grubbing;

• Sourcing of natural material for construction, i.e., borrow and quarry operations;

• Sitting of base camp and construction camps;

• Disposal of construction debris; and

• Construction operations, i.e. movement of construction vehicles and equipment.

127. The impact on potential land use would be due to compaction of soil by movement of construction vehicles and equipment, soil contamination at construction campsites and loss of productive soil. The land required for ancillary activities as mentioned above would be quite small. Therefore, the magnitude of direct impact would be moderate. Likely impacts would be at some of the ancillary sites such as base camp, construction campsites, and borrow areas could be reinstated to original condition on completion of the project. The affected land is not ecologically sensitive. Overall, there will be minor impact on potential land use and current land use.

128. The main impacts on land during construction are from: (i) spoils due to clearing of land for site preparation (ii) extraction of fill materials from cut section, and/or borrow pits; (iii) excess cut from the landslide areas; (iv) conversion of the existing land uses such as agriculture and grassland to stockpiles of materials; (v) soil erosion in mountainous slope, side slope, borrow pits and uncompacted embankments; (vi) excess rocks from the mountain scaling; and (vi)

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contamination of the land from hazardous and toxic chemicals and construction material spillage. 129. During construction, the volume of cut and fill (soil) are estimated to be approximately 5,899,337 m3. There will be about 4,021,365 m3 excess cut, which will be disposed of in the selected sites. The huge amounts of excess cuts are due to hill cutting and realignment at some mountainous sections between Tizin and Kogdara. Excess cut will also be used to shape the embankment side slopes, strengthening the toe of the high slopes road bench and filling the low lying government lands and for plantation in pre-selected areas, approved by NEPA and PMO. To avoid the transportation of the excess cut to over long distances, it will also be used for construction of laybys at the mountainous sections adjacent to the main road. The laybys will be used by travelers to stop vehicles temporarily to take rest or to watch natural sceneries. Contractors will submit a spoil plan to PMO for approval. The spoil plan should show the location of any borrow pits to be used and fill location for excess cut and the measures to be taken to rehabilitate these pits and cuts upon finalization of the Project. PMO will approve and monitor this plan. 130. Table 19 provides the estimated quantity of materials to be used or generated during construction for the project road. The contractors will source this material under their own arrangements. Uncontrolled sourcing of such materials could lead to environmental impacts such as the loss of topsoil or the disfigurements of the landscape from borrow pits. Earthen embankments and material stockpiles will be susceptible to erosion, particularly during the rains and resuspension of dust during the dry seasons. 131. Local roads will be damaged during transportation of borrow materials and by the construction equipment. In order to reduce impact on all borrow sites, contractors will ensure that they acquire appropriate environmental permits from NEPA before sourcing the material, including watering of the local earth roads close to the settlements used by the borrow trucks. Contractors will be encouraged to minimize usage of productive agricultural land and convert them to their original state after completion of civil works. Embankments should be monitored during construction for signs of erosion; long-term material stockpiles will be covered to prevent wind erosion.

Table 19: Bills of Quantities during Construction

Unit Package 1 (Km 0–50)

Package 2 (Km 50–102.20)

Package 3 (Km 102.2–

152.2)Cut (Soil) m3 2,164,068 2,774,939 960,330

Fill (Soil) m3 713,356 804,785 359,831

Scaling (Rock) m3 512,815 203,252 41,725

Borrow materials m3 9,698 130,695 172,640

PCC Pavement m3 80,336 91,885 57,929

Source: Consultant’s Estimate, 2008–2009.

Mitigation Measures 132. The road alignment has been designed to minimize the requirement for additional land. The following mitigation measures will further minimize impacts during construction:

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• No borrow area, construction camps, debris disposal sites will be located on productive or agriculture land. Movement of construction machinery and vehicles will be limited to construction and designated areas only, as far as possible. If the equipment and machinery are operating on temporarily leased land, barren land will be used and no productive or agriculture land will be used.

• Preference will be given to use riverbed material for crushing, sand and soil for construction of embankment, sub-grade and crushed sub-base. Permission from the MOM will be obtained for carrying out quarry operation.

• Locating and up-keep of construction camps will be followed as listed in the guidelines in Annexure 6.

133. Construction waste (debris) will be managed so as not to pollute land and water.

1. Slope Stability Problems Impact

134. Slope stability problems such as landslides, rock fall and soil erosion occur in some project areas. These slopes cut pose an immediate threat to the stability of the roadway and cause huge siltation problems in the drainage structure. About 67.69 km stone masonry roadside drainage and 96.51 km natural channel are included in the engineering design for the project.

135. Potential landslide zones are identified at Km 46.5, Km 54, Km 59.2, Km 110.8 and Km 123.9. While potential rock-fall zones are identified at Km 61.3, Km 63.6 and Km 108.8. About 124,999 m3 retaining structures are proposed to protect landslides and 16,009 m length snow fences are proposed for rock-fall protection. Details of the slope stability measures are given in Error! Reference source not found.. For a long term solution to the slope stability problem, it is crucial that land degradation is stopped. Maintaining a vegetative cover on agricultural land in the mountain areas would reduce erosion through run-offs, land and mud slides. It would also help ensure an efficient and reliable supply of water for irrigation in the valleys. The IEE recommends planting trees and landscaping along the corridor under the supervision of a local NGO. Improper rock scaling of hills may also become potential rockslide/landslide areas. Rockslides and landslides will be prevented by cutting slopes at only 450 with approximate spaced branches. Any cut and fill that result in a slope steeper than 450 will need to be secured by a protective wall and protected by bioengineering methods.

Mitigation Measures

136. The following safeguard measures will be adopted to avoid or minimize the risks of landslides due to project activities:

Construction planning will accommodate avoiding earthwork activities in landslide prone areas when the risk of occurrence is high, such as during spring snow melt.

Adopting controlled blasting, if found necessary, so as to minimize vibration.

Sequencing construction of slope protection structures as per design through retaining walls and breast walls so as to protect the cut slope immediately.

Adequate precaution will be taken to ensure that during construction, slopes are not rendered unstable or give rise to recurrence slides after construction.

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Avoid dumping of overburden or excavated soil on slopes except at designated or approved disposal sites.

Controlling movement of heavy construction equipment and machinery.

Table 20: Slope Stability Measures

Unit Package1 (Km 0–50)

Package 2 (Km 50–102.20)

Package 3 (Km 102.2–

152.2)Soil lined Drain m 33,494 26,165 36,845Stone Masonry Drain M 28,446 19,443 19,801Retaining Wall (stone masonry)

m3 32,185 59,993 12,928

Riprap Protection Works

m3 9,996 4,685 5,212

Snow Fence and Nettings

M 6,424 6,910 2,675

m3 = cubic meters; m = meters.

2. Impacts on Surface Water 137. The impact on surface water hydrology would be limited mainly at new bridge locations and due to sourcing of borrow and quarry material from the riverbed. Unplanned siting of construction camps, plants and debris disposal sites, i.e. near water bodies, will have potential of causing erosion and sedimentation and thus altering hydrology of such water bodies albeit minimally. The magnitude of impact is expected to be very low, but importance of such impact would be moderate, as water is a scarce resource in the country.

138. The project road crosses a number of streams in Kabul watershed and could affect the surface runoff flow pattern. A number of new bridges and culverts are to be constructed and existing bridges require duplication for widening and considerable rehabilitation and in some cases complete reconstruction. In terms of water quality, the project will increase silt load during construction in bridge sites. Embankments and construction materials (fill, sand, and gravel) are subject to wash out with rainwater. There is the potential for hydrocarbon leakage and spills from storage and mixing plants; discharge of sewerage from work camps to the water resources; or percolation through seepage and contamination of the local water table. The stream waters in the project areas will also be used for construction works. The potential locations of water sources for construction works are: Amir Ghazi Reservoir, major rivers such as Kogdara, Gandamak, Hisarak and Surkhrod rivers, municipal water supply of Kabul and Jalalabad, and several water wells located along the Project road.

Mitigation Measures 139. Mitigation measures for minimizing impact on water resources will be, but not limited to, the following:

Measures at construction site

• Adequate temporary drainage arrangement along the road will be put in place to avoid direct discharge of road surface runoff to water bodies, wherever required.

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• Adopting good construction planning such as avoiding clearing and grubbing for long stretches without subsequent activities for long periods of time, minimizing construction time for embankment and sub-grade, and proper stockpiling of embankment and sub-grade material etc.

• Providing silt traps and sedimentation tanks to avoid contaminating receiving water bodies with sediment laden water from construction sites.

• Avoiding work on waterways for bridge works during seasonal flow, as far as possible.

• Stockpiling excavated material away from waterways.

Measures at ancillary sites

• Locating construction camp at least 200 m away from water bodies.

• Providing adequate water supply and sanitation systems and disposal of effluent through septic tanks and soak pits.

• Construction vehicle and equipment maintenance yard should be of an impervious platform, with facilities for collection and storage of fuel and lubricants, besides necessary oil and grease traps.

• All hazardous wastes generated at base camp will be collected, stored and disposed of properly at suitable location.

• Locating debris disposal areas away from water bodies.

Safeguard Measures for Extracting Water

• Water for construction activities will be extracted in such a way that the water availability and supply to nearby communities will remain unaffected.

• Surface water will be used for construction after obtaining permission from the local authority.

D.3.4 Impacts on Water Quality Impact

140. The project will have potential for soil erosion and increased sedimentation. Soil erosion and sedimentation will be limited at stretches of high embankment and hill cutting areas, and due to carrying out activities at and near cross drainage and bridge locations. The river in the project area carries seasonal flow. Although magnitude of impact is likely to be of a lesser degree, the fact that water is a scare resource in the country, the significance or importance would be medium to high.

Mitigation Measures

141. The following mitigation measures will be adopted:

• Providing appropriate slope protection measures at stretches of high embankment and hill cut such as retaining walls and breast walls.

• Providing appropriate protection measures to minimize embankment erosion and bed scouring at cross drainage locations.

• Providing adequate long and cross drainage system to moderate flow of surface runoff from the road with protection measures at outfalls.

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• Providing temporary silt traps and sedimentation tanks before outfall, at construction areas where sources of water are located nearby.

3. Impacts on Air Quality

Impacts 142. The ambient air quality is likely to be deteriorated during construction stage in the absence of mitigation measures. The following are major construction activities having potential to adversely impact air quality:

• Site clearing and grubbing;

• Collection, transportation and handling (loading, downloading, stockpiling and levelling) of natural material for construction, i.e. borrow and quarry operation;

• Operation of stone crushing plants, hot mix plants, and concrete batching plants; and

Operation of construction vehicles and equipment.

143. Therefore, there will be two main sources of air pollution, i.e. mobile sources and fixed sources. Mobile sources are tippers, dumpers, pavers, compactors and excavators, while fixed sources include construction plants such as stone crushing plants, hot mix plants, concrete batching plants, diesel generator sets, etc.

144. Pollutants of primary concern include Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM) and Repairable Suspended Particulate Matter (RSPM). However, suspended dust particles will be settled within a short distance of source. Therefore, impact will be temporary and restricted within the closed vicinity of the construction activities only. Stringent mitigation measures will be required to avoid or minimise dust generation during construction.

145. Noxious gases and fumes including carbon monoxide (CO), unburned hydrocarbon (HC), Sulphur dioxide (SO2), particulate matters, and nitrogen oxides (NOx) will be emitted from the operation of hot mix plants and other construction equipment and vehicles. The project is likely to use efficient and less pollution generating hot mix plants and crushers such as batch mix type automated HMP and automated mobile crushes having in-built pollution control measures. Therefore, total amount of these gaseous pollutants to be released to the atmosphere and the resultant increase in surrounding ambient level would not be significant. The slight increase of these gaseous emission at localized area for a short-term, will have minor impact on human health and the environment.

146. Road users will be affected due to dust generated at adjoining construction sites. The dust and gaseous pollution generation at construction site and plant sites would affect the health of people living in the area.

147. Overall, moderate adverse impact due to anticipated medium to high magnitude and importance on air quality is envisaged considering the magnitude, temporal and spatial coverage, and the effect it would have on human health.

Mitigation Measures

148. The mitigation measures suggested for control of air pollution are as described below:

149. Dust control and suppression measures at construction site will be implemented by regular spraying of water on unpaved surfaces used for plying of construction vehicles, and during/after laying of embankment and sub-grade layers. Regular water spraying will be carried

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out on embankment and sub-grade layers until first granular sub-base layer is laid, to avoid fugitive dust emission, as may be required. Plying of traffic on unpaved surface will be avoided.

150. 151.152.153.Stone crushers and hot mix plants will be located away from water bodies and settlements. The construction plants management guidelines provided in Annexure 7 will be adopted to control air pollution from construction plants.

D.3.6 Impact on Noise and Vibration Impact

151. During construction, noise will be generated from various activities such as site clearing activities, excavation and finishing due to operation of heavy and high noise generating construction equipment and machinery. The typical noise levels from these activities are provided:

Site clearing activities 85 A’ decibel (dB) (A)

Excavation 80 dB (A)

Finishing 75 dB (A)

Blasting 115 dB (A)

152. The noise level typically generated from various construction equipment and activities is given in Table D.4 below.

Table D.4: Typical Noise Levels of Principal Construction Equipment (Noise Level in decibels (db) (A) at 50 Feet)

2. Clearing 3. Structure Construction

4. Bulldozer 5. 80 6. Crane 7. 75–77

8. Front end loader 9. 72–84 10. Welding

generator 11. 7

1–82

12. Jack hammer 13. 81–98 14. Concrete mixer

15. 74–88

16. Crane with ball 17. 75–87 18. Concrete

pump 19. 8

1–84

20. 21. 22. Concrete vibrator

23. 76

24. Excavation and Earth Moving 25. Air compressor

26. 74–87

27. Bulldozer 28. 80 29. Pneumatic tools

30. 81–98

31. Backhoe 32. 72–93 33. Bulldozer 34. 80

35. Front end loader 36. 72–84 37. Cement and

dump trucks 38. 8

3–94

39. Dump truck 40. 83–94 41. Front end loader

42. 72–84

43. Jack hammer 44. 81–98 45. Dump truck 46. 83–94

47. Scraper 48. 80–93 49. Paver 50. 86–88

51. Grading and Compaction 52. Landscaping and clean–up 53. Grader 54. 80–93 55. Bulldozer 56. 8

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2. Clearing 3. Structure Construction 0

57. Roller 58. 73–75 59. Backhoe 60. 72–93

61. 62. 63. Truck 64. 83–94

65. Paving 66. Front and end loader

67. 72–84

68. Paver 69. 86–88 70. Dump truck 71. 83–94

72. Truck 73. 83–94 74. Paver 75. 86–88

76. Tamper 77. 74–77 78. Dump truck 79. 83–94

80. Source: U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, noise from Construction Equipment and Operations. Building Equipment and Home Appliance. NJID. 300.1, 31 December 1971.

153. Operation of heavy machinery can generate high noise and vibration levels. Error! Reference source not found. shows the list of receptors that may be strongly affected by noise and vibration during the road construction. Residential areas are the major receptors; strong vibrations by compaction equipment and rock blasting can damage nearby houses and other structures. To prevent noise and vibration, the operation will be restricted between 0600h to 2100h within 500 m of settlements and 150 m from sensitive receptors (hospitals and schools).

Table 21 Locations Affected by Noise and Vibration

Chainage (km)

Village Major Noise Receptors

3.27 Buthkak Shops/Police Station 29.25 Talo Khel Residential areas 41.53 Qalagay Residential areas 58.27 Qaderkel Residential areas 59.23 Wate Residential areas 59.59 Wate Residential areas 62.77 Gulab Khel Residential areas 64.40 Lahuri Residential areas 65.05 Shiwari Residential areas 65.90 Godara Residential areas 78.50 Hisarak Health care centre and schools

113.36 Memla Village market/shops 131.70 Fateabad Residential areas/shops

154. During construction, the noise level is expected to increase from the use of construction machines, generators, etc. The increase of equivalent noise is expected over 10%, although instantaneous sound pressure level (noise level) may increase considerably, especially around quarry sites. However, these noise levels will be temporary in nature mostly during daytime only.

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155. Movement of heavy construction vehicles and equipment will generate localized vibration as loose soil will facilitate dissipated such vibration within short distance. Therefore, minor impact is anticipated due to vibration.

Mitigation Measures 156. The following noise control and mitigation measures will be adopted:

• Site Controls: Stationary equipment will be placed along uninhabited stretches as per distance requirements computed above as far as practicable to minimize objectionable noise impacts.

• Scheduling of Project Activities: Operations will be scheduled to coincide with period when people would least likely to be affected. Construction activities will be avoided between 2100 hours (h) and 0600h near residential areas to the extent possible.

• Protection devices such as ear plugs or ear muffs will be provided to the workers operating in the vicinity of high noise generating machines.

• Construction equipment and machinery will be fitted with mufflers, silencers and maintained properly.

• Vehicles and equipment used should confirm to the prescribed noise pollution norms.

• Controlled blasting, if found necessary, will be adopted along with all safety measures.

157. Movements of heavy construction vehicles and equipment near public properties and landslide prone area will be controlled and restricted.

a) Operational Impacts

158. During operation, noise levels along the Project roads will be increased due to the higher traffic volume but noise attenuation will not be required. Future noise levels along the project road are calculated at distances 15 m, 30 m, and 50 m using ‘Calculation of Road Traffic Noise’ (CRTN) method5. For more accurate noise pollution calculations, the project road was divided into different segments (level, rolling terrain, and mountainous) to assess the different noise levels affected by gradient, road surface, mean traffic speed, and percentage of heavy vehicles. These predictions are given for both asphalt and concrete roads in Table 22. The predicted noise levels for concrete roads are slightly higher for the residential areas. However, most residential settlements are more than 15 m away from the road alignment for the proposed concrete road sections, except in Memla and Gandamak areas. As there will be no traffic until the completion of the project, based on monitoring results after completion of the project, at places with noise violation, mitigation measures such as earth berm, dense layered plantation to block the noise, or other measures like wooden noise barriers will be considered.

5 UK Department of Transport, 1988. Calculation of Road Traffic Noise (CRTN)

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Table 22: Predicted Noise Levels along the Project (dBA) Concrete Road Asphalt Road Year Road

Topography 15 m 30 m 50 m 15 m 30 m 50 m 2012 Level (Flat) 60.76 58.22 56.19 53.77 51.23 49.20

Rolling Terrain 60.77 58.24 56.21 53.79 51.25 49.22 Mountainous 60.81 58.27 56.25 53.82 51.28 49.26 2017 Level (Flat) 61.83 59.29 57.27 54.84 52.30 50.28

Rolling Terrain 61.85 59.31 57.29 54.86 52.32 50.30 Mountainous 61.89 59.35 57.33 54.90 52.36 50.34 2022 Level (Flat) 62.89 60.35 58.33 55.90 53.36 51.34

Rolling Terrain 62.91 60.37 58.34 55.92 53.38 51.35 Mountainous 62.94 60.40 58.38 55.95 53.41 51.39 2027 Level (Flat) 63.94 61.40 59.38 56.95 54.41 52.39

Rolling Terrain 63.96 61.42 59.40 56.97 54.43 52.41 Mountainous 64.00 61.46 59.44 57.01 54.47 52.45

4. Rock Blasting

159. Rock blasting is required at Km 7.57 to Km 13.14 for about 1000 m in length; Km 21.23 for about 50 m; Km 123.8 for 100 m; and Km 129.15 for another 100 m. Acquisition, transport, storage, handling and use of explosives possess potential risk on the workers and environment. There will be no major impact due to rock scaling and blasting because the nearest settlements are more than 500 m away from the rock scaling areas. However, blasting will be carried out only with permission of MPW, using a pre-established schedule. Where possible blasting mats will be used to reduce noise levels when blasting is carried out. Nearby communities will be informed about the schedule of controlled blasting during the construction phase.

5. Demining 160. Afghanistan is one of the heavily mined countries in the world. Landmines have been planed indiscriminately over the southern and eastern part of the country. Mines and unexploded ordnance (UXOs), which mostly exist in the roads connecting the villages and in the grazing areas, can be found in the districts of Bagramy, Khakijabbar, Khogyani, Hisarak and Surkhrod. Cleared land mines are noticed at Km 84.17 close to the Project road. There are about 10 mine explode in Khakijabbar every year.6 All the identified mines and UXOs are to be demined before starting of the civil works. United Mine Action Center (UNMAC) coordinates nationwide demining activities through seven regional action centers in Kabul, Heart, Kandhahar, Mazar-i-Sharif, Kunduz, Gardez and Jalalabad. These regional offices work directly with communities, UN offices, government representatives and development organizations in each area. In addition 11 partner organizations are also undertaking humanitarian mine action. Mines should be removed or destroyed to a depth to which they can be detected. Generally this would not be less than 200

6 UNHCR Sub-Office Central Region Khaki Jabbar District Profile, 2002

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mm. A record must be kept in all mines and monitoring cleared, stating location and type when known, and reported monthly during the clearance period. Clearance of UXOs is the responsibility of the Government, which must certify areas have been cleared of UXOs before any construction activities take place.

6. Quarry sites 161. Quarry sites are the major sources of environmental impact due to dust and noise pollution, loss of biodiversity, and generation of spills. Management plan to be followed for quarry sites are: (i) priority must be given to the use of existing quarry sites, if they are available and suitable; (ii) quarry sites must be selected amongst those offering the highest ratio between extractive capacity (both in terms of quality) and loss of natural state; (iii) quarry sites lying close to the alignment, with a high level of accessibility and with a low hill gradient, are preferred; (iv) quarry exploitations should be avoided in areas of importance for natural resources, such as natural wooded and riparian vegetation areas as well as areas which significantly provide food and shelters for birds and other animals; (v) it is preferable to avoid or reduce the sections of quarry sites located on river bed. If it is not possible to locate quarries out of river beds, quarry sites lying on small rivers and streams should be avoided. Alluvial terraces or alluvial deposits which lie on the river beds but not covered by water in normal hydrological conditions, are preferred; (vi) the excavation of quarries concern area strictly necessary for the material supply; and (vii) in the case of quarries located in the mountainous or hilly Ares, or wherever the slopes are important, terraces are implemented. Quarry and borrow sites will be redeveloped as per standard procedure. Rehabilitation of quarries and borrow sites will be undertaken immediately after excavation to prevent soil erosion. Rehabilitation measures include regarding slopes, replacing stockfiled soil cover, and replanting of grass, shrubs and trees. Maintenance of the vegetal layer is required in the first two years after plantation. A. Ecological Environment

1. Flora 162. Flora degradation is expected to occur marginally as a result of road rehabilitation. Rehabilitation work will directly cause minor degradation of the local ecology through the clearance of small areas of vegetation (ground cover) at major work sites and ancillary sites. A short-term impact on ecology along the rehabilitated road is likely to occur in and around the quarry sites, material stockpiling areas and worksites during the construction period due to minor vegetation clearance (not trees). A permanent but relatively minor impact on ecology is likely to occur due to the realignment of the unstable section. Mitigation Measures 163. Vegetative cover stripped from the locations described above will be kept for landslide and slope protection. Contractors will be responsible for putting new vegetation in removal sites. Construction vehicles should use temporary roads constructed for the purpose to minimize damage to agricultural land and local access roads. Where local roads are used, they will be repaired to their original condition after the completion of work. Compaction around trees will be performed carefully to avoid the damage of tree “drip-line”. Workers will be trained regarding nature protection and the need to avoid falling trees during construction. Contractors will be responsible supplying appropriate fuel in the work camps to prevent fuel-wood collection.

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2. Fauna 164. The potential impacts from construction worker camps are poaching of edible animals and birds of the locality in spite of prohibitions. The contractors’ environmental health and safety manager will be responsible for providing adequate knowledge to the workers regarding the protection of fauna. Worker’s contract agreement will include the provisions of prohibiting poaching animals as well as penalties for any incident against this agreement.

3. Fish, Fisheries, and Aquatic Biology 165. The main potential impacts to aquatic flora and fauna in the watercourses from the proposed project are increased suspended solids from earthworks erosion and bridge construction, sanitary discharge from work camps and hydrocarbon spills. Mitigation measures to address these issues are presented in Section IV (A.1. and A.4). Bridge construction will be scheduled in such a way to avoid adverse impact on fishery and aquatic biology.

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B. Socioeconomic Environment

1. Compensation Plan 166. The project will require considerable land acquisition or permanent resettlement. It is estimated that 2,099 households will be losing 105 hectares of agricultural land. Another 418 structures, including 379 private structures, 8 government structures and 31 religious structures, will also be affected. Total number of affected households is 3,420 which will result in 34,130 numbers of affected persons. The summary project impacts are presented in the following Table 23.

Table 23: Summary of Land Acquisition and Resettlement Impacts Impacts Number/Amount

I. In terms of Land Acquisition Total area of various agricultural land (Hectare) affected 105Total area required from residential and commercial land and structures (Hectare) 16

II. In terms of Structures Affected Total number of structures affected 418Total number of private structures affected 379Total Number of residential structures affected 207Total number of commercial structures affected 163Total number of religious structures affected 31Total number of government structures affected 8Total number of tress affected 9,035

III. In terms of Households Affected Total number of households losing land 2,099Total number of households losing structures 370Total number of households directly affected 2,469Total number of affected (directly and indirectly) households 3,420Total number of vulnerable households 2,370Total number of titleholders 441

IV. In terms of People Affected Total number of employees/loss of livelihoods related to structures

354

Total number of APs within the households 34,130Total number of APs including institutes/religious structures 39,727

Mitigation measures

167. Suitable compensatory measures will be adopted as per ADB’s involuntary resettlement policy and as stated in the LARP.

2. Construction Camps 168. Campsites for construction workers are the important locations that have significant impacts such as health and safety hazards on local resources and infrastructures of nearby communities. The sites for construction camps are identified along the project using the following criteria: (i) close to the construction sites in the sections that are to be rehabilitated; (ii) have access to local market centers, but located away from the villages; (iii) have access to water; and (iv) not located in agricultural lands. The contractor may require three construction

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camps for this project and the suitable locations for construction camps are given in Table 24. The Contractor, however, makes the final decision on the location of construction camps in consultation with PMO. During the construction stage of the project, a relatively large workforce shall be located at site. The majority of the workforce (especially the semi-skilled and skilled) are expected to be recruited from outstation areas such as Kabul and Jalalabad and shall probably also comprise of foreign workers and hence temporary accommodation shall be provided at adjacent areas. The construction camps shall disturb a substantial area that would be required to house buildings and other facilities. Therefore the occupancy of lands outside of the ROW could result in land resources infringement and payment of inequitable compensation.

Table 24: Location of Construction Camps along the Project

No. Village Location Camp Site Comments

1 Buthkak Km 13.00 Close to Kabul and Amir Gazi dam 2 Tizin Km 41.00 Close to water facility and access to

Surobi 3 Wate Km 60.00 After Haji Skimo Pass and access to

water and market 4 Godara Km 70.00 Ideal site with access to water and

market. 5 new bridges are to be constructed here

5 Hisarak Km 78.00 Access to water and market

6 Qadzyan Gandamak

Km105.00 Access to water and market

7 Memla Km113.00 Access to water and market 8 Fateabad Km134.00 Close to Jalalabad

169. The potential implications associated with housing a large number of immigrant workforce include adverse water quality impacts arising from discharge of partially treated sewage and refuse, public health impacts through the possible introduction of diseases not prevalent in the surrounding areas and promotion of disease vector habitats within the temporary housing areas, social-cultural conflicts arising from religious, cultural and behavioral discords between immigrants and local residents, and promotion of un-aesthetic practices. 170. Such impacts, if they materialize, will generally be short term and tolerable. However, long-term adverse impacts on individuals and communities as a whole cannot be discounted. Hence, specific safeguards are required to be taken to quell potential adverse environmental, public health and socio-cultural impacts see Annexure 6. MPW shall issue approval of site to locate the construction camps. In addition, the local authorities responsible for health, religious and security shall be duly informed on the set up of temporary accommodation facilities so as to maintain effective surveillance over public health, social and security matters. The site on which the construction camps are established shall be adequately drained and have provisions for the management of refuse and sewage generated.

3. Community Impacts 171. Construction worksites may place stresses on resources and infrastructure of nearby communities. This may lead to antagonism between residents and workers. To prevent such problems, the contractor will provide temporary worksite facilities such as health care, eating

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space, and praying places. In addition, a mechanism will be established that allows local people to raise grievances arising from the construction process. Labor intensive construction and the use of local labor during the construction will increase benefits to the local community and resolve such conflicts. Most of the participants during stakeholder consultation strongly suggested employing local people. Traffic jams during construction will be relieved through better coordination between the contractor, MPW and the police. Contractors will communicate to the public through community consultation and newspaper announcements regarding the scope and schedule of construction, as well as certain construction activities causing disruptions or access restrictions.

4. Health, Safety and Hygiene

172. Construction sites are likely to have public health impacts. Contractors will ensure that no wastewater is discharged to local water bodies and that no site-specific landfills will be established at the construction camps. There will be a potential for diseases to be transmitted, exacerbated by inadequate health and safety practices. Each contractor will therefore be required to recruit an environmental, health, and safety manager (EHSM) to address such concerns in the work sites and liaise/work with the nearby communities. Mitigation measures include:

provision of adequate health care facilities within construction sites; an environment, health and safety manager, appointed by the contractor for each

site, and first aid facilities will be made readily available; training of all construction workers in basic sanitation and health care issues (e.g.,

how to avoid transmission of sexually transmitted diseases such as HIV/AIDS), general health and safety matters, and on the specific hazards of their work;

personal protection equipment for workers, such as safety boots, helmets, gloves, protective clothing, goggles, and ear protection

clean drinking water to all workers; adequate protection to the general public, including safety barriers and marking of

hazardous areas; safe access across the construction site to people whose settlements and access

are temporarily severed by road construction; adequate drainage throughout the camps to ensure that disease vectors such as

stagnant water bodies and puddles do not form; and Septic tank and garbage box will be set up in construction site, which will be

periodically cleared by the contractors to prevent outbreak of diseases. Where feasible the contractor will arrange the temporary integration of waste collection from work sites into existing waste collection systems and disposal facilities of nearby communities.

5. Culturally and Religiously Sensitive Locations

173. Awareness campaigns for the education of road users on the importance of the culturally sensitive sites normally help to preserve them. Improved road signage and awareness display boards will be placed at the religiously sensitive sites: the cemetery and religious places located along the Project roads. These will alert road users. During construction, extreme precautions will be taken to ensure that cemetery and religiously sensitive places are protected and

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respected. It is highly recommended that contractors consult with local people during civil works close to these sites.

6. Proper Construction Practices

174. Contractors’ conformity with contract procedures and specifications during construction will be carefully monitored. Stakeholder consultations showed that prime contractors tended to use sub contractors without ensuring that they conform to general construction guidelines (good engineering practice and good working practices). Such practices degrade the quality of construction as well as the benefits of the Project. Contractors will be made to follow standard construction practices, monitored and supervised by construction supervision consultants (CSC) employed under the project.

7. Road Safety Measures

175. There are many road accidents in Afghanistan due to inadequate road safety measurements, like traffic signs, road bumps without signs, and road safety barriers in mountainous road. Road safety under the Project will be improved by proper traffic engineering design and traffic control facilities, including roadside concrete barriers, sidewalks, road signs, and street lights within settlements. There are 237 traffic signs, 31 information signs, 21,458 reflectors, 30,046 m of guard rail, and 403,535 km of road markings are proposed for the project (Table 25). Capacity Building and Human Resources Development by upgrading skills and knowledge by introducing traffic safety courses in drivers training and licensing and in school curriculum, and training on traffic safety for students in a few settlements along the corridor. Road designs also consider ‘road markings’ and wider shoulders (2 m on either side) in the populated areas and sensitive areas such as hospitals, markets and schools to improve pedestrian safety. 176. During construction, the contractor is responsible for ensuring that all construction vehicles observe speed limits on the construction sites and on public roads. All vehicles should be fitted with audible warning devices when reversing.

Table 25 : Road Safety Measures

Package 1 (Km 0–50)

Package 2 (Km 50–102.20)

Package 3 (Km 102.2–152.2)

Total (152.2 km)

Traffic Signs 55 94 88 237Information Signs 6 13 12 31Reflectors 8,334 8,335 4,789 21,458Guard Rail (m) 11,990 13,120 4,936 30,046Road Markings (m) 147,256 131,081 125,198 403,535

8. Transport of Hazardous and Toxic Materials 177. There are no statistics available on the percentage of hazardous cargo involved in traffic accidents. By the implementation of the project, it is expected that accident rate of hazardous cargo will be reduced as the drivers tend to be better trained, and more alert and cautious. Even with

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Km 195+200

a low probability of hazardous spill, a spill contingency plan for cleaning up the hazardous and toxic materials will be formulated. 178. It is recommended that proper regulations are to be made and enforced to prevent the overloading of the oil tankers beyond their maximum capacities. The usage of overflow pipe for the oil tankers can also be prevented under regulation. This can be done by employing additional people for monitoring at check posts located on the border and along the corridor.

9. Tourism 179. The project road will improve the tourism industry in the area and provide easier access to the Nimla Bagh gardens of Memla, Moi Buharak Mosque in Sawati village, and historic Buddhist sites in Sherzad. Many sections of the road between Hisarak and Haji Skimo Pass are picturesque. The route provides very scenic vistas, which contribute to a pleasant journey ambience for travelers. In addition, the proposed Laybys in the mountainous sections provide scenic overlook areas travelers to view sceneries and to photograph them.

10. Roadside Service Stations 180. Roadside service stations are excellent forms of income-generating businesses for local settlers along the road project. These stations will provide vehicle and food services to tourists and travelers and thus, will increase the income opportunities especially for poor families. These establishments will become the sites in which villagers can sell their agricultural produce and handicrafts without having transport the goods to long distance market. 181. The Consultant identified two potential sites for establishing road service stations – one near Lahore Khel at Km 65.6 and the other one near Nokor Hill at Km 117.71. Both these sites have access to spring water to provide washroom/toilet facilities for travelers. Also, the station could provide rest facilities and showcase the local promotions available in the area (i.e. tourist information, festivals). The roadside service station may also consist of gas stations and vehicle maintenance centers. A typical service station should have the following facilities in its initial stage, (a) Parking facilities, (b) Market facilities (including a free market), (c) Locally made materials to introduce local industry, (d) Restaurant facilities, (e) Health center, primarily for maternity, HIV/AIDS etc., (f) Meeting place (training facility), (g) Information facilities, (h) Toilet facilities, and (i) Water supply area.

11. Accessibility and Regional Cooperation 182. The project will provide better and efficient access linking hinterlands of Nangarhar and Kabul provinces to major cities, Jalalabad and Kabul. In addition, it will contribute to improving connections with Pakistan. The mobility of the rural poor in the project area will also be improved reducing the marketing costs for their agricultural products by saving travel time, fuel consumption, and increasing vehicle life. The provision of improved accessibility can result in reduced transport costs, improved access to social services (hospitals, schools etc.) and to employment opportunities, new markets for farm produce, and increased agricultural production that will eventually generate larger rural incomes. Labor-intensive construction will generate employment opportunities of unskilled and semi-skilled positions, including laborers, truck drivers, cleaning and catering etc.

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V. INSTITUTIONAL REQUIREMENT AND ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING PLAN

C. Institutional Framework 183. Institutions responsible for executing and monitoring the environmental aspects of this Project are:

Ministry of Public Works (MPW) is responsible for planning, constructing, operating and maintaining regional, national and provincial roads in Afghanistan. The Project Management Office (PMO) will be in charge of project management to ensure that the contract provisions are properly maintained. The supervision consultants under the PMO are responsible for environmental monitoring and management of project implementation.

The MPW and its provincial authorities will undertake routine and random monitoring of specific environmental management plans (EMP) addressed in this IEE.

The Project will provide PMO with the assistance of a construction supervision consultant (CSC) to help ensure the implementation of environmental management practices at each stage of the construction.

National Environmental Protection Agency (NEPA) of Afghanistan will be consulted if complicated issues arise during construction and operation stages.

184. Implementation of mitigation measures presented in the EMP (Annex A1) during the construction stage will be the responsibility of the Contractor. The representative of MPW and environmental specialists of CSC will supervise the monitoring of implementing mitigation measures during the construction stage. The domestic environmental specialist will coordinate with the international environmental specialist for resolving complicated issues that arise in the field and to provide continuously updated information in order to submit reports to PMU and ADB. 185. After project completion, MPW will be in charge of the operation and maintenance of the project. PMO in cooperation with the district/provincial administration will undertake routine and random monitoring and analyze samples scheduled in the monitoring plan (Annex A2). 186. The following measures will be taken to provide an environmental compliance monitoring program during project implementation:

The tender and contract documents will clearly set out the contractor’s obligations to undertake environmental mitigation measures set out in the EMP (appended to Contract Specifications).

The recommended environmental mitigation cost should be included as an item in the Bills of Quantities. This will ensure that there is specific environmental mitigation budget and will be implemented as required. During the procurement, contractors will be encouraged to include these costs in their rates and present the mitigation cost as a line item in the Bills of Quantities. There will be an identified extra payment in the contract to ensure measures are calculated and carried out.

Each contractor will recruit an environmental, health and safety manager, who will be responsible for implementing the contractors’ environmental responsibilities, and liaising with PMO. The manager will also be responsible for health and safety aspects of work sites.

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D. Environmental Monitoring Program 187. Environmental monitoring is a very important component of environmental management during construction and operation stages of the project to safeguard the protection of environment. During construction, environmental monitoring will ensure the protection of landslide, side slopes, and embankment from potential soil erosion, borrow pits restoration, quarry activities, sitting of work sites and material storages, sitting of batch, concrete and asphalt plants, preservation of religiously sensitive locations, community relations, and safety provisions. During operation, air, noise, and surface water quality monitoring and greening and landscaping of project road will be important parameter of the monitoring program. 188. In response to environmental impacts identified during study, an environmental monitoring plan has been developed and is presented in Annex A2. The contract documents will contain a listing of all required mitigation measures (Annex A1) and a time frame for the compliance monitoring of these activities. The monitoring will comprise surveillance to check whether the contractor is meeting the provisions of the contract during construction and the executing agency during the operation of the project. 189. A budget (Table 26) is allocated for implementing the environmental monitoring program and mitigation measures provided in the IEE. The proposed environmental budget is $15,315,161 and included as civil work package. The environmental management budget under PMO during construction and operation stages are $272,300. In addition, a budget of $119,800 is provided for road safety campaign, procurement of office equipment for proposed environmental and social management unit of PMO, and environmental and social management training. MPW–PMO will retain a recognized organization for environmental monitoring and ensure that the road is monitored regularly for the first three years of its operation. 190. The CSC in cooperation with MPW–PMO and NEPA during project implementation will be required to:

Develop an environmental auditing protocol for the construction period, and formulate a detailed monitoring and management plan; and

Supervise the environmental monitoring regularly, and submit quarterly reports based on the monitoring data and laboratory analysis report: the main parameters to be monitored by the contractor are outlined in Annex A2.

The contractor will be responsible for subcontracting data collection of environmental monitoring to a recognized organization. The cost for this monitoring is included in the environmental mitigation budget in Table 26.

191. The MPW–PMO shall submit the following environmental reporting documentation to the Government of Afghanistan and ADB:

Baseline Monitoring Report: The Baseline Monitoring Report shall be submitted to the Government of Afghanistan and ADB prior to commencement of civil works and will include a detailed environmental management and monitoring plan (including data collection locations, parameters and frequency), baseline environmental data, relevant standards and data collection responsibilities.

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Table 26: Environmental Monitoring and Mitigation Cost of the Project. Item Unit Unit Cost,

($) Quantity Total Cost,

($) A) Environmental Costs - Civil Works (included in Contractors civil work package) 1. Environmental Monitoring (During Construction) Air Quality and Dust Monitoring1 Site 500 28 14,000Water Quality Monitoring2 Site 1,000 21 21,000Noise and Vibration Monitoring1 Site 600 28 16,800Subtotal A1 51,800 2. Environmental Mitigation Measures Chemical Storage Compound Site 1,000 15 15,000Dust Suppression Measures Day 125 365 45,625Provision of Health, Safety, and Environment. Manager MM 3,000 36 108,000Soil lined Drain m 10 96504 965,040Stone Masonry Drain m 39.6 67690 2,680,524Riprap Protection Works m3 60 19893 1,193,580Retaining Structures m3 84 105106 8,828,904Snow Fence m 38.57 16009 617,467Maintenance of Slopes, Vegetation km 2414 130.3 314,544Re-vegetation of Slopes sq.m 2.5 178407 446,017Noise Mitigation Measures locations 10,000 2 20,000Rehabilitation of quarry and borrow sites Item 7 28,660Subtotal A2 15,263,361

Total A (A1+A2) 15,315,161B) Environmental Costs - PMO Budget 1) CSC Environmental Specialists (International/Domestic)

i. Remuneration and Per diems International Environmental Specialist MM 21,000 7 147,000Domestic Environmental Specialist MM 3,000 15 45,000

ii. Travel International Travel Trip 2,500 3 7,500

Subtotal 'B1' 199,500 2) Environmental Monitoring of Project (during operation)

Air Quality and Dust1 Site 500 24 12,000Noise and Vibration2 Site 600 18 10,800Landscaping of Project Road3 m 10 5000 50,000

Subtotal 'B2' 72,800 Total 'B' (B1+B2) 272,300

C) Other Environmental Costs - PMO Budget 1) Equipment for Environmental Unit of PMU LS 10,0002) Road Safety Campaign LS 40,0003) Environmental and Social Management Training

i. Remuneration and Per diems International Environmental Specialist MM 21,000 1 21,000International Social and Resettlement Specialist MM 21,000 1 21,000Domestic Environmental and curriculum Specialist MM 3,000 4 12,000Domestic Social and Resettlement Specialist MM 3,000 2 6,000

ii. International Travel RT 2,500 2 5,000iii. Logistic and Trainees Allowance Person 600 8 4,800

Subtotal 'C3' 69,800 Total 'C' 119,800

Total PMU Budget (B+C) 392,100Grand Total (A+B+C) 15,707,261

1 Major Villages: Memla, Gandamak, Hisarak, Buthakak 2 At 3 Locations: Memla, Gandamak, Kogdara 3 Landscaping of project road by plantation or grass turfs of 150–200m strip

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Environmental Monitoring Reports: The environmental monitoring reports will

include environmental mitigation measures undertaken, environmental monitoring activities undertaken, details of monitoring data collected, analysis of monitoring results, recommended mitigation measures, environmental training conducted, and environmental regulatory violations. The environmental monitoring reports will be submitted to the Government of Afghanistan twice annually during the construction period and annually for three years after completion of construction.

Project Completion Environmental Monitoring Report: Three years after completion of construction, the MPW–PMO shall submit a Project Completion Environmental Monitoring Report to Government of Afghanistan and ADB which will summarize the overall environmental impacts from the Project.

E. Environmental and Social Management Training

192. The MPW has very limited experience, resources and equipment for environmental and social/resettlement management and monitoring. It will be very difficult for PMO to efficiently supervise monitoring of the environmental and social safeguard parameters. For a better understanding of road related environmental issues, implementation of mitigation measures and subsequent monitoring and capacity building of PMO and regional administration, there is a requirement of environmental management training of officials at the national and regional level. Training for the officials is crucial for proper environmental and social/resettlement monitoring addressed in the IEE. Environmental and social/resettlement training will be provided for four MPW officials (two from Nangarhar and two from Kabul). In addition, the contractor will be provided hands-on-training in the construction site by the CSC in association with contractor’s EHSM. The objectives of this training program are (a) to help build up the capacity and procedures of PMU to undertake analyses of environmental and social/resettlement impacts of road rehabilitation projects including incorporation of environmental and social/resettlement factors in engineering design and preparation of environmental and social/resettlement impact management plans in accordance with Government regulations and donor guidelines, and (b) to provide training on environmental and social/resettlement management to the PMO and regional road maintenance offices. The TOR for the training program is presented in Annex B and budget of $69,800 (Table 26) is provided for these training programs.

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VI. STAKEHOLDER CONSULTATION AND INFORMATION DISCLOSURE

A. Stakeholder Consultations 193. The IEE process included stakeholder participation and consultation to help MPW achieve public acceptance of the project. Stakeholder consultations were performed in the district governor’s offices and a number of small settlements adjacent to the road. The consultation involved a wide range of participants representing affected people, community leaders, civil society, NGOs, and central and regional government officials. The consultations on social and environmental issues were held in Jalalabad (May 4, 2008) Gandamak (May 5, 2008), Sultanpur (May 5, 2008), and Hisarak (May 6, 2008). These events were participated by the district governors and local shura leaders. Details of the consultations are given in Table 27. Results of this consultation were positive, with people considering that the road will bring significant economic benefits to the region.

B. Consultation Process and Documentation

194. Information for the stakeholder consultations was distributed through regional administrations before the consultation in order to encourage affected people to attend the meetings. Participants of the consultations (106 people) include district governors, district administration, shora members, police commandants, community leaders, elders, teachers and affected people. A project brief and questionnaire were shared among the participants and their comments were requested. During the consultations, the Consultant made presentations about the Project, discussed the potential environmental and social impacts, and introduced proposed rehabilitation options considered in the project design. 195. The Consultations went very well, and the discussions were recorded in accordance with the Government’s guidelines. The results of the consultation were positive, with people considering that the road will bring significant economic benefits to the region and increase trade flows (Table 27). Recommendations from the consultations are incorporated in the engineering design of the Project (e.g., construction of retaining structures, drainage structures, widening of the pavement, and strengthening of the shoulders. No major concerns were raised during these consultations except issues on proper drainage (bigger culvert size and higher bridges), the quality of the construction, proper engineering practices during construction, and transparency in construction work. Six consultations were conducted at different places of Hisarak, Shirzad, Khake Jabbar districts. The original sign-in sheet of participants and the translated list of participants with date and place of consultations are appended in Annex C and D. 196. Detailed community level discussions were held with the affected people (AP) through focused group discussions. The benefits of the project were explained in detail to them and solicited their views on relocation of such properties from their present locations. A summary these consultations and the participants’ comments and opinions are presented in Table 27.

Consultations at Hisarak

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Table 27: Public Consultations and Focused Group Discussions Issues Participants’ Opinion, Comments, and Suggestions

General perception about the project and the awareness about the proposed project.

Most of the participants are in favor of the project and are aware about the proposed project since there have been initial consultations going on the project areas for a long time.

Support of local people for the proposed project?

Almost everybody said that they will support the project and also they will render their services for keeping the security issue safe and intact during the project planning as well as during the implementation.

Any critical issue or concern by the local people regarding the project?

Any criteria you would like to see considered during project design, construction and operation stage?

Most participants want the project to be done as soon as possible without any corruption from the higher government officials.

Engineers should design the bridges and culverts in accordance with good engineering practices so as to improve water flow. Most people believed that Consultants and Contractors from the past use smaller culverts and that had resulted in the damage of structures.

Do you have any problem due to the existing road?

The existing paved road is narrow gravel road and does not have any immediate access to the main road. People face problems for availing adequate transport facilities and they spend a lot of time for travelling as well as money.

What is the usual mode of transport and how much time do you spend for reaching Kabul or Jalalabad?

People usually travel by the road. Most of the people take the public transport and very few people have their own transport facilities like car and motor cycle.

How is the Frequency of Public Transport?

There are no government transport facilities.

What is the average monthly Income The average monthly income in this area is Af 7000 to Af 15000.

How much money do you spend per month on Transport

Most of the people interviewed spend around Af 500 to Af 3000 for the transport.

Do you sell your agricultural product in the market, if yes, How do you transport them? How much money is spent on transportation out of your total expenditure in agriculture

They usually transport the product by the public transport in case they have to sell out of the local area. Kabul and Jalalabad are the major markets for agricultural products. They usually spend 15% of the total agricultural expenditure on transportation of the agricultural product.

Will you be willing to pay road tax if the road is built in a good way?

Most of the people are in favor of paying the toll if it is small in amount. However, toll is not a usual practice in Afghanistan and therefore, some of the people expressed their unwillingness and inability to pay the toll.

Is the proposed project going to reduce accidents and provide better traffic system?

All the participants opined that the proposed road project will facilitate better traffic system. However, accidents might increase if proper engineering solutions are not made in the engineering design, like speed breakers, road sign etc.

What are the numbers of shops/ commercial establishments in the surrounding area? Is there any industrial unit in the project area?

Around 50 shops are found in Gandamak and about 80 in Hisarak. There is a sewing machine industrial unit located in Hisarak.

General socio-economic Condition: What are the economic activities, land use, cropping pattern (Seasonal), types of crops, value of the crops and average land holding size etc.

The general socio-economic condition of the project vicinity area is agriculture and small commercial activities like shops. Most correspondents are farmers that do not have a quick access for transporting goods.

Is there any access to the forest land) if yes, what is the use of the forest land.

There is no forest land along the alignment.

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Issues Participants’ Opinion, Comments, and Suggestions Current rates for the land (Government as well as market rates)

The rate of the land differs and the price goes up and down as per location, productivity and distance for irrigation of the land (current rate: around four hundred to six hundred thousand Afghanis)

Source of drinking water

The sources of drinking water are wells, streams, rivers and springs in the project area.

Loss of residential/commercial structures, if any due to the project

The loss of residential/commercial structures is minimal; there are none in some areas.

Loss of community life like any Market Places or community activities to be affected

There will be no loss of community life as such as advised by the local people. However, they advised that there might be loss of some community property like, mosques and burial grounds etc.

Is there shortage of water for human consumption

There are shortages of safe drinking water and water for agricultural needs. Some people reiterate the need of irrigation dams and hydropower dams

Has there been land acquisition before? If yes, what was the process of land acquisition and compensation package?

According to the local people they don’t have any previous experience in land acquisition and resettlement.

Is there a protected area (national park, protected forest, religiously sensitive sites, historical or archaeological sites)? if any

There is no such protected area to be affected due to the project.

What is the health status, availability of hospitals and over all environmental condition? Is there any chronic disease prevalent in this area and are you aware about HIV/AIDS and STD?

The overall health condition is not good since availability of hospitals and adequate facilities are not so easily available in the project area. Good hospitals are available either in Kabul or Jalalabad. There is no such chronic disease prevalent in the area. However, according to the people, the common disease is malaria. Gynecological diseases are also widespread. Few participants, who are educated, aware about the HIV/AIDS or STD. They usually don’t prefer to discuss on these topics and did not share any of the information related to this question.

Poverty Level: Is the area poor or very poor or well off

People having shops and other employment mechanisms are not poor. Unemployed are mostly poor.

Education Status: Literate, illiterate etc Most people are illiterate. However, there is a high literacy rate (45%) in Surkhrod due to the existence of a large number of schools (20 in total).

Employment Status: Percentage of employment/ unemployment/ underemployment

Unemployment is prevalent in the area and it is acute at some villages.

Migration Pattern (If any), inward or outward

Most people return to the district. Outward population movements also occur (mostly towards Pakistan)

If the widening of the road necessitates dislocation, where would you like to be relocated?

The correspondents want the Consultant to study and design the roads carefully to avoid dislocation.

What is the possibility of shifting the religious structure(s)? And where to relocate?

People viewed that religious monuments should remain untouched if there is an engineering solution. In case of dislocation, it should be properly shifted to the nearby area within the locality with due consultation with the village community and will be paid for by the government.

Type of compensation expected (Cash or Kind)

Most of the people opted for cash compensation.

77

Issues Participants’ Opinion, Comments, and Suggestions Perceived benefits from the project

According to the local people, the proposed project will enhance the communication system and people will stay connected to the main stream. The mobility will be enhanced which will allow them to do more business. There will be savings in time as far as travelling is concerned. The proposed project will fetch some temporary employment opportunities to the local community. Additionally, more number of traffic will pave the way to do new business along the highway.

Perceived losses from the project

Land acquisition and resettlement will be the major issue.

What other organizations of a social nature (NGOs/CBOs/ Civil Society) active in the area?

People are aware about many donor and other agencies working for the development of Afghanistan.

Any Other Issues you may feel to share

All the participants agreed that the project should start as soon as possible. Local employment should be made for the completion of the road project. Most of the correspondents do not only want road developments but also improvements in building infrastructures such as additional hospitals, schools, and livelihood centers.

Is this consultation useful? Comments Everybody was of the opinion that the consultation is very useful and they expect the continued consultation in the future also.

C. Information Disclosure

197. After the completion of the study, the IEE reports documenting the mitigation measures and consultation process will be submitted to the Government of Afghanistan, PMO, and ADB, and will be made available for public review. The affected people and the local communities expressed support for the Project during the consultations as they clearly saw the benefit to the community as well as the region. Consultations and disclosures should be done during project implementation through:

(i) The preparation and dissemination of a brochure in Pashtun/Dari, explaining the affected peoples’ entitlements and the procedures for obtaining compensation for temporary disturbances, trees, crops, and land for construction sites and recording grievances; and

(ii) Setting up a formal grievance redress committee with a representation from the affected people. CSC in association with the Contractor will be responsible for managing the effective grievance redress program.

78

VII: GRIEVANCE REDRESS MECHANISM

198. A mechanism to receive and facilitate resolution of PAPs’ concerns, complaints, and grievances about the project’s environmental performance will be established. It will address PAP's concerns and complaints promptly, using an understandable and transparent process that is gender responsive, culturally appropriate, and readily accessible to all segments of the affected people at no costs and without retribution.

Grievance Focal Points, Complaints Reporting, Recording and Monitoring

199. Complaints will be received through the PMO staff or the Engineer. Grievance focal points will be designated at these levels to receive, help resolve, report or forward complaints received from the PAP. PAP may visit, call or send a letter or email to any of the grievance focal points to register their comments or complaints related to environmental issues or other aspects of the project.

200. PMO will maintain a record-book to register the complaints and keep track of their status. Reports and complaints resolution will be subject to follow-up by the Program Director. The grievance focal point at the Engineer will also be tasked to regularly coordinate with PMO to track complaints received, actions taken and status of resolution. Complaint forms will be distributed to the heads of local self governments to facilitate recording of complaints.

Dispute Resolution Process

201. Information about the environmental and social issues, land acquisition and other aspects of the project will also be provided to the heads of the local governments. Hence, PAPs may also opt to initially course their complaints or queries through their local government. In case the local government cannot resolve or clarify the issue at their level within one week, they can then forward the case to the grievance focal points of the Engineer.

202. If the issue cannot be resolved in two weeks, the grievance focal points of the Engineer will then pass the complaint to the grievance focal point at the PMO. If no action is taken at PMO level, people with concerns about the project may contact NEPA for grievance redress. PMO will designate a staff as grievance focal point who will receive, follow-up and report on a monthly basis all complaints, disputes or questions received about the project. If the case remains unsolved, a complaint can be lodged to the court.

203. The following standards will be used in responding to or referring complaints received by the project:

Levels/Stages Responsibility Steps in Compliant Handling

Village Head of Local Government Registers the complaint and attempts to solve it. If complaint is not resolved in one week, it is passed to the Grievance Focal Points at the CSC for resolution.

Regional Grievance Focal

Point at the Engineer

Receives the complaint, registers it and attempts to resolve it. If there is no resolution in two weeks, it is passed to PMO

79

PMO Grievance Focal

Point at the PMO (Program Director)

Receives the complaint and attempts to resolve it. If there is no resolution within two weeks, the affected person can approach NEPA.

Appeal to appropriate Court

Court If there is no resolution within two weeks from the date of referring the case to NEPA by the affected person, the affected person can present the case to an appropriate court in Afghanistan which will be resolved according to Afghanistan’s legislation. The court will hear the case and render decision.

Disclosure of the Grievance Process The complaints resolution process will be disseminated through information brochures and posted to the offices of the rural village heads, the Engineer and PMO.

80

81

VII. FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

204. The present IEE reveals that there will be both negative and positive impacts due to the construction activities and normal operations after the proposed construction. Recommendations are made to mitigate expected negative impacts and adequate fund is provided to cover environmental monitoring and mitigation cost. 205. The major positive impact of the project will be economic and better accessibility. Road safety will be improved by stabilizing unstable sections, constructing retaining structures for landslide and rock fall, realigning difficult horizontal radii and clearing forward sight distance, installing road safety barriers including proper traffic engineering signs and display boards. 206. Soil erosion and rock falls will be minimized after project completion. Landslide, critical side slope and unstable batters will be protected by retaining structures, and rock fall fences. Village markets will be improved. The residual impact on the environment will be minor and in some cases positive where erosion has been active and henceforth will be controlled. The cost of the retaining structure and other protective measures for slope stability is included in the engineering design. 207. Construction work, including bridge construction, will generate a number of negative impacts on the environment. Many of the impacts during the construction period for project cannot be assessed at this moment, because sites for temporary work activities have not been identified and/or information concerning the period and the duration of these activities are not available. The temporary construction works could create more impacts than the activities related to the permanent works. For this reason, environmental management and monitoring will be required covering construction and operation stages and is estimated to cost $7,140,438. 208. Environmental and social management training of MPW officials at different stages in the project cycle is required to enable them to carryout environmental and social/ resettlement monitoring and implementation of environmental management plan. Environmental and social/ resettlement training will require 2MM of international and 4MM of domestic specialists input and will cost about $69,800.

82

VIII. CONCLUSION

209. The project will have both positive and negative environmental impacts, including: (a) less re-suspension of dust; (b) excess cut material in the mountainous section; (c) increased air emission and noise levels along the corridor; (d) improved landslide and rock fall protective measures; (e) less soil erosion and reduced dumping of spoil into the rivers due to construction of retaining structures; (f) increased growth in the economy of the region; (g) substantial income and employment opportunities; (h) improved living conditions; (i) reduced poverty; (j) advanced environmental skills and awareness level among the road maintenance officials, and (k) improved road safety. 210. Implementation of appropriate mitigation measures during construction, and operation phases will minimize the negative impacts of the project to acceptable levels. To ensure that these mitigation measures are implemented and negative impacts avoided, the measures will be included in the contract specification of the project. 211. The project will have overall beneficial impact, as well as some negative impacts that will be carefully monitored and adequately mitigated. Therefore, the completion of this IEE fully meets the government standards and no further environmental study is required for this project.

83

Annex 1

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN DURING CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION

Issue Potential Impact Mitigation measures Cost Estimates

(US$)

Persons to Implement

Persons to

Monitor

1. CONSTRUCTION PHASE (a) Natural Environment

2.

3. Soil and Material 4.Soil erosion High suspended solid

contents of river, sedimentation, drainage failure, inundation of farm land, and mud flows.

• On hill slopes and other potentially erodible places along the roadside, appropriate vegetation that retards erosion will be planted.

• On sections with filling and cutting, the slopes will be protected by mild slope and planted with appropriate vegetation.

• Design consideration for erosion: slope and pier protection with retaining structure and gabion.

• About 67.69 km stone masonry lined channel and 96.504 km soil lined channel will be installed.

760,561

3,645,564

Contractor CSC, PMO and MPW

Degradation of borrow areas

Loss of topsoil and disfigurement of landscape

• About 313,033 m3 of borrow material will be sourced.

• Borrow pits and quarries will be redeveloped as per standard procedure. In all the borrow pits and quarries vegetation is sparse. Rehabilitation of quarries and borrow sites will be undertaken immediately after excavation to prevent soil erosion. Redevelopment will include:

o regarding slopes to minimize erosion,

70,000 Contractor MPW and NEPA/ PMO

84

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN DURING CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION

Issue Potential Impact Mitigation measures Cost Estimates

(US$)

Persons to Implement

Persons to

Monitor o replacing stockpiled soil cover, o replanting grass, shrubs, and trees, o installing sediment runoff control

devices, and o ensuring ongoing erosion monitoring.

• Scraping and tamping of the borrowed areas will be carried out to minimize localized depressions and render a smooth profile.

Excess cut material

Soil dumping: if improperly designed, loss of agricultural land and impaired view.

• Excess cut will be used to shape the embankment side slopes, strengthening the toe of the high slopes road bench and filling the low lying government lands and for plantation in pre-selected areas, approved by NEPA and PMO. The rest will be used for construction of laybys at the mountainous sections adjacent to the main road. The laybys will be used by travelers to stop vehicles temporarily to take rest or to watch natural sceneries. Contractors will submit a spoil plan to PMO for approval. The spoil plan should show the location of any borrow pits to be used and fill location for excess cut and the measures to be taken to rehabilitate these pits and cuts upon finalization of the Project. PMO will approve and monitor this plan

Included in civil works

Contractor NEPA/ PMO

Topsoil Loss of fertility of arable land

• About 5,899,337 m3 of soil will be excavated and 1,877,972 m3 of soil will be filled during earth work. The topsoil (about 15cm) will be kept and refilled after excavation is over to minimize the impact on productive lands.

Included in civil works

Contractor CSC, PMO and MPW

85

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN DURING CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION

Issue Potential Impact Mitigation measures Cost Estimates

(US$)

Persons to Implement

Persons to

Monitor

• It may be necessary to construct new access roads to aggregate sites, and place them through agricultural lands. These temporary roads will be made along existing farm tracks so as to avoid losses to agricultural lands. Contractors will be required to present proposed construction road alignments and hauling schedule for approval before construction is to commence. In unavoidable circumstances, suitable compensation will be paid to people whose land will be temporarily acquired for the duration of the operations. The compensation will cover for loss of income for the duration of acquisition and land restoration.

Reclaimed pavement

Solid waste • Contractors will be encouraged to recycle reclaimed asphalt pavement in cold mixes or aggregate in granular or stabilized surface material for subgrade and base layers and village access road maintenance and to use recyclable materials as much as possible, such as fly-ash. The material that can not be reused will be taken to specific official waste dumping sites approved by the NEPA.

• All suitable material obtained from roadway excavation work will be used for construction of embankment/ earthen shoulders.

Contractor, village, and settlement administration

CSC, PMO and MPW

86

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN DURING CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION

Issue Potential Impact Mitigation measures Cost Estimates

(US$)

Persons to Implement

Persons to

Monitor Slope Stability Landslides

Retaining structures (retaining walls and riprap protection work) of 124,999 m3 will be constructed for protection of landslides for the Project. The long term solution for landslides will be to maintain uphill vegetation cover, and appropriate agricultural activities in the steep banks with a diversification of crops and cropping techniques.

• Removal of vegetation and cutting of trees will be done judiciously and limited to minimum possible extent.

• Vegetative cover by planting grass and creepers is considered for landslide section.

10,022,484 Contractor CSC, PMO and MPW

Rockfalls

• 757,792 m3 of rock excavation will be done

and rockfall protection fences will be constructed along road project

• Rockfalls and landslides resulting from improper hill cutting can be prevented by cutting slopes at only 45o with appropriate spaced branches.

Included in civil woks

Hill Cutting • Rockslides and landslides will be prevented by cutting slopes at only 450 with approximate spaced branches. Any cut and fill that result in slope steeper than 45o will need to be secured by a protective wall and protected by bioengineering methods.

Included in civil works

87

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN DURING CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION

Issue Potential Impact Mitigation measures Cost Estimates

(US$)

Persons to Implement

Persons to

Monitor

Construction of Bridges/drainage structures in streams/rivers

Flood, inundation, mudflow, pollution, and adverse effects on runoff flow pattern

• Ensure design includes prevention of flooding during closing of rivers and canals. Side drainage structures will be incorporated in designs to divert the stream water at construction sites.

• In sections along rivers and streams, earth and stones will be properly disposed of so that they do not block rivers and streams, resulting in adverse impact on water quality and flow regime.

• All necessary measures will be taken to prevent earthworks and stone works related to the road from impeding cross drainage at rivers/streams and canals or existing irrigation and drainage systems.

• 'Side-borrow' sites will be used as drainage ditches and designed such that they drain into the nearest watercourse. But at a slope (e.g., <5%) permitting fine suspended materials to settle down.

• Roadside drainage system will be established for the entire length of project road by paying special attention to integration with any agricultural irrigation system, adjacent to the

Included in civil works

Contractor CSC, PMO and MPW

88

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN DURING CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION

Issue Potential Impact Mitigation measures Cost Estimates

(US$)

Persons to Implement

Persons to

Monitor right-of-way.

Siltation Adverse effects on

channel stability

Damage on river bank

• Increasing coverage of open surface area by planting grass and creepers so that washing away of materials from sloped surfaces would be reduced to a significant extent.

• Construction materials containing fine particles, e.g. limestone or laterite, should be stored in an enclosure such that sediment laden water does not drain into nearby watercourses, but rather percolates slowly into the soil.

• Sediment laden construction water will be discharged into settling lagoons or tanks prior to final discharge.

• For river bank protection, gabion baskets will be installed.

• Cofferdams, silt fences, sediment barriers etc., will be included in the design to prevent siltation in the bridge construction sites.

• Dewatering and cleaning of cofferdams will be performed to prevent siltation by pumping from cofferdams to a settling basin or a containment unit

• In bridge demolition sites, efforts will be made to avoid "dropping the bridge" into rivers/streams. This will be done by "sawing" appropriate sections of the bridge and using cranes to lift these sections away, or alternatively by construction of a platform onto

Included in civil works

Contractor NEPA/ PMO and CSC

89

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN DURING CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION

Issue Potential Impact Mitigation measures Cost Estimates

(US$)

Persons to Implement

Persons to

Monitor which the bridge could be dropped

• discharge of sediment-laden construction water (e.g., from areas containing dredged spoil) directly into surface watercourses will be forbidden. Sediment laden construction water will be discharged into settling lagoons or tanks prior to final discharge

• drainage system will be periodically cleared so as to ensure adequate storm water flow

Spills from Bitumen Plants

Contamination of water table or surface drainage

• In road rehabilitation the most severe possible water quality impact could come from spilled bitumen or petroleum products used to thin the bitumen. Bitumen is stored in drums which may leak or which are often punctured during handling after long periods (> 6 months in the elements) of storage. Bitumen will not be allowed to enter either running or dry streambeds and nor will be disposed of in ditches or small waste disposal sites prepared by the contractor. Bitumen storage and mixing areas must be protected against spills and all contaminated soil must be properly handled according to NEPA or other acceptable standards. As a minimum, these areas must be contained, such that any spills can be immediately contained and cleaned up. Prior to initiating the work, the contractor will meet with the NEPA/PMO to determine the proper siting of the mixing areas and the handling and management of such spills. Any

15,000 Contractor CSC, PMO and MPW

90

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN DURING CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION

Issue Potential Impact Mitigation measures Cost Estimates

(US$)

Persons to Implement

Persons to

Monitor petroleum products used in the preparation of the bitumen mixture must also be carefully managed to avoid spills and contamination of the local water table.

Air, Noise, and Vibration

Emission from construction vehicles and equipment

Health hazard to workers and close by residents.

• Construction equipment will be maintained to a good standard and idling of engines will be discouraged. Machinery causing excessive pollution (e.g., visible smoke) will be banned from construction sites

• Vehicles and machinery used for construction are to be regularly maintained. Idling of engines will be discouraged.

• Each vehicle related to the construction has to have valid “Emission form for motor vehicle” during construction

• Vehicular traffic through communities will be avoided as far as possible. Vehicle speeds will be kept low if they should pass through communities.

Included in civil works

Contractor NEPA/ PMO

Asphalt and mixing plant

• Noise, Dust

• Harmful impacts on surface and groundwater.

• Impacts on biological environment

• Siting of asphalt plants will be more than 500 m of settlements and preferably located on the leeward side.

• Environmental clearance must be taken from PMO for all asphalt plants siting.

• Avoid locations close to plantation and shrubs

Included in civil works

Contractor’s EHSM

CSC, PMO and MPW

91

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN DURING CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION

Issue Potential Impact Mitigation measures Cost Estimates

(US$)

Persons to Implement

Persons to

Monitor (plants).

Dust/Odor Air Pollution • The contractor will submit a dust suppression program to PMO prior to construction.

• Water will be sprayed during the construction phase in all mixing areas where dry materials are handled and/or crushed. Temporary access roads to aggregate sites must be included in the dust suppression program. A spraying schedule will be prepared by the contractor and will serve as the basis of a dust control program. The Project authorities will regularly monitor this schedule.

• Vehicles delivering materials to and from the construction sites will be covered to reduce spills.

• Asphalt application will be heated liquid bitumen sprayed onto an aggregate base. Bitumen preparation sites will be noisy, with some odor and a considerable risk of fire. Therefore, all bitumen preparation and loading sites must be over 1km downwind from any community development, and the contractor must have spill and fire protection equipment available to rapidly deal with any accidents.

• Mixing and crushing plants/operations will be equipped with dust suppression devices such as water sprays. Operators will wear dust masks and ear protection.

• The batch, concrete, and asphalt plants will be

45,625 Contractor CSC/ PMO with assistance from NEPA if required

92

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN DURING CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION

Issue Potential Impact Mitigation measures Cost Estimates

(US$)

Persons to Implement

Persons to

Monitor located minimum 1 km away from the settlements to avoid direct impact of emissions and dusts on local settlements

Dust and noise from borrow pits

• Noise • Dust

• Ensure noise control measures to comply with international standards.

• Watering of the earth roads close to the settlements, use covered truck.

• Secure appropriate environmental permits. • The borrow and material dumping sites must

be access controlled to keep away unauthorized entry of people, grazing cattle and any other stray animals.

• Protective gear like ear plugs will be provided to operating personnel if they are exposed to noise levels beyond threshold limits.

Included in civil works

Contractor CSC, PMO and MPW

Noise from construction activities

Noise pollution to the settlements.

• Noise standards at aggregate crushing plants and bitumen preparation sites will be strictly enforced to prevent noncompliance of acceptable noise standards 55 dBA for residential area in the day time and 45 dBA during the night time and 75 dBA for commercial and 80 dBA for industrial area. Maintenance of machinery and vehicles will be enhanced to minimize noise.

• When construction is taking place at <500 m from the villages along both sides, and the road passes within 150m of sensitive areas such as health centers, construction will be stopped from 21:00 to 06:00. This will reduce

Included in civil works

Contractor CSC/ PMO

93

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN DURING CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION

Issue Potential Impact Mitigation measures Cost Estimates

(US$)

Persons to Implement

Persons to

Monitor nighttime noise levels.

Rock blasting Explosion and noise • Blasting will be carried out only with permission of MPW, using a pre-established schedule. All the statutory laws, regulation, rules etc., pertaining to acquisition, transport, storage, handling and use of explosives will be strictly followed, with blasting taking place preferably during mid-day hours. The timing will be made available to the local people within 500m of the blasting site in all directions, depending on the total charge used.

• Where possible blasting mats will be used to reduce noise levels when blasting is carried out.

Included in civil works

Contractor CSC/ PMO

Waste

Storage of hydrocarbon, toxic, and explosive chemicals

Contamination from harmful and toxic chemicals (paints, fuel and lubricants, oils and explosives).

• Hydrocarbon, toxic material and explosives will be stored in designated sites. Vehicle maintenance and refueling will be confined to areas in construction sites designed to contain spilled lubricants and fuels. Spill waste will be disposed to approved disposal sites, according to NEPA requirements.

• Adequate precaution will be taken to prevent oil/lubricant/ hydrocarbon contamination of channel beds. Spillage if any will be immediately cleared with utmost caution to leave no traces

• All areas intended for storage of hazardous

Included in civil works

Contractor’s EHSM

CSC, PMO and MPW

94

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN DURING CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION

Issue Potential Impact Mitigation measures Cost Estimates

(US$)

Persons to Implement

Persons to

Monitor materials will be quarantined and provided with adequate facilities to combat emergency situations complying all the applicable statutory stipulation

• The personnel in-charge of these sites will be properly trained and these areas will be access controlled and entry will be allowed only under authorization

Solid waste from contractor’s yard and construction camps

Contamination from solid waste

• All construction materials will be reused, recycled and properly disposed of. All worn out parts, equipment and empty containers must be removed from the site to a proper storage location designated by PMO.

• Solid waste and garbage will be collected in bins and disposed of daily, according to a brief and basic waste management plan prepared by the contractor and approved by PIU, prior to the commencement of civil works.

• There will be no site-specific landfills established by the contractors. All solid waste will be collected and removed from the work camps and disposed in local waste disposal sites.

Contractor’s EHSM

CSC, PMO and MPW

Sewerage in contractor’s yard/ construction camps

Contamination from sewerage

• Primary treatment will be carried out if needed by larger camps

• Prior to initiating work, the contractor will present a simple sewage management plan to the PIU for approval.

Contractor’s EHSM

CSC, PMO and MPW

95

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN DURING CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION

Issue Potential Impact Mitigation measures Cost Estimates

(US$)

Persons to Implement

Persons to

Monitor

• Sewage to be discharged into soak pits or municipal sewers when possible; construction camps to be located away from rivers.

• Septic tank must be provided at each construction campsite and construction field.

• Construction materials, including chemicals such as oils and paintings, shall not be stocked near streams and drinking water well. Construction materials shall be covered with enough tarpaulin and looked after by special person, and shall be protected from entering into water body accompanied with rainwater.

• During construction near rivers, temporary retaining wall shall be built along riverside to prevent river, water canal or irrigation and drainage system from being blocked by soil and stone.

• The formation of standing water on construction sites often leads to the spread of insect-borne diseases such as malaria. Therefore there must be a vigorous program by the contractor to avoid such standing waters; including removal of old materials such as used tires and storage drums.

(a) Ecological Environment

Flora Minor vegetation loss • A tree-cutting and replanting scheme will be 20,000 Contractor CSC,

96

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN DURING CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION

Issue Potential Impact Mitigation measures Cost Estimates

(US$)

Persons to Implement

Persons to

Monitor prepared within the first four months of the start of civil works. Appropriate training will be provided to the workers and penalties for the contractor cutting firewood and contractor incompliance of the provision of heating and cooking fuel in work camps.

and NGO PMO and MPW

Loss of Trees • Construction vehicles will operate within the corridor of impact, i.e., approximately 10 m to either side of the carriageway centerline, to avoid damaging soil and vegetation. It will be most important to avoid soil compaction around trees. Generally the rule will be to avoid driving heavy equipment or trucks anywhere into the 'drip-line' of a tree (defined as imaginary line around a tree where rainwater falls freely to ground unimpeded by the tree's foliage).

• No trees will be removed without prior approval of MPW.

• Contractors will be responsible for putting new vegetation in removal sites.

• The contractor will not use or permit the use of wood as a fuel for the execution of any part of the Works, including but not limited to the heating of bitumen and bitumen mixtures, and to the extent practicable shall ensure that fuels other than wood are used for cooking, space and water heating in all his camps and living accommodations

Included in civil works

Contractor CSC, PMO and MPW

97

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN DURING CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION

Issue Potential Impact Mitigation measures Cost Estimates

(US$)

Persons to Implement

Persons to

Monitor Fauna Impact on Fauna • Hunting and fishing will be strictly prohibited.

• Stream crossings that are dry during the work period will be kept unobstructed at all times and the channels will not be altered.

• Bridge construction will be scheduled in dry season to avoid adverse impact on fishery, birds and river water quality.

Included in civil works

Contractor CSC, PMO and MPW

Socio-economic Environment

Local road Loss of access and damage to local road

Loss of access to the main road.

• All existing roads will be maintained in traffic worthy condition and uninterrupted movement of traffic will be maintained.

• Traffic will be diverted for safe and smooth movement of the traffic

• Access to all the roadside properties will be properly maintained

• Temporary bypasses will be constructed and maintained (including dust control) during the construction period particularly at bridge crossings.

• A grievance redress committee will be formed in association with affected population before starting the civil work and advance notice must be given to the community about the construction schedule.

• Repair the damaged local roads to their original condition after project completion.

Included in civil works

Contractor CSC, PMO and MPW

Compensation for Landuse and

Social instability and deforestation

A policy guideline and compensation plan is being prepared by PMO based on the outcome of this TA. This is being defined in the

Included in resettlemen

Contractor CSC, PMO and

98

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN DURING CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION

Issue Potential Impact Mitigation measures Cost Estimates

(US$)

Persons to Implement

Persons to

Monitor trees compensation and resettlement framework

outlining the persons entitled compensation, what will be the compensation mechanisms, how much the compensation will be paid according to the type of damages. In the approaches to villages and settlements, road side vendors will be advised in advance the schedule of construction.

t budget MPW

Community involvement

Stresses in the community

• Construction worksites may place stresses on resources and infrastructure of nearby communities. The contractor will provide temporary worksite facilities such as health care, eating space, and praying places.

• Establish grievances redress committee. • Labor intensive construction and the use of

local labor are recommended.

Contractor PMO, MPW and CSC

Cemetery and Graveyard

Social grievances • Graveyards and holy places are the cultural and religious relics involve in this Project and as identified during field survey, these will be protected and respected. It is highly recommended that contractors consult with local people during civil works close to these sites

• Public utilities will be relocated to adjoining areas of the Project Highway

• Any material of historical importance found during the clearing operations, like treasure trove, slabs with epigraphical evidence or edicts, or sculptures, will be handed over to

Contractor CSC, PMO and MPW

99

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN DURING CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION

Issue Potential Impact Mitigation measures Cost Estimates

(US$)

Persons to Implement

Persons to

Monitor the government.

Land mines and UXO

Injuries and Loss of life

• All the project area will be cleared for landmines, Unexploded Ordinances (UXO) and land service ammunition etc.

• All mines or munitions found at a depth of less than 200 mm will be removed and destroyed in such a way that will not damage any existing infrastructure. Reasonable efforts will be made to clear the mines located at a depth greater than 200mm incase there is a sufficient evidence to suspect they exist.

• All mines and munitions will be destroyed as soon as possible after detection.

Included in civil works

Contractor CSC, PMO and MPW

Traffic Safety Road accidents

• Control speed of construction vehicles through road safety education and fines.

• Allow adequate traffic flow around construction areas.

• Provide adequate signage, barriers and flag persons for traffic control

Included in civil works

Contractor PMO, MPW, Police, and CSC

Traffic jams and congestion

Social havoc • Communicate to the public through community consultation and newspaper announcements regarding the scope and schedule of construction, as well as certain construction activities causing disruptions or access restrictions.

• Appropriate traffic diversion schemes shall be implemented to avoid inconvenience due to project operations to present road users,

Included in civil works

Contractor CSC, PMO and MPW

100

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN DURING CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION

Issue Potential Impact Mitigation measures Cost Estimates

(US$)

Persons to Implement

Persons to

Monitor particularly during night time

• Proper diversion schemes will be implemented to ensure smooth traffic flow and minimize accidents, traffic hold ups and congestion

• The diversion signs would be bold and clearly visible particularly at night

Contract procedures and specifications

Faulty construction • Contractors’ conformity with contract procedures and specifications during construction will be carefully monitored.

• Main contractors are responsible for ensuring that subcontractors conform to general construction guidelines (good engineering practice and standard good working practices). Other wise, the quality of works subcontracted will be poor.

• Contractors will be made to follow standard construction practices, monitored and supervised by construction supervision consultants.

Contractor PMO, MPW and CSC

Worker’s health, safety, and hygiene

Health impact

• Contractor will hire a Health, Safety, and Environmental Manager (EHSM) to monitor workers health, safety and hygiene for entire construction period of 3 years

• Make certain that there is good drainage at all construction areas, to avoid creation of stagnant water bodies, including water in old tires especially in urban areas.

• Provide adequate sanitation and waste

108,000 Contractor’s EHSM

CSC, PMO and MPW

101

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN DURING CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION

Issue Potential Impact Mitigation measures Cost Estimates

(US$)

Persons to Implement

Persons to

Monitor

Contamination and odor from sanitary

disposal at construction sites. • Provide adequate health care for workers and

locate worksites away from sensitive areas. • Contractor will not hire children and pregnant

women • Provide education to construction personnel

on preventing contracting the disease, protective measures and disease control

• Provide construction personnel with necessary self-protection devices, such as safety helmet, earplug and other safety protection devices.

• Set up enclosures at construction site and other dangerous place to prevent the public from trespassing.

• Special vigilance shall be taken to transportation and storage of explosion. Explosive work and place shall be under careful and strict management.

• In blasting operations, confirm that the quantity of explosives is rational and set safe and warning distances as per quantity of explosives. Good work shall be done in order to ensure safety of residents and buildings.

• All work sites will be equipped with latrines. All toilet facilities will be at least 300m from water sources or existing residences. Sanitary wastes will be disposed depending on the size of the work camps, (1) Small treatment

102

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN DURING CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION

Issue Potential Impact Mitigation measures Cost Estimates

(US$)

Persons to Implement

Persons to

Monitor waste.

Drinking water quality

Entertainment

facilities (for large work camps), (2) on-site storage and disposal to municipal disposal systems (when camps are located close to municipalities) or (3) septic tanks with ground seepage (smaller work camps not located adjacent to watercourses). Any untreated discharge to local watercourses will be prohibited.

• Drinking water will meet national/WHO potable water quality standards and it will be treated if it exceeds standards

• The construction camps will have rationing facilities particularly for kerosene/LPG so that dependence on firewood for cooking is avoided to the extent possible

• The construction camps will have in-house community/common entertainment facilities. Dependence of local entertainment outlets by the construction camps will be discouraged/prohibited to the extent possible

Location of camp sites and storage depots

Loss of productive land

• Campsites and storage depots will be located preferably on unproductive/barren lands. Use of agricultural lands/cultivable lands will not be allowed under any circumstances

Contractor PMO/MPW

HIV/AIDS and STD

Spread to the community along the corridors.

• All construction workers will be adequately trained in basic sanitation and health care issues (e.g., how to avoid transmission of sexually transmitted diseases such as

Contractor’s EHSM

MPW and CSC

103

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN DURING CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION

Issue Potential Impact Mitigation measures Cost Estimates

(US$)

Persons to Implement

Persons to

Monitor HIV/AIDS).

• Group consultation will be done to create awareness among the community about these diseases.

Operational Phase (b) Natural Environment

Dust Nuisance Potentially moderate impact.

• Maintain and clean roads properly. • Replace roadside tree plantations lost to

construction and encourage new afforestation and landscaping projects.

MPW NEPA/ PMO

A consultant under a PMO/MPW contract with the cooperation from NEPA will check particulate matter and black smoke from diesel trucks, buses and old vehicles regularly and force servicing of ill maintained vehicles.

Consultant NEPA/ PMO and MPW

Air Pollution Atmospheric pollution

By increasing roadside plantations, localized air pollution will be reduced due to the blocking effect of foliage and through photosynthesis.

NEPA/PMO NEPA/ PMO and MPW

Noise Noise pollution Based on monitoring results, at places with noise violation, mitigation measures such as earth berm, dense layered plantation to block the noise, or other measures like wooden noise barriers will be considered

20,000 NEPA/PMO NEPA/ PMO and MPW

Road Safety Road accidents • Traffic control facilities like, roadside concrete barrier, sidewalks, road signs, and street lights will be provided near the settlements 237 traffic sings, 31 information signs, 21,458

Included in civil works

MPW/ PMO

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ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN DURING CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION

Issue Potential Impact Mitigation measures Cost Estimates

(US$)

Persons to Implement

Persons to

Monitor reflectors, 30,046 m of guard rail, 326,580 m of continuous white line and 76,545 m of broken line road markings and 409 road marking symbols are proposed for this Project. To improve the safety of pedestrians, road designs considered the wider shoulders (4m) in the populated areas and sensitive areas

Road Safety Campaign

• Upgrade skills and knowledge of drivers and school students by introducing safety courses in drivers’ training and school curriculum.

• Study road accidents properly and identify the causes.

• Properly maintain road signs and markings, information display board and streetlights.

40,000 NGO PMO/ MPW

Water Resources

Spills of toxic chemicals, petroleum products

Accidental spills of hazardous and toxic chemicals and loss of life.

Deterioration of Asphalt

Contingency plans for cleanup of spills or oil, fuel, and toxic chemicals, based on a spill contingency plan will be prepared by Consultant for government, within one week of the commencement of the Project.

Proper regulations are to be made and enforced to prevent the overloading of the oil tankers beyond their maximum capacities. The usage of overflow pipe for the oil tankers is also to be prevented under regulation. This can be done by employing additional people for monitoring at check posts located on the border and along the

MPW maintenance budget

Contractor

MOT and MPW

PMO and MPW in cooperation with NEPA

NEPA

105

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN DURING CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION

Issue Potential Impact Mitigation measures Cost Estimates

(US$)

Persons to Implement

Persons to

Monitor corridor.

Storm water drainage system

Localized flooding The drainage system will be periodically cleared so as to ensure adequate storm water flow. Local community groups under contract from MPW will be responsible for cleaning the drainage facilities especially clearing the clogging of drains, cutting of grasses, and clearing the shrubs, etc.

MPW maintenance budget

Contractor NEPA/ PMO and MPW

(2) Ecological Resources Planting and landscaping

Afforestation along the roads.

Greening and landscaping designated areas by local community along the road, on token payment basis is recommended. A portion of the profits raised from the trees and plants (e.g., from the sale of timber) can be given to the community. PMO will assess this option at the later stage of the implementation and develop a plan.

50,000 Local groups of women or landless people

NEPA/ PMO and MPW

Road Maintenance

Climate effects on the roads and drainage structures

Formation of potholes, worn out roads and bridges, faulty drainage structures

• Maintenance will be done in seasonal basis while also considering community concern. MPW will make an inventory of the road conditions and drainage structures for each district. Cut-slope and fill-slope stability as well as other road conditions will be inspected.

• Repair will be done to road sections that need replacement of surfacing materials

• Snow plowing will be done regularly during winter season most especially during a heavy

MPW maintenance budget

MOT and MPW

PMO

106

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN DURING CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION

Issue Potential Impact Mitigation measures Cost Estimates

(US$)

Persons to Implement

Persons to

Monitor

Road sign deterioration

snowfall to avoid heavy impacts on road surface degradation. MPW will assign a committee/team in every district to perform this task.

• Right timing will be considered as an important factor in road maintenance. The ditches will not be cleaning during wet weather to avoid excessive sedimentation. The road will not be graded during hard rain to avoid contamination of surfacing material. Most importantly, asphalt patches will be done

• Extreme heat may also damage asphalt roads and in some occasions may blow up and cause vehicular accidents. MPW will also check road surface bumps and provide necessary maintenance.

• Traffics signs as well as tourist information signs will be replaced if damaged.

• Effective road signage will be developed to increase tourist activities

MOT and Afghan Ministry of Tourism

PMO and Afghan Ministry of Tourism

Transport of Mineral Resources

Talc Mining and Health hazards and • Trucks that carry talc will abide by the MOT and MPW,

107

ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN DURING CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION

Issue Potential Impact Mitigation measures Cost Estimates

(US$)

Persons to Implement

Persons to

Monitor Transport vehicular accidents transport regulations set forth by the Ministry

of Transport. • Companies that are responsible for talc

mining and transport will report any accidents/large spills promptly so that immediate measures will be made.

• Miners and transporters of talc will be informed about the dangers of transporting the mineral during a wet weather; talc can become slippery when wet and will pose a great danger towards the motorists.

Ministry of Mines

Ministry of Mines

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Annex 1.2

ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING PROGRAM DURING PRE-CONSTRUCTION, CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION PHASES Mitigation Measure Parameter to be

Monitored Location Measurements Frequency Responsibilities Cost

Pre-Construction

UXOs Overall site Road Corridor Clearing of landmines Before starting civil works

MPW Included in civil works

Proper Compensation Land acquisition and resettlement

Road Corridor Engage an NGO to monitor the progress of compensation and resettlement

Monthly PMO, CSC, NGO Included in land acquisition budget

Construction

Appropriation of borrow materials

Overall site Quarry Site Visual inspection of quarry sites

Monthly CSC, PMO

Proper closure of quarry sites

Overall site Quarry Sites Visual inspection of quaryy sites

Monthly CSC, PMO

Containing accidental spill

Material Storage Material Storage Site

Visual inspection of material storage sites

Monthly CSC, PMO

Erosion control Erosion Project alignment Visual inspection of erosion prevention measures

Monthly CSC, PMO

Rock fall control Rockfall Active rock fall sections and steep mountainous slopes

Visual Inspection, monitoring the construction of rock fence

Monthly CSC, PMO

Containing accidental spill

Hydrocarbon Construction camps Visual Inspection of storage facilities

Monthly CSC, PMO

Waste Management Waste Construction camps Visual inspection of solid waste management

Monthly CSC, PMO

Water pollution control

Surface Water Quality

Bridge construction sites

Visual inspection of water management

Monthly CSC, PMO

Fees of environmental consultants of CSC – 199,500

TPH, DO, BOD, SS, conductivity, turbidity, pH, temperature

Directly downstream of river and quarry sites

Laboratory analysis of water samples

Once before commencement of construction works (baseline) and subsequently at

Contractor 21,000

109

ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING PROGRAM DURING PRE-CONSTRUCTION, CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION PHASES Mitigation Measure Parameter to be

Monitored Location Measurements Frequency Responsibilities Cost

least 2 times a year or after a pollution event

Air pollution control CO, NOx, Dust, and SPM

Major settlements, asphalt and batch plants

Laboratory measurements of air samples

Once before commencement of construction works and subsequently at least 2 times a year

Contractor 14,000

Batch, Concrete, and Asphalt Plant

Visual inspection of siting and operatin of batch, concrete and asphalt plants

Monthly Fees of CSC

Dust Visual inspection of dust suppression measures

Monthly Fees of CSC

Noise abatement Noise 3 settlements Average of 15 minutes measurement of noise level in dBA

Once before commencement of construction activities and subsequently 2 times a year

contractor 16,800

Vibration control Vibration Sensitive areas visual inspectin of vibration control measures

Monthly Fees of CSC

Plantation Reforestation Project alignment Visual inspection Monthly 20,000

Consultation Community Project alignment Consult with government and community groups along the alignment to monitor environmental concerns

Ongoing Fees of CSS

Operational Phase

Noise abutment Noise Sensitive areas and major settlements

Average of 15 minutes measurement of noise level in dBA

Quarterly for 3 years.

PMO, MOE 10,800

Air pollution control CO, NOx, Dust, and SPM

Major settlements Laboratory measurements of air samples

Quarterly for 3 years.

PMO, NEPA 12,000

110

ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING PROGRAM DURING PRE-CONSTRUCTION, CONSTRUCTION AND OPERATION PHASES Mitigation Measure Parameter to be

Monitored Location Measurements Frequency Responsibilities Cost

Road safety campaign

Road Safety Project alignment Collect road accident data Twice annually for 3 years

PMO 40,000

Roadside plantation Reforestation Project alignment Ongoing monitoring of reforestation activities

Twice annually for 3 years

PMO, Local groups of women or landless people

50,000

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Annex 2

OUTLINE TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR CONSULTING SERVICES FOR STRENGTHENING CAPABILITIES IN ENVIRONMENTAL AND SOCIAL MANAGEMENT

A. Objectives 1. The objective of the services are (a) to help build up the capacity and procedures of the

Environmental and Social Management Unit (ESMU) of PMO and MPW’s provincial officials to undertake analyses of environmental and social impacts of road projects and to prepare environmental impact management plans, land acquisition and resettlement impacts and social monitoring in accordance with Government regulations and donor guidelines, and (b) to provide hands-on-training on environmental management and social monitoring to the ESMU, MPW, and the contractor. This will be done through a program of technical assistance and training over a period of two months.

B. Scope of Work 2. The consultant’s scope of work will include the following tasks:

(i) reviewing prevailing government regulations and donor guidelines governing the assessment and management of environmental and social impacts of road projects;

(ii) identifying the procedures and tasks required to be performed by ESMU and MPW to meet the requirements of these regulations and guidelines;

(iii) reviewing the skills of ESMU and MPW official and assessing the need for training to establish the capability to meet environmental and social management and monitoring requirements;

(iv) preparing a short-term staff training plan and associated materials to meet immediate needs;

(v) undertaking the training through a combination of hands-on assistance, on-the-job training, and training workshops;

(vi) evaluating the effectiveness of the training provided by other agencies measuring improvements in attitudes and skills achieved;

(vii) preparing outline proposals for the longer-term development of ESMU’s organization and capabilities.

C. Organization and Staffing 3. The services is expected to be provided over a two-month period by a small team

comprising one international environmental specialist/team leader, one international social/resettlement specialist, one domestic environmental and curriculum development specialist and one domestic social/resettlement specialist.

Experts

No Total MM

International Environmental Specialist/ Team Leader 1 1 International Social and Resettlement Specialist 1 1 Domestic Environmental and curriculum Specialist 1 2 Domestic Social and Resettlement Specialist 1 2

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4. The international environmental specialist will be the training organizer with a minimum of 10 years experience in environmental assessment and management of infrastructure projects and must possess a relevant post-graduate degree preferably doctorate in civil /environmental engineering. The international social/resettlement specialist will have a minimum of 10 years experience in social monitoring and resettlement planning of infrastructure projects and must possess a relevant post-graduate degree in social science. The domestic specialists will have similar education and experience.

D. Supervision 5. The team will work in association with the PMO, reporting to the project director of the

PMO on a day-to-day basis. Overall supervision will be by the Steering Committee established under MPW chairmanship to supervise implementation of the proposed project as a whole.

E. Outputs 6. The team’s outputs will include: (i) an inception report after month 1, reviewing the

proposed ESMU and MPW officials’ skills and training needs and setting out detailed proposals for training under the consultancy, and details of materials developed and training provided to date, and (iii) a draft final report after 8 weeks, containing a description of achievements, details of the training services provided, including all materials, an assessment of their effectiveness in meeting objectives, and recommendations for further training assistance.

113

Annex 3 Original Signature Sheets of Participants Attended in Public Consultations

Ministry of Public Works, Government of Afghanistan Bagramy – Khaki Jabbar – Hisarak – Sherzad – Surkhrod Road

114

Original Signature Sheets of Participants Attended in Public Consultations Ministry of Public Works, Government of Afghanistan

Bagramy – Khaki Jabbar – Hisarak – Sherzad – Surkhrod Road

115

Original Signature Sheets of Participants Attended in Public Consultations

Ministry of Public Works, Government of Afghanistan Bagramy – Khaki Jabbar – Hisarak – Sherzad – Surkhrod Road

116

Original Signature Sheets of Participants Attended in Public Consultations

Ministry of Public Works, Government of Afghanistan Bagramy – Khaki Jabbar – Hisarak – Sherzad – Surkhrod Road

117

Original Signature Sheets of Participants Attended in Public Consultations

Ministry of Public Works, Government of Afghanistan Bagramy – Khaki Jabbar – Hisarak – Sherzad – Surkhrod Road

118

Original Signature Sheets of Participants Attended in Public Consultations

Ministry of Public Works, Government of Afghanistan Bagramy – Khaki Jabbar – Hisarak – Sherzad – Surkhrod Road

119

Original Signature Sheets of Participants Attended in Public Consultations

Ministry of Public Works, Government of Afghanistan Bagramy – Khaki Jabbar – Hisarak – Sherzad – Surkhrod Road

120

Annex 4 Translated List of Participants Attended in Public Consultations

Page No. 1

Translated to English by: Maroof Bawari/

District: Khake Jabbar

Province: Kabul

No. Name Father Name Mobile No. Signature

1 M. Belal Shinwari 0797614558

2 Hayattullah Noorgul 0799818411

3 A. Matin A. Satar 0700289713

4 Faiz M. Ali Ahmad 0798147554 As a witness

5 Ahmad Rasool Gul Ahmad 0796584836

6 Dunia gul Sardar

7 Gul tan Chuden

8 M. Alim M. Ayub 0799153076

9 Amir M. M. Kabir

10 Qalam Zaman Khan 0798868441

11 Head teacher Amanullah

Rahmmattullah 0798865991

12 M. Akbar Shamsuddin 0799729026

13 Baz M. Mastak

14 M. Waseem M. Yaseen 0797331564

15 Awal Khan A. Momin 0798594001

16 Nano Khan A. Baqi 0795554841

17 Agha Gul Babrak 0798148557

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Page No. : 2

Translated by: Maroof Bawari

District: Hisarak

Province: Nangarhar

Date: 06.05.2008

No. Name Father Name Job Town/ address/ Signature

1 Maroof A. Khaliq Engineer Murod Bieg

2 Haji M. Daud H. M. Zaman Elder com. Langarkhail

3 Haji Juma gul M. Hakim Representative Nawer

4 Said M. Haji Gul Alam Representative Ragha/Naser Khail /

5 Haji Hassan Khan

Said Hassan Representative Hassan Kac

6 Hayattullah Nasurrullah Representative Jabar Khan Qelay

7 Haji M. Omar Haji Shayesta khan

Deputy of shora Nawer

8 Malik Guldar Touti Representative Naser Khai

9 Meya gul M. Gul Representative Haji Qelay

10 Dr M. Naim Tour Khan Head of shora Ganja khail

11 Fazel Rahman

Gul Rahman Elder Gulu Khail

12 Sarwar Delsoz

Arsalah Head of education in Hisarak

Ragha

13 Noore Alam Director of Lyceum

Ustad taj mili

14 M. Ajan Mira Jan Deputy of lyceum

122

Page No. : 3

Translated by: Maroof Bawari

District: Hisarak

Province: Nangarhar

Date: 14.03.1386

To MPW here present Delegation,

Salaam alaikum.

Road construction is country development. We all the elders of Hisarak are glade of this action. If the old road damaged the people the new constructed road will benefited those major damaged peoples.

Elders Name Signature or finger print

Malik Hukum khan Signature

Malik Said Habib Signature

Malik Zaher Khan Finger print

Haji Saheb M. Omer Finger print

Malik Daman Finger print

Malik Wali M. Finger print

Haji Saheb Momin Signature

Brigit Jabar Signature

Haji Juma gul Finger print

Malik Gul Raziq Finger print

Modir Saheb Homayun Finger print

Director Noor Alam Finger print

Colonel Shair Ahmad Finger print

Malik Awal gul Finger print

M. Wali Malik Finger print

Rais Khan Finger print

Shair M. Finger print

123

Page No. : 4

Translated By: Maroof Bawari

District: Shairzad

Town: Gandomak

Date:

No Name Father Name Job Signature

1 Mola M. Zaher A. Rahman Malik Of Gandomak Signature

2 Haji M. Zamir Mahammadajan Elder of Gandomak Signature

3 Commandant John Agha

Rahmattullah Commandant of Gandomak area

Signature

4 Haji Naseeb Amasha Gul Member of Shora Signature

5 Mosapher M. Akram Member of Shora Signature

6 Maroof A. Khaliq Engineer Signature

7 Dr Venkata Consultant Signature

8 Eng. M. Asef Zarif

Representative of Ministry of Economy

Signature

9 Eng. Wu Yuedong

Consultant Signature

124

Page No. : 5

Translated by: Maroof Bawari

District: Hisarak

Province: Nangarhar

The following representatives of the people made a meeting and asked the delegation from Eng-Consult Ltd. from Kabul to help them to construct the new road as per international standards and help the community to develop the remote area and make possible to reach Kabul and Jalalabad in short time.

No. Name Job Title

1 Haji Mohd Nabi

2 Malik Zulmai

3 Brigit Mohd ajan

4 Shair Hassan

5 Badam Gul

6 Haji Mohd Omar

7 Malik Zar Bacha

8 Mullah Askar

9 Haji Hassan Khan

10 Dr. Mohd Nayeem

11 Malik Abdul Wali

12 Malik Gul Mohd

13 Hukum Khan

14 Zadran

15 Abdul Akbar the Governor of Hisarak Governor of Hisarak

16 Commander Khudaidad Police Commandant of Hisarak

17 Sayeed Aissa Pacha Admin Director of Hisarak

18 Deen Mohd

19 Haji Gul Alam

20 Noor Rahman

21 Mohd Hassan Malik

22 Sarmast

23 Haji Momin Khan

24 Malik Jumma Khan

125

No. Name Job Title

25 Malik Mohd Haleem

26 Malik Zarif

27 Commander Mallang

28 Malik Sayeed Habbib

29 Malik Habbib

30 Ismail

31 Abdul Qahar

32 Lahur Khan

33 Commander Jumma Gul

34 Commander Zahir

35 Jumma Deen

36 Malik Zar Wali

126

Page No. : 6

Translated by: Maroof Bawari

District: Hisarak

Province: Nangarhar

No. Name Comments

37 Haji Hamisha Gul

38 Malik Jandad

39 Malim Aziz

40 Malik Gul Pacha

41 Eng. Obaidullah

42 Malik Kuchi

43 Malik Saifur Rahman

44 Lieutenant Saifullah

45 Malik Jumma Khan

46 Malik Hassan Khan from Hassan kac He helped a lot the eng-consult delegates to spent night safely.

47 Haji Ameerullah

48 Malik Lal Mohd

49 Sultan Mohd

50 Haji Hassan Khan

51 Malik Awal Gul

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ANNEXURE 5

GUIDELINES FOR CAMPSITE MANAGEMENT Purpose Campsite of a contractor represents the single potentially most polluting location during implementation of any road project. Air pollution may be caused by emissions from Crushers, Hot-Mix, and Concrete Batching Plants. Water pollution may be caused by discharge of sediment, oil and grease, and organics laden run-off from these plants and their ancillary facilities as well as workshops, residential quarters for the labor. Land may be polluted due to indiscriminate disposal of domestic waste or (accidental) release of hazardous solids from storage areas. This guideline will help to ensure that construction camps are located and maintained on environmentally sustainable and socially acceptable manner.

Scope This guideline covers the Contractors’ camp sites – whether used by in-house crew or by any sub-contractors’ crew. It covers siting, operation, maintenance, repair and dismantling procedures for facilities for labor employed on project (and ancillary) activities as well as equipment and vehicles. It does not include siting, operation, maintenance, repair and dismantling of major plants – Hot-mix Plant, Concrete Batching Plant, Crusher or Wet Mix Macadam Plant.

B. Siting, Establishing, Operation and Closure of Construction Camp Potential Environmental Impacts Construction camps require large areas for siting facilities like major plants, storage areas for material, residential accommodation for construction labor and supervisors, and offices. Removal of topsoil and vegetation from the land to be utilized for camps is the first direct impact of any such establishment. In addition, local drainage may be impaired if proper drainage is not effected by grading. Other impacts may include damage to ecologically important flora and fauna, if campsites are located close to such areas. Water pollution because of discharge of sediment, fuel and chemicals is also a possibility. Pollution of land due to indiscriminate disposal of construction wastes including scarified pavement, concrete and even substantial quantities of domestic wastes from residential areas can also be potentially disastrous, especially if the site is reverted to its original use after the project.

Mitigation Measures 1. Siting of Construction Camps The following guidelines will assist the Contractor to avoid any environmental issues while siting construction camps:

• Maintain a distance of at least 1000 m from any ecologically sensitive areas for locating any temporary or permanent camps, or ancillary facilities.

• Locate facilities in areas not affected by flooding and clear of any natural or storm water courses.

• Locate campsites in the (most prevalent) downwind direction of nearest village(s). The boundary of the campsite should be at least 1000m from the nearest habitation so that the incoming labor does not stress the existing local civic facilities.

128

• The location should be on gently sloping ground to allow free drainage of the site.

• Recorded consultations should be held with residents of the nearest settlement and/or their representatives to understand and incorporate where possible, what they would like to see within their locality.

2. Establishment, Operation, and Closure of Camps

• The facilities within the camp site should be laid out so that the separation distances suggested in other guidelines are maintained. A notional lay-out of the facilities except the major plants is included in this guideline as Annexure 1.

• Productive land/agriculture land should be avoided. Any topsoil from the area of the plant shall be stored separately for the duration of the operation of the camp and protected from being washed away, unless agreed otherwise in writing with the owner. If stored, it will be returned on to its original location at the time of closure of the site.

• The Contractor shall prepare, make widely available (especially to staff responsible for water and material management), and implement a Storm water Management Plan (SWMP) for (all) the site(s) following approval of the same by the Engineer. .

• The Contractor shall prepare an Emergency and Spill Response Plan to cover the spillage of bitumen and/or chemicals like retarders, curing compounds, etc.

• The Contractor shall prepare a Waste Management Plan describing the types and quantities that are likely to be generated from within the camp site, with the period and duration during the construction schedule; methods to be adopted to minimize these; methods of removal, treatment and (on-site or off-site) disposal for each type; as well as location of final disposal site, if any.

• The Contractor shall provide safe ingress and egress for vehicles from the site and public roads and shall not impact existing through traffic.

• Water tankers with sprayers must be available at the camp site at all times to prevent dust generation.

• In case of stockpiles of stored material rising higher than wind-breaking perimeter fencing provided, sprinklers shall be available on site to prevent dusting from the piles during windy days.

• On completion of works, the Contractor shall restore the site to the condition it was in before the establishment of the campsite, unless agreed otherwise in writing with the owner(s) of the site(s). If such a written agreement has been made, the Contractor shall hand over the site to the owner(s) in accordance with such an agreement.

Equipment and Vehicle-related issues

Potential Environmental Impacts

The maintenance and repair of equipment and vehicles in Contractor’s camp are activities that can have significant adverse impacts if not carried out properly. The concern mainly

129

arises from discharge of wash water contaminated with oil and grease, whether from washing of vehicles or degreasing of equipment and vehicle parts. Vehicle washing, especially dirt from tires, also gives rise to sediment-laden run-off. No such discharges should be directly allowed into surface water bodies since they can be harmful to aquatic species.

Mitigation Measures

1. Vehicles

• All vehicles used by the Contractor should be maintained to ensure that emission levels are controlled.

• All vehicles and equipment will be fitted with silencers and/or mufflers which will be serviced regularly to maintain them in good working condition and conforming to the standard of 75dB (A) at 1m free field distance.

2. Workshop and Maintenance areas

• These areas must have impervious flooring to prevent seepage of any leaked oil and grease into the ground. The area should be covered with a roof to prevent the entry of rainwater.

• The flooring shall be sloped to from both directions to one corner where an oil-and-grease trap with sufficient capacity should be installed. All discharges from the workshop area must pass through the trap to remove the floating oil and grease before entering the drainage system of the site. The trap should be designed to provide a hydraulic residence time of about 20 minutes for the peak hourly discharge anticipated from the area (as per following figure).

• Alternatively, degreasing can also be carried out using mechanical spray type degreaser, with complete recycle using an enclosure with nozzles and two sieves, coarse above and fine below, may be used as shown in the adjacent photograph.

• All the waste oil collected, from skimming of the oil trap as well as from the drip pans, or the mechanical degreaser shall be stored properly. These should be stored separately in sheds, preferably bunded. The advantage of this arrangement is that it allows for accurate accounting in case the waste material is sold to oil waste recyclers or other users like brick-kiln owners who can burn such inferior fuel.

• A separate vehicle washing ramp shall be constructed adjacent to the workshop for washing vehicles, including truck mounted concrete mixers, if any, after each day’s construction is over, or as required. This ramp should have an impervious bottom and it should be sloped so that it drains into a separate chamber to remove the sediment from the wash water before discharge. The chamber should allow for a hydraulic residence time of about 10 minutes for discharge associated with the washing of each truck. Following figure shows an outline sketch for a sedimentation chamber.

130

Figure: Workshop Area Pollution Control

Slope of the Workshop area floor

OandG

Det

ails

To drainage system for the site

131

Figure: Sedimentation Chamber for vehicle washing ramp discharge 81. 82.

83. 84. 85. 86. 87. 88. 89. 90. 91. 92. 93. 94. 95. 96. 97. 98. 99. 100. 101. 102. 103. 104. 105.

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Facilities for Labour

Potential Environmental Impacts

The sudden arrival and relatively longer duration of stay of construction crew can cause substantial strain on the existing infrastructure facilities like water supply, sanitation and medical care, especially in rural areas. Pollution from domestic wastes can affect local sources of water supply and may harm the crew themselves as well as local residents. Improper sanitation and inadequate health care also potential bottlenecks that the Contractor can eliminate with relatively little effort.

Mitigation Measures

• The contractor shall provide free-of-charge temporary accommodation to all the labour employed for the project. The accommodation includes separate cooking place, bathing, washing and lavatory facilities. At least, one toilet will be provided for every 35 people and one urinal will be provided for every 20 persons. More toilets and/or urinals may have to be provided if the Engineer decides that these numbers are insufficient. In case female labourers are employed, separate toilet and urinals will be provided in locations clearly marked “Ladies Toilets” in a language understood by most labourers.

• The contractor shall ensure the supply of wholesome water for all the labour, including those employed by any other agency working for the contractor. These locations will be marked “Drinking Water” in the language most commonly understood among the labour. In hot season, the contractor shall make efforts to ensure supply of cool water. No water point shall be located within 15 m of any washing place, urinal, or latrine.

• The contractor shall ensure that adequate cooking fuel, preferably kerosene or LPG, is available on-site. The contractor will ensure that wood/ coal are not used as fuel on the site. Workers need to be made aware of this restriction. In cases where more than 250 labours are employed, canteen facility should be provided by the Contractor.

• A crèche must be provided in each campsite where more than 50 female labourers are employed, whether directly or indirectly, for the project or its ancillary activities.

• Contractor must provide adequate facilities for first-aid treatment at the campsite. A doctor/ambulance should be available on call for the duration of project implementation.

• The contractor shall obtain the approval of the Engineer for these facilities within 30 days of mobilization.

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Annexure 6 GUIDELINES FOR PLANT SITE MANAGEMENT

Purpose

• To ensure that statutory/regulatory requirements are complied with • To ensure that safeguard measures are taken to avoid/mitigate/minimize environmental

impacts

Site selection criteria Following criteria are to be met wherever possible for crusher and HMP:

• 1km away from settlement, school, hospital etc., on downwind directions • 1km from any archaeological site • 500 m from ecologically sensitive areas i.e. forests, national park, sanctuary etc. • 500 m from prominent water body • 250 m from state and national highway boundary • away from agricultural land • preference to barren land

Concrete batching plant should be located at least 100 m from the settlement, preferably on leeward side, whenever possible.

The format for submission of details to the Engineer during finalization of plant site is given as follows (Site identification for Plants). Statutory Requirements

• obtaining Certificate-of-Compliance (CoC) under Environmental Law from NEPA before start of installation

Pollution control measures

• Dust control measures in stone crusher plant i.e. water sprinkling at primary crusher and secondary crusher, conveyor and return belts, covered conveyor system, chute at outfall of aggregates, cyclone separator, wind braking wall etc.

• For HMP, ensure adequate stack height as stipulated in CoC, install emission control devices such as bag house filters, cyclone separators, water scrubbers etc., as attached with the plant by the manufacturer or stipulated in CoC.

• Prefer bulk bitumen storage with mechanized handling facilities that storage in drums with manual operation at HMP to prevent/minimize bitumen spillage and thereby contaminating soil and ground water.

• Impervious platform for storage of bituminous and other liquid hazardous chemical • Bag house filter/multi-cone cyclone for emission control. For bag house, cartridge filters

reported to be more efficient than fabric filters • Pollution control measures for Diesel Generator (DG) set i.e. stack height, acoustic

enclosure etc. • Greenbelt along the periphery of plant site.

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SITE IDENTIFICATION FOR PLANTS Construction Stage Report: One Time Date:

Installed Capacity (tph): Location of Plant (Ch. and offset):

Sl. No.

Item/Requirement Details as per Actual

1 Predominant wind direction

2 Size and area of the proposed plant site

(m xm and Sq.m)

3 Present land use (barren or fallow land having no prominent vegetation should be preferred)

4 No dwelling units within 1km from the plant boundary in downwind direction

5 Distance of nearest boundary of Regional Roads/National Highways (should be at least 250m from the plant boundary)

6 Sensitive areas such as religious places, schools/educational institutions, reserved/protected forest, sanctuary etc. within 500m (should be nill)

7 Water body within 500m

8 No other trees of girth>0.3m present and will be affected (no tree should be affected)

9 Width of Haul road (m)

10 Total Length of Haul Road (km)

11 Length of non-metal Haul Road (km) (should be as minimum as possible)

Documents to be attached: Site plan showing wind direction, haul road and other environmental features.

Certified that the furnished information is correct and all relevant information as required is attached.

Contractor: