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WATER SECTOR DEVELOPMENT Public Disclosure Authorized AND INSTITUTIONAL IMPROVEMENTS PIU Environmental Management Plan Public Disclosure Authorized Rehabilitation of Primary Canals of Low-Hrazdan Irrigation Scheme: Low Hrazdan 1st Stage Canal, Low Hrazdan 2nd Stage Canal Shah Aru Canal Public Disclosure Authorized 30 September 2008 Revised – 9 August 2011 Public Disclosure Authorized WSDII PIU 75/44 Baghramyan Street Yerevan 0033, Armenia Tel +374 10 277943 Rehabilitation of Low Hrazdan Primary Canals Contents Glossary 2 Executive Summary 3 1 Introduction 6 2 Project Description 7 3 Description of Existing Conditions 9 4 Environmental and Social Impacts 13 5 Mitigation and Enhancement Measures 14 6 Institutional Responsibilities, Reporting and Budget 16 6.1 Institutional Responsibilities 16 6.2 Reporting Format and Schedule 17 6.3 Budget 17 7. Public Consultations 17 8 Environmentally Sound Clauses for Civil Works Contracts 18 9 Main Findings 19 Annexes 21 Annex A: Environmental Management Plan: Mitigation Measures 21 Annex B: Monitoring Plan 27 Annex C: Incident Report Form 29 Annex D: Check List of Potential Environmental and Social Impacts 30 Annex E: Environmental and Environmental Clauses for Civil Works Contracts 43 Annex F: Minutes of Public Consultation Meetings 50 1 Rehabilitation of Low Hrazdan Primary Canals Glossary AMD Armenian Dram DM Distance Marker (or “Picket Number”) EA Environmental Assessment EIA Environmental Impact Assessment ESIA Environmental and Social Impact Assessment EMP Environmental Management Plan Environmental Expertise State Environmental Expertise SNCO of the MNP ESHSP Environmental, Social and Health Safety Plan ESIO Environmental and Social Impact Officer, MCA-Armenia FS/FD Consultant Feasibility Study/Final Design Consultant GDP Gross Domestic Product GIS Geographic Information System GoA Government of Armenia ICID International Commission on Irrigation and Drainage ICOLD International Commission on Large Dams IE Implementing Entity Irrigation PIU Water Sector Development and Institutional Improvements PIU MCC Millennium Challenge Corporation MCA-Armenia Millennium Challenge Account - Armenia SNCO MNP Ministry of Nature Protection of the Republic of Armenia NEAP National Environmental Action Plan NGO Non-Governmental Organization PAP Project Affected Party RAP Resettlement Action Plan RA Republic of Armenia RRRP Rural Road Rehabilitation Project SCWS State Committee on Water Systems USD United States of America Dollars WB World Bank WSA Water Supply Agency WUA Water User Association 2 Rehabilitation of Low Hrazdan Primary Canals Executive Summary Rehabilitation of Low Hrazdan Irrigation Scheme is envisaged under the Additional Financing of the Irrigation Rehabilitation Emergency Project (IREP). Rehabilitation of this Irrigation Scheme was planned under the MCA-Armenia program. For this purposes Environmental Management Plan was prepared under the MCA-Armenia program, however because of the limited time and resources these rehabilitation works were not carried out under the MCA-Armenia program. This Environmental Management Plan (EMP) has been developed for the rehabilitation of the Low Hrazdan Main Canal, as a part of the comprehensive assignment under the Infrastructure Activity of the Irrigated Agriculture Project of MCA-Armenia. An overall objective of the EMP is to bring the project into compliance with the environmental and social requirements set by the legislation of the Republic of Armenia and environmental and social policies of the Millennium Challenge Corporation. The EMP links the mitigation measures into a comprehensive implementation scheme, designed to ensure action. It describes institutional responsibilities, compliance monitoring and reporting requirements, and cost for implementing the EMP, all in order to answer the “who?” “how?” and “how much?” questions. The Low Hrazdan Main Canal is one of the major irrigation systems of Armenia. The feasibility study and final design for the Low Hrazdan Main Canal was prepared by “Hayjrnakhagits” CJSC under the contract IA-06/003 for Design and Construction Supervision for Rehabilitation of Six Main Canals. The proposed project is expected to cover rehabilitation of: degraded structures of Low Hrazdan 1st Stage Canal - 1,203km, Low Hrazdan 2nd Stage Canal – 2,368km, and Shah Aru Canal – 1,712km, including monolithic concrete lining 12 cm thick, rehabilitation of existing and performance of new joints. The rehabilitation works are expected to start in fall 2011 and continue for two years, taking place during the irrigation off-season. The overall objective of the rehabilitation is to improve the technical state of the main canal in order to reduce seepage losses, restore the reliability of water command and delivery to irrigated lands, and, where feasible, and if water supplies are available, to expand irrigated lands. It is expected that the results of the canal rehabilitation program will be an increase in crop yield and in the incomes of the water users. Lower Hrazdan Irrigation Scheme is located in the Armavir Marz of the Republic of Armenia.. The water source is Hrazdan River. The system takes water 1.5 km downstream from head intake structure of Artashat main canal through an aquedact. The system also gets additional water from Sevjur River. The design area of agricultural lands under command of irrigation system is 10.8 ha, actually irrigated 5400ha. 3 Rehabilitation of Low Hrazdan Primary Canals The system consists of 50.2 km long Low Hrazdan 1st and 2nd Stage Canals (accordingly: 28,3 km and 21,9 km) and 9.3 km long Shah Aru canal. The irrigation network of the system covers pre-mountain regions of the north-western part of Ararat Plain. About 15,900 households within irrigation systems under command area are considered project beneficiaries. There are 30 beneficiary communities whose lands are located within the sections of canals subject to rehabilitation. The irrigation systems supplied from the main canal are serviced by the “Vagharshapat” and “Khoy” WUAs. The design discharge at the main canal head structure is 10.02 m3/sec, stage II - 7.3 m3/sec and Shah Aru canal - 2.0 m3/sec. The current annual demand for irrigation water amounts to 90.0 mln.m3, and the future cadastral demand – 131.6 mln.m3. The following problems were identified during investigations: Most of the stage I and stage II of main canal is lined with monolithic concrete, pre-cast concrete slabs, L-shaped r/c blocks. Some of the lined sections of canals have been recently rehabilitated under World Bank project. Most of canal lining has been deteriorated and L-slabs have been deformed due to long operation, climatic conditions, erosion by water and anthropogenic factors, some sections have lost their vertical position causing reduction of discharge capacity and considerable seepage losses. Hydraulic structures located on canals are in poor technical state, and some structures are even in emergency state. All structures of Low Hrazdan 1st and 2nd staged canals, and Shah Aru canal were rehabilitated under the MCA-Armenis program. This project addresses to rehabilitate 3.568km of Low Hrazdan canals (Low Hrazdan 1st Stage Canal - 1,203km, Low Hrazdan 2nd Stage Canal – 2,368km), which will result in saving 7.6mln.m3 of irrigation water, and 1.06km of Shah Aru canal, which will result in saving 0.848mln.m3 of irrigation water. The main crops within the command areas of irrigation system are grape, fruits, vegetables, wheat, potato and perennial fogger. The proposed rehabilitation works will have insignificant, short-term and localized environmental impacts during implementation of rehabilitation works and further operation and maintenance of the canals. The impacts during the implementation period are expected to be mainly caused by the need for removal of degraded concrete slabs lining canals under rehabilitation; removal of regulating structures; upgrading of service roads; and earthworks as required. All debris, spillage and construction waste, including silt taken from canals must be properly removed and disposed of at approved landfills/dump sites that do not encroach upon areas inhabited by local residents. Earth borrowing and mining of local aggregates and spoils disposal sites will have a temporary negative impact on the 4 Rehabilitation of Low Hrazdan Primary Canals environment. Clearing of vegetation and excavations may also take place for some parts of the access roads. Base camps with storage of oil, chemicals and other pollutants will be removed. Following rehabilitation, canal embankments will be planted with ground cover and steep slopes strengthened with vegetation, grass and plants or gabions. Dust and smoke arising from construction machines can have negative impact on the ambient air quality. Such effects are expected to be minimal and transient. During operation negative environmental impacts will be less apparent, but might result from inadequate attention to removal of silt debris and waste from canal beds during routine maintenance. Leakage from canals will be monitored to prevent excess soil saturation and water logging. Rehabilitation of Low Hrazdan 1st and 2nd Stage and Shah-Aru Canals will bring positive changes to delivery of irrigation water, and water users will more easily obtain the required quantity of irrigation water in a timely manner. Greater water use efficiency can lead to increased levels of agricultural productivity, including more water for landholders at the end of the canal delivery system. Rehabilitation can