INDIA: National Hydrology Project
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SFG2278 INDIA: National Hydrology Project Public Disclosure Authorized Final Report: May 2016 Public Disclosure Authorized Environment Assessment Ministry of Water Resources & Ganga Public Disclosure Authorized Rejuvenation Public Disclosure Authorized Table of Contents Chapter 1: Project Description 1 1.1 Background 1 1.2 Sectoral and Institutional Context 2 1.3 Objectives of the Project 3 1.3.1 Project’s Specific Objectives 4 1.3.2 Project Beneficiaries 4 1.3.3 Results Indicators 4 1.4 Project Description 5 1.4.1 Project Area 5 1.4.2 Project Scope 5 1.4.3 Project Components 5 1.4.4 Component A: Water Resources Data Acquisition System 6 1.4.5 Component B: Water Resources Information System 7 1.4.6 Component C: Water Resources Operation and Planning systems 7 1.4.7 Component D: Institutional Capacity Enhancement 8 1.5 Institutional and Implementation Arrangements 9 1.6 Results Monitoring and Evaluation 9 Chapter 2: Environmental Isssues in the Project 11 2.1 No adverse impacts from the Project 11 2.2 World Bank’s Safeguards Policies 11 2.2.1 Environmental Assessment OP/BP 4.01 11 2.2.2 Natural Habitats OP/BP 4.04 12 2.2.3 Forests OP/BP 4.36 12 2.2.4 Pest Management OP 4.09 12 2.2.5 Physical Cultural Resources OP/BP 4.11 12 2.2.6 Safety of Dams OP/BP 4.37 12 2.2.7 Projects on International Waterways OP/BP 7.50 12 2.2.8 Projects in Disputed Areas OP/BP 7.60 12 2.3 Rationale for Undertaking the Environment Assessment 13 Chapter 3: Water Quality issues & interventions 14 3.1 Availability of Water Resources 14 3.2 Current and Future Water Requirements 14 3.3 Water Pollution 15 3.3.1 Domestic Water Pollution 15 3.3.2 Industrial Water Pollution 16 3.3.3 Agricultural Water Pollution 16 3.4 Legal framework for Water Quality Management 16 3.4.1 Water Act, 1974 16 3.4.2 Environment Protection Act 17 i 3.5 Water Quality Management Programs (Past, Current and Future outlooks) 18 3.5.1 National river conservation program 18 3.5.2 Ganga Action Plan; Namami Ganga; and other programs on the Ganga 19 3.5.3 Yamuna Action Plan 20 3.5.4 Gomti Action Plan. 21 3.5.5 Damodar Action Plan 22 3.5.6 National Lake Conservation Plan 22 3.5.7 Control of industrial effluent discharge 23 3.6 Water quality monitoring in India 23 3.6.1 Inception of Water Quality Monitoring in India 23 3.7 Current Monitoring Networks and Protocol 29 3.7.1 Protocols in the water quality monitoring and sampling procedures 31 3.7.2 Laboratory Protocol 31 3.8 Water Quality in various River basins 33 3.8.1 Indus 33 3.8.2 Ganga 33 3.8.3 Brahmaputra 34 3.8.4 Barak & others 35 3.8.5 Godavari 35 3.8.6 Krishna 36 3.8.7 Cauvery 36 3.8.8 Subernarekha 37 3.8.9 Bhramani & Bhaitarni 37 3.8.10 Mahanadi 37 3.8.11 Pennar 38 3.8.12 Mahi 38 3.8.13 Sabarmati 39 3.8.14 Naramada 39 3.8.15 Tapi 40 3.9 Links between ground water and surface water quality 41 3.9.1 Types of Groundwater Contamination 42 3.10 Degradation of aquatic ecosystems and impacts on livelihoods 43 3.10.1 Impacts of development on the river ecosystems and subsequent mitigation measures 43 3.10.2 Impacts of water resource development on livelihoods 44 3.11 State of Pesticide use in India 45 3.12 Water Pollution, Sanitation and Health 45 3.13 Budget earmarked for Water Quality Issues in the Project 47 Annex 3.1 Mitigation Measures/Environment Management Measures for Civil Works 50 Pre-Construction Activities 50 Building Design and Related Aspects 50 Construction Phase - Maintenance and Related Aspects 51 Energy-Efficiency Considerations in Planning and Design of the Buildings 52 Environmental Management 53 Chapter 4: Ecological Flows & Interventions 55 4.1 Background 55 ii 4.2 Environmental Flow: Policy and Laws in India 55 4.2.1 Constitutional provisions 55 4.2.2 Policy and Laws in the Hydropower Sector 56 4.2.3 Policy and Laws in the Water Resources Sector 56 4.2.4 Policy and Laws in the Environment Sector 56 4.2.5 Institutional Responsibilities 57 4.3 Current Initiatives 57 4.4 Evolving Scenario 58 4.5 Knowledge Challenges for an Environmental Flow Regime 59 4.6 Role of Basin Planning in ensuring appropriate Environmental Flows 59 Chapter 5: Basin Plans & incorporation of environmental issues 65 5.1 Background 65 5.2 Definition of IWRM 66 5.3 National Water Policy (2012) on IWRM 66 5.4 IWRM – AN EVOLUTIONARY PROCESS AT RIVER BASIN LEVEL 66 5.4.1 Embarking on IWRM in a Basin 66 5.4.2 Important Conditions 67 5.4.3 Basin Management Plan and Vision 67 5.4.4 Participation and Coordination Mechanisms, Information Sharing and Exchange 67 5.4.5 Capacity Development 68 5.4.6 Well-defined Flexible and Enforceable Legal Frameworks and Regulation 68 5.4.7 Water Allocation Plans 68 5.4.8 Adequate Investment, Financial Stability and Sustainable Cost-recovery 68 5.4.9 Good Knowledge of Natural Resources Present in the Basin 69 5.4.10 Comprehensive Monitoring and Evaluation of the River Basin 69 5.4.11 Political Will and Commitment 70 5.5 Role of River Basin Organisations 70 5.6 Important Directions for IWRM 72 5.6.1 Water Availability and Requirements 72 5.6.2 Water Rights and Priorities 72 5.6.3 Policy, Legal and Institutional Framework 73 5.6.4 Project Planning, Implementation and Prioritization 74 5.7 Sectoral Issues with reference to IWRM 75 5.7.1 Domestic Use 75 5.7.2 Irrigation 77 5.7.3 Flood Control and Management 79 5.7.4 Hydropower 80 5.7.5 Industrial Use 80 5.7.6 Navigation 81 5.7.7 Ecological and Other Uses 81 5.7.8 Special Ground Water Aspects 81 5.7.9 Demand Management, Water Pricing and Participatory Management 82 5.7.10 Environmental Aspects 84 5.7.11 Rehabilitation and Resettlement 84 5.7.12 Water Quality Aspects 85 iii 5.7.13 Inter-basin Transfers 86 5.7.14 Interstate Issues 87 5.7.15 International Dimensions 87 5.7.16 Water Resources Development and Management at Local Level 88 5.7.17 Information and Knowledge Management 88 5.7.18 Research and Developmental Needs 89 iv CHAPTER 1: PROJECT DESCRIPTION 1.1 Background 1. India is the world’s 9th largest economy1, second largest populated country; and is among the fastest growing economies. The current growth rates of 7.4 (in 2014) and 7.5 (in 2015 projected) is the fastest among major countries, and this growth rate is expected to sustain in near future. Between 2005 and 2010 alone, India’s share of global GDP increased from 1.8 to 2.7 percent, and 53 million people were lifted out of poverty. Over the last two decades, progress toward many of the Millennium Development Goals has been creditable given the sheer scale of the challenge, including in universal primary education, sustainable access to safe drinking water, reduction in maternal mortality. Continuing this economic growth, expansion of urban-industrial activity, diversification of the economy and skilling of the workforce provides India an opportunity to reduce extreme poverty below 5% by 2030, a reduction of 190 million from the global poor (equivalent to the contribution of China in reducing world poverty in the last two decades). 2. However, poverty still remains widespread, and India still has the largest share of the world’s poor. Each of the seven low-income states2 has poverty rates that are two to three times higher than those of the more advanced states. Poverty reduction in the poorest states— which are also the most populous—has been slow. Urbanization is a process in transition (with different scale and scope among the states), and is not yet a quick way out of poverty. Consequently, 65 percent of the population remains in rural areas and urban fringes. The mainstay in the rural income - agriculture contributes 12.3 percent of the national economy, but employs 53 percent of all workers. As a result 4 out of 5 of India’s poor live in the rural areas. 3. India had once witnessed very significant changes in the agricultural sector. Called “India’s Green Revolution”, the changes that occurred mainly through the 1970s and 1980s transformed the nation from one that was characterized by chronic famines and dependence on food imports into one that is not only self-sufficient in food but also a major exporter of agriculture produce (over USD 44 billion per year3). A major input to the “green revolution” was irrigation, which had gradually expanded to 103 million hectares of cropland. Some substantial investments in water resources infrastructure over the last 50 years helped eliminate droughts and famines; and also provided the basis for broad-based development. Notwithstanding, for some years now agriculture sector performed blow expectation, and improved performance in agriculture is crucial for lifting most people out of poverty. 4. Lifting people out of poverty, however, is not enough. Even above the threshold (defined as consumption growth of the bottom 40 percent of the population), a large number of people, especially in rural areas, have consumption levels that are very close to the poverty line.