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Social Uplift Program

The main objective of SUP is to mitigate direct and indirect project impacts of MDS and to provide a long-term strategy for poverty alleviation and improvement of living conditions of the people in the area.  SUP aims to ensure that the project affected people of the Melamchi Valley also benefit from the project and that sustainable development in natural resource management, health, education, income generation and rural electrification can create significant improvements in the living standards of the inhabitants of the Melamchi Valley.    

SUP includes mitigation measures based on EIA recommendations as outlined in the Environment Impact Assessment (IUCN, 1999) and supplementary studies aimed to co-ordinate activities with other development efforts in the region and long-term management plans.    

SUP is designed to achieve sustainability by working within the existing local government structures and strengthening these structures by using participatory and capacity building approaches of the Local Governance Program (LGP).  The advantage of utilizing LGP is that it is already operating in the Sindhupalchok district, has an established structure and tried methodology, and allows for the various stakeholders to pull resources and know-how together within the framework that is beneficial to the Project.  In addition, SUP will work with authorities in the Langtang National Park and with the Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA).    

Status of Social Uplift Program  

The SUP for the Melamchi Valley includes programs for: i) a buffer zone ii) income generation iii) health related activities and agricultural extension iv) education and v) rural electrification.  

The recruitment of the Manager and Health and Education Coordinators of SUP is in process. It is anticipated the recruitment will be completed by March, 2002. The recruitment of remaining staff is under consideration.  

The status of each program is as follows: 

Buffer Zone 

The Buffer Zone Management Plan (Defined in the SUP, 2000) was prepared by the Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation and is due to be approved by the Ministry of Forestry and Soil Conservation. This will allow SUP activities to be carried out in the Buffer Zone. Formal agreement between MWSDB and the Warden of Langtang National Park is in process.  

Income Generation  

Under the Income Generation Program (IGP) PAFs of Local Governance Program (LGP) 8 out of 14 VDCs have signed an agreement with DDC for better social mobilization. IGP activities are continuing in the 8 VDCs and substantial progress is being made with savings and credit groups, skill development and other initiatives. IGP is also active at the district level with capacity building. 

Health Related Activities and Agricultural Extension  

Action to affected families includes the distribution of medicines and the upgrading of clinics. The district line agencies have been informed and have agreed to co-operate in implementing SUP activities.  

Educational Program

Actions are required for PAFs, including furnishing and upgrading of existing schools and restoration of cultural monuments.

Rural Electrification  

A Draft Rural Electrification Plan was submitted and is being finalized. The work has been based on extensive discussions with NEA and field studies and aims at providing an overall approach and plan to the electrification of the Melamchi Valley. 

The Status of Women  

The status and role of women in MWSP has been incorporated with SUP.  It will establish a long-term program to improve the living conditions of local people in the Project area.  This social and environmental program has been designed to correct the social effects of MDS. This program cannot be segregated with gender issues. Therefore, it has been developed to meet the equitable sharing of benefits between women and men (gender balance) and to sensitize the stakeholders. MWSDB in 2001 prepared the strategies to mainstreaming the affected people and women in the project decision making process. 

The major gender impact sites of Helambu, Melamchi Bazaar, Timbu and Gyalthum VDCs have been tentatively selected to identify girl trafficking, child labor and social evils. 

Gender Issues     

The main objective is to review implementation of the project’s gender strategy to ensure women’s participation and to develop the mechanism for monitoring gender impact of the Project.    

The objectives of Gender Issue management include:     

·         At least one woman representation in the local consultative group;

·         Participation of at least 25% of women in local meetings held in the Melamchi and Kathmandu Valleys;

·         Identification of local females as a focal person for information dissemination to the women communities;  

·         Involvement of women on the right of choice in land compensation (either land for land or cash compensation).

Environmental Issues

The main objective of the environmental tasks is to monitor the activities of MWSP during design, pre-construction, construction and operation phase to ensure that the implementation is carried out in accordance with the terms of the EMP and that all project activities are addressed in an environmentally sound manner.  The scope of work is to:  

·         Assess whether mitigation and monitoring measures required by the EMP is being implemented, and report accordingly;

·         Review design works and tender/contract documents to check due incorporation of environmental considerations as per the EMP and report accordingly;

·         Provide a monitoring database, photographic evidence to record the status of implementation of mitigation measures stipulated in the EMP and report accordingly; and

·         Recommend additional or alternative measures needed to assure that environmentally sensitive areas and endangered biological resources are protected as intended in the EMP.

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