Initial Environmental Examination Report Project Number: 37381 November 2012 Sri Lanka: DRY ZONE URBAN WATER AND SANITATION PROJECT - for Mannar Water Supply Prepared by Project Management Unit for Dry Zone Urban Water and Sanitation Project, Colombo, Sri Lanka. For Water Supply and Drainage Board Ministry of Water Supply and Drainage, Sri Lanka. This report has been submitted to ADB by the Ministry of Water Supply and Drainage and is made publicly available in accordance with ADB’s public communications policy (2011). It does not necessarily reflect the views of ADB. Project Implementation Agency: National Water Supply & Drainage Board Funding Agency: Asian Development Bank Project Number: 37381-SRI Sri Lanka: Dry Zone Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Project (DZUWSSP) INITIAL ENVIRONMENTAL EXAMINATION: MANNAR WATER SUPPLY NOVEMBER 2012 CONTENTS I. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................. 1 A. Purpose of the Report ........................................................................................................................... 1 B. Extent of IEE study ............................................................................................................................... 1 II. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROJECT ..................................................................................................... 5 A. Type, Category and Need ..................................................................................................................... 5 B. Location, Size and Implementation Schedule ...................................................................................... 5 C. Description of the Sub-projects ............................................................................................................. 5 III. DESCRIPTION OF THE ENVIRONMENT ......................................................................................... 11 A. Physical Resources ............................................................................................................................ 11 B. Ecological Resources ......................................................................................................................... 15 C. Economic Development ...................................................................................................................... 16 D. Social and Cultural Resources ........................................................................................................... 18 IV. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION: INFRASTRUCTURE CONSTRUCTION .......... 20 A. Screening out areas of no significant impact ...................................................................................... 20 B. Water Supply ...................................................................................................................................... 21 C. Sanitation ............................................................................................................................................ 26 V. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION: OPERATION AND MAINTENANCE ............... 27 A. Screening out areas of no significant impact ...................................................................................... 27 B. Water Supply ...................................................................................................................................... 27 C. Sanitation ............................................................................................................................................ 30 VI. ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS AND MITIGATION: LOCATION AND DESIGN ............................... 31 VII. INSTITUTIONAL REQUIREMENTS AND ENVIRONMENTAL MONITORING PLAN ..................... 32 A. Summary of environmental impacts and mitigation measures ........................................................... 32 B. Institutional arrangements for project implementation ........................................................................ 32 C. Environmental Monitoring Plan ........................................................................................................... 37 D. Environmental management and monitoring costs ............................................................................ 42 VIII. PUBLIC CONSULTATION AND INFORMATION DISCLOSURE .................................................... 44 A. Project stakeholders ........................................................................................................................... 44 B. Consultation and disclosure to date.................................................................................................... 44 C. Future consultation and disclosure ..................................................................................................... 47 IX. FINDINGS AND RECOMMENDATIONS ........................................................................................... 48 A. Findings .............................................................................................................................................. 48 B. Recommendations .............................................................................................................................. 50 X. CONCLUSIONS ................................................................................................................................. 51 APPENDIX 1: Current Sri Lankan drinking water standards (1996)…………………………………………..55 APPENDIX 2: Existing Sri Lankan wastewater discharge standards (1990)………………………………...57 APPENDIX 3: Draft new wastewater discharge standards (2008)……………………………………………58 APPENDIX 4: Summary of public consultation meeting held in Mannar……………………………………..59 Addendum 1…………………………………………………………………………………….62 ii LIST OF TABLES Table 1: Water supply, sanitation and drainage subprojects proposed in Mannar .................................... 8 Table 2: General groundwater quality in Mannar ..................................................................................... 15 Table 3: Fields in which construction is not expected to have significant impacts................................... 20 Table 4: Fields in less significant impacts ................................................................................................ 27 Table 5: Environmental impacts and mitigation measures ....................................................................... 33 Table 6 : Environmental Monitoring Plan ................................................................................................. 39 Table 7: Environmental management and monitoring costs (SLR).......................................................... 43 Table 8: Comments made at public consultation meeting in Mannar, 25 January 2008 ......................... 45 iii LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1: Location of the project and proposed improvements in water supply infrastructure ................... 7 Figure 2: Geology of Mannar .................................................................................................................... 12 Figure 3: Average monthly rainfall in Mannar (1957-2007) ...................................................................... 13 Figure 4: Groundwater map of the Mannar area ...................................................................................... 14 iv LIST OF PHOTOGRAPHS Photo 1: Tube Well ................................................................................................................................... 52 Photo 2 : Irrigation tank ............................................................................................................................ 52 Photo 3: RCC tanks for water treatment .................................................................................................. 52 Photo 4: Sluice gate ................................................................................................................................. 52 Photo 5: Overhead Reservoir ................................................................................................................... 52 Photo 6: Electricity poles .......................................................................................................................... 52 Photo 7: Metal reinforcing ......................................................................................................................... 53 Photo 8: Digging a trench by hand ........................................................................................................... 53 Photo 9: Wooden shuttering ..................................................................................................................... 53 Photo 10: Pipe bridges across a stream .................................................................................................. 53 Photo 11: Backhoe digger excavating a trench ........................................................................................ 53 Photo 12: Roadside shrine ....................................................................................................................... 53 v I. INTRODUCTION A. Purpose of the Report 1. The Dry Zone Urban Water Supply and Sanitation Project (DZUWSSP) is intended to facilitate sustainable development in disadvantaged districts in Sri Lanka. This will be achieved by investing in priority water supply and sewerage/sanitation infrastructure in selected urban areas, and