Environmental Impact Assessment December 2014 SRI: Water Resources Development Investment Program Upper Elehara Canal (UEC) 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. ENVIRONMENT IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT MODIFICATIONS TO CONFIGURATIONS OF MORAGAHAKANDA-KALUGANGA PROJECTS PROPOSED UPPER ELEHARA CANAL (UEC), CANAL FROM MANNAKKATTIYA TANK TO MAHAKANADARAWA TANK AND KALUGANGA- MORAGAHAKANDA LINK CANAL PROJECT DRAFT FINAL REPORT MINISTRY OF IRRGATION AND WATER RESOURCES MANAGEMENT GOVERNMENT OF SRI LANKA Prepared by DECEMBER 2014 Mahaweli Consultancy Bureau (Pvt) Ltd No 11, Jawatta Road, Colombo 05. List of Abbreviations Ac - Acre Acft - Acre-Foot ADB - Asian Development Bank AI - Agriculture Instructor AMDP - Accelerated Mahaweli Development Programme ASC - Agrarian Service Centre BCAP - Biodiversity Conservation Action Plan BOD - Biological Oxygen Demand CEA - Central Environmental Authority CECB - Central Engineering Consultancy Bureau CKDu - Chronic Kidney Disease of unknown etiology DMO - District Medical Officer of Health DO - Dissolved Oxygen DS - Divisional Secretary ECBA - Extended Cost Benefit Analysis EIA - Environment Impact Assessment EP - Eastern Province FAO - Food & Agriculture Organization GDP - Gross Domestic Product GND - GramaNiladari Division GOSL - Government of Sri Lanka GPS - Global Positioning System GRC - Grievances Redress Committee GTZ - Germen Technical Cooperation Agency Ha - Hectare HFL - High Flood Level ID - Irrigation Department IRR - Internal Rate of Return IUCN - International Union for Conservation of Nature JICA - Japan International Co-operation Agency KE - Kalinga Ela km - Kilometers KMTC - Kaluganga-Moragahakanda Transfer Canal LAA - Land Acquisition Act - LDI - Livestock Development Instructor m3 - Cubic Meter m3/s - Cubic Meters per Second MASL - Mahaweli Authority of Sri Lanka MCB - Mahaweli Consultancy Bureau (Pvt) Ltd. MCM - Million Cubic Meters MDP - Mahaweli Development Project MIWRM - Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources Management MIWRM - Ministry of Irrigation and Water Resources Management MLD - Ministry of Land Development MSL - Mean Sea Level MTS - Minneriya Tank at Sluice MW - Mega Watts NCP - North Central Province NCP - North Central Province NCPCP - North Central Province Canal Project NEDECO - Netherlands Engineering Consultants NIRP - National Involunatary Settlement Policy NP - National Park NP - Northern Province NPV - Net Present Value NWP - North Western Province NWSDB - National Water Supply and Drainage Board O&M - Operation & Maintenance OFC - Other Field Crops PEA - Project Execution Agency PHI - Public Health Inspector PMU - Project Management Unit RDA - Road Development Authority TBM - Tunnel Boring Machine TDS - Total Dissolved Solids ToR - Term of Reference UEC - Upper Elahera Canal UNDP - United Nations Development Programme WC - Wildlife Corridor WLS - Wild Life Sanctuary WPT - Water Pressure Testing WRB - Water Resources Board TABLE OF CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................................................... i CHAPTER 1.................................................................................................................................................. 1 1. INTRODUCTION .................................................................................................................................... 1 1.1 Background of the project ..................................................................................................................... 1 1.2 Objectives of the project ....................................................................................................................... 6 1.3 Justification for the proposed project ................................................................................................... 6 1.3.1 Irrigation benefits of the following are based on the cost-benefit analysis carried out for the NCP Canal Project: ........................................................................................................................... 11 1.3.2. Domestic water benefits ......................................................................................................... 11 1.4 Scope and objectives of the EIA .......................................................................................................... 12 1.4.1 Scope of study for EIA .............................................................................................................. 12 1.4.2 The objectives of the EIA study ................................................................................................ 13 1.4.3 Relationship of the results of the EIA to project design and implementation ........................ 13 Figure 1.9-Layout Plan for Flora and Fauna Sampling Locations of UEC and Moragahakanda Link Canal ..................................................................................................................................................... 21 1.5 Methodologies and Technologies adopted in EIA report preparation ............................................... 22 1.5.1 Biological components ............................................................................................................. 22 1.5.2 Physical components................................................................................................................ 25 1.5.3 Human settlements and land use (socio-cultural environment) .............................................. 27 1.5.4 Methodology for the Archeological assessment ..................................................................... 30 1.5.5 Proposed Mitigatory Measures ................................................................................................ 31 1.6. Policy, Legal and Administrative Framework ..................................................................................... 31 1.7. Conditions laid down by state agencies in granting preliminary clearance for the project. ............. 42 1.8 Conformity with other development plans in the area (present and planned).................................. 44 CHAPTER 2................................................................................................................................................ 45 2. DESCRIPTION OF THE PROPOSED PROJECT AND REASONABLE ALTERNATIVES ...... 45 2.1 Description of the proposed project ................................................................................................... 45 2.1.1 Main components .................................................................................................................... 45 2.1.2 Present ownership of the Project Site ..................................................................................... 48 2.1.3 Description of the Project Components Relevant to the Proposed Project ............................ 48 2.1.4 Layout Plan. .............................................................................................................................. 59 2.1.5 Pre construction activities and construction activities ............................................................ 65 2.1.6 Implementation schedule, staffing and support facilities and services................................... 65 2.1.7. Methodology of Operation of the Project Components ......................................................... 69 2.1.8 Project cost, Investment and Funding Sources ........................................................................ 70 2.2 Evaluation of Alternatives ................................................................................................................... 71 CHAPTER 3................................................................................................................................................ 75 3. DESCRIPTION OF THE EXISTING ENVIRONMENT .................................................................. 75 3.1 Physical Environment .......................................................................................................................... 75 3.1.1 Topography .............................................................................................................................. 75 3.1.2 Geology .................................................................................................................................... 77 3.1.3 Soils of the project area ........................................................................................................... 85 3.1.4 Climate, Meteorology and Agro-ecology ................................................................................. 88 3.1.5 Hydrology ................................................................................................................................. 91 3.1.6 Water quality and sources of water pollution ........................................................................