According to the Bank’s website, the project consists of a $400 million results-based lending program for Maharashtra's nonurban road transport subsector is proposed to deliver a climate-resilient, low-carbon, safe, inclusive, and environmentally sustainable road network in nonurban areas in the state by (i) making the Asian Development Bank Green Roads Toolkit for critical road infrastructure operational, (ii) advancing road safety standards and institutional functions, and (iii) developing a road and bridge information system. The program significantly contributes to the state's development plans, and will promote rural development, inclusive economic development, improved accessibility to health care and education, and gender equality.

Maharashtra is categorized as India's leading state based on real gross domestic product per capita and gross domestic product growth rate over the medium term. However, economic development is concentrated around the state's major urban centers, including Mumbai. Despite the state's impressive economic growth, inequality is one of the highest among all states in India. The Government of Maharashtra's vision for development establishes a foundational framework for the state's road infrastructure by 2047. It focuses on enhancing the state's economic development and accessibility through improved connectivity (i) in districts with lagging multidimensional poverty and climate and disaster risk vulnerability; (ii) for rural communities without all-weather farm-to-market connectivity and all-weather access to socioeconomic centers; and (iii) for multimodal logistics hubs, national investment and manufacturing zones, dry ports, and industrial precincts.

The expected category for environment safeguards is B. RBL program activities that involve civil works are not expected to trigger significant environmental impacts. Site visits, along with stakeholder discussions as part of the Program Safeguard Systems Assessment (PSSA), confirm that the expected environmental impacts from the proposed components--such as upgrading flexible pavements to rigid pavements and the removal of existing flexible pavement materials--are neither irreversible nor significant. The construction of flexible pavements within available land for rural roads is anticipated to have short-term, minimal, and site-specific impacts, for which mitigation measures are available. No proposed civil works are located within environmentally sensitive areas or are located near designated cultural heritage sites. In terms of biodiversity, some proposed civil works were observed to be in the buffer zone of protected areas.

The expected category for involuntary resettlement safeguards is B. Program activities that involve civil works will be restricted to government-owned right of way and will not involve land acquisition. However, secondary residential structures, road-side shops and kiosks, sheds common property resources occupying the right of way will potentially be impacted temporarily and permanently.

The proposed category for indigenous peoples safeguards is B. Some program activities that involve civil works are within notified scheduled tribe districts or areas where the majority of the population belong to scheduled tribes (Ahmednagar, Chandrapur, Dhule, Gadchiroli, Jalgaon, Nandurbar, Nashik, Palghar, Pune, Thane, and Yavatmal).

The financing amount is $400,000,000, which will be financed on a loan basis by ADB’s ordinary capital resources.

Project Officer: Sharad Rajbhoj
Designation: CE (K) & PD (EAP)- Public Works Department of the Government of Maharashtra
Email: cepd.mpwd@gmail.com

Project Officer: Satyashil Nagrare
Designation: Maharashtra Rural Road Development Association
Email: mh-pun@pmgsy.nic.in

ACCESS TO INFORMATION

You can submit an information request for project information at: https://www.adb.org/forms/request-information-form

ADB has a two-stage appeals process for requesters who believe that ADB has denied their request for information in violation of its Access to Information Policy. You can learn more about filing an appeal at: https://www.adb.org/site/disclosure/appeals

ACCOUNTABILITY MECHANISM OF ADB

The Accountability Mechanism is an independent complaint mechanism and fact-finding body for people who believe they are likely to be, or have been, adversely affected by an Asian Development Bank-financed project. If you submit a complaint to the Accountability Mechanism, they may investigate to assess whether the Asian Development Bank is following its own policies and procedures for preventing harm to people or the environment. You can learn more about the Accountability Mechanism and how to file a complaint at: http://www.adb.org/site/accountability-mechanism/main.