Page 1 INTEGRATED SAFEGUARDS DATA SHEET CONCEPT STAGE Report No.: AC2067 Date ISDS Prepared/Updated: 01/16/2006 I. BASIC INFORMATION A. Basic Project Data Country: India Project ID: P096019 Project Name: Himachal Pradesh State Roads Project Task Team Leader: Piers Antony Vickers Estimated Appraisal Date: January 2, 2007 Estimated Board Date: March 29, 2007 Managing Unit: SASEI Lending Instrument: Specific Investment Loan Sector: Roads and highways (100%) Theme: Infrastructure services for private sector development (P);Public expenditure, financial management and procurement (S) IBRD Amount (US$m.): 150.00 IDA Amount (US$m.): 0.00 GEF Amount (US$m.): 0.00 PCF Amount (US$m.): 0.00 Other financing amounts by source: BORROWER 40.00 40.00 B. Project Objectives [from section 2 of PCN] The development objective of the proposed project is to provide an improved core road network to road users. The core road network comprises of 2,160 km of state highways (22 links) and 2,240 km of Major District Roads (51 links). C. Project Description [from section 3 of PCN] The project is proposed to include two components: (i.) Upgrading works - including new alignment, formation widening, new structures and pavement strengthening - on approximately 800 km of state roads in the core network to either double (7m) or intermediate (5.5m) lane standard to be determined after feasibility, including supervision through independent consultants, land acquisition and application of safeguard measures. This will be implemented in two phases, the first to start by early 2007 and the second within 18 months of Bank board approval. (ii.) Asset management. Civil works on about 2-3,000 km of the core network, to include periodic maintenance (overlays and reseals) and minor rehabilitation (base layer and structures replacement) within the existing formation width and accident black spot improvement, to be supervised by HPPWD with independent technical examiner. The component will be part Page 2 funded by the World Bank and part by the GOHP, the exact proportions to be determined. This would be implemented in five annual maintenance programs to start in IFY 2006/07 and would be designed to remove the existing backlog to allow the GOHP to reach a steady state of renewals. The component will also include various services and goods to assist the GOHP to better manage and finance the core network. D. Project location (if known) The project is located in Himachal Pradesh, a hilly and mountainous state (area – 55,673 square km, population about 6 million) in Northern India. The state isrich in natural resources, and is divided into four agro-climatic zones (Shiwalik Hills, Mid Hills, High Hills, and Cold Dry Zone). The majority of the population is concentrated in the Shiwalik hills and the Mid-hills – which also house the majority of the forests, natural habitats, and economic infrastructure. The project roads will be selected through a feasibility study of a set of 1,670 km of candidate roads identified already by a strategic options study (SOS). Specific roads and locations will be confirmed midway during project preparation and are expected to be largely concentrated in the Shiwalik and Mid Hills zones. E. Borrower’s Institutional Capacity for Safeguard Policies [from PCN] The project will be implemented through the Himachal Pradesh Roads & Other Infrastructure Development Corporation (RIDC), primarily using Public Works Department staff. Safeguard officers plus supporting staff will be deputed to the RIDC to act as the core team at HQ. The project will be executed through dedicated field divisions (PIUs) of the Himachal Pradesh Public Works Department (HPPWD), which is now implementing the Bank funded Rural Roads Project (P077977), in which safeguard performance to date has been satisfactory. This project will require further strengthening of the existing capacity since the resettlement and environmental impacts are expected to differ considerably from those experienced with rural roads. F. Environmental and Social Safeguards Specialists Mr Tapas Paul (SASES) Mr Warren Waters (SASES) II. SAFEGUARD POLICIES THAT MIGHT APPLY Safeguard Policies Triggered Yes No TBD Environmental Assessment (OP/BP 4.01) X Environmental issues in this project relate mostly to the sensitive environmental setting of Himachal Pradesh. The state experiences regular floods and landslides, and is characterized by steep and erosion-prone slopes. About 67% of the area of the state is defined as forests, even if only about 26% has forest cover (and 16% dense forest cover). The state also has a wide variety of flora and fauna; scenic landscapes; major rivers and rivulets; and a large number of culturally important sites and pilgrimage places. The fragile ecosystems, steep topography, poor soils, periods of intense rainfall combined with a high degree of anthropogenic activities have led to large-scale degradation of the environment and natural resource base; 54% of the area of the state has been affected by different forms of land degradation. The project could impose additional direct and indirect impacts on these fragile resources. A number of impacts could arise from large scale construction works (impacts from earthworks during excavation on hillsides; quarrying; disposal of spoil, particularly from tunneling works). However, many of the Page 3 Safeguard Policies Triggered Yes No TBD project interventions (road asset management, and improving roads on current alignments) will involve limited civil works. The project will seek to minimize adverse environmental impacts at the same time as including environmental improvements where feasible. Natural Habitats (OP/BP 4.04) X Himachal Pradesh has 2 national parks (1,440 square km) and 32 wildlife sanctuaries (5,562 square km), together covering 12.5% of the area of the state. The project roads will be preserved or improved on the existing alignments, and should avoid directly impacting any protected natural habitats. However, substantial floral and faunal resources in the state exist outside the formally protected areas. The environment assessment will determine if there are any significant indirect impacts on the protected natural habitats, or if any significant resources outside the protected areas will be impacted by the project. Forests (OP/BP 4.36) X Given that 67% of the area of the st ate is classified as “forest land”, some ofthe project roads will inevitably traverse within or adjacent to these forest areas, particularly the small forest patches that are located all over the state. However, as the actual forest cover (and the dense forest cover) is much smaller than the area of the “forest land”, the impacts may not be major. However, forests close to roads in Himachal Pradesh are known to be impacted by forest fire; the annual rate of forests lost due to fire is in the range of 2000-6500 ha. The total forest cover prone to fire is estimated to be about 3,280 square km (about 22% of the forest cover). The environment assessment will determine if the project will impact the forests - either directly by significant acquisition of forest areas, or by impacting the quality of forest through increasing vulnerability to fire, edge deterioration, fragmentation or uncontrolled use - and recommend mitigation measures as necessary. Pest Management (OP 4.09) X Cultural Property (OPN 11.03) X Himachal Pradesh has a number of cultural property sites, including (i) sites of archaeological (prehistoric and neolithic), historical, and unique natural values; (ii) religious properties and sacred groves. The environmental assessment will determine the extent of direct or indirect impacts on these cultural properties by the project and detail mitigation measures as necessary. Indigenous Peoples (OP/BP 4.10) X Although selected roads are unlikely to be located in Scheduled Areas, some tribal families may be affected elsewhere. For such tribal households, PWD will notify the panchayat and the relevant Gram Sabha will be consulted. PWD will document the Indigenous People Development Plans (IPDP) required in consultation with the tribal Project Affected Persons and village panchayat. Involuntary Resettlement (OP/BP 4.12) X A Resettlement Policy framework with an entitlement matrix for different types of impacts/losses for the entire project has been endorsed by the GOHP. Consultants will prepare Resettlement Actions Plans for each phase using that framework, conduct a social impact assessment for the roads to be considered for civil works, quantify the impact categories, design mitigation measures, estimate the budget and schedule for implementation, document institutional arrangement, consultation process, etc. The Social Impact Assessment will also cover the typology of land ownership to facilitate updating of lands records for land acquisition and preparing accurate acquisition plans. Althou gh no involuntary resettlement is expected in Page 4 Safeguard Policies Triggered Yes No TBD the works under the asset management component, should it be unavoidable then the provisions of the R&R Policy would apply. Safety of Dams (OP/BP 4.37) X Projects on International Waterways (OP/BP 7.50) X Projects in Disputed Areas (OP/BP 7.60) X Environmental Category: A - Full Assessment III. SAFEGUARD PREPARATION PLAN A. Target date for the Quality Enhancement Review (QER), at which time the PAD-stage ISDS would be prepared: 07/31/2006 B. For simple projects that will not require a QER, the target date for preparing the PAD-stage ISDS: N/A C. Time frame for launching and completing the safeguard-related studies that may be needed. The specific studies and their timing 1 should be specified in the PAD-stage ISDS. Economic and technical feasibility studies are under way for 1,675 km of priority roads as identified in the Strategic Options Study. Studies will include social and environmental screening. A Sectoral Environmental Assessment (SEA) will be done for both upgradation and asset management components of the project, in parallel with project feasibility studies. For the asset management component (with annual maintenance programs), environmental issues will be dealt with in accordance with the relevant sections of the Environmental and Social Management Framework (ESMF) being applied to the Bank financed Rural Roads Project. For upgradation works, detailed environmental assessments (EA) and environmental management plans (EMP) will be prepared as determined through the SEA. Resettlement planning - based on the Resettlement policy framework recently endorsed by the State Government for the project - will include: (i) preliminary screening of likely Project Affected Persons (PAPs) and structures along the proposed project sections; (ii) a full Baseline Socio- Economic Survey (BSES) for the identified impact areas of all the proposed works, and (iii) a satisfactory draft Resettlement Action Plan (RAP). In addition, if indigenous peoples (“tribals”) are within the impact areas, a full Indigenous Peoples Development Plan (IPDP) will be prepared in accordance with Bank’s OP 4.10 on Indigenous Peoples. The SEA, and the EA, EMP, RAP, and IPDP if necessary, for the Phase-I works will be ready prior to appraisal, expected in November 2006. For Phase-II works EA, EMP, RAP, and IPDP if necessary, will be ready prior to tendering, expected in December 2007. All social and environmental documents will be disclosed, including in the local language, in places freely accessible to the public. 1 Reminder: The Bank's Disclosure Policy requires that safeguard-related documents be disclosed before appraisal (i) at the InfoShop and (ii) in-country, at publicly accessible locations and in a form and language that are accessible to potentially affected persons. Page 5 IV. APPROVALS Signed and submitted by: Task Team Leader: Mr Piers Antony Vickers 01/16/2006 Approved by: Regional Safeguards Coordinator: Mr Frederick Edmund Brusberg 01/12/2006 Comments: Sector Manager: Mr Guang Zhe Chen 01/13/2006 Comments: