Environmental Impact Assessment December 2014 SRI: Water Resources Development Investment Program North Western Province (NWP) Prepared by Mahaweli Consultancy Bureau (Pvt) Ltd. for the Asian Development Bank. This environmental impact assessment is a document of the borrower. The views expressed herein do not necessarily represent those of ADB's Board of Directors, Management, or staff, and may be preliminary in nature. Your attention is directed to the “terms of use” section of this website. In preparing any country program or strategy, financing any project, or by making any designation of or reference to a particular territory or geographic area in this document, the Asian Development Bank does not intend to make any judgments as to the legal or other status of any territory or area. EIA STUDY OF THE PROPOSED NORTH WESTERN PROVINCE (NWP) CANAL PROJECT DRAFT FINAL REPORT MAHAWELI CONSULTANCY BUREAU (PRIVATE) LIMITED NO: 11, JAWATTA ROAD, COLOMBO 05 DECEMBER 2014 NWP Canal Project -EIA Study – Draft Final Report Abbreviation and Acronyms AMDP - Accelerated Mahaweli Development Project BW - Bed Width CEA - Central Environmental Authority CECB - Central Engineering and Consultancy Bureau CI - Cropping Intensity CKD - Chronic Kidney Disease Cumecs - Cubic Meters per second DS - Divisional Secretary DWLC - Department of Wildlife Conservation EC - Electrical Conductivity EIA - Environmental Impact Assessment EP - Eastern Province FD - Forest Department FSL - Full Supply Level FR - Forest Reserve GN - Grama Niladhari GSMB - Geological Survey and Mines Bureau GWH - Giga Watt Hours GWT - Ground Water Table Ha - Hectares Km - Kilometer ID - Irrigation Department LB - Left Bank m - Meters MASL - Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka MCB - Mahaweli Consultancy Bureau NWP Canal Project -EIA Study – Draft Final Report MCM - Million Cubic Meters MI&WRM - Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources Management MW - Mega Watts NAAQS - National Air Quality Standards NBRO - National Building Research Organization NCP - North Central Province NCPCP - North Central Province Canal Project NP - Northern Province NWP - North Western Province NWPC - North Western Province Canal OFC - Other Field Crops RB - Right Bank SAR - Sodium Adsorption Ratio TDS - Total Dissolved Solids UEC - Upper Elahera Canal UNDP - United Nations Development Programme NWP Canal Project -EIA Study – Draft Final Report TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ................................................................................................ I CHAPTER 1 ................................................................................................................ 1 1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................. 1 1.1 BACKGROUND OF THE PROJECT ..................................................................................................... 1 1.2 THE OBJECTIVES AND JUSTIFICATION OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT ................................. 4 1.3 THE OBJECTIVES OF THE EIA REPORT .......................................................................................... 6 1.4 EIA METHODOLOGY ............................................................................................................................. 6 1.4.1 LITERATURE REVIEW & PREPARATION OF MAPS .............................................................. 6 1.4.2 TECHNICAL APPROACH AND METHODOLOGY. ..................................................................... 7 1.4.3 ASSESSMENT METHODOLOGY .................................................................................................... 7 1.5 POLICY, LEGAL AND ADMINISTRATIVE FRAMEWORK OF THE PROJECT ........................ 11 1.6 ADBS REQUIREMENTS: ..................................................................................................................... 18 1.7 CONFORMITY WITH OTHER DEVELOPMENT PLANS IN THE AREA. .................................. 19 CHAPTER 2 .............................................................................................................. 20 2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT AND REASONABLE ALTERNATIVES ... 20 2.1 EVALUATION OF ALTERNATIVES .................................................................................................. 20 2.1.1 NO ACTION ALTERNATIVE ......................................................................................................... 25 2.2 THE PROPOSED PROJECT ................................................................................................................ 25 2.2.1 NAME OF THE PROJECT AND LOCATION ............................................................................... 25 2.2.2 DESCRIPTION OF COMPONENTS OF THE PROJECT. .......................................................... 28 2.2.3 RESERVATIONS ............................................................................................................................... 34 2.2.4 METHODOLOGY OF CONSTRUCTION ...................................................................................... 35 2.2.5 METHODOLOGY OF OPERATION .............................................................................................. 43 2.2.6 PROJECT COST, INVESTMENT AND FUNDING SOURCES .................................................. 43 CHAPTER 3 .............................................................................................................. 45 3. DESCRIPTION OF EXISTING ENVIRONMENT ....................................................... 45 3.1 PHYSICAL ENVIRONMENT AND TOPOGRAPHY ........................................................................ 45 3.1.1 GEOLOGY AND SOILS .................................................................................................................... 46 3.1.2 CLIMATE AND METEOROLOGY ................................................................................................. 48 3.1.3 CURRENT STATUS OF HYDROLOGY ........................................................................................ 49 3.1.4 GROUNDWATER ............................................................................................................................. 50 3.1.5 SURFACE WATER QUALITY ........................................................................................................ 51 3.2 BIOLOGICAL ENVIRONMENT .......................................................................................................... 53 3.2.1 PRESENCE OF PROTECTED AREAS (PA) .................................................................................... 53 3.2.2 ECOLOGICAL RESOURCES – FLORA .......................................................................................... 54 3.2.3 ECOLOGICAL RESOURCES – FAUNA ......................................................................................... 58 3.3 SOCIAL AND CULTURAL ENVIRONMENT .................................................................................... 69 3.3.1 PRESENT SOCIO-ECONOMIC & CULTURAL STATUS OF THE PROJECT AREA ............ 70 3.3.2 SOCIO-ECONOMIC PROFILE OF PROJECT-AFFECTED HOUSEHOLDS ........................... 73 NWP Canal Project -EIA Study – Draft Final Report 3.3.3 PRESENT WATER SUPPLY AND WATER USE ....................................................................... 75 3.3.3.1 PRESENT WATER SUPPLY AND WATER USE ................................................................... 75 3.3.4 EXISTING INFRASTRUCTURE FACILITIES IN THE PROJECT AREA ............................... 76 3.3.5 EXISTING HEALTH AND OTHER SOCIAL ISSUES. ................................................................ 78 3.3.6 SOCIOECONOMIC CONDITIONS OF PHYSICALLY DISPLACED HOUSEHOLDS............ 76 3.4 METHODOLOGY OF THE ARCHAEOLOGICAL STUDY .............................................................. 85 3.4.1 IMPORTANT ARCHAEOLOGICAL SITES .................................................................................. 87 CHAPTER 4 .............................................................................................................. 90 4. ANTICIPATED ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACTS OF PROPOSED PROJECT .................... 90 4.1 HYDROLOGICAL CHANGES IN AMBAN GANGA .......................................................................... 90 4.2 HYDROLOGICAL CHANGES IN MI OYA AND HAKWATUNA OYA BASINS ........................... 91 4.2.1 FLOODING ......................................................................................................................................... 92 4.3 IMPACTS ON ECOLOGY DUE TO HYDROLOGICAL CHANGES ................................................. 93 4.3.1 ECOLOGICAL IMPACTS ................................................................................................................. 93 4.3.2 FAUNA ................................................................................................................................................ 95 4.4 IMPACTS ON AGRICULTURE ............................................................................................................ 97 4.5 IMPACTS OF RELOCATION AND RESETTLEMENT ................................................................... 99 4.5.1 INFORMATION ON THE AFFECTING HUMAN HABITATS AND DISPLACING COMMUNITY .................................................................................................................................... 99 4.5.2 IMPACTS ON THE LAND USE PATTERN OF THE AREA................................................... 100 4.5.3 THE IMPACT ON EDUCATION ................................................................................................