IPP501 v. 4 #$4+&)'&8'45+10 SOCIAL ASSESSMENT REPORT Public Disclosure Authorized $&&(/(5$7(''(9(/230(172)0,125,55,*$7,21 352-(&7:(67%(1*$/ :$7(55(6285&(6,19(67,*$7,21$1''(9(/230(17 '(3$570(17*2972):(67%(1*$/ Public Disclosure Authorized Public Disclosure Authorized WAPCOS Limited (International Consultants in Water Resources, Power and Infrastructure Development) 76-C, Institutional Area, Sector-18, Gurgaon, Haryana - 122015, Regd. & Corporate Office: Kailash, 5th Floor, K.G.Marg, NewDelhi-110001 Regional Office: 10th Floor, Jalasampad Bhawan, Salt Lake City, Kolkata-700 091 Phone: 91-33-23597015, Fax: 91-33-23599260, Public Disclosure Authorized E-mail: [email protected] http://www.wapcos.org September, 2010 Abridged Version Social Assessment - ADMIP CONTENTS SECTION SUBJECT PAGE Section I Introduction 4 Section II Social Assessment Study 5 Section III Study Methodology 6 – 7 Section IV Socio-Economic and Cultural Profile of West Bengal 8 – 13 Section V Minor Irrigation Systems in West Bengal: Challenges and 14 – 16 Opportunities Section VI Existing Governance and Operational Arrangements in Respect of 17 Minor Irrigation Development Section VII Stakeholder Analysis 18 – 24 Section VIII Lands for Minor Irrigation Facilities 25 – 29 Section IX Issues of Significance for the Project 30 – 31 Section X Design Elements To Approach The Issues 32 – 35 Appendix - 1 36 – 40 Appendix – 2 41 Appendix – 3 42 – 43 [1] Abridged Version Social Assessment - ADMIP Abbreviations ADMIP - Accelerated Development of Minor Irrigation Project BC - Beneficiary Committee BDO - Block Development Officer BCWD - Backward Classes Welfare Department CI - Cropping Intensity CCA - Culturable Command Area DTW - Deep Tubewell DL & LRO - District Land & Land Reform Officer DPC - District Project Coordinator DM - District Magistrate EC - Executive Committee FGD - Focused Group Discussion GOWB - Government of West Bengal GP - Gram Panchayat GDI - Gender Development Index GDP - Gross Domestic Product HDTW - Heavy Duty Tubewell HDI - Human Development Index IBRD - International Bank for Rural Development IDA - International Development Association IDGI - In Depth Group Interview IPM - Integrated Pest Management INM - Integrated Nutrient Management LDTW - Light Duty Tubewell MI - Minor Irrigation MDTW - Medium Duty Tubewell MOU - Memorandum of Understanding MIMP - Minor Irrigation Management Plan MLE - Monitoring Learning and Evaluation NGO - Non-Government Organization [2] Abridged Version Social Assessment - ADMIP OP - Operational Procedure O&M - Operation and Maintenance OMM - Operation Maintenance and Management PRI - Panchyati Raj Institution PS - Panchayat Samiti PW - Para Worker PDW - Pump Dugwell PRDD - Panchayat and Rural Development Department ROG - Redressal of Grievances RLI - River Lift Irrigation SDMP - Scheme Development and Management Plan SO - Support Organisation SICO - Self Initiated Community Organizer ST - Scheduled Tribe SC - Scheduled Caste SHG - Self Help Group SCA - Spout Command Area SSC - Spout Sub-Committee STW - Shallow Tubewell SFMIS - Surface Flow Minor Irrigation Scheme TDP - Tribal Development Plan TC - Territorial Constituency TOR - Terms of Reference WUA - Water Users Association WDS - Water Detention Structure WRI&DD - Water Resources Investigation and Development Department WRDD - Water Resources Development Directorate ZP - Zilla Parishad [3] Abridged Version Social Assessment - ADMIP SOCIAL ASSESSMENT1 Introduction 1. The Government of West Bengal (GoWB) has initiated the Accelerated Development of Minor Irrigation Project (ADMI) with financial assistance from the World Bank. The project development objective is to enhance agricultural production of small and marginal farmers. This would be achieved through accelerated development of minor irrigation schemes, strengthening community-based irrigation management, and support to agricultural development, including provision of agricultural services, encouraging diversification and use of new technologies, facilitating market access, and creating income generating opportunities. The total project cost is estimated at US$300 million, to be financed through a mix of IBRD loan and IDA Credit of US$125 million each (about 83.3 percent of the project costs), with the balance to be financed by the Government. The investments will focus on investments targeted towards: (i) strengthening community-based institutions to assume responsibilities for the management of minor irrigation schemes created under the project; (ii) development of surface and ground water based irrigation systems in 18 of the 19 districts of West Bengal; and (iii) agricultural development and providing improved support services to farmers, including support for enhancing marketability of agricultural produce. Overall, the project is expected to bring 138,901 ha of additional agricultural lands under assured irrigation through developing 4660 Minor Irrigation structures spread over 18 districts. 1 This is an abridged version. Detailed reports are available with the Project Office as well as on its Website. The same are available on request. [4] Abridged Version Social Assessment - ADMIP II. Social Assessment Study 2. The WB ADMI project recognizes the existence of physical, hydrological, socio-economic and cultural diversity across the minor irrigation (MI) systems in the state. The prospective benefitting communities comprise various sub-groups having differential endowments, livelihood pattern, gender, caste, ethnicity and other regional features. Most importantly, each sub-group has different nature of interests, expectations, concerns and influence as far as the MI system is concerned. The project also comprehends that the problems encountered by a sub group and their needs will be unique in comparison to other sub-groups. 3. In light of the above diversity, a social assessment study was conducted under the project with the following key objective: To better understand and address social development issues such as to ensure accomplishing the outcomes – inclusion, cohesion, equity, security, decentralization and accountability. 4. The study includes beneficiary assessment; stakeholder analysis; likely impact and risk assessments; Rules for securing land and tribal development plan form part of the social assessment study but these two sections were dealt separately in keeping into account the importance of the same in the project. 5. The results of the social assessment study are presented in the following 8 sections of the document: Section-III provides details about study methodology more specifically sampling approach, stakeholder consultation, and tools & techniques used for data collection in the study. Section-IV depicts the development scenario in the state highlighting the state’s relative positioning vis-à-vis the country as a whole and other progressive state. Demographic analysis is done to reflect on the presence of, and need to look into, various sub-groups in the society. Section-V describes the minor irrigation systems in W Bengal and highlights the difficulties and deficiencies as well as the challenges and opportunities. It basically provides an idea to the reader on the diversity existing across state. Section-VI aims at depicting the existing governance and operational arrangements in respect of the MI development. Section-VII focuses on stakeholder analysis. It gives a detailed idea to the readers about the various stakeholders associated with the MI systems, their current status, expectations and issues. It also deals with likely project impacts both positive and adverse effects on various MI sub-user groups. Section-VIII lists issues which are significant in the context of project design and implementation. Section-IX takes the reader through the design elements addressing the significant issues. Section-X elaborates on the arrangements made under the project to secure lands. [5] Abridged Version Social Assessment - ADMIP III. Study Methodology 6. A combination of cross-sectional survey design and descriptive case-study method as well as library reviews were adopted for undertaking the social assessment study. Thus, the methodology comprised generating the required information from both primary and secondary sources. Primary information emanated from the villages selected at random from all the six different agro-climatic regions and spread across all the 18 districts of the state. To ensure sample village to be truly representative, reflecting not only technological but also socio-economic and cultural diversity (Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes), study had to expand and ultimately covered as many as 109 villages spread across 89 blocks. (Table-1). Secondary information have been generated from extensive desk research. These apart, the study also held consultations with a variety of key actors at different level – village/community, Panchayats, block, sub-division, district and state. Consultations have been held both from social as well as environment perspectives separately by two different sets of consultants. Needless to say, overlapping is inevitable. While, this study draws chiefly from a social perspective, efforts to draw from the environmental consultations too have been done. Table-1 : Sample Villages Sl. No. Agro-climatic Region Districts No of Blocks No of villages 1 Teesta and Terai Flood Coochbehar 4 4 Plain Darjeeling 4 6 Uttar Dinajpur 1 1 Dakshin Dinapur 2 2 Jalpaiguri 7 10 2 Hill Zone Darjeeling / Jalpaiguri 2 2 3 Gangetic Alluvial Zone Malda 3 3 Mushirabad