AES MEGHNAGHAT LIMITED MEGHNAGHAT POWER PROJECT E178 UPDATED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT X 78 Volume 5 APPENDIX M6: SUPPLEMENTARY DOCUMENTATION - PROJECT FOLLOW-UP INITIATIVES AND PUBUC REVIEW OF THE SEPTEMBER 2000 EIA REPORT ESG INTERNATIONAL INC. APRIL, 2001 FILE COY PJFJI/ IZn JX HtM MHr.lrUN rVi LII. v4 aV- o30 INU. e- LWJ'4 A Meghnaghat Limited . / November 7. 2000 . The Secretar y. ) Bangladesh Power Development Board *' l'Floor,WAPDABhaban - Motijheel CA, Dhaka 1000 ' g - Subject Mitigation of Environmental and Social Impacts Arising from Land Acquisition for the Meghnaghat Site Dear Sir, In the course of Environmental Impact Assessment ("EIA') for AES Meghnaghat 450MW CCPP Project ("Project"), the Project Affected Persons ("PAPs") were extensively consulted to record their views and concenis for the Project, identify the environmental and social issues that have arisen or may likely to arise due to implementation of the Project and take necessary management measures to rnitigate such impacts. Out of many issues the PAPs and the local community have raised to us, the followings are put forward to BPDB for fruitful resolution. 1. Opening a Gate on the BPDB Access Road The villagers from Ganganagar cornplained that construction of the Access Road and the security fence on its top. has effectively blocked movements of people, children, livestock, agricultural tools and appliances, harvested crops, from one side of the Access Road to the other and demanded opening of a gate at a suitable location, preferably near the south corner of Ganganagar Village. The request letter submitted by the Liaison Committee of the PAPs (Land Owners) and endorsed by the Honorable Member of Parliament, Professor Mohammad Rezaul Karirm is enclosed. ~ BPDB is requested to arrange a meeting with the villagers in the presence of Project Company's representative to discuss the merit of this demand, considering the present developments of commercial and industrial units on both sides of the Access Road and resolve the issue. 2. Water Logng The villagers of Ganganagar complained that rain water and discharges from the nearby industries collected on the south side of the Access Road can not go out due to lack of proper drainage, despite the fact that BPDB has constructed a pipe culvert beneath the Access Road to facilitate drainage of water from this area. BPDB is requested to review the performance of the culvert and, if found ineffective, take necessary corrective measures. 3. Sand Transport Due to lack of topsoil, no vegetative cover has grown yet on the Meghnaghat Site. Wind blows off a lot of sand to the nearest villages around the Meghnaghat Site and spoils food and water kept by the villagers for their consumption and causes damages to standing crops. Sand blowing from AES Meghnaghat Site is gradually taken care through regular watering on the Site soil and plantation of trees. BPDB is requested to mitigate this issue either by putting a thin layer of brick chips or soil on Phase II and Im land to facilitate growth of grass and prevent carry over of sand by wind. 4. Site Flling Private landowners cornplained that BPDB filled up more land than they acquired. Site filling by dredging might have resulted in submergence of some private land under sand over flown with the drain water. BPDB is requested to identify its land boundary and mark it *, with permnanent posts. RPDB is also requested to hold a meeting with the private landowners and come to a resolution with them on this issue. Xf the landowners want removal of the sand. BPDB should remove the overlaid sand at its own cost. S ha;,jr - =Jocr E -.A. 2sc'j Rck-,a' --ari. Sher-Reangla Nsca Dhaka 12C,7. c-'e'. 2--'32*- - f'P, LJ. j "C r1 nI r"Lru rIvi LIL. v7 Z)± I .IZ or ra Nu. 4, L'JzP 5, River Bank Erosion There was a concern at Islampur Village about bank erosion associated with dredging and subsequent slide of the village into the river. Although from the post dredging bathymetry, it appears that no dredging was done in the vicinity of Islampur Village, BPDB should keep on monitoring the course of the river until its bed has stabilized and keep the villagers informed of any threat of bank erosion, which may reasonably be attributed to river dredging. 6. Opening of a Gate for Access to Meghnaghat Site and Providing Assistance in Construction of a Road Along the Northern Embankment up to Dhaka-Chittagovg Highway The affected people from the villages of Doodghata, Khurbanpur, Mongalergaon, Pachani, Chargoaldi, and other villages lying on the north side of the back channel demanded opening of a gate at the north-west comer of the Meghnaghat Site to allow their comiing on the Meginaghat Site for job in construction of the power plants. The PAPs also dcemanded assistance in construction of a road along the slope/toe of the northern embankmnents of the Meghnaghat Site and the Access Road, up to Dhaka-Chittagong Highway for movernents of around thirty thousand people from the above villages to Meghnaghat for education, job and business. The request letters submitted by the Liaison Conmmittee of the PAPs (Land Owners) are enclosed. As claimed by the villagers, it takes an hour for a person from the above villages to come to Meghnaghat using the existing road, which meets Dhaka-Chinagong Highway at Mugrapara. at a cost of Taka 20 per person. The requests appear to have a lot of merits and were also endorsed by the Honorable Member of Parliament, Professor Mohammad Rezaul Karim. Opening of a gate at the north-west corner of the Meghnaghat Site will improve accessibility of economically displaced people to temporary employment in construction of the power plants. Construction of a road along the northem embankment will facilitate their coming to Meghnaghat, which is a fast growing industrial and commercial hub in Lhe region. With the coming up of many new industries, Meghnaghat promises a lot of opportunities for new employmnent and businesses. In the consultation meetings, the affected landowners told us that one of the assurances given by the Deputy Comnurissioner of Narayanganj at the time of land acquisition, was creation of job opportunities for local people in construction of the power plants and sharing project benefits with thenL Due to such assurances, the landowners cooperated with the DC in land acquisition for the Meghnaghat Site. Land was the main source of livelihood for the villagers. After losing access to this valuable resource, many of them have not yet been able to rehabilitate ithemselves to new employment. Allowing them to come on the Meghnaghat Site or facilitating their access to Meghnaghat will help the PAPs in restoration of their lost income The Project Company may extend necessary cooperation and assistance in this effort. Yours sincerely, Iai am Project Manager Enclosure: Three (3) separate request letters from the Liaison Conuittee of the PAPs -/gA st Chairman, Bangladesh Power Development Board -"X r,N x ) Director. IPP Cell, Bangladesh Power Development Board / Xroject Director, Meghnaghat Power Company, Bangladesh Power Development Board l-haj Serajul Haque Bhuiyan, Chairman, Pirojpur Union Parishad, Sonargaon, Narayanganj M Islam, Chairman, Liaison Committee of PAPs (Land Owners) 2 j1/22f2e0a 18:13 ~88-2--95S47&5O256 CHrRAN BPDB PAGE el BANCLADISH POWER DVE*LOPMET DOARD WAPO)A BULDNri (1d Floor) 12, Motijbee Couinzvra Ameu. DbakcR-1000' Teh 9554209 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Fax' .l 918345. 954765, 9551IAA Secretary F) £4- |- Datez21) /t112000 Memo No. -PDB (SteAt.)Dv. -107/9S AES Meghnawbt Ltd. - l Bhaba (5* floor), V8-A. Begum RIncya Shari Sher-e-Bagla Nagar, Dhka-1207. Fax No 9132359..... Attnt Mr Tajul Islam, Project Manage?. Ref: Your leter dated: 7 Novenber, 2000. Sub: Midgation of Environmental and Social Impateb Arsing from Land Acqulsition Cor the MeghnaOghat Slte. Dear sirs, In rtspOnSe to your lener under reference regirding th Mkiigation of Enwironmental and Social Impacts at Meghnaghat Site. this is to inform you thazt BPDB received 'no objection' cerrit1jtc from Bangladesh Envirorumcnial Depanmcnt to Cons,uc 4S0 MW Combined Cycle Pover Station at Merlxaght Site (copy eaclosed). So there should be nQwanmental impacts or other impacts at site. Meghoag'hat Power Project s3i 1a a Key Puit I Sallaiin (KPI) of Bangladesh. Threr or more power staion wiU be installed in the Megbnaghet Site and thr access road will be used by all the power starlon uwncrs. So for the secwitW pose of Rl the powet stinnA, it is not posSible to optn a gale at any place of the Access Road. To construct a now i-oad alog the toc/slopr of tbe Nonhttn Ewbabnwat up to D)haka-Chittagong Highway.is not recbically recommeuded. The village3 rmay approacb so loal Govt. for led cquisition and ronstruction of such new road- Most of the places on the south side of the Access Road already filled by the land owners and test of the places may be filled within a short time. Moreover there is a culvert to facilimate the water logging problems. Hence there should be DO problem of water logging. The Northern bida of Pbrae-U vni tiT is mosgtly surr-unded by the nver. So sand blowing aom these sidcs cannot cause damage to standby crops and villagers. BPDB filled and developed the land which they acquired. Before filling the land, BIPDB denarcated the boundary of the laud ad after filling BPDB also checked it. No clai4 from any land ovmers have been received by BPDB. So it is clear That no extrA land other than those acquired were filled up by BPDB. Thanking you, 4~V U&r,r4 (Md. Seraj uddullah) Memo No. -PDR (Secttf)/Tev. -107/95 D1e: n1/2000 Copy to. 1. Mtmber (P&D), UPDB, Dhaka. 2. Chief EDgineer (P&D), BPDB, Dhaka. 3.Megla Mghat Power Proct, BPDB, Dhana. 4. Drcstor, IP? Ce!. S. cso,t Ct a BPDB,DIha_ _ MtwSJd) ,~~~- ,, ____~ vrrL5. r * iES Meghnaghat Limited January 1, 2001 Dr. Fouzul Kabir Khan Managing Director & CEO Infrastmcture Development Company ULmited IDB Bhaban (6* Floor) Ef8-A, Begum Rokeya Sharani Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka 1207 Subject: EIA and RAP for the AIES Meghnaghat 45OMW Power Projert Dear Sir, We refer to your email dated December 23, 2000 in connection with processing the EIA and RAP for our Meghnaghat Power Project. We confirn that we concur with the suggestions put forvard by yotu in the above email and will take necessary actions in this regard. As an immediate measure to deal with cases of impoverishmcnt and hardship anong the affected landowners, we have started talking to each affected family and finding candidates for temporary employrnent in construction of the project. We believe that providing jobs in _ construction is the most effective measure to prevent any deterioration of the living standard of the affected landowners. We will also expedite the training program conumitted in the RAP to find altemative employment for the affected family mnembers in various industries as *w° well as temporary employment in construction of the projecL We will bring the issue of under-compensation to the attenion of BPI)B with the proposal of applying some lease fees towards mitigation of the hardship of the affected landowners and pursue the case with BPD1I expeditiously. With regard to in-country disclosure of the EIA and RAP, we have placed one complete set of the EIA document including the RAP at local Union Parishad Office and another set at the PAP liaison Committee Office, for commets of the visitors and have notified in two national dailies to that effect Copies of our notificadons are enclosed for your information and record. Yours sincerely, iju Mahtab Uddin Ahmed * Project Engineer Cc: S. Vijay Iyer, South Asia Energy Division, The World Bank (Fax: +1-202-522-2427) Jitendn Shah, Environmental Expert, The World Bank (Fax: +1-202-522-2427) Warren Waters, South Asia Social Devclopment Unit, The World Rank ((Fax: +1- 202-522-1662) InAR Rh3hn P Flnur MA. Beoum RokeYa Sharai, Sher-e-Banga Nagap. aikaA1207, Bangladesh. Tel: 88"-9132361-1, Fax: M2-9132359 caIzJucoJj s L.;JJ mc fz nmmsifuru rvi LiV. - 'ILl. rf c The Daily Ittefaq January 1, 2001 ... . , I . N . . ... I .1w . j .. t. -' ": 7 % '4fWtzI Eivi3ronm (Environmentpact ImatAssessment) O*4 -fR* W AOf*~¶~1~IL s8to CR0,410 qn t an CNaqxf fti5 m, ("O""¢W) -mirgo C -t c" -sr , 7fWt4 vFic 'Y-T, (c;rwu n t ZMM zw-1t$ .11v1 :1ut$%\ C--T i:I - E z 14iW. -tv "n." gfe T1311" (Environmental Imipakt Assessment) af~ fM 9 %i; gfm lqfX 1 .~~'k' F- wN* 5f7im f4~ qP1 (miim191 -CV OR~S lkq 7,T :Octoo 0iY 4;mF a-vt no to va (ol .f4 SCMTs f " Wm cwN om c c t 0 0 W9 4Tpt 2 z47e t 'a) 04 * oI'IJ E C±.,J.J rlC l-F-rXJpI, rv, L.IIJ. 7~ P4U. rue w2 Ur%~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~u rw wooL IV. The Daily Star January 1, 2001 _ I | The GC-lobal Power Comnpany. . Notice for Release of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EtA) Report on the Project People of various professions, land owners. and other local and regional stakeholders, who have been affected, or believe or have reason to believe that 'they may also bc potentially affected by the 450 MW AES Meghnaghat Power Prject ("Project") now under implementation at Mouza Char Ramjan Sonaullah, in Souargaon Thana under Narayanganj District, are informed by this notice that the Environmental Impact Assessrm".nt ("EIA") Report on the Project has been made available for their access at the Offices of Pirojpur Union Parishad and Liaison Committee of PAPs at Toll Plaza of Meghna Bridge. for a period of sixty (60) days from 1 January 2001. Interested persons may visit either of the two locations in any working day during that 60 day period from 9:00 AM to 5:00 PM to read the EIA report, and write down their comments on the Project in the register kept there for this' purpose. The Project sponsor will be pleased to receive any comments, suggestions, and constructive criticisms on implementation anFbperition of the Project. AES MEGHNAGHUT LIMITEDe, - - - -- - - - - - - - - - - - - - Govemment of the Peoples Republic of Bangladesh Office of the Deputy Director Department of Environment, Dhaka Division E-16, Agargaon, Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka-1 207 Memo No. Environment/DhaBi/2675/325 Date, Dhaka: 01/0312001 Mahtab Uddin Ahmed Project Engineer AES Meghnaghat Limited IDB Bhaban, E/8-A Begum Rokeya Sharani Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka-1207 Subject: Regarding approval of EIA Report. Reference: Your application dated 2311/2001. With reference to the above mentioned subject and reference you are hereby informed that, the application submitted by you was sent to the meeting of the Committee for Environmental Clearance for kind consideration. After elaborate discussion in the meeting on the subject, decision was taken to send you a letter with instruction for taking up the following actions: a) You have to take up necessary actions immediately to prepare an EIA Addendum with the information received so far, in response to the advertisement published by you in the national dailies on 1 January 2001 for receiving Public Opinion. b) The mentioned EIA Addendum has to be submitted to this office for approval, after its preparation. c) Next action will be taken by this office after receiving and reviewing the EIA Addendum. With instruction of the Authority- Signature (Mahmood Hassan Khan) Deputy Director (Technical) Copy: for kind information. 1. Director General, Power Cell, Kawran Bazar, Dhaka 2. Personal Secretary to the Honorable Secretary, Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, Bangladesh Secretariat, Dhaka AES Meghnaghat Limited Januay 9. 2001 Dr. Fouzl Kabir Khan Execudve Dirctor & CEO frasuuctre Development Company Lrimited IDB Bbaban (61I Floor) ElS-A, Begum Rokeya Sbarani Sbeh-e-Bangla Nagar, Dbaka 1207 Subject: Response to World Bank's Comnents Dated October 5. 2000 on the EIA for the Meghnaghat Power Project Dear Sir, We refer to your queries regarding incorporation of the comments from the World Bank and Il)COL in the final EIA report for Meghnaghat Power Project. Our responses to the comments are attached. Please note that the comnents were received on October 8, 2000 whereas the EIA report was finalized in September 2000. However, many of the comments were continuation of earlier comments and have been reflected in the final EIA and are shown in the attachments. The draft repoTt on the study of alternative discharge of hot cooling water into the Mcghna River via _t^, embedded pipe, shows that this alternative is a better option than discharge via open canal as far as the environmental inpacts aconcerned and is technically and economically feasible. We will forward the final report to TDCOL and the World Banrk for review as soon the report is issued. With regard to the associated facilities, AES can not undetake the responsibility of preparing EIA for these facilities implemented by other govermment agencies. However, we will keep track of ElA's prepared by the concerned agencies and will take up with appropriate authorities mitigation measures, if any, identified in these reports. We have also committed to a new survey for establishing the baseline of fisheries in the Meghna River in front of the project Site and following up the issue of unplanned developments in the Megimaghat area with the Govenment of Bangladesh and the Department of Environment to avoid over crowding and prevent deterioration of the local environment- In addition, we also undertake to work closely work with IDCOL and the World Ban on the remaining comments, which could not be incorporated in the final EIA. Yours sincerely, Project Manager Cc: S. Vijay Iyer, South Asia Energy Divisiou The World Bank (Fax: +1-202-522-24Z7) Jitendra Shah, South Asia - Eovironm Sector, The World Bank (Fax: + 1.202-522-1664) Waaen Waters, South Asia Social Developmeat Unit, The World Bank ((Fax: +1.202-522- 2427) I Dhban, 5 Fbor, ESA 5egwn N ot kra Shw. S* *ang Na9a, O9ka-l?, BanUadesh. Tel: 8O2.R1323M4-, Fax: 824913239 -_ c bS ~* __ r _|1) 9 I Ir,s ~J' L. /*_sJ42 Ad I | J NI. I :IAd LI.JJ r]j - IWRf4SKTURE DEVELOPMENT COMPONY UMNIED 1DB Bhaban, 6th floor, Agargaon, Sher..Bangla Nagar, G. P. O box- 619, Dhaka-1207, Bangladesh Phones: 811i235, 8117528, Fax: 880-2-8116663, a-mail: idcol@dhaka.agnlcoom Ref: IDCOL(Meghnaghat/2001l51 Januay 18, 2001 Mr. Scott Kicker Managing Director AES Meghnaghat, Limited 1DB Bkaban (50m Floor) E/8-A, Begum Rokeya Sharani Sher-e-Bangla Nagar, Dhaka-1207 Re: IDCOLs lettes dated June 17, 1997 and January 31, 2000 Dear Mr. Kicker: In continuation of the above referenced lettes and matters related thereto, I am pleased to inform you that IDCOL Board has approved a total loan of US$80 million to ABS Meghraglat Limited ("AESMIL") to permit it to build, own and operate a 450 MW gas-fired power generating plant. IDCOL's loan has two tranches: a US$20 mnillion senior loan and US$60 million tranche as detailed in draft term sheet delivered by Lenders Counsel, Allen and Overy to AES Transpower Private Ltd. ("ARS") and its solicitor Slaughter and May ("SM") pursuant to fornal request made by the latter on Noyember 20, 2000 vide letter reference SP003675.856 The Board approval is subject to the following additional conditions: 1. Execution of a term sheet between the lenders and AESML materially along the lines of the draft term sheet mentioned above; 2. Finalization of satisfactory project documentation including IDCOL loan agreements substantively in line with the executed term sheet mentioned in item (1); 3. AESML will be responsible for implenenting the mitigation and management plans described in the Enviromnent Assessment ("EA") the Social Inpact Assessment C(SIA") and related management plans,'including the Rehabilitation Action Plan ("RAP"). In addition to the management measures contained in the EA and SIA document dated September 2000, AESML will implement the following additional management plans: * Measures to maintain the livelihoods of affected landowners by (a) creating temporary employment opportunities; and (b) ltaining program designed to assist them in finding alternative employment; Preparation of a inal report on the study of altenative discharge of hot cooling water into the Meghna River, for joint review by IDCOL and IDA; Is11 2001 II: VU--J INUFRTRCrURE DEVELOPMENT COMPENY UMITED * OIDB Bhaban, 6th ?loor, Agaraon, Sher-e-Bangfa Nagar, G. P. 0 Box 619, Dhaka-1207, Bangadesah Phones , 8111235, 8117526, Fax: 880-2.8116663, e-mail: idcol@dhaka.agnl.com * Preparation of a new map, to be updated yearly, the purpose of which is to'recond the progressive development of the Meghnaghat area and provide assistance to the Department of Environment in issuing environmental clearances for new industries; * Provision of assistance to TITAS, the gas supplier, for preparation of a full ETA for the proposed gas supply pipeline; and * Creation of a new baseline survey on' the fish species available in the Megmna river up to 1000 m upstream, and 1000 m downstream, from the proposed project site before start of main construction to be updated semi-annualy durng the operation period to record continuing impacts. The above arrangements should be formalized in EA volumue 1-Main Report, Sections 5 and 6, with the amended document submitted to our office by February 15, 2001. 4. AESML will inform IDCOL about the results of its systematic and expeditious follow-up of the issue of under-compensation to affected landowners by Financial Closing. Sinclm y Dr. M. Fouzul Kabir Khan Executive Director and CEO Copy: Dr. Masihur Rahman Secretary, Economic Relations Division Ministry of Finance Mr. Frederia Temple Country Director, World Bank Mr. Alastair J. McKechnie Director, Energy Sector Unit, South Asia Region World Bank ek.5/ki4/E1i RE1:115 RES HARIPUR PUT LTD. 4 519 836 2493 NO.346 P03 AES Meghnaghat Limited 25 February 2001 N. The Managing Director ritas Gas Transmission & Distribution Co. Ltd. Titas Gas Bhaban 105 Kazi Nazrul Islam Avenue Kawran Bazar, Dhaka 1215 Subject Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for Gas Transportation Faclities of Titas Dear Sir: In accordance with Clause 1 1.1 (b) (iii) (B) of the Gas Supply Agreement signed between T,tas Gas Transportation and Distribution Co. Ltd. (MTtas) and AES Meghnaghat Urmited ('AESM") on July 29, 1999, Titas has made the covenant to the effect that it shall design. construct, complete, operate, maintain (either by itself or through experienced and qualified third party contractors) and own the Transportation Facilities and any and all additionally required facilities, under the laws of Bangladesh and (if not inconsistent. therewith) the Environmental Guidelines. In relation to the GSA the Laws of Bangladesh means all laws in force in Bangladesh and includes all rules, regulations. orders, directives, notifications made or issued by any competent authority pursuant to or under any such law. ~I As per the Environmental Conservation Rules 1997 made under the Environmental Conservation Act 1995, construction, reconstruction or extension of any gas distribution line is classified as 'Red' category project for which the sponsor shall undertake an EIA i2G Pam Cospu study and submit the EIA report to the Department of Environment (DOE) for obtaining environmental clearance for the gas distribution line project. We will appreciate if you will let us know the progress of the EIA for the-Transportation Facilities and other additionally required facilities sponsored by Titas to supply gas to the AES Meghnaghat 450MW CCPP Project. If such EIA is not yet undertaken, we request you to do so as soon as possible to meet your obligations under the Laws of Bangladesh. understand that all the land required for construction of the 0.5 kilometer long *;U