environmental management framework - department of rural

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Environmental Assessment and Environmental Management Framework

Bihar Integrated Social Protection Strengthening Project

August, 2012

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Contents

Section 1: Description of the Proposed Project ......................................................................... 4

1.1 Project objective............................................................................................................... 4

1.2 Project components .......................................................................................................... 4

1.3 Location and Scale of Operation ...................................................................................... 7

Section 2: Overview of Environmental Conditions and Issues ................................................. 8

2.1 Land use ........................................................................................................................... 8

Implications for Environmental Management ................................................................... 9

2.2 Land degradation ............................................................................................................. 9

Implications for Environmental Management ................................................................. 10

2.3 Rainfall ........................................................................................................................... 10


2.4 Groundwater .................................................................................................................. 11


2.5 Agriculture ..................................................................................................................... 12


2.6 Forests ............................................................................................................................ 14


2.7 Housing .......................................................................................................................... 15


2.8 Cultural heritage sites .................................................................................................... 19


Section 3: Potential Environmental Impacts of Proposed Project Activities ........................... 20

3.1 Environmental Impacts of Service Centres .................................................................... 20

3.1.1 RTPS Centres / Adarsh Centres .............................................................................. 20

3.1.2 Social Care Service Centres / Buniyad Centres ...................................................... 23

3.2 Environmental Impacts of MNREGS and IAY ............................................................. 24

3.2.1 MNREGS Works .................................................................................................... 24

3.2.2 IAY Constructions .................................................................................................. 31

Section 4: Overview of Legal and Regulatory Requirements ................................................. 33

Section 5: Environmental Management Framework ............................................................... 35

5.1 Managing Impacts of Directly Supported Project Activities ......................................... 38

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5.1.1 Environmental appraisal of project supported construction activities .................... 38

5.1.2 Environment Friendly Construction ....................................................................... 41

5.2 Managing Impacts of In-directly Supported Project Activities ..................................... 43

5.2.1 Capacity Building on Environmental Management ................................................ 43

5.2.2 Integration of information on environment management aspects in monitoring and

evaluation ......................................................................................................................... 44

5.3 Monitoring ..................................................................................................................... 45

5.3.1 Internal Monitoring ................................................................................................. 45

5.3.2 External Monitoring ................................................................................................ 45

5.4 Institutional Arrangements............................................................................................. 46

5.5 Budget ............................................................................................................................ 48

Annex 1: Environment Management Guidelines for MNREGS Works and IAY Housing .... 49

Annex 2 : State Consultation Report…………………………………………………………57

Annex 3 : District Consultation Reports (Nalanda, Buxar, Madhubani & Katihar districts)...64

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Section 1: Description of the Proposed Project

The Government of Bihar (GoB) intends to strengthen social protection (SP) administration

in the state through improvements in the institutions and systems for program delivery.

Towards this, the GoB is preparing the Bihar Integrated Social Protection Strengthening

(BISPS) project with support from the World Bank.The proposed interventions are designed

to strengthen systems for delivery across selected SP programs: the Mahatma Gandhi

National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MNREGS), Indira Awaas Yojana (IAY) and

social pensions, as well as services for older persons and persons with disabilities. The

project will be administered by the Departments of Rural Development and Social Welfare

through the Bihar Rural Development Society (BRDS) and the Society for the Ultra Poor and

Social Welfare (SUPSW).

1.1 Project objective The Project Development Objective is to strengthen the capacity of the state SP system to

deliver selected programs and services, and to improve service delivery outcomes in four

districts by supporting the implementation of systemic reforms and piloting innovations.

1.2 Project components The project is composed of the following two components:

Component 1: Strengthening social protection capacity and systems

o Sub-component 1.1: Strengthening systems and capacity for delivery of safety net programs

o Sub-component 1.2: Strengthening systems and capacity for delivery of social pensions and

social care services

Component 2: Piloting innovations in SP delivery

o Sub-component 2.1: Integrated SP service delivery

o Sub-component 2.2: Social care provision

o Sub-component 2.3: Design, development and pilot of a connected e-service architecture for

SP service delivery

o Sub-component 2.4: Innovation window

The details of the components are as follows:

Component 1: Strengthening Social Protection Capacity and Systems. This component will strengthen core

systems and capacity of the two implementing agencies – the Bihar Rural Development Society (BRDS) and the

State Society for Ultra-Poor and Social Welfare (SSUPSW) – at the state-level, as well as support

implementation of systemic reforms in the four districts. Improvements in delivery mechanisms financed by the

project would be applicable state-wide, and will be gradually introduced and financed by the Government of

Bihar in all districts. A brief description of each sub-component is as follows:

Sub-Component 1.1: Strengthening systems and capacity for delivery of safety net programs. Support will be

provided to BRDS to strengthen the delivery of MGNREGS and IAY programs, focusing on:

(i) Streamlining program delivery mechanisms by developing standardized procedures and tools for

effective management of the benefits process, for outreach and communications to citizens, and for

financial management and disbursement of benefits. IT applications for MGNREGS and IAY will

be developed to enable tracking of all stages of service delivery. A mechanism for entering into

partnership arrangements with non-government agencies for joint implementation of MGNREGS

and IAY will also be developed;

(ii) Strengthening staff capacity and performance incentives by developing a new HR policy, a new

performance management system, and a training system for building staff capacity and for

monitoring the quality of training delivered;

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(iii) Putting in place monitoring and accountability mechanisms to enable program and project

implementation, monitoring and evaluation. A comprehensive M&E strategy will be developed and

capacity built to operate the management information system (MIS) as well as to undertake field

assessments and social audits. Procedures for dealing with appeals/grievances related to MGNEGS,

IAY and the SECC/BPL Census will also be developed; and

(iv) Implementing systemic reforms in four districts by testing and fine-tuning the new operational

procedures, materials and tools. Consultancy services, additional technical staff and required

training will be provided at all levels of program implementation.

Sub-Component 1.2: Strengthening systems and capacity for delivery of social pensions and social care

services. Support will be provided to SSUPSW to strengthen the delivery of social pensions and social care

services for PWDs and older persons, focusing on:

(i) Promoting an enabling policy environment by developing policies, programs and operational

guidelines for institutional and non-institutional care targeted to PWDs and older persons as well as

developing models for family and community based rehabilitation;

(ii) Streamlining program delivery mechanisms by developing standardized procedures and tools for

effective management of the identification, disability certification and enrolment of intended

beneficiaries, for outreach and communications to citizens, and for disbursement of benefit

payments, and for grievance redressal. IT applications for social pensions and social care services

will be developed to enable case management and tracking of all stages of service delivery. Support

will also be provided develop a mechanism for entering into partnership arrangements with non-

government agencies for joint provision of institutional and non-institutional care;

(iii) Strengthening staff capacity and performance incentives by developing a new HR policy, a new

performance management system, and a training system for building staff capacity and for

monitoring the quality of training delivered;

(iv) Setting up monitoring and accountability mechanisms to enable the monitoring of social pensions,

BSIOPS and social care services. A comprehensive M&E strategy will be developed and capacity

built to operate the management information system (MIS) as well as to undertake field assessments

and social audits. This sub-component will also develop procedures for dealing with

appeals/grievances related to social pensions and social care services; and

(v) Implementing systemic reforms in four districts by testing and fine-tuning the new operational

procedures, materials and tools. Consultancy services, additional technical staff and required

training will be provided at all levels of program implementation.

Component 2: Piloting Innovations in Social Protection Delivery.This component addresses the issue of

inadequate service provision at the block and community levels and fragmentation in SP delivery by piloting

models for integrated service delivery in the four districts. The two implementing agencies under this project

would serve as an incubation center for the Kabhi Bhi Kahin Bhi Sewayen (KBKBS) model, with the intention to

provide a platform for integrated SP delivery in the long-term. This model involves bringing services closer to

beneficiaries through the setting up virtual citizen interfaces, block-level service centers with mobile outreach

and community-based service provision. These outreach centers would be supported by rule-based processing,

enabled by an integrated e-service architecture, while government functionaries continue to perform strategic

and statutory tasks (Sub-Component 2.1-2.3). This separation of roles is desirable as it provides a single point of

contact for citizens, reduces rent-seeking opportunities and promotes accountability by introducing checks and

balances in the system, and reduces the workload of government officials with respect to repetitive tasks. This

component will also support small-scale pilots to be financed from an ‘Innovation Window’ (sub-component

2.4) which would test innovative proposals to further improve social services. These pilots are expected to be

operational in the second/third year of project implementation in order to provide adequate time for their design,

set-up and operation. In particular, the focus in the first year of the project would be on streamlining processes

and capacity building in order to ensure clear allocation of functions and strong institutional oversight for

effective functioning of these pilots.

Sub-component 2.1: Integrated SP service delivery. This sub-component would support

GoB in setting up block-level service centers aimed at increasing service demand, the

efficiency of beneficiary interaction with the programs’ administration and promoting an

integrated approach to SP delivery at the block level and below. This includes support for the

following: Operational design of the KBKBS model:This would entail thedevelopment of an implementation

roadmap and operational manual for the KBKBS pilot and include detailed assessmentsin order to

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simplify and redefine program processes, identify specific areas for converging with ongoing e-

governance initiatives, clearly allocate functions across stakeholders (including between government

functionaries and private service providers), determine the anticipated demand for services and

expected volume of transactions in order to arrive at the services to be offered and associated revenue

model, and define service standards for delivery. This component would also support GoB in putting in

place performance monitoring arrangementsand institutional mechanisms for coordination between

BRDS and SSUPSW for managing operations at the Centers.

Citizen Service Centers (referred to as RTPS Adarsh Centers)would be established to provide

information and assistance to beneficiaries and other stakeholders. This includes support for the design,

construction, maintenance and outsourced operations of the centers in all blocks in the four districts

(about 68 centers). These privately managed centers would offer a package of services, such as

providing information on, assistance for applications and demand registration,and recording complaints

and grievances with respect to the selected SP benefits (such as MGNREGS, IAY and social pensions).

The centers would also offer selected government services that fall under the RTPS Act (such as issue

of certificates, application, complaint registration and delivery/collection of documents, etc); civil

registration services (such as enrolment in state’s resident registry) and private services (such as utility

bill payments, etc). However, statutory functions such as eligibility determination, sanctioning of

benefits, disposal of grievances etc. would remain with government functionaries.

A state-level call center would be establishedto provide a virtual channel for beneficiaries to access the

selected SP services offered at the Adarsh Centers in the four districts. It would also serve as a help

desk for queries and complaints related to the selected programs. Depending on the operational design

developed under this sub-component, support would also be provided to establish a back-end hub for

processing transactions received through the various citizen interfaces.

Sub-component 2.2: Social care provision.This sub-component would support the development of social care

provision at the block and community level through the following pilots:

Social Care Service Centers (referred to as Buniyad Centers)would be established to provide high

quality care, support and rehabilitation services for older persons and persons with disabilities. While

Adarsh Centers will provide services that are amenable to standardization, a separate facility is

necessary to deliver services that require dedicated case management systems to address the needs of

these special groups. The services offered at the Buniyad Centers would include basic care and support,

legal aid, therapy, counseling and rehabilitation, emergency outreach, assessment and disability

determination, provision of assistive devices, etc either in-house or through a referral network. The

Centers would also manage a mobile outreach program to provide services at the community level,

particularly for those unable to access services at the Centers. This sub-component would finance the

construction, maintenance and outsourced operations of the Centers in four districts (one center per

three blocks; about 23 centers in total).

Workable models for Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) of older persons and persons with

disabilities in all GPs in the four districts would be piloted. Given the special needs of these groups,

this would involve provision of care and rehabilitation services in family and community settings for

the poorest and most vulnerable individuals. Local community facilitators (identified through

partnerships with community based organizations (CBOs) and NGOs) would be trained to serve as the

focal service provider for these groups. For instance, two of the districts have mature village

organizations promoted by the BRLP that have been identified as partners to identify and oversee

community facilitators as well as to facilitate the formation of disabled persons and older persons

associations.

Sub-Component 2.3: Design, development and pilot of a connected e-service architecture for SP service

delivery.This sub-component aims to address the challenge of weak and burdensome beneficiary identity

management, inability to monitor service delivery across programs, and lack of an institutional mechanism for

rule-based data sharing between programs and administrative levels.This sub-component would pilot an

integrated transaction-based IT platform, called Connected e-Services Architecture (CeSA), to enhance the

effectiveness and the accountability of SP programs by making available more accurate, comprehensive and

timely information.The CeSA would leverage the existing and proposed IT infrastructure and solutions by GoB,

particularly those created under the National e-Governance Plan (NeGP) and the state e-Shakti program. This

will include support for thedesign, development, and operationalization of the corresponding key building

blocks of CeSA as follows:

Bihar State Resident Registry (BSRR)would be developed to authenticate beneficiary identity and

eligibility for SP programs.The project would support the creation of a database of all residents in the

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four districts, as well as the establishment of procedures for data verification, cleaning and updating so

that data quality of the BSRR improves over time. A standard interface would be provided to service

requests to the BSRR from participating programs for authentication of identity and other relevant

household or individual level information required to determine benefit eligibility.

Integrated Information Management and Decision Support System (IIMDSS)would be developed to

provide an integrated view of intended beneficiaries based information collated from different

databases. The project would support the establishment of a Data Warehouse and Business Intelligence

tools, including the required hardware, and development of applications for collating, analyzing and

reporting information.

Augmentation and customizationof shared/common services, application and infrastructure, as

necessary, to pilot CeSA.

Sub-Component 2.4: Innovation window. This sub-component would finance an ‘Innovation Window’ for the

two Societies to pilot innovations in four districts that contribute towards the project objectives. The criteria for

the selection of innovative proposals would include: (i) increasing community level outreach for effective

delivery of social protection programs and services at the local level; (ii) enhancing promotion and participation

of stakeholders and project beneficiaries; and (iii) provide social protection for the poor and vulnerable during

emergencies and disasters. Proposals that meet these criteria would be submitted for review and approval to the

Bank by the two Societies.

1.3 Location and Scale of Operation The project will be implemented at the state-level and demonstrate innovations in selected

project districts. Pilots will be supported in four districts: Buxar, Katihar, Madhubani, and

Nalanda. These have been identified using the following criteria: contiguity; maturity of self-

help groups, village organizations and other community groups such as those promoted by

the Bihar Rural Livelihood Project; convergence with the Bihar Panchayat Strengthening

Project districts; and geographic diversity.

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Section 2: Overview of Environmental Conditions and Issues

Bihar is India's second poorest and third most populous state, with 56% of the rural

population living below the poverty line. Bihar is primarily rural and agrarian, with high

levels of seasonal migration.

Box 1: Environmental Conditions and Issues in Bihar1

Agriculture: Of the total geographic area of 94.16 lakh ha, about 60% is cropped. About 35% of the net

sown area is cropped twice. The crop productivity in the state is one of the lowest in the country. The

net irrigated area is 34.61 lakh ha (61% of the net sown area). Of this, 64% is irrigated by tubewells

and 27% is irrigated by canals.

Fodder resource: The area under pastures and grazing lands is extremely scarce (0.18% of the total

geographic area). Of all rural households owning cattle and/or buffalo in Bihar, more than three-

quarters are either landless or have less than 1 hectare of land. Sheep and goats tend to be even more

concentrated among landless and marginal rural households. Wastelands: Wastelands are spread over

an area of 6841 sq.km (7.26% of the total geographic area). Of the total wasteland in the state, land

with scrub (dense and open) accounts for 3715 sq km, waterlogged area (permanent and seasonal)

accounts for 1564 sq km and degraded forest land with scrub accounts for about 1200 sq km.

Forests: Forest area is limited (6.6% of the total geographic area). The state has 1 national park and 11

sanctuaries comprising a protected area of 3208.47 sq km.

Floods: Bihar is the most flood prone state in the country with 73.06 % of its geographical area (68.80

lakh hectares) affected by floods. The flood situation is most severe in the northern plains of Bihar.

Surface water: The surface water resource in the state includes 69000 ha of ponds and tanks, 9000 ha

of oxbow lakes, 7200 ha of reservoirs, 3200 km of rivers and 1 lakh ha of riverine and other flood

plains.

Groundwater: The stage of ground water development is 39%. None of the blocks in the state are

classified as Over Exploited, Critical or Semi-critical with respect to the groundwater status. The stage

of groundwater development exceeds 50% in Nalanda, Jehanabad, Begusarai, Siwan, Saran and Patna.

Water quality: Groundwater quality in parts of the state is affected by high Fluoride (4157 habitations),

Iron (18673 habitations) and Arsenic (1590 habitations).

Cooking energy: The majority of rural households in the state depend on firewood (49%) and dung

cake (33%) to meet cooking fuel requirement.

This section provides an overview of the relevant environmental conditions and issues in the

four project districts: Buxar, Katihar, Madhubani and Nalanda. The implications for

environmental management are also mentioned.

2.1 Land use Agriculture accounts for the largest land use in the project districts. The cropped area (net

sown area) ranges from 55% of the geographical area in Katihar to 77% in Buxar and

Nalanda. The project districts with the most extent of area under fallows are Katihar (13%)

and Buxar (10%). Forest area is very limited – the largest extent being in Nalanda covering

2% of its geographical area. Pastures and grazing lands are negligible. Katihar has the largest

extent of barren and unculturable lands at 8%.

Chart 1: Land Use in the Project Districts2

1Source:

2Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, Ministry of Government

of India. Viewed at http://eands.dacnet.nic.in on 15 February, 2012.

http://eands.dacnet.nic.in/

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Implications for Environmental Management The presence of significant extent of fallow lands, waste lands and barren lands – highlights the scope

for land development works under the MNREGS.

2.2 Land degradation The spread of wasteland is highest in Katihar accounting for 9.6% of its geographical area.

Most of this is degraded scrub land and waterlogged and marshy land. Similar wastelands

also occur in Buxar and Madhubani – though to a lesser extent.

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Chart 2: Wastelands in the Project Districts3

Implications for Environmental Management Waste lands highlight the need for land development works under the MNREGS: soil and moisture

conservation works on scrub land, reclamation and drainage works on waterlogged and marshy land,

etc.

2.3 Rainfall The normal annual rainfall (long period average 1941-1990) in Bihar is 1230 mm. Of this,

1039 mm is received during the monsoon months (June-September)4. The normal rainfall in

the project districts ranges from 977 mm in Nalanda to 1297 mm in Katihar. The actual

rainfall received in these districts during 2002-2009 has been less than normal in most years.

3Rainfall Report. Department of Agriculture, Government of Bihar. Viewed at

http://krishi.bih.nic.in/statcrop/Rainfall%20Report..pdf on 13 March 2012; Economic Survey 2010-11, Finance

Department, Government of Bihar. Viewed at http://gov.bih.nic.in/documents/Economic-Survey-2011-

English.pdf on 13 March 2012. 4Hydromet Division, India Meteorological Department, Subdivisional Rainfall Normals.

http://krishi.bih.nic.in/statcrop/Rainfall%20Report..pdf

http://gov.bih.nic.in/documents/Economic-Survey-2011-English.pdf

http://gov.bih.nic.in/documents/Economic-Survey-2011-English.pdf

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Chart 3: Rainfall in the Project Districts5

Implications for Environmental Management The rainfall trend in the last decade highlights the significance of investments in rain water harvesting,

revival of traditional water bodies and soil moisture conservation – all of which can be taken up under

MNREGS.

2.4 Groundwater The stage of groundwater development in the project districts ranges from 31% in Buxar and

Madhubani to 58% in Nalanda. Thus, they are considered ‘safe’ areas which have potential

for groundwater development.

Chart 4: Groundwater Development in the Project Districts6

5 Wasteland Atlas of India 2010, Department of Land Resources, Ministry of Rural Development, Government

of India. Viewed at http://dolr.nic.in/wasteland2010/bihar.pdf on 16 February 2012. 6 Wasteland Atlas of India 2010, Department of Land Resources, Ministry of Rural Development, Government

of India. Viewed at http://dolr.nic.in/wasteland2010/bihar.pdf on 16 February 2012.

http://dolr.nic.in/wasteland2010/bihar.pdf

http://dolr.nic.in/wasteland2010/bihar.pdf

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Parts of Buxar have Fluoride in excess of the permissible limit (>1.5 mg/litre). Parts of Buxar

and Katihar have Iron and Arsenic in excess of the permissible limit (>1.0 mg/litre and >0.05

mg/litre respectively)7.

Table 1: Groundwater Quality in Project Districts

District Fluoride >1.5 mg/litre Iron >1.0 mg/litre Arsenic >0.05 mg/litre

Nalanda

Buxar

Madhubani

Katihar

Implications for Environmental Management Water quality testing to ensure that all water sources under the project (e.g., hand pumps/tube wells

used for drinking water supply in Adarsh Centres and Buinyaad Centres) meet the stipulated standards

for human consumption is important – especially as 3 of the project districts are known to have

drinking water quality problems.

2.5 Agriculture The four project districts fall in three agro-climatic zones: North-West Alluvial Plain

(Madhubani), North-East Alluvial Plain (Katihar) and South Bihar Alluvial Plain (Katihar

and Buxar). The table 2 presents the key features and cropping pattern in these zones.

Table 2: Agro-climatic Zones in the Project Districts Agro-climatic Zone Districts Soil Rainfall Important Cropping Sequence

Zone I – North-

West Alluvial Plain

Madhubani Sandy loam,

Loam

1040-1450 mm Rice-Wheat, Rice-Rai, Rice-Sweet

Potato, Rice-Maize (Rabi), Maize-

Wheat, Maize-Sweet Potato, Maize-Rai,

Rice-Lentil

Zone II – North-

East Alluvial Plain

Katihar Sandy loam,

Clay loam

1200-1700 mm Jute-Rice, Jute-Wheat, Jute-Potato,

Jute-Kalai, Jute-Mustard, Rice-Wheat-

Moong, Rice-Toria

Zone IIIB – South

Bihar Alluvial

Plain (West)

Nalanda,

Buxar

Sandy loam,

Clay loam,

Loam, Clay

990-1240 mm Rice-Wheat, Rice-Gram, Rice-Lentil,

Rice-Rai

The cropping intensity ranges from 120% in Nalanda to 160% in Katihar. The percentage of

net sown area that is irrigated ranges from 47% in Madhubani to 86% in Buxar. The

predominant source of irrigation in the project districts is tubewells. The use of groundwater

has increased over the years (Chart 7), while dependence on other irrigation sources such as

tanks has declined.

7Groundwater Quality in Shallow Aquifers of India. 2010. Central Ground Water Board, Ministry of Water

Resources, Government of India.

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Chart 5: Cropping Intensity in Project Districts (2008-2009)8

Chart 6: Irrigated Area in Project Districts (2008-2009)9

8Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, Ministry of Government

of India. Viewed at eands.dacnet.nic.in on 15 February, 2012. 9Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, Ministry of Government

of India. Viewed at eands.dacnet.nic.in on 15 February, 2012.

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Chart 7: Irrigation Sources in Project Districts (1999-2000)10

Implications for Environmental Management While the status of groundwater in the project districts is considered ‘safe’, the growing reliance on

groundwater and the decreasing use of surfacewater sources (canals, tanks) is an unsustainable trend.

MNREGS provides scope for revival of surface water sources – desilting of ponds, repair of canals,

revival of the traditional ahar-pyne systems, etc.

2.6 Forests Forest area is very limited in the project districts – the largest extent of forest is found in

Madhubani (136 sq km). There are two protected areas in the project districts: Gogabil Pakshi

Vihar in Katihar (Closed Area) and Rajgir Sanctuary in Nalanda (Sanctuary).

Table 3: Forest Area in Project Districts (area in sq km)11

District Geographical

area

Very dense

forest

Moderately

dense forest

Open forest Total

Buxar 1708 0 2 1 3

Katihar 3057 0 18 44 62

Madhubani 3501 0 18 118 136

Nalanda 2367 0 5 23 28

10

Directorate of Economics and Statistics, Department of Agriculture and Cooperation, Ministry of Government

of India. Viewed at eands.dacnet.nic.in on 15 February, 2012. 11

India State of Forest Report 2009, Forest Survey of India, Government of India.

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Implications for Environmental Management Forest cover is extremely limited in Bihar – including in the project districts – at the same time, the

demand for fuel and fodder is significant. Plantations under MNREGS provide scope for addressing the

need for increased tree cover in the state.

In the project districts with protected areas, it is important to ensure that all project supported activities

are in compliance with the laws and regulations of the Forest Department and do not negatively impact

these areas.

2.7 Housing District-level household data

12 points to the fact that a significant number of rural households

in the 4 districts: Use asbestos (GI/metal/asbestos) as roofing material (33% in Katihar and19% in Madhubani)

Cook inside the household premises (90% in Nalanda and Buxar, 75% in Madhubani and 50% in

Katihar)

Use fuel wood (46% in Madhubani to 13% in Nalanda), crop residue (76% in Katihar to 7% in Buxar)

or cowdung cakes (64% in Buxar to 4% in Katihar) as cooking fuel

Have very limited use of clean fuels like LPG (6% in Buxar to 2% in Katihar)

Do not have a toilet (77% in Nalanda to 87% in Katihar)

Do not have a drainage system for disposal of sullage (23% in Nalanda to 83% in Madhubani)

Implications for Environmental Management The existing rural housing scenario highlights the importance of promoting the following in IAY:

o Discourage use of asbestos as roofing material

o Encourage adoption of cleaner fuels, cleaner cooking devices, chimneys, outdoor/well-

ventilated kitchens

o Encourage construction of toilets and drains – through convergence with MNREGS

o Encourage provision of system of sullage disposal at household level

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Houselisting and Housing Census Data, Census of India 2011, Government of India. Viewed at

http://www.censusindia.gov.in on 10 July 2012.

http://www.censusindia.gov.in/

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Chart 8: Roofing Material in Project Districts (2011)13

Chart 9: Location of Household Cooking Activity in Project Districts (2011)14

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http://www.censusindia.gov.in on 10 July 2012. 14





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Chart 10: Household Cooking Fuel in Project Districts (2011)15

Chart 11: Household Access to Toilet Facilities in Project Districts (2011)16

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Chart 12: Type of Household Toilet Facilities in Project Districts (2011)17

Chart 13: Drainage Facilities in Project Districts (2011)18

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2.8 Cultural heritage sites The project districts have 10 of the 70 sites identified in the state of Bihar as ‘Ancient

Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains of National Importance’ by the

Archaeological Survey of India19

. The following table gives details of these sites.

Table 4: Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains of National Importance

in Project Districts

S. No. Name of the Monument Locality District

1 Ancient mound Buxar Buxar

2 Remains of ancient fort or Pachrukhi

Garh locally known as Raja Bali Ka

Garh

Balirajgarh Madhubani

3 Remains of the ramparts and the

mound commonly known as the

‘Queen’s Palace’ in the Killa

Bihar Sharif Nalanda

4 Tomb of Malik Ibrahim Bayu Bihar Sharif Nalanda

5 Ancient remains known as Garh Ghorakatora Nalanda

6 All mounds, structures and buildings

enclosed in the acquired area

Nalanda Nalanda

7 Ancient mound Bargaon Nalanda

8 Statue of Buddha Jagdishpur Nalanda

9 i. All ancient structures and other

monuments.

ii. All ancient structures and all

artificial ancient remains which are

situated within a distance of half a

mile of the said two ancient cities

known as old and new Rajgriha.

iii. Walls of the two ancient cities

known as old and new Rajgriha

Rajgir Nalanda

10 Ancient mound Buxar Buxar

Implications for Environmental Management It is important to ensure that project supported activities in proximity (up to300 metres radius) of

protected monuments are undertaken only after requisite permission from the ASI.

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List of Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Sites and Remains of National Importance, Archaeological

Survey of India. Viewed at http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_alphalist_bihar.asp on 5 March 2012.

http://asi.nic.in/asi_monu_alphalist_bihar.asp

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Section 3: Potential Environmental Impacts of Proposed Project

Activities

The project aims to establish a more effective, transparent and responsive social protection

delivery system through support for: (a) strengthening systems and capacity for implementing

and monitoring selected social protection programs at the state-level and in selected districts,

and (b) piloting innovations for integrated social protection service provision. The project

focuses on the programs administered by the Departments of Rural Development and Social

Welfare. These include MGNREGS (public works), IAY (cash transfers) and social pensions

(cash transfers), and social care services for older persons and persons with disabilities. The

project will include strengthening capacity and systems for implementing and monitoring

these programs at the state-level. It will also support the implementation of systemic reforms

and pilots for integrated social protection delivery in four project districts – Buxar, Katihar,

Madhubani, and Nalanda.

This section provides a detailed analysis of the potential positive and negative impacts of the

following project activities: Impacts of the Service Centers (Adarsh Centres and Buniyad Centres)

Impacts/issues associated with MNREGS works

Impacts/issues associated with IAY construction

The analysis is based on: Secondary information (review of data and documents on MNREGS and IAY)

Field study in three districts (Madhubani, Buxar and Nalanda) covering:

o Existing Block-levelRight to Public Services(RTPS) Centres

o A range of MNREGS works – both completed and in-progress

o Existing IAY houses

Discussions with State and District level stakeholders (Block Development Officers, MNREGS staff –

Programme Officers, Engineers and Panchayat Technical Assistants), representatives of Gram

Panchayats and Panchayat Rozgar Sevaks.

3.1 Environmental Impacts of Service Centres

3.1.1 RTPS Centres / Adarsh Centres

3.1.1.1 Profile of the Adarsh Centres Location and Scale: The Adarsh Centers (AC) will be located at the block headquarters in the four pilot

districts. About 68 such ACs are planned.Each AC is expected to be about 1000 square feet in area.

Description of Services: The ACs will offer a package of services, including information, application

and grievance redressal in social protection programs implemented by the Departments of Rural

Development and Social Welfare (such as MNREGS, IAY and social pensions) as well as selected

government services that fall under the RTPS Act, such as issue of certificates, information,

application, complaint registration and delivery/collection of documents, etc. Various business to

citizen (B2C) services could also be offered (e.g., utility bill payments).

Infrastructure: Each AC will have a number of service counters equipped with computer terminals and

manned by agents and will have facilities such as: waiting area, toilets for men and women,

accessibility to the elderly and the disabled, power back-up, etc.

Land for Construction: The Government of Bihar will provide land for construction of the ACs within

the premises of existing Block Development Office (BDO). As an interim measure, pending

construction, rented premises close to the BDO may be used.

Design of the Building: The design of the ACs will be developed as part of the preparation for pilot

implementation in the first year of the project.

21

Construction: The construction of the ACs would be outsourced to a private vendor.

Maintenance: The maintenance of the ACs would be outsourced to a private vendor.

3.1.1.2 Environmental Impact of the Adarsh Centres The impact is limited as the ACs have a relatively small demand for land (1000 square feet)

and will not involve any change in land use (the ACs will be located on existing BDO

premises).

The field study undertaken for the EA included visits to the existing RTPS centres of the

Government of Bihar in the districts of Madhubani and Buxar. Based on the field study as

well as on a review of available documents, the following specific environmental impacts

have been identified: Impacts related to construction of ACs

o Inappropriate design leading to sub-optimal ventilation, drainage, sanitation, and, access

o Construction-specific impacts: Loss of trees at construction site; Abandoned borrow pits;

Improper disposal of construction debris

Impacts related to management of ACs

o Inadequate water and sanitation facilities

o Noise and air pollution from generators

o Poor waste management

3.1.1.3 Field Study Observations on Existing RTPS Centres The RTPS Centres are located on existing BDO campuses – which are typically large campuses (a

couple of acres or more) housing several Government offices. There is adequate space available in the

campuses for construction of the ACs.

All the RTPS Centres have a shaded waiting space for visitors.

As they are located on BDO campuses, the RTPS Centres share the public toilet and water facilities

that are on the campuses.

All the RTPS Centres are equipped with power-backup generators. The generators comply with the

noise pollution control norms prescribed by the Central Pollution Control Board. The generators are

usually located outside the main office space – either outdoors or in a separate enclosure.

Each RTPS Centre has a large amount of paper (copies of applications, etc.) in storage – this may pose

a fire hazard.

22

Photo Set 1: Field Observations of Existing RTPS Centres in Project Districts

The RTPS Centres are located in existing BDO campuses – which typically are located on Government land,

cover a large area and house several other public offices.

The RTPS Centres consist of a small office space (about 1000 square feet or less) with counters for interface

with citizens.

The RTPS Centres typically have a shaded waiting area – sometimes with seating facility – for visitors.

All RTPS Centres are equipped with power-backup generators that comply with the noise pollution control

norms prescribed by the Central Pollution Control Board. Storage of a large amount of paper at these

Centres may pose a fire hazard.

23

3.1.2 Social Care Service Centres / Buniyad Centres

3.1.2.1 Profile of the Buniyad Centres Location and Scale: The Buniyad Centers (BC) will be located at cluster level (a cluster of blocks) in

the four pilot districts. About 23 such BCs are planned. Each BCis expected to be about 5000 square

feet in area.

Description of Services: The BCs will offer a package of quality care and rehabilitation services for

older persons and persons with disabilities (PWD).The services offered will include basic care and

support, legal aid, therapy, counseling and rehabilitation, emergency outreach, assessment and

disability determination, provision of assistive devices, etc.Referral services will be provided for

beneficiaries needing more specialized services. Each BC will have technical personnel comprising of

psychologists, therapists, trainers and technicians. Service delivery at the Buniyad Centers in two

districts would be outsourced to a private agency, while in the remaining two districts the SSUPSW

would engage contract staff to provide services.

Infrastructure: The BCs will be equipped with specialized diagnostic and therapeutic equipment as well

as mobile outreach infrastructure (one van per district) to provide outreach and emergency services. In

establishing the BCs, guidelines and space standards for barrier free built environment of disabled and

elderly persons will be followed.

Land for Construction: The Government of Bihar will provide land for construction of the BCs within

the premises of existing Block Development Office (BDO). The BCs will be operated from rented

premises initially (until construction).

Design of the Building: The design of the BCs will be developed as part of the preparation for pilot

implementation in the first year of the project.

Construction: The construction of the BCs would be outsourced to a private vendor. Engineers from

Bihar’s Industrial Development Authority (IDA) will be engaged for technical supervision of the

construction.

Maintenance: The maintenance of the BCs would be outsourced to a private vendor.

3.1.2.2 Environmental Impact of the Buniyad Centres The impact is limited as the BCs have a relatively small demand for land (5000 square feet)

and will not involve any change in land use (the BCs will be located on existing BDO

premises).

The preparatory work on the project included a rapid assessment of the District Disability

Rehabilitation Centres (DDRC)in the state – including visits to existing DDRCs in

Madhubani and Muzaffarpur. Based on the field observations as well as on a review of

available documents, the following specific environmental impacts have been identified: Impacts related to construction of BCs

o Inappropriate design leading to sub-optimal ventilation, drainage, sanitation, and, access

o Construction-specific impacts: Loss of trees at construction site; Abandoned borrow pits;

Improper disposal of construction debris

Impacts related to management of BCs

o Inadequate water and sanitation facilities

o Poor bio-medical waste management

3.1.2.3 Observations on Existing DDRCs There are 9 DDRCs in the state – 8 run by the Indian Red Cross Society and 1 run by an NGO. Of the

project districts, Madhubani and Katihar have functional DDRCs.

The services to be provided in a DDRC are counseling, physiotherapy, audio and speech therapy,

mobility instruction, fabrication of prosthetic and orthotic devices and referral services. However,

existing DDRCs do not provide the full range of services (the Madhubani DDRC provides only

counseling and mobility instruction services).

The DDRCs are located in small rented premises (the Madhubani DDRC operates from a 100 square

feet room) – these do not have provision to facilitate easy access by the physically disabled persons.

24

No bio-medical waste is generated – as the services currently provided do not generate such waste.

Facilities for water and sanitation are either inadequate or are absent.

Photo Set 2: Field Observations of Existing DDRCs

The existing DDRC in Madhubani is located in a small room with no easy access to PWDs. The only services

provided are counselling and mobility instruction.

3.2 Environmental Impacts of MNREGS and IAY

By strengthening delivery mechanisms for the MNREGS and IAY, the project may

contribute to an increased uptake of these programs – and hence to their environmental

impact – both positive and negative.

3.2.1 MNREGS Works

3.2.1.1 Profile of MNREGS Works Volume of works: The volume of the work undertaken under MNREGS ranges from less than 3000

individual works in Madhubani to over 7500 works in Nalanda. This includes both completed as well

as ongoing works. Works that are incomplete and abandoned are also counted under ongoing works –

thus a large number of ongoing works is cause for concern. While Buxar has the highest proportion of

completed works, Katihar has the highest proportion of ongoing works (chart 14).

Nature of works: Rural connectivity is the most popular category of works accounting for 85% of the

works in Katihar to 28% in Buxar. Water conservation and water harvesting account for 70% of the

works in Buxar. Drought proofing works form 30% of MNREGS works in Nalanda. Flood control and

protection works account for 10% of works in Nalanda and 5% of works in Madhubani (chart 15).

Chart 14: MNREGS Works in Project Districts (2008-09 to 2010-11)20

20

MPRs of March 2009, 2010, 2011 viewed at http://nrega.nic.in.

http://nrega.nic.in/

25

Chart 15: Nature of MNREGS Works in Project Districts (2010-11)21

3.2.1.2 Environmental Impact of MNREGS Works The field study undertaken for the EA included visits to completed as well as on-going

MNREGS works in the districts of Madhubani and Buxar (as well as in the districts of Patna

21

MPRs of March 2009, 2010, 2011 viewed at http://nrega.nic.in.

http://nrega.nic.in/

26

and Nalanda). Based on the field study as well as on a review of available documents, the

following specific environmental impacts have been identified:

27

Table 5: Environmental Impacts of MNREGS Works

Work Positive Impact Negative Impact

Roads – construction, repair Impact on land productivity (construction of road on agriculture land,

borrow pits on agricultural land, bricks for paving sourced from agricultural

land)

Impact on natural habitats in cases where roads encroach on water bodies or

are in close proximity to waterfowl nesting areas

Impacts on 'borrow areas' from where soil for filling is taken – loss of

productive top soil, impact on drainage

Inadequate drainage provision leading to water logging and/or damage to

road

Felling of trees at the construction site

Temporary impacts and waste disposal related to construction (noise, dust,

etc.)

Possibility of pilferage of any chance finds of archaeological importance

Ponds – construction,

excavation, de-silting,

cleaning, etc.

Improved water harvesting/storage

Water conservation

Construction of pond on fertile agriculture land

Felling of trees at the excavation site


Uneven deposition of silt/soil on banks may lead to weakening of banks,

uneven deposition on farm lands may lead to problems with irrigation and

drainage

Erosion from unstable earthen bunds

Water harvesting structures

– Check Dams, Ahar-Pyne

Improved water harvesting/storage

Water conservation

Impacts on downstream water users due to possible reduction in water

availability

Risk of breaching, water leakages, etc., from poorly constructed water

retention structures

Erosion from bunds that are not properly compacted

Uneven deposition of silt/soil on banks may lead to weakening of banks,


drainage

Felling of trees at the excavation site


28

Renovation of Canals Improved efficiency in water

conveyance, reduced loss of water

(to seepage, weeds, etc.)

Improved availability of water at

tail-end

Poor planning/design leading to sub-optimal benefits from the renovation

work (work is undertaken on only a part of the canal, improper slope

leading to problems at tail-end)

Impacts on 'borrow areas' from where soil for embankment filling is taken

Uneven deposition of silt/soil on bunds may lead to weakening of bunds,


drainage

Erosion from unstable earthen bunds

Poor maintenance leading to lack of sustainability of benefits from the

renovation work (clogging of canal with weeds, damage to bunds)

Plantation Improved green cover Improved

availability of biomass for meeting

fuel, fodder, food needs

Mono culture plantation of exotic species

Overuse of chemical fertilisers leading to pollution

Impacts on human and environmental health due to use of hazardous

chemical pesticides

Drains Improved sanitation due to control

of stagnation of sullage water

Improper design may lead to poor performance

Poor maintenance may lead to water stagnation and associated problems

such as increase in breeding sites for mosquitoes

Disposal of debris/waste material on agricultural fields

Lack of sullage treatment may lead to cess pools, pollution of water bodies,

etc.

Felling of trees

29

Photo Set 3: Field Observations of Environmental Impact of MNREGS Works

Positive Environmental Impacts of MNREGS

Revival of traditional water harvesting structures, renovation of irrigation canals and increase in green cover

are some of the positive environmental impacts of MNREGS works in Bihar.

Negative Environmental Impacts/Issues of Road Works under MNREGS

Borrow pits for road construction, land filling, etc., are often located in agricultural land. Pits more than 1.5

metre deep are not uncommon. Rehabilitation of the borrow pits is not taken up as part of the MNREGS work.

Brick-soling for all-weather roads is a popular work under MNREGS. Bricks are often made on leased

agricultural land – impacting soil productivity. Road construction may involve felling of trees – however, there

is no plan for compensatory plantation.

Provision for drainage and cross-drainage are sometimes not made – resulting in water logging and/or damage

to the road during the rains.

30

Environmental Issues in Canal Works under MNREGS

Incomplete canal renovation that reduces water conveyance efficiency, non-compacted/non-turfed bunds that deposit

silt back into the canal, lack of maintenance of renovated canals are issues associated with canal works.

Environmental Issues inRenovation of Water Bodies under MNREGS

Improper location of water bodies sometimes leads to non-retention of water. Non-compaction of bunds and non-

turfing on bund slopes leads to erosion and siltation.

Environmental Issues inPlantations under MNREGS

While there are good practices such as provision of water facility and use of organic manure, there are issues of

concern with respect to use of hazardous pesticides (unsafe use and disposal).

Environmental Issues Concerning Cultural Heritage Sites and MNREGS

Of the 70 protected monuments in Bihar, 10 are located in the project districts. MNREGS works in the vicinity (300

metre radius) of these monuments (such as this platform in Madhubani) require permission from the ASI.

31

3.2.2 IAY Constructions

3.2.2.1 Profile of IAY Constructions Madhubani leads in IAY house construction among the project districts (chart 16).

IAY convergence with programs relevant to environmental improvement – sanitary latrines, smokeless

chulhas, kitchen gardens and bio-gas – is also reported from Madhubani. However, field study

observations do not corroborate this.

Chart 16: IAY Constructions in Project Districts (2010-11)22

3.2.2.2 Environmental Impact of IAY Constructions The field study undertaken for the EA included visits to completed IAY houses in the

districts of Madhubani and Buxar. Based on the field study as well as on a review of available

documents, the following specific environmental impacts have been identified:

Table 6: Environmental Impacts of IAY Housing

Positive Impact Negative Impact

Design-related

aspects

Well-designed

housing – with

appropriate

ventilation and

sanitation facilities

can enhance well-

being

Poor ventilation due to cultural practices,

safety concerns and cost-cutting by

beneficiaries

Indoor air pollution due to use of biomass

based fuels and poor ventilation

Lack of sanitation facilities

Lack of sullage disposal facilities

Risk from AC roofing sheets – during

cutting/drilling

Construction-related

aspects

Felling of trees at the construction site

Temporary impacts and waste disposal

related to construction (noise, dust, etc.)

22

MPRs of 2009-2010, 2010-2011 viewed at http://iay.nic.in/netiay/rural/menurep.aspx.

http://iay.nic.in/netiay/rural/menurep.aspx

32

Photo Set 4: Field Observations of Environmental Impact of IAY Constructions

Positive Environmental Impacts of IAY Houses

Provision of adequate ventilation, use of safe construction materials and provision for toilets are some of the

positive elements in certain IAY houses.

Negative Environmental Impacts of IAY Houses

Poor ventilation combined with use of fuelwood or cowdung cakes, use of AC sheets as roofing material and

inadequate provision for sanitation including sullage disposal are commonly associated with IAY houses.

33

Section 4: Overview of Legal and Regulatory Requirements

This section presents a brief listing of the various environment related acts and regulations of

the Governmentsof India and Bihar that are relevant to the activities under the proposed

project.

Table 7: Legal and Regulatory Framework for the Project

Act Relevance to Project Activities Applicability to Project

Activities

Environment

(Protection) Act

1986

Emission standards are applicable for

construction activities. Emission or discharge

of pollutants beyond the specified standards

is not permissible.

The Air

(Prevention And

Control of

Pollution) Act

1981

Discharge of any air pollutants into the

atmosphere should be within the prescribed

standards.

Applicable to all

activities involving air

pollution – construction

of roads, buildings, etc.

Water (Prevention

and Control of

Pollution) Act,

1974

Any polluting matter must not be released

into stream or well or sewer or on land.

Applicable in case of

drain construction

activity under

MNREGS.

The Noise

Pollution

(Regulation And

Control) Rules

2000

Compliance with noise limits prescribed by

Central Pollution Control Board for Diesel

Generator Sets (up to 1000 KVA) must be

ensured.

Applicable to Diesel

Generator Sets in ACs

and BCs.

Bio-Medical

Waste

(Management and

Handling) Rules,

1998

Bio-medical waste needs to be treated and

disposed of in accordance with the procedure

and in compliance with the standards

prescribed in the Rules. The institution

generating bio-medical waste is required to

set up requisite bio-medical waste treatment

facilities, or, ensure requisite treatment of

waste at a common waste treatment facility or

any other waste treatment facility.


any bio-medical waste

generation by the BCs

(unlikely considering

the nature of services

being envisaged).

The Forest

Conservation Act

1980

Forest land should not be used for any non-

forest purposes. In case any proposed

construction activity involves forest land, it is

necessary that permission is taken from the

Forest Department.

Applicable to all works

located on forest land.

Indian Forest

(Bihar

Amendment) Act,

1989

The following activities are prohibited in

reserved and protected forests: clearing or

damaging trees, quarrying stone, clearing or

breaking land for cultivation, etc. In case any

proposed activity involves reserved and

protected forests, it is necessary that

permission is taken from the Forest

Department.

There are two protected

areas in the project

districts: Gogabil Pakshi

Vihar in Katihar

(Closed Area) and

Rajgir Sanctuary in

Nalanda (Sanctuary).

34

Bihar Timber and

Other Forest

Produce (Transit

Rules) Amended

Guidelines, 2002

The permission of the Gram Panchayat

Mukhiya is required for felling and transport

of trees from village premises.

Applicable to felling of

trees and use of timber

in construction works.

Wild Life

(Protection) Act

1972

Destruction, exploitation or removal of any

forest produce from a sanctuary or the

destruction or diversification of habitat, or the

diversion, stoppage or enhancement of the

flow of water into or outside the sanctuary,

etc., is prohibited without a permit granted by

the Chief Wildlife Warden. No person shall

enter a sanctuary without permission.

There are two protected

areas in the project

districts: Gogabil

Pakshi Vihar in Katihar

(Closed Area) and

Rajgir Sanctuary in

Nalanda (Sanctuary).

Insecticides Act

1968

Pesticides banned or restricted for use in India

should not be used. The used packages shall

not be left outside to prevent their re-use.

They should be broken and buried away from

habitation.


pesticide application

for plantation activity

under MNREGS.

Bihar Ground

Water (Regulation

& Control of

Development and

Management) Act,

2006

Rain water harvesting structures are

mandatory for structures in the building plan

in an area of 1000 sq. m. or more. Existing

users of ground water are also required to

register themselves with the Ground Water

Authority.

The main construction

activities (ACs and

BCs) under the project

are much smaller than

1000 sq. m.

Supreme Court

Order

Writ Petition (c)

No. 36 2009

Bore wells must be secured (barriers, filling

up, etc.) during construction, repair and in

case of abandonment to prevent accidental

falls into bore holes.

Applicable to bore well

digging undertaken for

construction purposes

in the project and for

irrigation bore wells

under MNREGS.

Bihar Jalkar

Management Act

2007

Putting any obstruction restricting the

movement of fish shall be prohibited in rivers

and reservoir.

Drawing of water from tanks, reservoirs and

mauns for irrigation shall be prohibited.

District Fisheries Officer may order for

drawing of water for irrigation when the water

level is minimum average five feet in these

jalkars.

Intentional water pollution, encroachment and

disfiguration of structure of Jalkars is an

offence.

Applicable to irrigation

works under MNREGS

where the source is

Jalkars.

35

Bihar Irrigation

Act 1997

Every owner whose tank, well, pond or any

other water body situated above any irrigation

work shall maintain the bunds and surplusing

arrangements in safe and efficient conditions.

Excavation of wells near the irrigation works

for domestic use either on personal or

community basis shall be done with in the

distance specified by the State Government

from time to time.


works under

MNREGS.

Bihar Irrigation

Laws 1922

Sanction of the collector is required to

construct any new irrigation channel taking

off from any river or stream within the limits

specified in the notification by State

Government.


works under

MNREGS.

Ancient

Monuments and

Archaeological

Sites and

Remains Act,

1958

Bihar Ancient

Monuments and

Archaeological

Sites,

Remains And Art

Treasures Act,

1976

Construction activities within 300 m radius of

protected areas and monuments require

permission from the Department of

Archaeology and

Museums, Government of Bihar /

Archaeological Survey of India.

Any ‘chance finds’ (objects with

archaeological, paleontological, historical,

architectural, religious, aesthetic, or other

cultural significance) encountered during

digging, will have to be deposited with

theDepartment of Archaeology andMuseums,

Government of Bihar.

Applicable to all

construction activities

under the project.

Provisions to ensure compliance with the applicable legal and regulatory requirements have

been incorporated into the Environmental Management Framework (section 5).

Section 5: Environmental Management Framework

The proposed project will support Government of Bihar in developing a more effective,

transparent and responsive social protection delivery system by strengthening systems and

capacity at the state-level and piloting innovations for integrated delivery in selected districts.

The project wouldstrengthen core systems and capacity of the two implementing agencies –

the Bihar Rural Development Society (BRDS) and the State Society for Ultra-Poor and

Social Welfare (SSUPSW) at the state-level, support implementation of systemic reforms in

the four districts and also finance the monitoring and evaluation of the project.The project

will support the following pilot innovations in four districts: (i) block-level citizen service

delivery centers (Adarsh Centers), (ii) Buniyad Centers and community-based rehabilitation

for social care service provision, (iii) a shared services IT solution for social protection

delivery, and (iv) ‘Innovations Window’ to support small-scale pilots to further improve

social services.

From the perspective of environmental impact and its management, the project supported

activities can be grouped under the broad categories depicted in table 8.

36

Table 8: Environmental Impact of Project Activities

Activities with no environmental

impact

Activities with limited

environmental impact

Activities directly

supported by the

project

Promote enabling policy

environment

Strengthen program delivery

mechanisms (procedures, tools)

Strengthen staff capacity and

performance incentives

Set up monitoring and

accountability mechanisms

Implementation of systemic

reforms in 4 districts

Operational design of KBKBS

model

State level call center

Community-based rehabilitation

Connected e-Service

Architecture

Innovation Window

Citizen Service

Centres (RTPS

Adarsh Centres)

Social Care

Service Centres

(Buniyad Centres)

Activities indirectly

supported by the

project

Social pensions MNREGS works

IAY housing

As seen in the table, and as elaborated in section 3, most of the activities directly supported

by the project are unlikely to have any environmental impact – as these involve strengthening

state level systems and capacity. The only directly supported project activity likely to have

some limited environmental impact is the construction of the service centres – about 68

block-level Adarsh Centres (citizen interfaces for integrated service delivery) and about 23

cluster-level Buniyad Centres (social care service centres for older persons and for persons

with disabilities). The impact is limited as the service centres have a relatively small demand

for land (approximately 1000 sft for Adarsh Centre and 5000 sft for Buniyad Centre) and will

not involve any change in land use (the service centres will be located on existing BDO

premises).

By strengthening delivery mechanisms for MGNREGS and IAY, the project is expected to

contribute to an increased uptake of these programs, and hence to their environmental impact.

Considering the nature of these programs (works on water conservation and harvesting,

plantations, rural housing, etc.) it is expected that there is likely to be an overall positive

environmental impact. Specifically, the projectis likely to contribute to improvements in

water conservation, water efficiency, water harvesting, increase in green cover, better

housing, etc. However, as outlined in section 3, there are environmental risks stemming from

poor planning and implementation.

In order to address the identified environmental impacts (mitigate negative impacts and

strengthen positive impacts),an Environmental Management Framework (EMF) has been

developed for this project. The specific objectives of the EMF are as under:

37

To define a systematic approach for identifying and mitigating risks associated with activities directly

supported by the project

To ensure legal and regulatory environmental compliance of all activities directly supported by the

project

To encourage better environmental management in all project supported activities

To meet these objectives, the EMF involves a two-pronged strategy, depicted in figure 1.

Figure 1: Key elements of the Environmental Management Framework (EMF)

38

5.1 Managing Impacts of Directly Supported Project Activities

The project will ensure that the activities directly supported by it are in compliance with

relevant legal and regulatory requirements, do not cause irreversible/significant negative

environmental impacts, and, promote good environmental practices. This will be done in two

ways: Environmental appraisal of project supported construction activities that have limited environmental

impact

Adoption of environment-friendly design elements, construction and management practices for project

supported construction activities

5.1.1 Environmental appraisal of project supported construction activities

The activities directly supported by the project and having limited environmental impact –

the construction of Adarsh Centres and Buniyad Centres – will go through environmental

appraisal. The appraisal will be done during the planning stage prior to the actual

construction. The appraisal will consist of (a) screening, and, (b) if required, a detailed

appraisal.

5.1.1.1 Screening A screening checklist will be used at the planning stage of each service centre to determine if

the construction activity triggers any legal/regulatory requirements and if there is a need for

further detailed appraisal. The screening checklist will be used by the District Manager of the

BRDS District Units for the Adarsh Centres and by the District Program Manager of the

SSUPSW District Units for the Buniyad Centres. An indicative checklist to be used for

screening is provided (Box 2). This may be strengthened during the course of project

implementation to make it more comprehensive and user-friendly.

Box 2: Screening Checklist

Name of Site: Date:

Location: Block: District:

Total area: Ownership: Area to be constructed:

1. Does the proposed site involve forest land / protected area /

important natural habitats such as wetlands, and/or, does it

require permission from the Forest Department?

Yes No

2. Will the construction at the proposed site involve felling of

trees? Yes No

3. Is the proposed site located in within 300 metres of any

structure of cultural significance (archeological,

paleontological, historical, etc.)?

Yes No

4. Is the proposed site prone to or has had past occurrence of

flooding or water logging? Yes No

5. Will the construction at the proposed site lead to pollution

or obstruction of flow of any water body? Yes No

If the answer to any question in the checklist is ‘Yes’, the activity is required to go through

detailed appraisal.

39

5.1.1.2 Detailed appraisal A detailed appraisal will be undertaken in each case of a service centre which is identified

through screening as requiring the same. The appraisal will be commissioned by the BRDS of

RDD for the Adarsh centres and by the SSUPSW of DoSW for the Buniyad Centres and will

beundertaken by a qualified Civil/Environmental Engineer from theBihar’s Industrial

Development Authority (which will provide technical supervision for the construction

activities under the project).The appraisal will identify site-specific impacts and mitigation

measures. The identified mitigation measures may include:

(a) Permissions to be taken in view of triggered legal and regulatory requirements

(b) Elements that need to be incorporated in the construction design to avoid/reduce negative

impacts

The District Manager of the BRDS District Units (for the Adarsh Centres) and the District

Program Manager of the SSUPSW District Units (for the Buniyad Centres) will be

responsible for securing the relevant permissions. Modifications in construction design will

be included in the detailed plan and estimates for the construction works.

An indicative format to be used for the appraisal report is provided (Box 3). This may be

strengthened during the course of project implementation to make it more comprehensive and

user-friendly.

40

Box 3: Detailed Environmental Appraisal Report

Name of Site: Date:

Location: Block: District:

Total area: Ownership: Area to be constructed:

Regulatory Compliance

Compliance with applicable legal and regulatory requirements: Permission of Forest Department:

Permission of Department of Archaeology andMuseums:

Any other (specify):

Impacts

Details of trees to be felled: No. of trees to be felled:

Species composition (mention number for each species):

Girth of trees (mention number in each girth range):

Age of trees (mention number in each age range):


Impact on drainage and water bodies: Extent of area at construction site likely to be water logged/flooded:

Likelihood of obstruction of flow of any existing water body due to construction (details):

Likelihood of pollution of any existing water body due to construction (details):


Any other impacts:

Mitigation Measures

Permissions to be taken for legal and regulatory compliance:

Plan for compensatory plantation: No. of trees to be grown:

Species composition (mention number for each species):

Location:

Arrangements for plantation after-care (for 3 years):

Impact on drainage and water bodies: Measures to avoid water logging/flooding:

Alternatives to avoid any obstruction of flow of any existing water body due to construction:

Alternatives to avoid pollution of any existing water body due to construction:

41

5.1.2 Environment Friendly Construction

The project will finance the following block-level service centers in the four selected

districts: about 68 Adarsh Centers (covering all blocks in the selected districts) operated by

BRDS and about 23 Buniyad Centers (each covering a cluster of around three blocks in the

selected districts) operated by SSUPSW.The Department of Rural Development will provide

land for construction of the Adarsh Centres within the premises of existing Block

Development Offices. The Buniyad Centers will ideally be co-located with the Adarsh

Centers. The construction and maintenance of the service centers would be outsourced to a

private agency. The design of the service centres will be finalized in the first year of the

project and the construction will be done in a phased manner over the ___ and ___ years. The

construction activities will endeavour to be environment friendly. This will be done through

integration of environment-friendly elements into the design of the service centres, by

ensuring that the building construction contractors follow a code of practice on environmental

safeguards, and, by continuing good environmental management practices during the

operation and maintenance of the service centres (Figure 2).

Figure 2: Strategy for Promotion of Environment Friendly Construction

42

5.1.2.1 Green Design The service centres will be designed during the first year of the project implementation by a

private design agency contracted for the purpose. The terms of reference for the design

agency will specify that environment-friendly elements must be integrated into the building

design. An indicative list of these elements is provided (Box 4). For the Buniyad Centres

which are expected to be about 5000 s ft (465 sq m) in area, the option of securing a ‘Green

Building Certification’ such as the SVAGRIHA23

guidance-cum-rating system will be

explored.

Box 4: Environment Friendly Elements for Green Buildings24

Reduce exposed, hard paved surface on site (open areas surrounding the building) and maintain native

vegetation cover on site

Passive architectural design and systems to reduce energy consumption and maintain comfort

(courtyard, roof insulation, ventilators, etc.)

Good fenestration design (design of openings such as windows, doors, etc.) for reducing direct heat

gain and glare while maximizing daylight penetration

Efficient artificial lighting system (reduce overall lighting power density)

Thermal efficiency of building envelope(design external wall sections and select construction materials

to reduce heat gain)

Use of energy efficient appliances (use of appliances that have BEE star labeling of ‘3 Star’ or more)

Use of renewable energy on site (use of solar water heaters, solar lights)

Reduction in building and landscape water demand(use of low-flow fixtures)

Rainwater harvesting (rooftop rainwater harvesting for direct use through storage tanks or for

recharging ground water through recharge pits) – unless the site has high groundwater table

Waste management (segregation and treatment/proper disposal of wastes including any biomedical

waste, organic wastes, recyclable wastes)

Reduce embodied energy of building (use of PPC cement that contains fly ash)

Use of low-energy materials in interiors (use of bamboo, low VOC and lead-free paints, exposed brick-

finish, etc.)

5.1.2.2 Code of Practice for Contractors The construction of the service centres would be outsourced to a private agency and will be

done in a phased manner over the ___ and ___ years. It will be ensured that the building

construction contractors follow a code of practice on environmental safeguards (Box 5). The

code of practice will form part of the contract documents.

Box 5: Code of Practice on Environmental Management for Construction Contractors

All building materials – including sand and timber – will be from legal sources.

No tree will be cut unless there is prior written permission from the ___ and unless compensatory

plantation is undertaken.

All borrow areas from which soil is taken for construction purpose will be suitably rehabilitated.

The construction site – especially pits – will be securely fenced to prevent accidental falls.

All water sources created under the project (e.g., hand pumps/tubewells dug for drinking water supply

at the service centres) must meet the stipulated standards for human consumption

23

For details see http://www.grihaindia.org 24

SVAGRIHA Version 1.2, TERI and ADaRSH, 2011.

http://www.grihaindia.org/

43

Any borehole dug at the construction site will be properly secured during digging/repair and in case of

abandonment.

Any chance finds during digging, etc., at the construction site will be immediately reported to the

Department of Archaeology andMuseums, Government of Bihar.

All construction workers will be provided protective/safety gear (helmets, first-aid kit at site, etc.).

All construction waste (rubble, etc.) will be cleared from the site after construction and disposed

appropriately (no dumping in/around water bodies/courses).

5.1.2.3 Environment-friendly Management Good environmental management practices will continue to be implemented during the

operation and maintenance of the service centres. These practices include:

Use of energy efficient appliances

Use of power backup generators that comply with the noise pollution control norms prescribed by the

Central Pollution Control Board

Provision of safe water

Maintenance of sanitation facilities

Appropriate waste management – including as and when applicable, biomedical waste management as

per the rules prescribed by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India

These practices will form part of the operational manuals on the operation and maintenance

of these service centres. They will also form part of the contract documents in cases where

the operation/maintenance is outsourced to a private agency.

5.2 Managing Impacts of In-directly Supported Project Activities

By strengthening delivery mechanisms for MGNREGS and IAY, the project is expected to

contribute to an increased uptake of these programs, and hence to their environmental impact.

The project will make efforts to promote good environmental management practices in these

activities in two ways:

Capacity building on environment management

Integration of information on environment management aspects in monitoring and

evaluation

5.2.1 Capacity Building on Environmental Management

One of the project sub-components focuses on strengthening the BRDS systems and capacity

for the delivery of MGNREGS and IAY in four districts. The development of standardized

procedures and tools on MNREGA and IAY, and, the establishment of a training system for

enhancing staff capacity are among the key activities under this sub-component. The project

will utilize these same channels to facilitate better environmental management in MNREGS

and IAY through integration of environmental management into the operational manuals of

the programs, and, training on environmental management to the technical staff associated

with MNREGS and IAY. In addition, the BRDS will be equipped with a technically qualified

Advisor to provide inputs on environmental management.

(Please see Annexure – 4 for a view of the existing capacity for Environmental Safeguards

Management in IDA, BRDS and SSUPSW.)

5.2.1.1 Integration of environmental management into the operational manuals of the programs District-specific technical manuals for use by the field level technical staff of the MNREGS

(PTA, Junior Engineer, PO, etc.) and IAY (?) on environmental management of MNREGS

44

works and IAY housing will be developed by a consultant agency with experience in these

areas. These will be treated as supplementary materials to the operational manuals on the

programs. An indicative sample of guidelines on environmental management of MNREGS

works and IAY housing is provided (Annex 1).

5.2.1.2 Design and delivery of training programs on environmental management The Training and Capacity Building Unit of the BRDS will develop a detailed plan for

training the field level technical staff of the MNREGS (PTA, Junior Engineer, PO, etc.) and

IAY (?) on the technical manuals on environmental management of MNREGS works and

IAY housing. It will develop the training modules and deliver the training program from year

___ of the project in the four districts.

5.2.1.3 Advisor on environmental management in BRDS At least one of the six Advisors to be appointed for MNREGA in the BRDS will have

masters’ level qualifications and experience in natural resource management / hydrogeology

(or a relevant subject) and will anchor the responsibility of strengthening environmental

management in MNREGA and IAY (further elaborated in table 9).

5.2.2 Integration of information on environment management aspects in monitoring and evaluation

Under the project sub-component that focuses on strengthening the BRDS systems and

capacity for the delivery of MNREGS and IAY in four districts, one of the key activities is

supporting BRDS in building capacity for monitoring performance and in setting up

appropriate external review mechanisms. An M&E Unit will be set up in BRDS to develop a

comprehensive M&E strategy for MNREGS and IAY, undertake field assessments etc... The

M&E strategy of the project will include a focus on capturing information on environmental

management aspects of MNREGS works and IAY housing. The information will be captured

both through the MIS as well as through specially commissioned field studies. An indicative

sample of the aspects on which information will be captured is provided (Box 6).

Box 6: Information on Environment Management of MNREGS and IAY

MNREGS Survival rate of plantations (percentage of saplings survived in 2

nd/3

rd year after plantation)

Additional irrigation potential created/revived (extent of land area)

Extent of sand casted area treated

Extent for water logged area treated

Extent of erosion prone area treated

IAY Number of IAY houses with provision of windows and/or ventilators

Number of IAY houses with provision of chimney

Number of IAY houses with improved chulhas or kerosene stoves or LPG stoves

Number of IAY houses with toilet facility

Number of IAY houses with sullage disposal facility

Number of IAY houses with kitchen garden

Number of IAY houses with AC sheet roofing material

45

5.3 Monitoring

Monitoring of EMF implementation will be done at two levels, internal and external.

5.3.1 Internal Monitoring

Internal monitoring will be undertaken for both the Adarsh and Buniyad Centres. The District

Manager of the BRDS (for Adarsh Centres) and the District Program Manager of the

SSUPSW(for Buniyad Centres) will be responsible for monitoring the compliance of the

contractors with the Code of Practice. In case of non-compliance and in case of any residual

environmental issues of concern, the District Managers will coordinate with the respective

State Units who will follow up with the contractor to ensure that required action is taken. In

caseof non-compliance of the contractor, the State Units of BRDS/SSUPSW will take

appropriate action as provided for in the contract documents. Reports of the internal

monitoring will be filed at both the State and District Units.

5.3.2 External Monitoring

External monitoring will be undertaken for the Buniyad Centres (as these are the larger

buildings). For these centres, it is planned that a ‘Green Building Certification’ such as the

SVAGRIHA25

guidance-cum-rating system will be adopted. The process of securing this

third-party rating involves a detailed examination of drawings/estimates/documents and site-

visits by the certification agency. This will function as the external monitoring system.

25

For details see http://www.grihaindia.org

http://www.grihaindia.org/

46

5.4 Institutional Arrangements

Table 9: Institutional arrangements for implementation of the EMF

State Unit District Unit

BRDS ___ will be responsible for the following:

Commission detailed appraisal of construction sites by a qualified

Civil/Environmental Engineer from the Bihar’s Industrial Development

Authority (which will provide technical supervision for the construction

activities under the project), as and when required

Ensure follow-up action by contractors on Code of Practice compliance

report

The District Manager will be responsible for the

following with respect to Adarsh Centres:

Screening of construction sites

Informing State Unit of BRDS in case of

requirement of Detailed Appraisal

Securing required permissions for

compliance with legal/regulatory

requirements

Monitoring the compliance of the

contractors with the Code of Practice

Ensure implementation of good

environmental management practices

during operation and maintenance of the

service centres Advisor on Environmental Management will be responsible for the following

with respect to MNREGS and IAY:

Coordinate with consultant agency for development of technical manuals

on environmental management of MNREGS works and IAY housing

Coordinate with Training and Capacity Building Unit to ensure design

and delivery of training on environmental management for MNREGS and

IAY technical field staff

Coordinate with Monitoring and Evaluation Unit for regular M&E on

environmental management aspects of MNREGS works and IAY housing

47

SSUPSW ___ will be responsible for the following:

Commission detailed appraisal of construction sites by a qualified

Civil/Environmental Engineer from the Bihar’s Industrial Development

Authority (which will provide technical supervision for the construction

activities under the project), as and when required

Coordinate third-party ‘Green Building Certification’ for the Buniyad

Centres

Ensure follow-up action by contactors on Code of Practice compliance

report

The District Program Manager will be

responsible for the following with respect to

Buniyad Centres:

Screening of construction sites

Informing State Unit of SSUPSW in case

of requirement of Detailed Appraisal

Securing required permissions for

compliance with legal/regulatory

requirements

Monitoring the compliance of the

contractors with the Code of Practice

Ensure implementation of good

environmental management practices

during operation and maintenance of the

service centres

48

5.5 Budget

S.No. Item Unit Unit Cost (INR) No. of Units

Sub-total (INR)

1 Detailed Appraisal by Bihar's IDA Site 5000 45 225000

2 Green Building Certification Building 80000 23 1840000

3 Operational Manual on EM Manual 200000 4 800000

4 Training module on EM Module 100000 1 100000

5 Field study on EM in MNREGS, IAY Study 500000 4 2000000

Total 4965000

Note: Costs of training delivery, internal monitoring, staff costs not included. These will have

to be budgeted for under the respective sub-components in the project’s detailed cost tables.

49

Annex 1: Environment Management Guidelines for MNREGS Works and IAY Housing

Table 10: Environmental Management Guidelines for MNREGS Works

Work Positive Impact Negative Impact Mitigation Measures

Roads –

construction, repair

Impact on land productivity

(construction of road on agriculture land,

borrow pits on agricultural land, bricks

for paving sourced from agricultural

land)

Select road alignment such that use of agricultural

land is avoided/minimized

Ensure that borrow pits are suitably rehabilitated by

levelling, replacement of top soil, etc.

Use bricks for paving only when necessary

Ensure that bricks for paving are sourced from non-

agricultural lands

Impact on natural habitats in cases

where roads encroach on water bodies or

are in close proximity to waterfowl

nesting areas

Select road alignment such that encroachment on

water bodies and natural habitats such as waterfowl

nesting areas is avoided

Impacts on 'borrow areas' from where

soil for filling is taken – loss of

productive top soil, impact on drainage



Inadequate drainage provision leading to

water logging and/or damage to road

Select road alignment such that interference with the

local drainage system is avoided/minimized

Make adequate provision for drainage and cross-

drainage structures

Felling of trees at the construction site Select road alignment such that requirement of tree

felling is avoided/minimized

Ensure that permission is taken from ___ for felling

of trees

In case of need for tree felling, ensure compensatory

plantation is undertaken of twice the number of trees

felled



Minimize dust generation during construction (e.g.,

sprinkling water)

Ensure that all construction waste is suitable disposed

50

Possibility of pilferage of any chance

finds of archaeological importance

Report any chance finds of historical, archaeological

significance to the Department of Archaeology

andMuseums, Government of Bihar

Ponds – construction,

excavation, de-

silting, cleaning, etc.

Improved water

harvesting/storage

Water conservation

Construction of pond on fertile

agriculture land

Select pond location such that use of agricultural land

is avoided/minimized

Poor location and design may lead to

non-retention of water

Ensure pond location and design are identified on the

basis of a hydro-geological assessment (technical as

well as local knowledge based) to ensure that there is

adequate water retention for the desired period

Felling of trees at the excavation site Select pond location such that requirement of tree



of trees



felled






Uneven deposition of silt/soil on banks

may lead to weakening of banks, uneven

deposition on farm lands may lead to

problems with irrigation and drainage

Ensure that excavated silt is used (bund

strengthening, application to agricultural fields)

Erosion from unstable earthen bunds Ensure that bunds are compacted and strengthened

through riveting, turfing, etc., to reduce chances of

erosion

Poor maintenance leading to lack of

sustainability of benefits from the work

(overgrowth of weeds, siltation, damage

to bunds)

Ensure appropriate institutional arrangements for

maintenance of the structure are agreed upon and

provided for

51

Water harvesting

structures –

Check Dams,

Ahar-Pyne

Improved water

harvesting/storage

Water conservation

Impacts on downstream water users due

to possible reduction in water

availability

Ensure that location and design of the water harvesting

structure are identified on the basis of a hydro-geological

assessment (technical as well as local knowledge based)

to ensure that downstream flows are not adversely

affected

Risk of breaching, water leakages, etc.,

from poorly constructed water retention

structures

Ensure that design of the water harvesting structure is

undertaken by a qualified technical expert and is built

according to the specifications of design and materials

Erosion from bunds that are not

properly compacted

Ensure that bunds are compacted and strengthened

through riveting, turfing, etc., as per the specified design

to reduce chances of erosion

Uneven deposition of silt/soil on banks

may lead to weakening of banks,

uneven deposition on farm lands may

lead to problems with irrigation and

drainage

Ensure that excavated silt is used (bund strengthening,

application to agricultural fields)

Felling of trees at the excavation site Select location/design of the water harvesting structure

such that requirement of tree felling is

avoided/minimized

Ensure that permission is taken from ___ for felling of

trees



felled







sustainability of benefits from the work

(clogging of pynes with weeds, siltation,

damage to bunds)



provided for

52

Renovation

of Canals

Improved efficiency in

water conveyance,

reduced loss of water (to

seepage, weeds, etc.)

Improved availability of

water at tail-end

Poor planning/design leading to sub-optimal

benefits from the renovation work (work is

undertaken on only a part of the canal,

improper slope leading to problems at tail-

end)

Ensure that canal renovation work is undertaken in a

comprehensive manner on the basis of both technical

inputs as well as local knowledge

Impacts on 'borrow areas' from where soil

for embankment filling is taken



Uneven deposition of silt/soil on bunds may

lead to weakening of bunds, uneven

deposition on farm lands may lead to

problems with irrigation and drainage

Ensure that excavated silt is used (bund

strengthening, application to agricultural fields)

Erosion from unstable earthen bunds Ensure that bunds are compacted and strengthened

through riveting, turfing, etc., as per the specified

design to reduce chances of erosion


sustainability of benefits from the

renovation work (clogging of canal with

weeds, damage to bunds)



provided for

Plantation Improved green cover

Improved availability of

biomass for meeting fuel,

fodder, food needs

Mono culture plantation of exotic species Ensure selection of mixed species for plantation

based on technical inputs on suitability to the area

as well as local preference

Overuse of chemical fertilisers leading to

pollution

Ensure use of organic manure (farm yard manure,

vermicompost, etc.)

Impacts on human and environmental health

due to use of hazardous chemical pesticides

Avoid use of chemical pesticides

When use is necessary, prefer safer pesticides

(slightly toxic – marked with the green identification

band on label)

Ensure pesticide application is undertaken with

required safety measures (protective clothing)

Ensure proper disposal of pesticide containers

(destruction to prevent re-use, sealing, burial)

53


sustainability of benefits from the plantation


maintenance of the plantation are agreed upon and

provided for

Drains Improved sanitation due to

control of stagnation of

sullage water

Improper design may lead to poor

performance

Ensure that location and design of the drains are

based on technical as well as local knowledge to

ensure that they function effectively

Poor maintenance may lead to water

stagnation and associated problems such as

increase in breeding sites for mosquitoes


maintenance of the drains are agreed upon and

provided for

Lack of sullage treatment may lead to cess

pools, pollution of water bodies, etc.

Ensure that sullage collected through drains is

properly treated and disposed – treatment through

stabilization ponds, root-zone treatment, etc., and

disposal by channelling into technically designed

soak pits

Felling of trees Select drain alignment such that requirement of tree



of trees



felled

54

Table 11: Environmental Impacts of IAY Housing

Positive Impact Negative Impact Mitigation Measures

Design-related

aspects

Well-designed

housing – with

appropriate

ventilation and

sanitation facilities

can enhance well-

being

Poor ventilation due to cultural practices,

safety concerns and cost-cutting by

beneficiaries

Ensure provision of adequate ventilation in

the house through windows, ventilators, etc.

Indoor air pollution due to use of biomass

based fuels and poor ventilation

Lack of sanitation facilities Ensure provision of technically sound toilet

for each house

Lack of sullage disposal facilities Ensure provision of facility for disposal of

sullage – kitchen garden, soak pit, etc.

Risk from AC roofing sheets – during

cutting/drilling

Avoid use of AC roofing sheets

Construction-related

aspects

Felling of trees at the construction site Ensure that permission is taken from ___ for

felling of trees

In case of need for tree felling, ensure

compensatory plantation is undertaken of

twice the number of trees felled



Minimize dust generation during

construction (e.g., sprinkling water)

Ensure that all construction waste is suitable

disposed

State Level Consultation Workshop on Social and Environment Assessment

for

Bihar Integrated Social Protection Strengthening (BISPS) Project

6th

Aug. 2012, Patna

Organized by

State Society for Ultra Poor and Social Welfare (SAKSHAM)

(Department of Social Welfare, Govt. of Bihar)

Bihar Rural Development Society (BRDS)

(Department of Rural Development, Govt. of Bihar)

Introduction

The State Level Consultation Workshop on Social and Environment Assessment was

organized at Conference Hall, SC/ST Welfare Department, Old Secretariat, Patna on 6th

August 2012. The objective of the workshop was to share the findings of the Social and

Environment Assessments of BISPS and present the Social and Environment Management

Frameworks designed for the project with a view to elicit stakeholder feedback.

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Participant profile

The participants of the workshop included Principal Secretary, Department of Rural

Development (DoRD); Secretary, Department of Social Welfare (DoSW); CEO, Bihar Rural

Livelihood Promotion Society (BRLPS); District Development Commissioners (DDC);

Block Development officers (BDO); Circle Officers (CO), Officers from DoRD & DoSW,

State Society for Ultra Poor and Social Welfare (SAKSHAM) team members, representatives

of NGOs, representatives of the World Bank, etc. The workshop has about 55 participants in

all.

Overview of proceedings

The workshop started with introductory remarks by the senior Government officials

conveying the objective of the workshop. An overview of the project was then given by

SAKSHAM team members including details on the various components and the planned

activities. This was followed by a detailed presentation and discussion on the findings of the

Environmental Assessment (EA) and on the Environmental Management Framework (EMF).

Key discussion points and suggestions

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Construction activity:

The main construction activity under the project is the construction of the Adarsh and

Buniyad Centres. These buildings are about 1000 and 5000 square feet in area

respectively. The existing Government laws and regulations relevant to construction

activities need to be followed to avoid any kind of environmental impacts.

As both the centres are planned to be constructed within the existing Block

Development Office campuses, there are unlikely to be any issues relating to change

in land use and land acquisition. Block-wise information on land availability is to be

urgently compiled for corroborating this finding in all cases.

Good buildings involve resource-efficient design, material safety, etc., and can

contribute to a healthy and more productive working environment. Integration of

environment-friendly elements such as use of solar power in the buildings needs to be

explored.

Block level offices have frequent power cuts. The design of both centres should be

such that enough sunlight penetrates the building for adequate lighting.

MNREGA Works:

The main concern with regard to the social forestry under MGNREGA is the poor

survival rate. After-care of the plantation is weak even though the scheme provides

for a care taker (Van Poshak) for a unit of 200 saplings. The wage of the Van Poshak

is quite low and reducing it further on the basis of the percentage of saplings that

survive is not always feasible. The need to explore alternatives such as the use of

more mature saplings that will be hardy was emphasized. Also, local species of plants

need to be promoted for plantation so that they provide multiple benefits to

communities and sustain interest in after-care.

While water conservation and harvesting structures are required, proper planning and

technical support is critical – especially in the case of marginal land owners with

limited agriculture land.

Works involving water bodies (ponds, lakes) cannot be taken up under MGNREGA

without the permission of the Fisheries Department. Permission is difficult to secure

as these assets are usually auctioned off to fisherperson’s cooperative societies.

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IAY Housing:

Indira Awas Yojana (IAY) amount (Rs. 45,000/-) is not sufficient to build a house as

the cost of construction materials has increased. To resolve this issue, the use of low

cost and locally procured material should be promoted.

Protected Areas:

Protected areas such as wildlife sanctuaries will not be involved in any kind of

construction activity under the project. The example of the Goga Beel – a wetland in

Katihar district – was shared in this context. The wetland that was once rich in

migratory birds has seen a severe decline in the bird population and diversity in last 5

years. Disturbance of the habitat due to fishing and agriculture in the area is probably

the cause.

Human Resources:

In the case of both IAY and MGNREGA, the human resource requirement is more

than the available staff. So adequate number of people should be engaged at Block

and Panchayat level for delivering these programmes.

A Natural Resource Management specialist will be appointed in BRDS to provide

technical support to MNREGS works.

SOCIAL ASPECTS

ADARSH and BUNIYAD Centres are planned to construct within the premises of

Block offices so that every social group can access the services from these centres.

There will not be any kind of exclusion of any social group in these centres.

Mahadalit (SC) and Schedule Tribe (ST) groups are most marginalized than others

and exploited by middlemen. Special arrangements should be made in such a way that

the project could deliver benefits to these groups in a focused way.

Level of awareness about various Govt. programmes is low in Bihar. Special

awareness drive for the local community should be planned to deliver services to

beneficiaries.

All the 4 plot districts are different from each other in Socio-cultural aspects. Planning

should be made on the basis of existing situations in these districts. For an example

Katihar district has highest population of Schedule Tribes (STs) and they use their

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own language “Santhali” instead of Hindi so the local level project activities should

be communicated in Santhali language for better understanding and people’s

participation in project activities.

Low Literacy rate among target groups in the proposed districts is a bottleneck for

delivery of project outputs. The project should take the steps to communicate

objectives and also involve target groups to get benefits for the success of project.

Reaching of Social Security Pensions (SSP) to beneficiaries in right time is an issue.

Department of Social Welfare has initiated data digitalization work of SSP

beneficiaries’ to address this issue.

Baseline survey should be done to compile the required information for the project

and updated on regular basis.

At the end of the workshop, participants were agreed for the requirement of such Social

Protection project in Bihar.

Mr. Bishnu C. Parida, Dy. CEO, SAKSHAM offered vote of thanks to participants and

informed that such types of consultative workshops will be organized at district level to get

feedback and suggestions on the BISPS project.

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List of Participants

SI.

No. Name Designation

Department /

Organization Location

1 A. Santosh Mathew Principal Secretary Rural Development Patna

2 Sandeep Poundrik Secretary Social Welfare Patna

3 Arvind Kumar

Choudhary CEO, JEEViKA BRLPS Patna

4 Vinod Singh DM Buxar Govt. of Bihar Buxar

5 Srinivas Varadan Consultant, So. Care The World Bank New Delhi

6 R.S. Trida Officer Govt. of Bihar Katihar

7 Sangeeta Kumari Social Dev. Specialist The World Bank Patna

8 Pravesh Kumar Consultant, So. Care The World Bank New Delhi

9 Ashing Aziz Operations Analyst The World Bank Delhi

10 Yashwant Kr.Azad Monitoring &

Evaluation BPSP, DOPR, GoB Patna

11 Upendra Kumar Sr. A.O SSUPSW, DoSW Patna

12 Animesh Pandey Project Officer RDD Patna

13 Mahnaz Fatma PM -Nutrition

SSUPSW Patna

14 Abhishak Singh Programme Manager

NGO - AKF Patna

15 R.Rjha CPO Social welfare Buxar

16 Kalyani Kandule Consultant World Bank New Delhi

17 Indu Bala Sinha ADSS DoSW Patna

18 Alok Patnaik Operations Specialist World Bank Patna

19 Nitya Nand Pandey BDO RDD Madhubani

20 Moti Kr.Dinkar BDO RDD Buxar (Rajlons)

21 B.K. Prabhakar BDO RDD Buxar (Brahmpur)

22 Md.Sajjad Zehil PO RDD Buxar (Chause)

23 Jivan Chandra Programme Officer RDD Madhabani

24 Md. Shamsuzzaha PO RDD Madhabani

25 Sanjit Kumar PM- Prog. Mgmt BTAST Patna

26 Saurabha Trividi PM- C & R

SSUPSW Patna

27 Narendra Kumar BDO RDD Katihar

(Hasanganj)

28 Ruhal Fatma ADSS DoSW Nalanda

29 Soumya Project Manager WDC, Bihar Patna

30 Irina Sinha project dissector WDC, Bihar Patna

31 Dr. Sushma Kapoor Nutrition BTAST BTAST Patna

32 Puja V Dutta Sr. Economist World Bank New Delhi

33 Neha Vyas Environmental

Specialist World Bank New Delhi

34 Kumar Subhash Programme officer RDD Rajpur Buxar

35 Arvind Kumar

Srivastava Block welfare officer SC & ST Welfare Manihari Katihar

36 Neeha Sharma Nutrition Expert B-TAST SWASTH Patna

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37 Dheeraj Kumar Programme Officer RDD Katihar

38 Sanjay Prakash Singh Programme officer RDD Katihar

39 Ajit Kumar Sinha DWO. SC & ST welfare Katihar

40 Ashwini Kumar

Choudhary BWO SC & ST welfare Katihar

41 O.P. Rai DDC Madhubani RDD Madhabani

42 Kishan Kumar Singh DDC Katihar RDD Katihar

43 Kaushlendra Pathak DDC Buxar RDD Buxar

44 Fazle Rabbani PM - PwD SSUPSW Patna

45 Bishnu C Parida Dy.CEO SSUPSW Patna

46 Hasnain A.Warshi PM - OP SSUPSW Patna

47 T.P. Singh APM- BP SSUPSW Patna

48 Vishal Singh SPM – C & R SSUPSW Patna

49 Avinash Kumar PM- BP SSUPSW Patna

50 Naresh Kr. Srivastara Programme Officer RDD Nalanda

51 Savita Kumari PO RDD Nalanda

52 Vivek Anand M & E Officer

NGO - AKRSP Muzaffarpur

53 Archana Gupta Block Dev. officer RDD Patna

54 Satish Ranjan Sinha Planning officer RDD Patna

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Nalanda – District Level Consultation Workshop on Social and Environment

Assessment for Bihar Integrated Social Protection Strengthening (BISPS) Project

Organized by:





Introduction:

The first District Level Consultation Workshop on Social and Environment Assessment was

organized at District Collectorate, Nalanda on 13-08-2012 in which a total of 33 stakeholders

participated.

The objectives of the workshop was to share the findings of the Social and Environment

Assessment of BISPS and present the Social and Environment Management Frameworks

designed for the project with a view to elicit stakeholder feedback.

Participant Profile:

The participants of the workshop were DDC, Nalanda; Joint Director, DoRD, Patna; Director,

Agriculture Dept.; Asst. Director, Social Security; Director, Welfare Office; Block

Development Officers (BDO); Circle Officers (CO); representatives of NGOs; District

Representative of Jeevika Project, Officials from DRDA; consultant of BRDS and

SAKSHAM team members.

Overview of Sessions:

The workshop was initiated with the introduction of the participants followed by a

presentation giving an overview of the BISPS Project wherein the project objectives and

project components were explained. The Social and Environment Assessment and the

proposed Management Frameworks were shared with participants and suggestions were

sought.

Key discussion points and suggestions: The land for Buniyad Centre and Adarsh RTPS centre is not available in the block premises of

Parwalpur and Ekangarsari and hence alternative sites have been proposed 50 metres away from the

Block premises. The land available in Hilsa is waterlogged and requires treatment.

For effective power management, the use of solar power for Buniyaad and RTPS Adarsh centres must

be explored.

The project should boost up the provisions in the guidelines of MGNREGS for promoting fodder banks

and fencing options on plantations.

To promote an environment friendly work culture, capacity building of the officials is required.

Agriculture top fertile soil use for works must be discouraged. This is serious problem but nobody

taking note of it. At least through this project this issue need to be highlighted to aware the general

public and official engage in implementing the program.

Strong team composition with an understanding of NREGS, environment, insurance coverage; and

worksite provisions and facilities has become pertinent for effective implementation

Considering the nature and objective of NREGS to strengthen the natural resource base, the indicator

related to environment conservation and maintenance need to be chalk out to provide information and

clarification to all stakeholders involve in implementing the same.

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Program Schedule

District Level Consultation Workshop on Environment and Social Assessment of BISPS

Project

Date: 13-08-2012

Venue: District Collectorate, Nalanda

Time Session Key Person Responsible for

Presentation / Anchoring

Discussion

10.30 am to 11.00 am Registration SSUPSW

11.00 am to 11.30 am Welcome and Introductions:

Introduction to the Workshop

Introduction of Participants

DDC, Madhubani, Bihar

SSUPSW and BRDS

11.30 am to 12.15 pm Introduction to the BISPS

Project: Objectives, Components

Ms. Mahua

Mr. Hasnain Ansari

12.15 pm to 01.15 pm Introduction to the Environment

and Social Assessment and

Management Framework

Mr. Abdul Qayum

Consultant

01.15 pm to 02.30 pm Open House Discussion and

Feedback from participants

SSUPSW and BRDS

02.30 pm Lunch

Participant List

SN Name Designation Department/ Organization

1 B. Kartkey DDC Nalada -

2 Arshad Ali Director N.E.P DRDA

3 Sudama Mahto Director Ag. offices Agriculture

4 Rahat Fatima Asst. Director Social Security Social Security

5 Surendra Ram Director Welfare office Welfare

6 Dr. Satish Pd. Joint Director R.D. Depart.

7 Rajesh Kumar Gupta B.D.O Rural Dept.

6 Ashok Kumar B.D.O Rural Dept.

7 Suresh Kumar C.O Revenue Dept.

8 Rajiv Kumar Mehta B.D.O Rural Dept.

9 Chit Ranjan Pd. Singh B.D.O Rural Dept.

10 Ramesh Kumar B.D.O Rural Dept.

11 Sanjay Kumar B.D.O Rural Dept.

12 Nirmal Kumar B.D.O Rural Dept.

13 Vijay Kumar Singh B.D.O Rural Dept.

14 Dhirendra Kumar

Singh

B.D.O Rural Dept.

15 Shambha Kumari B.D.O Rural Dept.

16 Nand priharde B.D.O Rural Dept.

17 Binod Kumar Rajak B.D.O Rural Dept.

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18 Ved Kumar Singh B.D.O, Tharthari Rural Dept.

19 Shri Kant Singh B.D.O, Parwalpur Rural Dept.

20 Amresh Kumar Project, DRDA Nalanda

21 Samir Kumar District Manager Jeevika Nalada

22 Sarita Dungdung Young Processional -

23 Chandani Prakash YP(MNREGA) Nalanda

24 Punam Kumari Block Project Manager Jeevika Nalada

25 Sujeet Kumar Assistant DRDA, Nalanda

26 Abhishek Kumar Clerk, DRDA Nalanda

27 Anoop Kumar Clerk, DRDA -

28 Bhupendra Bihari Clerk, DRDA Nalada

29 Abdul Bahab DRDA Nalanda

30 Ashok Kumar DRDA Nalanda

31 Satish Chand Prasad DRDA Nalanda

32 S.M. Alam Rojnama Rashtriya Sahar Media

33 Binod Kumar Sinha A.E. DRDA Nalanda

34 Parwez Alam B.D.O Rural Dept.

Photographs

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Buxar – District Level Consultation Workshop on Social and Environment Assessment

for Bihar Integrated Social Protection Strengthening (BISPS) Project

Organized by:

State Society for Ultra Poor and Social Welfare (SSUSW)




Introduction:

The second District Level Consultation Workshop on Social and Environment Assessment

was organized at Collectorate Office, Buxur on 14th August 2012 in which a total of 46 key

stakeholders participated.

The objective of the workshop was to share the findings of the Social and Environment




The participants of the workshop were DDC, Buxur; Joint Director (DoRD); DAO,

(Agriculture Dept); ADSS (Social Welfare); Civil Surgeon (Health Dept); Block

Development officers (BDO); Circle Officers (Revenue); DHO (Dist. Horticulture); Asst.

Engineer (Water Resource Dept and Minor Irrigation); representatives of NGOs; consultant

of BRDS and SAKSHAM team members

Overview of Session:

The workshop began at 11:15 am with the welcome address by a SAKSHAM team member

followed by introductory remarks by the DDC.

In the first session, a SAKSHAM team member briefly presented the overview of the BISPS

Project including the project background, objectives, strategic context, project components,

details of the KBKBS model and Buniyad Centres, etc.

In the second session, the findings of the draft documents including Social and Environment

Assessment and Social and Environment Management Frameworks were shared with the

participants and suggestions were sought.

Key discussion points and suggestions on EA-EMF:

Issues on Environment Impacts of MNREGS works: The negative impact of MNREGS works on the local environment is a matter of concern. Construction

of ponds on fertile agriculture land, loss of productive top soil, felling of trees at construction site, etc.,

are some of the negative impacts perceived by the participants.

The comments and suggestions shared by the participants for mitigating the negative impacts are:

As poor planning of MNREGS works is a key reason behind negative environmental impacts, the

planning process in the Gram Panchayat must be strengthened.

The technical staff of MNREGS (PTA, Junior Engineer, Assistant Engineer, PO, etc) need technical as

well as environment sensitization training to enhance the technical soundness of their work and their

motivation.

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The BISPS Project should build the capacity of frontline workers i.e. Rozgar Sevak, Junior engineer

who are involved in planning, implementation and monitoring of schemes of MGNREGS in the

villages.

Issues on Environment Impacts of IAY: There is lot of scope for integration of the total sanitation program with IAY. Although some efforts

have been made in this regard, the result so far is not very significant. The reasons are many, the most

important of which is lack of awareness among people of the negative impact of lack of sanitation.

There is a need for awareness-raising through regular contact and meetings to explain various negative

aspects of open defecation and the benefits of sanitation.

Capacity building training is required for staff involved in Indira Awas Yojana (IAY).

Technical skills should be provided to local masons on design and use of low cost but environment

friendly materials in construction of IAY housing.

Convergence with relevant schemes of other departments may be facilitated.

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Program Schedule:



Discussion





DDC, Buxar

Mr. Bishnu C Parida

Dr. Satish Prasad, BRDS

11.30 am to 12.15 pm Introduction to the BISPS Project:

Objectives, Components

Mr. Bishnu C Parida

Mr. Fazle Rabbani Siddiqui

12.15 pm to 01.15 pm Introduction to the Environment&

Social Assessment and


Mr. Abdul Qayum

Consultant

01.15 pm to 02.30 pm Open House Discussion &


SSUPSW and BRDS

02.30 pm Lunch

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1. List of Participants

SN Name Designation Department/ Organization 1 K. Pathak DDC RDD

2 Dr. S. Prasad Jt. Direcctor RDD

3 Shankes Pd. singh BDO RDD

4 SharafatHusan BDO RDD

5 Ajay Kumar Singh BDO Hawanagar RDD

6 Moti Kumar Dinkar BDO Rajpur RDD

7 A.S. Misra BDO Buxar RDD

8 RajendaraKuamr BDO Simari RDD

9 SumantNath CO, Semari Revenue

10 Shahid Jamal BDO, Chaugai RDD

11 Dr. B.K. Prabhkar BDO Brahndser RDD

12 SiddhNath CO Chaugain Revenue

13 Vinod Kumar Sinha BDO Chausa RDD

14 Sanjay Kumar PO Buxar RDD

15 KrishnaKanhaiya Prasad BDO, Ftorhi RDD

16 K.K. Singh CO Dumraon Revenue

17 Umesh Kumar CO Nawanagar Revenue

18 Jitendra Kumar PO, Itharhi RDD

19 TusharkantChanda PO Simri RDD

20 Ram Bhajan Ram CO Rajpur Revenue

21 BhararBhuSharTiway CO Itharhi Revenue

22 Satish Chandra Anand PO Brahmpur Revenue

23 Rajesh Kumar PO Chakki Revenue

24 KhaedAkhter PO Bumraon Revenue

25 Md. SajjadZahil PO Chause Buxar RDD

26 Jitendra Kumar PO Nawanagar RDD

27 Kr. Subhash PO Rajpur RDD

28 Dr. Harish Chandra Hari Civil Sergeon Heath Dept.

29 Dr.K.K. Misha - -

30 Prem Shankar Ram DAO Buxar Agriculture

31 Deepak Kr. Sinha DHO Buxar Agriculture

32 S.N. Singh EO (Assistant Engr) Water Resource Dept.

33 B.N.Pathak CO Chausa Revenue

34 Anil Benet cruz Asst. Director NGO- BWDS

35 Ajay Kumar Supervisor NGO- Chirag

36 Poonamej Secretary NGO- Chirag

37 RiyaChaurasia Co-ordinator NGO- Monalisa

38 Binad Kumar Singh Secretary NGO- Monalisa

39 S.Shankar Member NGO- Sahara

40 Abdul Qayam Consultant BRDS

41 Fazle Rabbani PM (Disability) SSUPSW

42 Bishnu C Parida Dy. CEO SSUPSW

43 Vijay Kumar Singh CO Buxar Revenue

44 Ram vinodkumarsha Assistant Engineer Minor Irrigation

45 Sumankumari PO Chaugain RDD

46 Alok Kumar ADSS Social Welfare

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Photographs:

Madhubani – District Level Consultation Workshop on Social and Environment


Organized by:





Introduction:

The third District Level Consultation Workshop on Social and Environment Assessment was

organized at DDC office premise, Madhubani on 16-08-2012 in which a total of 39 key

stakeholders of the project participated.





The participants of the workshop were the District Development Commissioner (DDC);

Undersecretary DoRD, Patna; Circle Officers (CO); Asst. Director, Social Security; Block

Development Officers (BDO); DAO (Agriculture Dept.); Dist. Horticulture Officer; Civil

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Surgeon; Community Development Officer, NABARD; DPM, Jeevika Project and

representatives from NGOs; team members of SAKSHAM and consultant from BRDS.

Overview of Sessions:

The workshop began at 11 am with the welcome address and introduction of participants

followed with inaugural address by DDC, Madhubani. This was followed by a presentation

on an overview of the BISPS Project wherein the project objectives and project components

were explained. The Social and Environment Assessment and the proposed Management

Frameworks were shared with participants and suggestions sought.

Key Discussions and Suggestions on EA-EMF:

BUNIYAD and ADARSH Centers The design of the ADARSH and BUNIYAD Centers should integrate environment-friendly aspects.

The use of Solar Energy to replace/supplement Diesel Generators for power back-up must be explored.

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Indira Awas Yojana (IAY) A model of low cost housing must be created and adopted. This is already being adopted in the states of

Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. However, the cash amount must be enhanced from the existing Rs 45,000.

Also, to resolve this issue, low cost material and locally procured material should be promoted by the

Government.

IAY is a cash-transfer scheme. It is not possible to prescribe any design to the beneficiaries unless there are

policy level changes.

However, rather than imposing a top-down scheme, the focus must be on empowering the beneficiaries to

contribute some additional amount to construct their dream house.

There is a need to create awareness to change the mindset of the beneficiaries about the design and

construction of the housing.

MNREGA Works In Madhubani, there are no protected areas such as sanctuaries and national parks. However, the district has

several ponds that come under the purview of the Fisheries Department. Any of the development works on

these sites are not possible without a healthy collaboration between these departments at the State level.

It is important to involve trained engineers to design and monitor the MGNREGA construction works as the

local community and staff does not have expertise in technical design. However, availability of trainer

engineers is a constraint.

Forestry (plantation) works should be increased in MGNREGS on Panchayat and Private land. The benefits

to the community from plantations on Panchayat land need to be made clear to the community.

Infrastructure Development Authority can also be requested to provide technical support for design of the

MGNREGS works.

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1. Program Schedule:

I.

II. District Level Consultation Workshop on Environment and Social Assessment of BISPS Project

III. Date: 16-08-2012

IV. Venue: DDC office premise, Madhubani



Discussion





DDC, Madhubani, Bihar

SSUPSW and BRDS

11.30 am to 12.15 pm Introduction to the BISPS

Project: Objectives, Components

Mr. Avinash Kumar

Mr. Saurabh Trivedi

12.15 pm to 01.15 pm Introduction to the Environment

and Social Assessment and


Mr. Abdul Qayum

Consultant

01.15 pm to 02.30 pm Open House Discussion and


SSUPSW and BRDS

02.30 pm Lunch

2. Participants List

V.


1 O.P. Rai DDC RD Bihar

2. Jagdish Choudhary Undersecretary DoRD, Patna

3 Raj Kumar Vishwatarma Community Development WECP, Priyadars NABARD

4 Barun Kumar DPM BRLPS/ Jeevika project

5 Rajesh Gupta TM BRLPS/ Jeevika project

6 Praveen Kumar Singh DPO Office of DEO MDD

7 Ravi Shankar Pandey CO CO, Madhubani

8 Krishna Kant Jha DAO Agriculture Department

9 Sunil Kumar BDO BDO, Jhanjharpur

10 Lakshmi Kant Jha DHO Dist. Horticulture Officer

11 Amrendra Narayan Executive Marinate -

12 Hari Prasad BDO BDO, Rajnagar

13 Kusum Lal Paswan Circle Officer C.O. Jay nager

14 Kusum Lal Paswan CO C.O Kaluahi

15 Kushi N. Singh BDO BDO. Phulpraj

16 Aswani Kumar CO CO, Phulpraj

17 Ashok Kumar BDO BDO, Pandoll

18 Shallder Kumar Jha CO Pandoll

19 Avdhesh Kumar Srivastava CO CO, Rajnagar

20 Ashok Kumar CO CO, Madhubani

21 Sunil Kumar CO CO, Khajanahi

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22 Ashwani Kumar Sinha CO CO, Basopatti

23 Baidyanath BDO Block, Basopatti

24 Nitya Nand Pandey BDO Block

25 Bijay Kumar BDO Block, Karernari

26 Mandau Mishra BDO Block, Basopatti

27 Raman Kumar Jha BDO Block, Lakhriturt

28 Upendra Prasad BDO Block, Raheka

29 Raj Bahuahier Gupta BDO Block, Jainagar

30 S.P. Verma BDO Block, Bahuarhi

31 Ashuik Singh - SWD

32 Abdul Qayum Consultant -

33 Dr. Sudhir Kumar Sinha Civil Surgeon Dist. Hospital, Madhubani

34 Rajeev Rajan Sinha - Revenue

35 Babu Yadav Sr. Dy, Collector -

36 Mukesh Kumar Jha DIA, NIC NIC

37 Sunil Kumar Mihra Press -

38 Raman Kumar Mishra Press Prabhat Khabar

39 Shyam Sunder Jha Press Dainik Jagran

3. Photographs

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Katihar – District Level Consultation Workshop on Social and Environment


Organized by:





Introduction:

The fourth District Consultation Workshop on Social and Environment Assessment was

organized at Vikas Bhawan, Katihar on 17th

August 2012 in which a total of 45 key

stakeholders participated.





The participants of the workshop were DDC, Katihar; Undersecretary from DoRD, Patna;

Consultant, World Bank; Block Development officers (BDO); Circle Officers (CO);

representatives of NGOs; consultant from BRDS and SAKSHAM team members.

Overview of Session:

The workshop began at 11 am with the welcome address by a SAKSHAM team member

followed by introductory remarks by the DDC, Katihar.

In the first session, a SAKSHAM team member briefly presented the overview of the BISPS

Project including the project background, objectives and source of finance, strategic context,

project components, and gave details of the KBKBS model and the Buniyad Centres.

In the second session, the findings of the draft documents including Social and Environment

Assessment and Social and Environment Management Frameworks were shared with the

participants and suggestions were sought.

Key discussion points and suggestions on EA-EMF:

● Some of the participants expressed concern about the poor quality of work carried out

in some of the MNREGS works stemming from the lack/inadequacy of scientific

design and technical supervision relating to works on water harvesting and

conservation.

● A large number of MNREGS works particularly those related to water conservation,

remain incomplete or have been inefficient, either due to lack of technical support to

GPs or insufficient rainfall.

● Concern was also expressed about the need to focus on survival of the saplings

planted under MNREGS.

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Protected Areas:

● Gogabil Pakshi Vihar a protected area in the district once known for its migratory

birds and forest coverage is a thing of the past. The habitat of birds has been

destroyed and since last 5-6 years this protected areas has not able to attract migratory

birds due to encroachment for agricultural land and fishing. This highlights the need

for adoption of environmental safeguards in development activity.

IAY Housing:

● In the light of the existing rural housing scenario and the importance of promoting

environment friendly housing in IAY (construction of well ventilated house with

toilets and drains, discouraging use of asbestos-cement sheets, etc.), most of the

participants felt that the idea is useful and innovative but implementation within the

available fund for IAY will be a challenge. The example of Andhra Pradesh was cited

in this context where Rs 65,000 is provided per beneficiary for IAY. It is necessary to

think of alternatives for low-cost, innovative environment friendly housing for the

rural poor people.

● Some participants were of the view that it will be useful to promote/create a model for

low cost housing at least in one pocket of the district so that it success can be

replicated in rest of the district.

Program Schedule:

District Level Consultation Workshop on Environment and Social Assessment of BISPS

Project

Date: 17-08-2012

Venue: Vikas Bhawan, Katihar



Discussion

10.30 am to

11.00 am

Registration SSUPSW

11.00 am to

11.30 am

Welcome and Introductions:



DDC, Katihar

Representative from SSUPSW

and BRDS

11.30 am to

12.15 pm

Introduction to the BISPS Project:

Objectives, Components

Mr. Vishal Singh

Mr. Tribhuwan Singh

12.15 pm

to 01.15 pm

Introduction to the Environment and

Social Assessment and Management

Framework

Mr. Abdul Qayum

Consultant

01.15 pm to

02.30 pm

Open House Discussion & Feedback from

participants

SSUPSW and BRDS

02.30 pm Lunch

4. List of Participants:

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1 Keshav Kumar Singh DDC, Katihar RDD

2 Muni Lal Jamadar Director, NEP DRDA, RRD

3 Jitendra Kumar Singh BDO, Kadwa RDD

4 Dr. Rakesh Kumar BAHO Animal Husbandry Deptt.

5 Ratan Lal BDO, Azamnagar RDD

6 Shiv Shankar Ramani Secretary NGO - KKVVBKS

7 Madan Kumar Accountant NGO - KKVVBKS

8 Satish Prasad CO, Pranpur Revenue

9 Rudrakant Dube Secretary NGO – MPEW Society

10 Rakesh Kr. Srivastav Secretary NGO - MJSS

11 Shakun Verma CO, Hasnganj Revenue

12 Srinivas Varadan Consultant The World Bank

13 Abdul Qayam Consultant BRDS

14 Ravindra Kumar BDO, Pranpur RDD

15 Arvind Mishra CO, Barsoi Revenue

16 Indrajeet Singh DHO Horticulture

17 Dr. Jagdish Chowdhury Under Secretary RDD

18 Dr. Om Prakash ACMO Health

19 Narendra Kumar BDO, Hasanganj RDD

20 Rajesh Kumar Singh Secretary NGO - APSS

21 Randhir Singh BDO, Balrampur RDD

22 P.C. Das Assistant DRDA (RDD)

23 A.K. Jha Assistant DRDA (RDD)

24 A. Ram DOP, Katihar Education

25 Archana Gupta BDO Dandkhora RDD

26 S. K. Jha DAO, Katihar Agriculture

27 R. N. Pandey CO, Sameli Revenue

28 Parshu Ram BDO, Falka RDD

29 S. K. Sahay CO, Kursela CO

30 Madhu Kumari BDO, Katihar RDD

31 Jaishankar Kumaar DO DRDA (RDD

32 Nuzhat Manzur BDO & designated for SC &

ST Welfare, Block Manihari

RDD

33 Bibha Kumar BDO, Amdabad RDD

34 Ashutosh Jha CO Falka Revenue

35 S. Singh CO, Amdabad Revenue

36 Arun Kumar Choubey BDO, Barari RDD

37 S. Kumar CO, Barari Revenue

38 Mahesh P Singh CO, Manihari Revenue

39 Kishor K Mandal Secretary NGO - SGV

40 H. K. Das Assistant DRDA (RDD)

41 Sandeep Kumar Assistant DRDA (RDD)

42 S. Singh Assistant DRDA (RDD)

43 Amit Chubey Secretary NGO - MPES

44 Usha Devi Assistant NGO - MPES

45 Pradeep Kumar Assistant NGO - MPES

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Photographs

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Annexure-4

Review of Existing Capacity for Environmental Safeguard Management

1. Profile of existing capacity of Infrastructure Development Authority (IDA)

1.1 Staff profile:

Designation/Post Qualifications No. of

posts

Key role Capacity building

needs in

environmental

management

Director (Project

Implementation)

Graduate Degree

in Engineering

1 Over all in-

charge of

program

implementation

All regular staff of

IDA has received

training on the

‘Green Building’

concept. However,

there is a perceived

need for further

training and skill up

gradation in

environment

management.

Chief Consultant

(PDA/Tecnical/

BoT)

Graduate Degree

in Engineering

5 Project

supervision

Consultant

(Design)

Graduate Degree

in Engineering

1 In-house

checking

Consultant

Planning

Graduate Degree

in Engineering

1 In-house

checking

Consultant

(Technical)

Graduate Degree

in Engineering

21 Supervision

Executive Diploma in Civil

Engineering

33 Supervision

Note: IDA has a panel of experts in different technical areas including Green Buildings, and

it seeks their services as per the requirement of the projects. IDA’s regular staff (listed in

table above) is mainly involved in supervision and monitoring of construction work.

1.2 Existing experience on environmental management

IDA has so far undertaken two projects that involved integration of environment-friendly

elements into construction. These are the Gaya Academic Block and the Forest Bhawan. IDA

has a well equipped laboratory for monitoring quality of construction materials. It has also

on-site lab facilities for testing and monitoring construction. IDA employs third-party

evaluation support to ensure quality construction.

2. Profile of existing capacity of SSUPSW:

2.1 Staff Profile:

Designation/Post Qualifications and

Experience

Number

of posts

Key role Capacity building

needs in

environmental

management

CEO Indian Revenue

Service

One Overall

coordination of

SSUPSW

The SSUPSW

team in the

present designated

role does not CEO/ Deputy M.Phil (NRM) One Almost all the

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CEO team members

have joined

SSUPW in

January 12.

All the team

members have

been functioning

in accordance

with their

designated role.

require capacity

building in

environment

management.

However, SPM

(M&E) and DPM

who are

responsible for

coordinating with

the technical

support agency

for construction of

environment

friendly buildings

and for ensuring

compliance of

construction

contractors with

code of practice

need training on

relevant aspects of

environmental

management.

State Program

Manager (SPM)-

Ultra poor

Post Graduate

Diploma in Rural

Development

(PGDRD)/ PG in

Public Health/

social science

One

SPM and PM

(CB)

PGDRD/ PGPRM One +

One

SPM and PM

(Communication

& Research)

MA (Mass

Communication)/

M.Phil

One +

One

PM-Nutrition Degree/ PhD in

Nutrition

One

Project

Coordinator (PC)

Asst. PC

MBA One +

One

PM-Disability LSW/ B. Ed (Spl.

Education)

One

PM-Service for

Older Person

PGDRD One

Profile of existing capacity of BRDS.

3.1 Staff Profile:

Designation/Post Qualifications Experience No.

of

post

s

Key role Capacity

building

needs in

environmenta

l management

Chief Operating

Officer/Managin

g Director

Two years full

time Post

Graduate

Degree in any

discipline OR

Two years full

time PG Degree

or Diploma in

Management

OR Four years

Graduate

Degree in

Engineering,

Agriculture &

Allied Sciences.

14 years of

handling

state or

national level

responsibility

at significant

scale in any

sector.

One Provide

direction and

leadership to

achieve the

vision, mission,

and objectives

of BRDS.

Be the guardian

of the core

principles of

BRDS.

Provide

direction and

support at the

regional,

district and

-

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local level

Programme

collaboration

and partnership

with

stakeholders

including

NGOs, private

sector,

financial

institutions,

and line

departments.

Ensure that

BRDS has both

local and state

level impact of

a demonstrably

high quality.

Responsible for

effective

management of

programmes

and human

resources of

BRDS.

State Programme

Director-

MNREGA

Two years full

time Post

Graduate

Degree in any

discipline OR

Two years full

time PG

Degree/Diplom

a in

Management

OR Two years

full time MSW

OR Four years

Graduate

Degree in

Engineering,

Agriculture &

Allied Sciences.

12 years

experience in

relevant

domain such

as similar

rural

development

programmes

at scale

One Overall

responsibility

for

implementation

of MNREGS

according to

the Act at state,

district, block

and panchayat

levels.

Ensure that the

programme

meets its

objectives and

impacts the

lives of the

targeted

beneficiaries.

Provide overall

leadership and

guidance to

teams at the

State, District,

Block and

-

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Panchayat

level.

Forge

partnerships

with other

stakeholders

including line

departments,

private sectors

and civil

society

organizations.

Overall

coordination

and supervision

of programme

implementation

.

Director– Social

Audit

Same as above. 8 years of

work

experience

with

demonstrated

commitment

towards

issues of

transparency,

accountabilit

y in

Governance

One Provide Policy

guidance to

BRDS on

Social Audit

Processes and

ensure calendar

based social

audit.

Ensure the

autonomy and

purity of the

social audit

process and

implementation

.

Ensure that all

policy level

decisions

related to the

Social Audit

are

implemented.

Provide

guidance and

manage the

Social Audit

Directorate of

BRDS.

Sensitize all

stakeholders on

social audit

process

-

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Work towards

brining full

transparency in

all BRDS

programs.

Head - Capacity

Building, HR

and Facility

Management

Two years full

time Post

Graduate

Degree/Diplom

a in

Management

OR Two year

full time PG

Degree/Diplom

a in Human

Resource

Management

OR Two years

full time MSW.

Minimum 10

years of

experience in

HR/Facility

Management

and Capacity

Building

domain

preferably of

handling

operations at

state/

national level

One Assess relevant

training needs

for staff

individuals and

organization, in

consultation

with unit heads.

Develop

Capacity

Building

Strategy,

training

modules and

programmes to

meet training

and

development

needs of all

BRDS Staff.

Ensure quality

of delivery of

Capacity

Building

activities.

Ensure that

Capacity

Building efforts

result in greater

programme

effectiveness in

the field.

Orientation

training in

environment

management

to enable

coordination

of capacity

building

programmes

on

environmenta

l management

to BRDS and

MNREGS

staff.

Team Leader –

Monitoring,

Evaluation and

Learning

Two years full

time PG

Degree/Diplom

a in

Management

OR Two year

full time MSW

OR Four years

Graduate

Degree in

Engineering,

Agriculture &

Allied Sciences.

Minimum 10

years of

experience in

thematic

domain

preferably of

handling

operations at

state/national

level

One Ensure the

development of

appropriate

monitoring and

learning

environment

and systems

across BRDS.

Ensure

successful roll

out of the

Monitoring and

Evaluation

systems across

Orientation

training in

environment

management

to enable

monitoring of

environmenta

l management

aspects of

MNREGS

and IAY.

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BRDS and will

contribute

towards

capacity

building of the

staff.

Build a

streamlined

reporting

system across

all levels.

Conduct

Review and

monitoring of

all

programmes.

Ensure that

programme

data is

collected in a

timely manner,

analyzed to an

appropriate

recognized

standard,

evaluated

accurately,

clearly and

presented to

BRDS

management

and to the

people of

Bihar.

Maintain and

manage

institutional

memory of

BRDS.

State Level Advisors

Engineering Four years

Graduate

Degree in

Engineering or

higher

Minimum 10

years of

experience in

thematic

domain

preferably of

handling

operations at

state/national

level

One Provide

strategic

guidance to

BRDS in their

respective

thematic area,

including

formulating

policies,

designing

Training on

environment

management

of MNREGS

works and

IAY housing. Natural Resource

Management

Four years

Graduate

Degree in

Engineering

OR Two years

One

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full time PG

Diploma in

Management

OR Two years

full time

Graduate

Degree in

Agriculture &

Allied Sciences.

implementing

guidelines and

ensuring

quality

implementation

.

Partnership

management

with service

providers both

public and

private,

coordinating

relationship

with project

stakeholders as

well as external

resource

agencies

Convergence

with

Government

department,

linkages with

financial

institutions,

building

capacity of

NGOs and civil

society

organizations

Institution &

Capacity

Building

Two years full

time PG

Diploma in

Management

OR Two years

full time MSW

OR Two year

fill time Post

Graduate

Degree/Diplom

a in Human

Resource

Management.

Minimum 10

years of

experience in

thematic

domain

preferably of

handling

operations at

state/

national

level.

Undertake

reviews,

evaluations and

research

(including field

research) to

further enhance

quality of the

programmes.

Provide

trainings to

Project staff,

including

handholding

support

wherever

required

Orientation

on

environment

management

to enable

coordination

of capacity

building

activities on

environmenta

l management

in MNREGS

and IAY.

Convergence

Coordinator

Two years full

time PG

Minimum 8

years of

Build

Partnerships

Training in

environment

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Degree/Diplom

a in

Management

OR Four year

Graduate

Degree in

Engineering,

Agriculture &

Allied Sciences.

experience

particularly

in rural

housing

preferably of

handling

operations at

state/

national level

and Linkages –

with other

government

departments

and

programmes

particularly

IAY, private

sector and civil

society

organizations –

for social

inclusion, for

economic

inclusion &

linkages -

Training

institutions, etc

Develop

guidelines for

building

partnerships

particularly for

IAY.

Periodic review

of partnerships

management

aspects of

IAY housing.

Monitoring,

Evaluation and

Learning Team

(2)

A full time Post

Graduate

Degree/Diplom

a in

Management

OR full time

MSW OR Four

year Graduate

degree in

Engineering,

Agriculture &

Allied Sciences.

At least 2

year

experience in

relevant

domain

09 Ensure

successful roll

out of the

Monitoring &

Learning

Strategy

Guiding &

Undertaking

periodic

evaluations

including

evaluation

studies and

other need

based

documentation.

Thematic

reviews of the

programmes at

the State Level

Undertaking

Data analysis,

trend analysis

for strategic as

Orientation

training in

environment

management

to enable

monitoring of

environmenta

l management

aspects of

MNREGS

and IAY.

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well as

operational

decision

making.

Train other

staff to

carryout

participatory

and

conventional

monitoring and

evaluation

Programme

Executives (10)

Two years full

time PG

Degree/

Diploma in

Management

OR Two years

full time MSW

OR a Four

years Graduate

Degree in

Engineering,

Agriculture or

Allied Sciences

NIL 10 Managerial

assistance to

Directors,

Team Leaders

and State Level

Advisors

Support rolling

out of

strategies at the

district and

block levels

Documentation

and Reporting

Liaise/ follow

up with

Districts/

stakeholders

Orientation

on

environment

management

aspects of

MNREGS

and IAY.

3.2 Existing experience on environmental management:

3.2.1 Integration of environmental considerations into the planning process of MNREGS

works: The works permitted under the MNREGS are those which adhere to good Natural

Resource Management. These include works on water conservation; drought proofing;

plantation; soil and moisture conservation; land development; up gradation of wastelands;

recovery of wetlands and marshy lands, etc.

To facilitate this, the following have initiatives have been taken:

Decentralise planning up to ward level (sub-Gram Panchayat)

Provision for technical staff for a cluster of Gram Panchayats to provide technical

support to the ward Sabha to formulate plans for MNREGS works.

Provision for hiring of technical experts at district level.

3.2.2 Monitoring of quality of MNREGS works: The existing technical staff of the

Department of Rural Development catering to MNREGS are as follows:

There is one Panchayat Technical Assistant per Gram Panchayat who takes

measurement of every work and is also responsible for ensuring quality check as per

the estimate.

There is one Junior Engineer for every 10 Gram Panchayats who is responsible for

quality check for 100 percent of the schemes under his charge.

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There are Assistant Engineers and Executive Engineers at the district level who are

responsible for conducting quality checks on 10 percent of the schemes under their

charge.

In addition to this, teams of technical persons headed by senior Deputy Collectors and

other district level officials visit randomly selected Blocks/Panchayats on every

Wednesday and conduct a 100 percent verification of the MNREGS works done.

Follow-up of the monitoring is carried out through: block level weekly review by

Program Officers on every Tuesday of all Panchayar Rozgar Sevaks (PRS); monthly

review by DM, DPC/DDC, ADPC; monthly review at the state level of DDCs, weekly

video conferencing with 10 poor-performing blocks every week by the state

monitoring team.

3.2.3 Good environmental management practices taken up in MNREGS works in Bihar:

The provision for taking up plantation works under MNREGS by appointing one Van Poskak

(care-taker) for every unit of 200 plants has been instituted (by developing detailed guidelines

and schedule of rates) to ensure the survival and growth of the saplings. This has resulted in

the creation of large scale work in Tirhut, Gaya, Patna, Munger, etc., and has also led to the

creation of green cover. The scheme has also emphasized on promotion of organic manures.

Detailed guidelines (and schedule of rates) of organic manures have been issued. Training

workshops by resource persons in organic farming such as Subhas Palekar have been

organized both at the state level and in the districts of Muzaffarpur, Begusarai, etc.

3.2.4 Integration of environmental management in IAY housing:

IAY guidelines provide for construction of earthquake resistant houses with

provisions for smokeless cookstoves, toilet and plantation of trees. The guidelines

also provide a framework for convergence with total sanitation campaign. The

construction of IAY houses is done by the beneficiaries themselves. While there is

emphasis on providing design and technical support for the construction, no fund is

allocated for the same from the Central Government.

The quality monitoring of the houses is in the hands of beneficiaries themselves. In

cases where the state has made a specific intervention like in Kosi region, flood

resistant houses are being built with the technical support of the state, by providing an

additional state support of Rs 20,000 per housing unit.

Monitoring of the construction up to plinth and lintel level, and, construction of toilets

is monitored by the Panchayat Sachiv (Secretary). Weekly monitoring and follow

up/review are done by the Block Development Officers (BDOs). Monthly review

meeting is being carried out by DM/DDC.

Examples of integration of good environment management practices in IAY in Bihar

include the construction of flood resistant houses in the Kosi region, convergence

with smokeless chulhas in Madhubani and Nalanda districts, and, convergence of the

IAY program with the total sanitation campaign.

environmental management framework - department of rural

Documents