Assam Power Sector Investment Program - Tranche 1

Executing agencies (EAs) should engage qualified safeguards specialists to support safeguards implementation, supervision, monitoring, and reporting. The project EA, Assam Power Generation Corporation Limited (APGCL), managed the environmental safeguards requirements without the planned consultant. However, engaging an expert to support APGCL in handling pollution control aspects and strengthening internal staff capacity would have been desirable to ensure that issues were detected and reported properly. Despite being able to submit monitoring reports to ADB, in cases where capacity development was identified during project processing, EAs should engage qualified safeguards specialists in future projects. The submission of regular environmental monitoring reports also needs to continue post-construction, at least up to the preparation of the project completion report when an understanding of operational compliance, essential in determining the project’s environmental sustainability is reached. Similarly, fielding missions comprising not only technical and administrative experts but also safeguards and financial experts is required because monitoring and reporting may fail to identify some compliance issues.