i ff~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~w Public Disclosure Authorized "~ ~~ ln n a a'LausWater iRescurces riQ.' ons.rolcl aton Project En2vironi-nenltalAssessrmernt Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized K It VS'Report it; k'h E' X 28"53 Noveimnaber1993 Rescurc i~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ?'t o 'E I Public Disclosure Authorized U~~4" IS lw4It4l4S7wN -- Y - -mEL - - Tamilnadu Water Resources j Consolidation Project Environmental Assessment i 3 | Report EX 2853 November 1993 I HR Wallingjford .egbatcredOtficc: HR Wallitihgrird l,id. IHowbcryI'irk. Wnllingford.Oxfordshire. OXID 8BA. UK Te1qtonic:0491 835381 ItiicromtlionIal+ 44 491 835381 Tclcx: 848552HRSWAL G. 5 Facsiimi: 0491 832233I:ileritialioial + 44 491 83233 Regisicrcdin EnglandNo. 2562099 HR Wallingford Lid is a wholly ownedsulsidiary orIIR WallingfordGroup Ltd. EX 2853 2v9t t91 * Contract This reportdescribes work commissioned in May 1993by the World Bankfor completionIn November1993. The HR Job Numberswere TOR 1478and I TVR 1557. This work was carried out by Dr P Bolton and Mr A W Hall, Section Managers,Overseas Development Unit and Dr B B Sunderesen, environmentalconsultant. Preparedby d...... (narne) (Jo~~~~~~~~~~~blitle) Approvedby ................ | Date .2 . ! HR WallingfordLimited 1993 e p EX2853 W11/9:3 Summary TamilnaduWater Resources Consolidation Project - EnvironmentalAssessment ReportEX 2853 November1993 This environmentalassessment has been preparedby HR Wallingfordand Dr B B Sunderesanin collaborationwith the PublicWorks Department of the Governmentof Tamilnadu.Field studieswere undertakenbetween May and July 1993 and the reportcompleted in November1993. The environmental * assessmentgives an overviewof the water resourcessector of the state o; Tamilnadu. 1t forms an integralpart of the Water ResourcesConsolidation Projectand in somerespects covers issues beyond the scopeof that project. A separateExecutive Summary has beenprepared for the World Bank. Waterresources are of primeimportance in the stateand theproject integrates I environmental considerations into agricultural and water resources development. During preparation of the environmentalassessment, informationhas been providedto the preparationand pre-appraisalmissions I of the WorldBank so thatspecific components of the projecttake intoaccount environmentalissues at theplanning stage. An environmentalaction plan has been preparedand this formsan integralpart of the project. The consultantswish to express their appreciationfor the considerable assistanceprovided by the staff of the PWD and all other govemmentand non-governmentorganisations and individualswho have providedvaluable informationand advice. E I I I I EX 2853 29t111D3 Glossary and List of Abbreviations AED AgriculturalEngineering Division anicut Weir |yacut Irrigatedland CAD Commandarea development (programmes) cess Water tax crore 10.000.000 EA Environmentalassessment (general) EAP Environmentalaction plan EIA EnvironmentalImpact Assessment (specific procedure) * FA FarmerAssociation FAO Foodand AgriculturalOffice FC FarmerCounr 'I I ghat Mountainchain GOI Governmentof India GOTN Governmentof Tamilnadu = IIT Indian Instituteof Technology IMTI IrrigationManagement Training Institute IWS Institutefor WaterStuidies I lakh 100.000 MEF Ministryof Environmentand Forests(GOI) Metrowater MadrasMetropolitan Water Supplyand SewerageBoard MMWSSB MadrasMetropolitan Water Supplyand SewerageBoard NEERI NationalEnvironmental Engineering Research Institute NGO Non-governmentalorganisation NWMP NationalWater Management Project OFD On-f3rmdevelopment (works) panchayats Local(village) councils I PWD PublicWorks Department RBM RiverBasin Management unri (proposed) Rp IndianRupee SIDCO SmallIndustries Development Corporation TNEB TamilnaduElectricity Board TNPCB TamilnaduPollution Control Board TNWRCP TamilnaduWater ResourcesConsolidation Project TOR Termsof reference TWADBoard TamrilnaduWater Supply and DrainageBoard UNDTC UnitedNations Dept of TechnicalCooperation for Development WRC WaterResources Control and ReviewCouncil WRCP WaterResources Consolidation Project WRD WaterResources Department (proposed) Exchangerate: US$1 = Rp 31.00(November 1993) l i EX 28S3 29/11W3 l Contents Pago Titlepage Contract Summary Contents PARTA: ENVIRONMENTALASSESSMENT I Introduction ............. 1 1.1 The setting ............. 1 I 1.2 The context .............. 3 1.3 The project ....... 5 1.3.1 Institutionalstrengthening component ...... 5 i t.3.2 Irrigationrehabilitation and modernisation component......... ................ 6 1.3.3 On-goingminor schemes component ...... 7 2 Regulatory procedures, legislation and linkages ....... .. 8 2.1 Environmentalprotection ............... 8 I 2.2 Water qualityregulations ....... ............... 10 2.3 Irrigationand waterresources regulations ..... ..... 11 2.4 Intersectoralcoordination ....... ............... 12 3 Overview of environmentalstatus in Tamllnadu ......... 13 3.1 Surface water . .13 3.1.1 TambaraparaniBasin .................. 14 3.1.2 Vaigai-PeriyarBasin .................. 15 3.1.3 Parambikulam-AliyarBasin .............. 16 3.1.4 BhavaniBasin .............. .... 16 3.1.5 CauveryBasin ............... ... 17 3.1.6 PennajyarBasin .................. 18 3.1.7 PalarBasin .......... ........ 18 3.2 Groundwater.............. .......... 19 3.3 Water quality ........... ............. 20 3.3.1 Surfacewater ....................... 21 3.3.2 G,.oundwater................. ...... 21 3.3.3 Waterquality standards .......... ...... 22 3.4 Soil and land resources....................... 23 I 3.4.1 Soil and land use .................... 23 3.4.2 Agriculture ........................ 24 3.4.3 Soil conservation..................... 25 3.5 Ecologicalresources ................... 27 3.6 Coastalresources ........ .......... 28 3.7 Energy, mineralsand air .................. 29 3.8 Human resources ........ .......... 30 3.8.1 Tribalminorities .................. 31 3.8.2 Culturalaspects ..................... 31 3.8.3 Healtlhaspects .................. 32 EX2853 2Vt11t93 Contents continued 4 EnvironmentalIssues arising from WRCP..... ......... 34 4.1 Introduction............... 34 4.2 Catchmentprotection ...... ......... 35 4.3 Surfacewater allocation...................... 36 4.4 Irrigationwater management................... 37 4.5 Groundwater................... 39 4.6 Surfacewater quality .40 4.7 Waterqualty for the commandareas .40 4.8 Groundwaterquality . 41 4.9 Rivermorphology and flooding.42 4.10 Energy.43 4.11 Coastaland estuaryregions . 43 4.12 Siltationof tanks,reservoirs and canals ........... 43 4.13 Waterloggingand salinisation.45 4.14 Fisheries............ 45 4.15 Wildlife.46 _ 4.16 Agriculturalweeds and pests ................... 47 4.17 Aquaticweeds ....... ............ 47 4.18 Communityinvolvement ............... 48 4.19 Communityhealth ............... 49 4.20 Landacquisition and economicrehabilitation ..... ... 49 4.21 Constructionactivities .............. .......... 50 5 The role of non-governmentalorganisations .......... .. 51 5.1 Farmers'Associations .......... .............. 51 5.2 The role of women ............. ............. 51 5.3 Other NGOs ............................... 52 5.4 Participationof NGOsin the WRCP ...... ....... 52 6 Conclusions and Recommendations. ...... ........... 53 6.1 Generalsectoral conclusions ....... ............ 53 6.2 WRCPconclusion .............. ............. 54 PARTB: ENVIRONMENTALACTION PLAN I Introduction................................... 59 2 Reviewof policy and institutional issues ...... ........ 59 3 Institutional needs ................................ 60 | 3.1 IWS EnvironmentDivision ........ ............. 60 3.2 WRD (Plan Formulation)Environment Cell ..... .... 61 3.3 RBM(Plan Formulatio;7 & Coordination) Environment I Cells.62 3.4 Equipment ...... ... 62 DX 2853 29111193 Contents continued 4 Role and functions of Uheenvironmental units .......... 63 4.1 Policyand new legislation..................... 63 I 4.2 Environmentalassessment procedures/guidelines and codes. 63 4.3 River basinplans .64 I 4.4 Data collectionand monitoring.65 4.5 Eco-gardensand eco-restoration.66 5 Training and awarenessbuilding .................... 66 6 Consultancy inputs .68 7 Applied research and development needs .69 8 Cost estimate for the EAP................... 71 Tables Table 1 Detailsof on-goingminor schemes Table 2 GOI recommended.Tolerance limi.s for inlandsurface water Table 3 Irrigabilityclasses of waterand water quality criteria for classificationof groundwater Table 4 Tolerancelimits for tradeeffluents Table 5 Sedimentationof selectedreservoirs/tanks in Tamilnadu Table 6 Wldlife sanctuariesin Tamiinadu Table 7 Costestimates for the EnvironmentalAction Pian Figures Figure1 Tarnilnaduriver basins Figure2 Tamilnaduhydrogeology Figure3 Annualrainfall Figure4 Rainfallfrom southwestand northeastmonsoons Figure5 Groundwaterexploitation in 1992 Figure6 Elec'ricalconductivity of groundwater Figure7 Majorand mediumirrigation schemes Figure8 Main soil types Figure9 Wiidlifesanctuaries and forests Figure10 Organigramof the proposedWater Resources Dept. Figure11 Organigramof RiverBasin Management Unit Figure12 EAPimplementation schedule Appendices Appendix1 Government of Tamilnadu Acts related to water resourcesand the environment Appendix2 Ministryof Environmentand ForestsNotification Appendix3 Proposed programmefor EnvironmentalAwareness BuildingWorkshop for SeniorStaff of the PWDIWRD I Appendix4 Issuesto be coveredin the code of good construction practice Appendix5 References EX 2BS3 2/1 1/13 I _ I