Irrigation Management Improvement Investment Program (RRP BAN 45207)
Total Page:16
File Type:pdf, Size:1020Kb
Irrigation Management Improvement Investment Program (RRP BAN 45207) Initial Environmental Examination Project Number: 45207 August 2013 BAN: Irrigation Management Improvement Investment Program Prepared by TA 8154: Preparing the Irrigation Management Improvement Program CONTENTS I. PROJECT DESCRIPTION .................................................................................................. 1 A. INTRODUCTION................................................................................................................... 1 B. DESCRIPTION OF THE CURRENT PROJECT ........................................................................... 1 C. CURRENT ISSUES ............................................................................................................... 2 D. THE PROPOSED PROJECT .................................................................................................. 3 E. NEW INITIATIVES FOR IRRIGATION MANAGEMENT FOR MUHURI IRRIGATION PROJECT ............. 9 II. DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT ..........................................................................10 A. AGRO-ECOLOGICAL ZONE ..................................................................................................10 B. CLIMATE ...........................................................................................................................10 C. WATER RESOURCES .........................................................................................................12 D. ASSESSMENT OF WATER RESOURCES................................................................................12 E. NATURAL ENVIRONMENT ...................................................................................................18 F. SOCIO-ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT ......................................................................................19 G. SOCIAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES ..................................................................................20 III. POLICY, LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK .............................................20 A. NATIONAL LAWS AND POLICIES ..........................................................................................20 B. ADB POLICY ON ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT .................................................................21 C. LEGAL FRAMEWORK SPECIFIC TO WATER PROGRAMS. ........................................................22 D. NATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL NETWORK ...............................................................................22 E. APPLICATION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL CLEARANCE CERTIFICATE ............................................23 IV. ANTICIPATED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES ............23 A. CONSTRUCTION IMPACTS ..................................................................................................23 B. OPERATIONAL IMPACTS .....................................................................................................24 C. SUMMARY OF POSSIBLE IMPACTS.......................................................................................24 D. IMPACTS RELATING TO SPECIFIC ASPECTS OF THE PROJECT ...............................................30 V. INFORMATION DISCLOSURE, CONSULTATION AND PARTICIPATION .......................41 A. PUBLIC CONSULTATION AND DISCLOSURE ..........................................................................41 B. COMMENTS AND FEEDBACK ...............................................................................................42 VI. GRIEVANCE REDRESS MECHANISM ..........................................................................43 VII. ENVIRONMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN .........................................................................43 A. INSTITUTIONAL ARRANGEMENTS ........................................................................................43 B. ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING ..........................................................................................49 C. ENVIRONMENT MANAGEMENT PLAN ...................................................................................52 VIII. INSTITUTIONAL STRENGTHENING AND CAPACITY BUILDING ................................57 IX. CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ...............................................................58 X. PROJECT ACTIVITY ..........................................................................................................59 XI. RELATED POSITIVE IMPACTS ......................................................................................59 ii FIGURE 1 MUHURI PROJECT LOCATION ......................................................................................... 1 FIGURE 2 TYPICAL ARRANGEMENT OF THE PIPE DISTRIBUTION ....................................................... 4 FIGURE 3 MUHURI AND MUHURI KAHUA IRRIGATION PROJECT ........................................................ 8 FIGURE 4 AVERAGE RAINFALL (PARSHURAM AND TEMPERATURE COMILLA) .................................11 FIGURE 5 PROJECT IMPLEMENTATION ARRANGEMENTS ................................................................45 FIGURE 6 ENVIRONMENTAL RESPONSIBILITIES ..............................................................................46 TABLE 1 PROPOSED INVESTMENT FOR MIP ................................................................................... 7 TABLE 2 ESTIMATED CURRENT AND FUTURE IRRIGATION AREAS .................................................... 7 TABLE 3 KEY PROJECT ELEMENTS ................................................................................................ 9 TABLE 4 MONTHLY POTENTIAL EVAPO-TRANSPIRATION(MM) ..........................................................11 TABLE 5 FLOW DATA 1991-2012 .................................................................................................13 TABLE 6 DEPENDABLE SUPPLY TO MUHURI M3/S ..........................................................................13 TABLE 7 CATCHMENT AREAS .......................................................................................................13 TABLE 8 CURRENT LAND USE AND CROPPING ..............................................................................15 TABLE 9 ESTIMATED CURRENT AND FUTURE IRRIGABLE AREAS (HA) ..............................................16 TABLE 10 WATER QUALITY .........................................................................................................17 TABLE 11 CONTAMINATION OF WELLS BY ARSENIC .......................................................................17 TABLE 12 SUMMARY OF POSSIBLE IMPACTS .................................................................................24 TABLE 13 IMPACT EVALUATION ....................................................................................................28 TABLE 14 OVERVIEW OF ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES ............................40 TABLE 15 ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING PLAN ...........................................................................50 TABLE 16 COST OF ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING .......................................................................52 TABLE 17 PROPOSED INTERVENTIONS AT MUHURI IRRIGATION PROJECT .......................................52 TABLE 18 ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN..........................................................................53 TABLE 19 ENVIRONMENTAL STRENGTHENING AND CAPACITY BUILDING FOR MIP ...........................57 TABLE 20 MAIN NEGATIVE IMPACTS AND PROPOSED MITIGATION MEASURES ...................................58 TABLE 21 MAIN POSITIVE IMPACTS OF THE PROJECT ......................................................................59 i EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1. During country programming consultations held in April/May 2012 between the Government of Bangladesh (GOB) and ADB it was agreed to develop a $40million first tranche for the Muhuri Irrigation Project. The original feasibility study of the Muhuri Irrigation Project (MIP) was in 1973 with construction completed in 1986. In addition to irrigation, the MIP provides flood control and protection against the intrusion of tidal water. The design enabled dry season irrigation as well as supplemental wet season irrigation by constructing the Feni Closure Dam and Regulator to create a reservoir downstream of the confluence of the Feni, Muhuri and Kalidash-Pahalia rivers. The original design area for the Muhuri Irrigation Project was 23,000ha 2. The main issue for Muhuri is the gradual loss of area under irrigation. Analysis by the project preparatory technical assistance (PPTA) of the 2011 boro cropping using satellite analysis estimated the irrigated area in the Muhuri Irrigation Project to be about 11,800ha of which 8,400ha is from surface water and 3,400 from groundwater1. The main causes of the reduction in irrigated area are complex but include: (i) Major siltation of the khals and rivers resulting in much of the irrigation area having no or limited access to khal water. (ii) Over the 29 years, since construction the reservoir, storage has significantly decreased due to siltation. The original reservoir storage was about 32Mm3 but this has reduced to about 7Mm3. The current overall storage in reservoir, rivers and khals is 54Mm3 of which 18Mm3 is live storage. (iii) There appears to have been reduction in the river flows as a result of increased abstractions in India. Heavy abstraction of ground water is also likely to be reducing the natural recharge to the rivers. (iv) There are large annual climatic variations which is affecting water availability. Recent cold winters and changes in agricultural practice