49372-002: Greater Thal Canal Irrigation Project
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Environmental Impact Assessment Project number: 49372–002 February 2020 PAK: Greater Thal Canal Irrigation Project Main Report Prepared by Irrigation Department, Government of the Punjab for the Asian Development Bank. This environmental impact assessment is a document of the borrower. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of ADB's Board of Directors, Management, or staff, and may be preliminary in nature. In preparing any country program or strategy, financing any project, or by making any designation of or reference to a particular territory or geographic area in this document, the Asian Development Bank does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area. IRRIGATION DEPARTMENT Greater Thal Canal Irrigation Project ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT Draft EIA Report January 2020 Greater Thal Canal Irrigation Project Abbreviations EIA Report CONTENTS Page No. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY IX CHAPTER-1 INTRODUCTION ........................................................................................... 1-1 1.1 INTRODUCTION AND BACKGROUND ....................................................................................... 1-1 1.2 PROJECT OBJECTIVE ................................................................................................................ 1-2 1.3 NATURE AND SIZE OF THE PROJECT ...................................................................................... 1-2 1.4 NECESSITY OF THE EIA ............................................................................................................. 1-6 1.5 OBJECTIVES OF THE EIA ........................................................................................................... 1-7 1.7 STUDY APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY ............................................................................. 1-8 1.8 SCOPING ...................................................................................................................................... 1-8 CHAPTER-2 LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK POLICY .......................... 2-1 2.1 GENERAL .................................................................................................................................... 2-1 2.2 BACKGROUND ............................................................................................................................. 2-1 2.3 APPLICABLE NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL POLICIES / LAWS ............................................... 2-1 2.4 NATIONAL POLICY ON THE ENVIRONMENT ............................................................................ 2-2 2.5 LAND ACQUISITION ACT 1894 ................................................................................................... 2-2 2.6 ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATIONS ............................................................................................ 2-2 2.7 ASIAN DEVELOPMENT BANK REQUIREMENTS ...................................................................... 2-7 2.7.1 ADB’s Requirements for Preparation of Environmental Assessments of Projects . 2-7 2.7.2 ADB’s Safeguards Policy Statement 2009 .............................................................. 2-8 2.8 INTERNATIONAL PROTOCOL/CONVENTIONS .......................................................................... 2-10 2.9 COMPARISON OF INTERNATIONAL AND LOCAL ENVIRONMENTAL LEGISLATIONS .............. 2-13 CHAPTER-3 THE PROJECT ............................................................................................. 3-1 3.1 RATIONALE .................................................................................................................................. 3-1 3.2 PROJECT DESCRIPTION ............................................................................................................ 3-2 3.2.1 Output 1: System infrastructure development for the Chaubara Branch system ... 3-2 3.2.2 Output 2: On-farm command area development (CAD) in the Main Canal, Mankera and Chaubara branch areas and capacity development of the PAD and beneficiaries ............................................................................................................ 3-7 3.2.3 Output 3: Institutional capacity strengthening for irrigation systems and water resources management ........................................................................................ 3-10 3.3 SUMMARY COST ESTIMATES AND FINANCING PLAN ......................................................... 3-11 3.4 IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS ..................................................................................... 3-12 CHAPTER-4 BASELINE CONDITIONS ............................................................................. 4-1 4.1 GENERAL ..................................................................................................................................... 4-1 4.2 AREA OF INFLUENCE ................................................................................................................. 4-1 4.3 PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT ......................................................................................................... 4-2 4.3.1 Physiography & Topography ................................................................................... 4-2 4.3.2 Seismology. ............................................................................................................. 4-4 4.3.3 Climate .................................................................................................................... 4-4 4.3.4 Surface and Ground Water ..................................................................................... 4-3 4.3.5 Noise Level .............................................................................................................. 4-4 4.3.6 Ambient air quality ................................................................................................... 4-5 Greater Thal Canal Irrigation Project Abbreviations EIA Report 4.4 BIOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT ..................................................................................................... 4-7 4.4.1 Land Cover and Habitats ........................................................................................ 4-7 4.5 SOCIO-ECONOMIC ENVIRONMENT ........................................................................................ 4-16 4.5.1 Tehsil Mankera ...................................................................................................... 4-16 4.5.2 Chaubara ............................................................................................................... 4-16 4.5.3 Noorpur Thal ......................................................................................................... 4-17 4.5.4 Settlement Patterns ............................................................................................... 4-18 4.5.5 Use of Energy and Communication Technology .................................................. 4-18 4.5.6 Education, Health and other Infrastructure ........................................................... 4-18 4.5.7 Water and Sanitation Facilities ............................................................................. 4-19 4.5.8 Livelihood .............................................................................................................. 4-19 CHAPTER-5 ANALYSIS OF ALTERNATIVES .................................................................. 5-1 5.1 NO PROJECT ALTERNATIVE ..................................................................................................... 5-1 5.2 OPTION OF TUBEWELLS INSTEAD OF CANALS ..................................................................... 5-1 5.3 ALTERNATIVE IRRIGATION METHODS .................................................................................... 5-1 5.4 ALTERNATIVE LAND LEVELLING METHODS ........................................................................... 5-2 5.5 ALTERNATIVE METHODS OF ON-FARM WATER CONSERVATION ....................................... 5-2 5.6 TOTALLY UNLINED CHANNELS ................................................................................................. 5-3 5.7 THE PROJECT AS PROPOSED .................................................................................................. 5-3 5.8 CONCLUSION .............................................................................................................................. 5-3 CHAPTER-6 POTENTIAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS & MITIGATIONS .................... 6-1 6.1 GENERAL ..................................................................................................................................... 6-1 6.2 METHODOLOGY .......................................................................................................................... 6-1 6.2.1 Impact Magnitude .................................................................................................... 6-1 6.2.2 Impact Significance ................................................................................................. 6-2 6.2.3 Mitigation and Enhancement Measures ................................................................. 6-2 6.3 IMPACTS DURING PLANNING AND DESIGN PHASE/ PRE-CONSTRUCTION ....................... 6-3 6.3.1 Features of Project Design ..................................................................................... 6-3 6.3.2 Land Acquisition .................................................................................................... 6-13 6.3.3 Disruption to Public Life .......................................................................................