Construction workforce is expected to peak around 2,500 workers
The World Bank (WB) will be financing the construction of a 14 kilometer (Km) road connecting Gelephu with Tareythang, and feasibility studies for another 60Km road between Tareythang and Panbang. These projects, costing around Nu 300 Million, are expected to highly boost connectivity in and around the proposed Gelephu Mindfulness City (GMC).
The project “Accelerating Transport And Trade Connectivity In Eastern South Asia Phase 2 – Bhutan Project”, is objectified to increase the efficiency and resilience of trade, transport, and digital connectivity along selected corridors in Bhutan.
Under Component 2 (Green and Resilient Transport and Trade Infrastructure), the project will finance the construction of a 14km greenfield road connecting Gelephu to Tareythang (G-T Road) in Sarpang. Greenfield roads are designed to avoid inhabited areas and go through new alignments to bring development to new areas and to reduce land acquisition costs and construction timelines.
According to the WB, both the roads are missing links in the Southern East-West Highway (SEWH) of Bhutan, and are “aimed at facilitating access to the airport, dry port, and multimodal transport hub in Gelephu. The alignment traverses parts of Gelephu Thromde and extends through three Gewogs: Chhuzagang Gewog, Umling Gewog, and Tareythang Gewog, all within the periphery of GMC.
The G-T road passes through low-lying plains, seasonal and braided rivers, and rolling hills. It will cross several rivers, including the Mau, Jengkhurung, Taklai, Langer, and Singye. These rivers are primarily braided with shifting channels and sand/boulder deposits.
The largest, the Mau River, originates from Bhutan’s Black Mountains and merges with the Manas River in Assam, India. During the dry season from October to March/April, the flow of the Mau River reduces to only a few cubic meters per second.
The project area is primarily comprised of agricultural land and forests, with other types of land use such as bare ground, built-up areas, successional rangeland, and riparian rangeland occupying significantly smaller portions. Anthropogenic activities are widespread in the region. The road alignment is situated near several legally protected areas and internationally recognized high biodiversity zones, including the Royal Manas National Park (RMNP) in Bhutan, which is located less than one kilometer from the road. However, the construction footprint does not encroach upon these protected areas.
The G-T Road is located centrally within the southern region of Bhutan that is recognized as a significant elephant corridor, playing an essential role in the movement of these species and connectivity between populations. The Southern Bhutan Ecological Corridor Forecasting II (2021) study, using National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) earth observations to model elephant movement corridors, revealed there are viable elephant corridors that pass through the project area.
Additionally, the RMNP and Phibsoo Wildlife Sanctuary (PWS), located 30km west of the G-T Road, serve as significant habitats for elephant populations. The biodiversity net gain activities, as part of G-T Road Biodiversity Management Plan (BMP), will involve the two protected areas, i.e. RMNP and PWS. Human-elephant conflict is prevalent in the project area.
“Ecological studies indicate that elephant movements are frequently associated with riverways, and keeping such routes open provides an opportunity to maintain movement passage for elephant,” the project document reflected.
Component 2 will also support feasibility studies and environmental and social studies for a 60km road between Tareythang and Panbang (T-P Road).
Additionally, Component 2 will support the Road Asset Management System (RAMS), piloting of performance-based maintenance contracts (PBMCs), and development of a master plan for multimodal connectivity, with locations to be determined during implementation.
Under Component 3 (Institutional and Policy Strengthening for Transport and Trade), the project will support studies on regional infrastructure planning with locations to be determined during implementation.
The project will have three implementation agencies: The Government Technology (GovTech) Agency, the Department of Surface Transport (DoST) within the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport (MoIT), and the Department of Forest and Park Services (DoFPS), within the Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources (MoENR).
GovTech will be the Implementing Agency (IA) for Component 1. DoST will be the IA for Component 2 (except for Implementation of Net Gain strategy of BMP, as part of Subcomponent 2.1, which will be implemented by DoFPS). Component 3 will be implemented by all IAs.
The size of the construction workforce to be mobilized for the G-T Road is expected to fluctuate based on the timing and type of activities to be undertaken during the three years of the construction period. However, it is estimated that at peak, the construction workforce is expected to reach around 2,500 workers. Of the estimated workers, 600 to 750 workers are expected to be skilled laborers and 1,400 – 1,750 workers are expected to be unskilled laborers.
A Project Steering Committee (PSC) has been formed and will continue to provide strategic and policy direction, review and guide implementation progress, and approve Annual Work Plans (AWPs) for the duration of the project. The project will consist of a Project Management Unit (PMU) in GovTech and in DoST, respectively, with dedicated implementation teams for each activity.
Each PMU will be headed by a government-appointed Project Director, to be supported by a Project Coordinator (PC), and technical experts including specialists in procurement, financial management, environment, social and gender, and monitoring and evaluation (M&E).
Focal Officers on procurement, environmental and social (E&S), road safety, biodiversity, and gender shall be seconded to the PMUs (as relevant) to strengthen project ownership and enhance capacity of RGoB agencies.
DoFPS will report to the DoST PMU to ensure strong coordination with the road construction. An E&S capacity assessment was conducted during the project preparation, resulting in an E&S staffing and capacity building plan as outlined in the E&S Commitment Plan (ESCP). The E&S capacity assessment will be updated frequently, as needed, during implementation.
The DoST PMU will appoint one Environmental Officer, one Occupational Health and Safety (OHS) Officer, one Social Officer, one Gender Officer (all already appointed).
The DoST PMU will hire one Environmental Consultant (already hired), one Social Consultant (already hired), and one Gender/Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Consultant along with a GBV Service Provider to support the PMU.
The DoFPS will depute one Biodiversity Officer to the DoST PMU to support Component 2.1 activities (already deputed), including the implementation of the BMP. The DoPFS will appoint one Environmental and Social Officer to manage the environmental and social issues associated with the implementation of the Net Gain strategy of the BMP.
The GovTech PMU will appoint an Environmental and Social Officer (already appointed), a Gender Officer (already appointed), and will engage an Environmental and Social Consultant. In addition, a strong presence will be established in Gelephu, which will include staff of DoST implementation team, to ensure real-time supervision and monitoring of construction and E&S management.
The Bank mobilized Hands-on Expanded Implementation Support (HEIS) to DoST during project preparation, specifically in the areas of biodiversity management, cumulative impact assessment, OHS, and resettlement/compensation, GBV, and inclusion; the HEIS is expected to continue during implementation. The project will also ensure for any hired consultants/contractors that an emphasis be placed on knowledge transfer to the client.
Further, the WB has rated the environmental risk of the project as High, due to the sensitivity of the project location, potential direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts, and capacity constraints of the project implementation agencies.
“The road construction and operation pose potentially significant ecological risks including habitat loss, fragmentation and degradation, and disturbance to wildlife, likely resulting in increased human-wildlife (primarily elephant) conflict,” it said.
Additionally, potential ecological risks associated with the G-T Road construction include impacts from bridge construction and river training works, which may affect water quality, aquatic habitats, and fish species, contributing to transboundary impacts downstream of rivers. Other potential environmental risks and impacts related to G-T road construction and operation encompass dust and air emissions, vibration and noise, slope stabilization, soil erosion, groundwater deterioration, occupational and community health and safety (OHS/CHS), waste and wastewater discharge, and readiness for emergency response. Based on a rapid cumulative assessment (as part of the G-T Road ESIA), cumulative impacts from the development of the G-T Road and other past, current, and planned developments in the Gelephu area (GMC) and dry port and airport expansion, combined with external stressors such as climate change, natural disasters, and in-migration, will likely affect wildlife resources, water resources, community well-being, community forests, and air quality.
Besides, the project will support preparation of a feasibility study, design and ESIA for the 60km Tareythang-Panbang (T-P) Road. “Construction of the T-P road in the future may impact the RMNP, subject to alignment selection,” the document read.
The social risk is rated Substantial due to the construction of the G-T Road, requiring land acquisition and displacement of local communities. The project may also affect cultural heritage and social cohesion, particularly for vulnerable groups. However, “contractors will be required to halt construction upon encountering physical cultural heritage, notifying and closely coordinating with relevant mandated country authorities for the salvaging and restoration of such cultural heritage.” The social risk rating also considers the implementing agencies’ capacity and lack of experience in managing social risks and impacts.
Tashi Namgyal from Thimphu
