SOCIAL ASSESSMENT REPORT Karnataka Watershed Development Project-II (Sujala-III) Public Disclosure Authorized Final Report (December, 2011) Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized Submitted to: The Project Director Sujala- III Project Karnataka Watershed Development Department 7th Floor, KHB Annexe CAUVERY BHAVAN KG Road, Bangalore - 560 009 Submitted by: Public Disclosure Authorized C O N T E N T S Pages Acronyms and Abbreviations I - iii EXECUTIVE SUMMARY 1 - 14 1. Introduction and Methodology 15 - 31 2. Socio-Economic and Cultural Profile of Karnataka 32 - 54 3. Agriculture and Watershed Management in Karnataka: An 55 - 70 Overview of Policies and Programs 4. Existing Governance and Implementation Arrangements for 71 - 82 Watershed Development in Karnataka 5. Socio-Economic Status of Watershed Communities 83 - 94 6. The National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA): An 95 - 126 Overview of its Performance in Karnataka and Scope for Convergence 7. Stakeholder Analysis 127 - 135 8. Safeguard Policies 136 - 141 9. Issues, Risks and Mitigation Measures 142 - 154 10. Monitoring and Evaluation System 155 - 159 ANNEXURES I. PRA Tools, Methods and Checklists for Social Assessment 160-164 II. Model PRA Report 165-176 III. Household Survey Questionnaire 177-184 IV. Details of Sample Watersheds 185-190 V. PRA Outputs and Field Photographs 191-199 ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS AAO Assistant Agricultural Officer AEZ Agro-Ecological Zones ANM Auxiliary Nursing Midwife AO Agricultural Officer APD Additional Project Director BPL Below Poverty Line CAG Comptroller and Auditor General of India CCF Chief Conservator of Forests CBO Community Based Organization CCDI Comprehensive Composite Development Index CEO Chief Executive Officer CEGC Central Employment Guarantee Council CPI Consumer Price Index CSO Civil Society Organizations CSS Centrally Sponsored Scheme CSWCRTI Central Soil and Water Conservation Research and Training Institute DANIDA Royal Danish Government Assistance DADP Desert Area Development Programmes DD Deputy Director DDP Desert Development Program DFID Department for International Development DLRC District Level Review Committee DoLR Department of Land Resources DPAP Drought Prone Area Program DPC District Programme Coordinator DPP District Perspective Plans DPR Detailed Project Report DRG District Resource Group DSR district-wise Schedules of Rates DWDO District Watershed Development Officer DWDT District Watershed Development Team EAS Employment Assurance Scheme EC Executive Committee ED Executive Director EO Executive Officer EOP End of Project EPA Entry Point Activities EPC Empowered Project Committee FGD Focus Group Discussion FM Financial Management GDI Gender Development Index GDP Gross Domestic Product GEM Gender Empowerment Measure i GoI Government of India GoK Government of Karnataka GP Gram Panchayat GS Gram Sabha GSDP Gross State Domestic Product HDI Human Development Index HDR Human Development Report IAY Indira Awas Yojana IBRD International Bank for Reconstruction and Development ICAR The Indian Council of Agricultural Research ICT Information and Communication Technology IDA International Development Agency IEC Information, Education and Communication IGA Income-generating activities IHD Institute for Human Development IWDP Integrated Wasteland Development Project IWMP Integrated Watershed Management Programme JAO Junior Agriculture Officer JD Joint Director JE Junior Engineer KAWAD Karnataka Watershed Development Agency KCBTMP Karnataka Community-Based Tank Management Project KFW German Development Bank KIIs Key Informant Interviews KREGS Karnataka Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme KSRSAC Karnataka State Remote Sensing Application Centre KWDP Karnataka Watershed Development Project MEL Monitoring Evaluation and Learning MFI Micro-finance institutions MGNREGA/S Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act/Scheme MI Minor Irrigation MIS Management Information Systems MoA Ministry of Agriculture MoEF Ministry of Environment and Forests MoRD Ministry of Rural Development MPR Monthly Progress Report NABARD National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development NBSSLU National Bureau of Social Survey and Land Use NDDB National Dairy Development Board NIRD National Institute of Rural Development NRAA National Rainfed Area Authority NWDPRA National Watershed Development Program for Rainfed Areas NGO Non Governmental Organization O&M Operation and Maintenance OP Operational Policies ii PCI Per Capita Income PIA Project Implementing Agency PIU Project Implementation Unit PRA Participatory Rural Appraisal PRI Panchayati Raj Institutions PD Project Director PDO Panchayat Development Officer PDO Project Development Objective PMGSY Pradan Mantri Grameen Rozgar Yojana PO Programme Officer RDPR Department of Rural Development and Panchayati Raj RI Revenue Inspector RoG Redressal of Grievances RRB Regional Rural Banks RTI Right to Information Act SA Social Assessment SAU State Agricultural Universities SC Scheduled Caste SDA Second Division Assistant SDC Swiss Development Corporation SDP Special Development Plan SEGC State Employment Guarantee Council SEGF State Employment Guarantee Fund SGSY Swarnjayanti Gram Swarozgar Yojana SHGs Self-Help Groups SLNA State Level Nodal Agency ST Scheduled Tribe SWC Soil and Water Conservation SWS Sub Watersheds ToR Terms of Reference TP Taluk Panchayat TSP Tribal Sub Plan TUC Tank User Committee TUG Tank User Groups UAS University of Agricultural Sciences UG User Group UNDP United Nations Development Program WB World Bank WC Watershed Committee WCDC Watershed Cell and Documentation Centre WDD Watershed Development Department WDSCA Watershed Development in Shifting Cultivation Areas WDT Watershed Development Team ZP Zilla Panchayat iii Social Assessment Report Karnataka Watershed Development Project-II (Sujala III) Executive Summary 1. Introduction Most of Karnataka’s major agricultural area is semi-arid, with average precipitation ranging from 400 mm to 750 mm a year. These lands are subject to periodic droughts, severe soil erosion, erratic rainfall, and depleting groundwater. Nearly 80% of agricultural land in Karnataka is drought-prone. The watershed concept for development of rainfed agriculture has gained importance and it has been demonstrated that watershed development approaches are very effective in improving livelihoods in dryland areas. Karnataka has a unique opportunity to build on the success of the World Bank-supported Karnataka Watershed Development Project (also known as Sujala), which was implemented during 2001-2009. It generated substantial positive lessons and best practices in integrated watershed management. Government of India and Government of Karnataka intended to develop a new project model in order to successfully converge the Government of India’s Integrated Watershed Management Program (IWMP) with the ongoing Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (MNREGA) financed soil and water conservation activities. This departure from the previous project will involve supplementing/ complementing the project resources with that of the MNREGA. For this, a new project model is needed to successfully demonstrate and scale up convergence of a watershed approach with the MNREGA. Initially, plans had been drawn up aimed at scaling up the efforts made under the earlier project but with a greater science based approach and convergence with MNREGA as the focal points. The Bank’s assistance included financing of the field level investments. This in mind, project preparation started comprising several preparatory studies had started. Subsequently, towards the end, it was decided that Bank’s assistance will not cover field level investments, but rather confined to activities akin to ‘technical assistance’. The preparatory studies, including the Social Assessment, hence were designed and executed keeping in mind the initial PDO and the Project Components thereof. Later, some adjustments have been made to reflect the changes, viz., current PDO and components. 2. Social Assessment Social assessment (SA) ensures that development initiatives contribute to inclusive development and poverty reduction. It is an approach for incorporating social analyses and participatory processes into project design and implementation. SA helps to make the project responsive to social development concerns including seeking to enhance benefits for the poor and vulnerable people while minimizing or mitigating risks and adverse impacts. The specific objectives of the SA were: To carry out a socio-economic, cultural and political/institutional analysis to identify potential social impacts of the proposed development of the project; To identify principal stakeholders, carry out consultations that are well documented and develop institutional framework for transparent and participatory implementation; Centre for Management and Social Research Development Support Specialists 1 Social Assessment Report Karnataka Watershed Development Project-II (Sujala III) Screen the proposed investment and assess whether there will be any adverse social impacts and to determine the applicability of policies relating to involuntary resettlement and Indigenous Peoples policies, and, To ensure that results of the SA provide inputs for participatory implementation. Key Tasks of the Assessment included: Beneficiary Assessment Stakeholder Analysis Impact Assessments Safeguards Analysis Risks Analysis Designing Participatory Framework Human and Institutional Development Monitoring