ROLE OF PARTICIPATORY SUPERVISION IN RESTORATION OF LIVELIHOOD OF APS CASE STUDY OF BHAIRAB BRIDGE PROJECT, BANGLADESH Hafiza Khatun, PhD Professor, Department of Geography and Environment University of Dhaka, Bangladesh

BACKGROUND OF BHAIRAB BRIDGE Established over the River Meghna, improved road network between the capital city Dhaka and northern eastern region of the country Bhairab and Ashuganj at the two ends of the bridge are river ports and business hubs, semi urban area Bridge opened to traffic in September 2002 DAC-OECD Guidelines were adopted in designing the SAPs. SAPI covered replacement value for assets and assistances. SAP II covered SDP, dedicated to livelihood restoration and poverty reduction.

SOCIAL COST AND MITIGATION Dislocation of SMEs/mobile vendors, loss of business/employment, mostly squatters 446 directly and 2640 indirectly APs International and national Safeguard Specialists guided EA and supervised SAP implementation by INGO through active participation Supervisors played important role in resolving some critical implementation issues in response to time demand, field situation, monitoring report and participation of stakeholders Livelihood restoration for poverty reduction was done through adopting appropriate mechanisms

PARTICIPATORY SUPERVISION FACILITATED Compensated laborers involved with affected SMEs but not the regular employee Compensated women laborers of rice mill affected during implementation when others were listed during the preparation of SAP Ensured APs’ employment in project by the contractor by participating in monthly meetings Addition of one tunnel in the design for easy movement of the local people Facilitated the pedestrians to use the bridge by providing stairs in important locations

Laborers involved with affected SMEs but not the regular employee Compensated women laborers of rice mill affected during implementation when others were listed during the preparation of SAP

PARTICIPATORY SUPERVISION FACILITATED (CONT.) Facilitated the people to continue using river for bathing and washing purpose Encouraged APs to lodge their grievances, about 2000 grievances were resolved Facilitated INGO to encourage RAC to achieve their resettlement benefit Developed Resettlement Market (RM) by the EA in Ashuganj side and rehabilitated the affected SMEs Adapted strategy during implementation with regard to payment of some grants in favor of commercial plots

INFRASTRUCTURES DEVELOPED BY THE PROJECT

PARTICIPATORY SUPERVISION FACILITATED (CONT) 581 plots with all civic amenities to the affected SMEs (370 to hawkers) on 5 yrs renewable lease basis with participation of the stakeholders Addressed gender issues, 28 plots for women in RM Community infrastructures constructed Vulnerable APs identified before closing ferry in SAP II Provided supervised grants (Tk ) as development fund in two stages to the vulnerable APs with investment plan Provided appropriate short term skill training

UTILIZATION OF DEVELOPMENT FUND AND RESTORATION OF LIVELIHOOD BY VULNERABLE PAPS IN PHASE II

PRESENT STATUS OF APS The RM is now the leading market in the locality, business flourished, income enhanced remarkably. People do not want to call them as resettlement village any more Varieties of businesses have emerged in the area and more than 10,000 people are working these business hubs Majority are fertilizer shops followed by cement, pesticide, restaurants/food store Most of the shops are rented out. Only 30% of them run their own shop Average net income from the business is Tk 25,000/m The current market price of the shop per sft is Tk 3,300 All the utility facilities are there 40% local people are involved in business here while other 60% people are migrants

INFRASTRUCTURES IN ASHUGANJ

PRESENT STATUS OF APS Average investment per shop is Tk 500,000 Average no. of wage employees per shop is 3-4 Avg salary/m of the employees is 6-7 thousand Many plot owner sold their plot/shop, migrated to other places like Dhaka, Chittagong, Sylhet in search of better livelihood Women only work in the restaurants but many women use this market as transit for their business Business is better in winter season 5% porters /people failed to utilize the grant According to some respondents the economy collapsed in this area due to this project. The compensation received by the affected people wasn’t sufficient to start a new business.

Women are working in the restaurants For transit facilities for India some shops demolished without paying compensation Md. Mostafa believes that the project brings a revolutionary change in national level but it didn’t contribute to the improvement of local economy

Bhairab Side The former ferry ghat is used as port for transporting various types of commodities like coal, sand, rod, rice etc. More than 5 thousand porters work here year round The transport agencies of this side are having more business Most of the vulnerable APs received grant left the area with improved economic condition as they came from other parts of the country Economic condition of the people involved with transport agency has improved The restaurant business has not flourished as most of the present customers are laborers All the fruit business have converted to transport business

Bhairab Side

CONCLUSION Timely relocation and resettlement of the SMEs at the RM and restoration of livelihood of the vulnerable APs are the main hallmarks of the SAP experience. The Participatory Supervision was a high point in SAP implementation. This should be strongly emphasized and mandated in any future project implementation strategy for sustainable resettlement and development