Most of the engineering practices are always guided with Standard Specifications, Engineering Working Norms, and Guidelines etc. Many of these practices fulfill much of the environmental considerations. For example trimming of cut-slope to safe angle and covered with adequate bio-engineering is a best mitigation measures for landslide protection. There are so many such examples which are part of basic engineering practices. And these are basically mitigation measures for avoiding and reducing any potential adverse environmental impacts in civil works refer ▬►Table 2.7: Recommended Environmental and Social Mitigation Measures ESMF,Ch.2, GESU/DoR 1999, ▬► Standard Specifications for Roads and Bridges Section 100 General, Sub-section 109:Environmental Protection Works

Identification of such environmental considerations and assessing degree of their impacts are very essential following a Bridge Project Cycle. So that appropriate mitigation measures could be designed, quantified, procured and implement to acceptable compliance.

In case, Flow Chart suggested above is not in practice, and annual program is approved for new bridges construction, there may be three possibilities before implementation of approved program (a) either bridge designs are already at hand with the BP and immediately can go for procurement of civil works or (b) design services are to be procured for those bridges before procurement of civil works, or (c) designs and civil works are to be procured together under Design and Built options through the Contractors. The approved annual program list could contain minor, medium and major bridges.

• In the 1^st case, design will have to be revisited to ensure adequate incorporation of possible environmental mitigation measures. If found essential. A separate rapid environmental assessment study should be procured. And identify potential environmental issues, their degree of impacts. And carry out design for their mitigation measures and develop their implementation modality. Incorporate all those designed mitigation measures and implementation modalities into the contract documents including in cost estimate, specification, design and drawings etc before publication of procurement notice for civil works.
• In the 2^nd case, if design service has not been procured, ensure design ToR contain adequate provisions to cover environmental considerations. So that environmental mitigation measures are incorporated in the contract documents including cost estimate, specification, design and drawings, implementation monitoring modality etc before publication of procurement notice for civil works.
• In the 3^rd case, if bridge works to be procured through Design and Build option, ensure adequate environmental considerations in the contract documents including BoQ, standard specification, conditions of contract etc.

Refer ▬►Box2.4: Environmental and Social Safeguard and Mitigation Measures must be included, Ch.-2 ESMF/GESU/DoR

In all the cases, environmental assessment studies are required in order to address environmental considerations during construction of maintenance works and new bridge construction works. The purpose of study is to (a) identify/ foresee potential environmental issues right from survey to design period, (b) design/ incorporat mitigation measures to reduce / nullify or avoid such issues through standard procedures in design and contract documents, (c) ensure implementation of those designs/mitigation measures with adequate compliance monitoring and reporting, if necessary correcting for enhanced results. It is basically to be based on Table 2.1, ESMF, Ch-2. The possible steps of environmental study shall be as follows: