Government of Nepal Ministry of Irrigation Department of Irrigation Sunsari Morang Irrigation Project SITAGUNJ SECONDARY CANAL SOCIAL AND ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN For ESSENTIAL STRUCTURE IMPROVEMENT WORKS Of SITAGUNJ IRRIGATION SYSTEM To be implemented under Irrigation and Water Resources Management Project (IWRMP) January, 2012 Table of Contents Page No. 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 SEMP (Social & Environmental Management Plan) 1 1.2 Objective of SEMP 1 1.3 Project Background 1 1.4 Present Status 3 1.5 Command Area/ Household/Beneficiaries 14 1.6 Accessibility 16 1.7 Proposed ESI and Improvement Activities 17 2 METHODOLOGY 2.1 Background information Review 18 2.2 Field Visit 18 2.3 Meeting 18 2.4 Focus Group Discussion 18 2.5 Social Mapping 19 2.6 Time line Analysis 19 2.7 Debriefing/Wrap-up meeting 19 3 IDENTIFICATION AND ASSESSMENT OF POTENTIAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION MEASURES 3.1 Steel Gate Repair and maintenance 20 3.2 Reshaping of canal 20 3.3 Erosion of farmland 20 3.4 Seepage and damaged of canal section. 21 3.5 Health, Sanitation and Safety. 21 3.6 Gender Issues. 22 3.7 Social Issues of Dalits. 22 3.8 Social Issues of Indigenous People 23 4 RAP, IPDP and GAP 26 5 MITIGATION COST ASSESSMENT 27 6 MONITORING MECHANISM 28 Page No. LIST OF TABLES Table - 1 : Details of Section of S9. 4 Table- 2 : Canal Networks of the System. 5 Table - 3 : Details of Sub-Secondary & Tertiary Canal. 6 Table- 4 :List of Structures in Sub-Secondary Canal under S9 Secondary Canal. 8 Table- 5 : List of Structures in Tertiary Canal under S9 Secondary Canal. 8 Table – 6 : Distribution of Population by VDC. 15 Table – 7 : Distribution of Population by Ethnic Group. 16 Table – 8 : Social Environmental Management Plan. 23 LIST OF FIGURES Figure -1: Canal Network Diagram of Sitagunj Secondary Canal. 3 Figure – 2 : Organization Chart of WUA. 10 ANNEXES Annex No. 1 - Nepal Map & Location Plan. Annex No. 2 – Eastern Regional Map Annex No. 3 - District Map Annex No. 4 – SMIP General Layout Map. Annex No. 5 – Layout Map of Sitagunj Secondary Canal. Annex No. 6 – Attendance of Mass Meeting. Annex No. 7 – Attendance of Focus Group Discussion & debriefing meeting with farmers. Annex No. 8 – Social Map sketched by Farmers and refined by SEMP team. Annex No. 9 – Photos. 1 INTRODUCTION 1.1 SEMP A Social and Environmental Management Plan (SEMP) identifies and assesses the social and environmental impacts resulting from the proposed development activities and prepares a management plan with mitigation measures including the cost of mitigation, monitoring, auditing and capacity building. A SEMP must be prepared for each sub-project to be financed by the World bank as per Bank's safeguard policies, even if no EIA/IEE is required (as per the Environmental Protection Rules 1997, 1999 of (GON), and it should be site specific. 1.2 Objective of SEMP The objective of the SEMP is not only to mitigate the adverse (or negative) social and environmental impacts but at the same time enhance the positive impacts. It should contain a detailed description of the potential social and environmental impacts (both during construction and operation & maintenance), mitigation measures and mechanisms for both implementation and monitoring for each sub-project activity including the responsible agency. The SEMP should be properly and adequately integrated in the overall planning, designing, budgeting and implementing of a sub-project. In fact, the SEMP will be an integral part of the sub-project plan (SPP). 1.3 Project Background Sunsari Morang Irrigation Scheme (SMIS) is one of the candidate schemes selected for management transfer under Integrated Water Resources Management Project (IWRMP). Three secondary canals, namely, Sitaganj, Ramaganj and Biratnagar Secondary canals were selected for the purpose. Out of these three Sitaganj secondary canal was taken up as a pilot area for management transfer within SMIS (Figure 1). The initial processing started in Sitaganj. Sitagunj Irrigation System (SIS) is one of the developed sub-system under Sunsari Morang Irrigation Project (SMIP) having a command area of 7985ha and lies in the eastern Terai (plain) of Nepal, between the latitudes of 260 25' 00'' to 260 38' 45'' degree North and 1 longitude of 870 10' 00'' to 870 13' 15'' degree East. Elevation of the command area varies from 60 m to 75 m above mean sea level (amsl). The command area of the system is surrounded by Bihar State of India in the South, Tengra Khola (Ramgunj Secondary Canal, S10) in the east, Budhi (Garaun) Khola & Vishrampur Minor in the west and Chatara Main Canal (CMC) in the north. There are all weather roads to reach the system from district head quarter Inaruwa and SMIP head office, Biratnagar. The command area has a natural slope from north to south with a general gradient of 1:700.The system comprises of intake, Secondary Canal (S9), 10 Sub-secondary canals and 4 direct tertiary canals. In addition the system has 36 tertiary canals including 4 direct tertiary from S9 and 273 watercourses. The total length of Sitagunj Secondary Canal (S9) is 14.34 km. The design discharge of the Sitagunj Secondary Canal is 5.6 cumecs. Nearby 1 km length of the canal is lined and rest is unlined. The lined canal is mainly situated at the downstream of the bridges, Drops and culverts. The existing condition of the canal is good and working with around 60% efficiency. The overall condition of structures within the Irrigation System is satisfactory and minor problem is seen in 20% of the structures. Previously Bridge cum Aqueduct situated at ch. 9+301 of S9 at Thalaha Khola has been washed out. Where new contract has been awarded for the re-construction of the Single lane road bridge cum aqueduct and the construction of such is ongoing at the present time. The total length of all the sub-secondary canals excluding 4 numbers of direct tertiary canals is 26.03 km and their lengths vary from 0.328 km (S9-T3) to 7.579 km (SS9I). The discharge carrying capacity of the canals varies from 0.085 cum (S9-T3) to 1.649 cum (SS9I). In some places canals are damaged due to spill of water from canals; cutting of the banks by farmes for irrigation; animal grazing on the banks; flood in the river / kholsi running parallel to the canals. No major damage has been seen in the structures. A total length of the tertiary canals and water courses are 82.8 km and 318.31 km respectively. The major defect has been observed in 10 % of structures of the tertiary canals whereas this value for watercourses is 25% likewise, minor defect in 40% of the structures of the tertiary canals and 50% of the structures of the watercourses. Most of the water regulating gates are working properly. 2 1.4 Present Status Figure -1: Canal Network Diagram of Sitagunj Secondary Canal S9 (Sitagunj Secondary Canal) 7985 ha -Command Area 5.60 cum -Discharge 60.90 cm -Depth of Flow SS9A-T2 L=1485m 128 ha 0+050 0.165 cum SS9C L=1520m 19.8 cm 458 ha 0+090 0.591 cum 38.0 cm SS9B L=1900m 987 ha 0+350 1.273 cum 42.4 cm SS9D 566 ha L=1678m 3+255 0.73 cum 41.5 cm S9-T1 S9-T2 319 ha L=4000m 4 +590 L=3326m 191 ha 0.412 cum 0.246 cum 29.5 cm 27.5 cm SS9E 722 ha L=4900m 6+618 0.931 cum SS9F 42.0 cm L=3890m 541 ha 7+074 0.698 cum 42.0 cm S9-T4 S9-T3 325 ha L=3350m 9 +856 L=328m 66 ha 0.419 cum 0.085 cum 36.8 cm 21.5 cm SS9G 882 ha L=685m 11+363 1.138 cum SS9H 44.4 cm L=1620m 364 ha 12+293 0.47 cum 32.2 cm SS9J 1094 ha L=1668m 14+340 1.411 cum 47.8 cm L=7975m 3 SS9I 1278 ha 1.649 cum The features of the canal network handed over in 1975 are as follows: Main Canal : 53 Km Branch Canal : 17 Km Secondary Canal : 210 Km Tertiary canal : 105 Km Details of Canals Secondary Canal (S9) A total length of S9 is 14.34 km and it is able to carry 5.60 cumec of water. Nearly 1 km length of the canal is lined and rest is unlined. The lined canal is mainly situated at the down stream portion of the structures like drops, bridges and culverts. The existing condition of the canal is good and working with around 60% efficiency. The canal systems are defected due to landslide, damage of lining and others. A serious problem occurred at the aqueduct situated at ch. 9+301 of S9 at Thalaha Khola where new contract has been awarded for the re-construction of the bridge cum aqueduct. It is noted that minor problem is occurred in 20% of the structures. Details of Secondary Canal (S9) is given below in Table 3.1 Table - 1 : Details of Section of S9 Section Chainage Structures Rating 1 0+000 Intake 2 0+050 Head Regulator for SS-9A 4 0+050 Head Regulator for Sub-Secondary SS-9C 4 0+360 Head Regulator for Sub-Secondary SS-9B 4 0+398 Cross regulator cum Drop & Bridge 2 2 1+114 Drop cum Bridge 2 1+200 Drop Structure 4 1+720 Drop Structure 2 2+060 Hume Pipe Drainage Syphon 4 2+242 Drop cum Bridge 2 2+840 Hume Pipe Drainage Syphon 4 3+256 Head Regulator for Sub-Secondary SS-9D 2 3+285 Cross Regulator cum Bridge 2 3+346 Bridge 2 4+544 Hume Pipe Drainage Syphon 4 4+590 Head Regulator for Tertiary Canal S-9T1 4 4 4+590 Head Regulator for Tertiary Canal S-9T2 4 4+610 Cross Regulator 2 4+800 Pipe Inlet 1 4+800 Pipe Inlet 1 3 5+387 Bridge 2 5+898 Drop Structure 2 6+343 Bridge 2 6+608 Head Regulator for Sub-Secondary SS-9E 2 6+694 Cross regulator cum Drop & Bridge 2 4 7+066 Head Regulator for Sub-Secondary SS-9F 4 7+086 Cross Regulator 2 8+232 Bridge 2 8+531 Drop cum Bridge 2 9+301 Aqueduct cum Bridge in both side 1 9+586 Head Regulator for Tertiary Canal S-9T3 4 9+586 Head Regulator for Tertiary Canal S-9T4 4 9+906 Cross regulator cum Drop 2 5 10+856 Bridge 4 11+238 Aqueduct cum Bridge in both