47049 EXECUTIVESUMMARY Project Context: Insupport of the effective implementation of APFMIS Act and help inbringing reforms in the sector, Government o f Andhra Pradesh through the Irrigation and Command Area Development Department (I&CAD) has approached the World Bank for assistance to initiate the Andhra Pradesh Water Sector Improvement Project (APWSP), with the objective of strengthening the State's irrigation capacity for multi-sectoral planning, development and management o f water resources and also to improve the irrigation service delivery, water conveyance efficiency and productivity o f irrigated agriculture. This would ultimately help improve the irrigation systems in the State to boost up the water sector performance and efficiency of the system resultinginenhancing the benefits to society, particularly farmers and their families, majority o f whom are still poor. The APWSP would focus on the entire Nagarjuna Sagar Command inthe State o f Andhra Pradeshto undertake Institutional Restructuring and Capacity Buildingo f key Water Management Agencies, to improve Irrigation Water Service Delivery and Management, Increase the Knowledge Base o f the Water Sector and support Project Management and MonitoringActivities. Project Description: The development objectives o f the proposed APWSP will be (i)to improve irrigation service delivery on a sustainable basis to increase productivity o f irrigated agriculture in the Nagarjuna Sagar Scheme command, and (ii) to strengthen the state's institutional capacity for multi-sectoral planning, development and management o f its water resources. Theproject would support the following four components Component A: Improving Irrigation Service Delivey and Management in Nagarjuna Sagar Scheme This component consists o f and supports five sub components in the Nagarjuna Sagar Scheme (NSS) which has a command area o f about 1millionhectare inAP: (i) Participatory rehabilitation and modernizationo firrigationsystems, (ii) Damsafetyworks (iii) Fostering and capacity buildingo f WUAs at all levels o fthe scheme (iv) Improved water management practices, including bench marking, administration o fwater entitlements, and bulk supply o fwater to users, and (v) An environmental andsocial management plan. 47049 ComponentB: Agriculture Component This component consists of andsupports two sub components: (i) Agriculturalintensificationanddiversification, (ii) Marketfacilitation. Component C: Water Sector Institutional Restructuring and Capacity Building This component consists of and supports seven sub components: (i) Establishment, fostering and operationalization of Andhra Pradesh Water ResourcesRegulatory Authority (ii) Restructuring and capacity building of Irrigation and Command Area Development Department (I&CADD) (iii) StrengtheningandcapacitybuildingofWater andLandManagementTraining Institute (WALMTRI), (iv) Establishment o f an integrated computerized informationsystem (v) Pilotingusers centered aquifer level ground water management, and (vi) Piloting conjunctive use o f surface and ground watedmicro-irrigation system in Nagarjuna Sagar Scheme. ComponentD: Project Management: This component consists o f and supports three sub components: (i) Establishment of a state level project preparation and management unit (PPMU) (ii) Project monitoring and evaluation (M&E), and (iii) Information, education, and communicationprogram (IEC). Project Location and Baseline: Andhra Pradesh i s the fifih largest state in India in terms of both its area and population. While it has an area o f about 27.68 million hectares, its population as per 2001 census i s o f 7,57,27,541. Of the total geographical area o f the state, 13.2 million hectares come under gross cropped area where as 11.5 million hectares are identified as net cropped area. About 70 percent o f the population in the state still depends on agriculture and the major crop they produce i s paddy. Inaddition to this, other crops like cotton, chillies, sugar cane, maize, oil seeds and pulses are also cultivated depending uponvarious factors like rainfall, soil type and its fertility and irrigation facilities. 2 Andhra Pradesh i s endowed with very rich water resources and i s appropriately called a river state. Waters flow in the large rivers Krishna, Godavari, and Pennar and in several minor rivers. The state i s broadly divided into three major agro-climatic zones: the Telangana area, comprising the northern part of the State; the Coastal Region, covering the coast along the Bay of Bengal; and the Rayalseema Region covering the southern part o fthe state. 3 Scope of Integrated Social and Environmental Assessment The study i s to provide inputsinto the design o f APWSlP inaccordance with the World Bank Operational Guidelines through identification o f key environmental and social issues arising out o f the proposed Project activities and mainstream the social and environmental management measures in all stages o f the project cycle. To respond to these issues, the study developed a Social and Environmental Management Framework (SEMF)with anaim to ensurethat: 1. Environmental and social considerations and opportunities are fully mainstreamed in project planning, implementation andmonitoring; and 2. The potential adverse impacts are adequately mitigated and potential benefits of the project are further enhanced to improve the effectiveness and sustainability o f the project. Accordingly, the scope o fthe study has encompassedthe following activities: 1. Compilation of the existing knowledgebase of social and environmentalissues inthe irrigation sub-sector for use inplanning, implementation, monitoring and information dissemination for APWSIP. 2. Identification o f key stakeholders inthe water resources sector in order to assess the social and environmental issues through a consultative process. 3. Analysis o f policy, regulatory and institutional framework to recommend enabling measures as well as to improve capacity to implement environmental and social safeguardmeasures. 4. Development o f a resettlement and entitlement (R&R) framework for the people likely to be affected due to the proposed rehabilitation and modernization activities underthe project. 5. Development o f a consultation strategy to involve stakeholders in planning, implementation, operation and maintenance and monitoring o f project related activities; 6. Development o f a tribal specific and gender-specific strategies and plans to increase participationo fthese vulnerable sections inthe project 7. Development o f a strategy for promotion and effective sue o f participatory irrigation management and sustainability o f Water User Associations (WUA), and 8. Development of an institutional arrangement to address social and environmental concerns o fAPWSIP and strengthening o f IrrigationDepartment. The ISEA also describes the Policy and Institutional Setting in detail, as well as includes a detailed Baseline o f the State, Project Districts, and Project Area, including Project Infrastructure. An Analysis of Alternatives has also been undertaken. The following sections provide a summary o f other elements o f the ISEA and Social and Environmental Management Framework (SEMF) development. A framework has been 5 considered appropriate for the project given that the activities are dispersed over a large area and will be starting at different points o f time. The physical rehabilitationpackages will be sectioned according to parts of the canal system (e.g. main canal, branches, distributaries, etc.) which would benefit from a framework approach. Methodology The present ISEA study has two main components. The first component i s to identify, develop, and incorporate social and environmental measures into project planning,preparation, implementation, andmonitoring as a means of capturing direct and indirect social and environmental outcomes derived from all aspects o f project execution covering first year packages o f the project. In doing so, the social and environmental review was made followed by the development o f a suitable social and environmental management framework. All this was done within the applicable policy and regulatory framework at the national and state levels. The second component o f the study covers formulation o f package specific social and environmental management plans (SEMP). This involved an assessment o f the benefits and the losses that would be experienced by the project population inthe studied area covering the defined first year packages o f the project. Inother words, an attempt has been made in quantifying the socio-economic, environmental and health impacts o f the proposed project activities under the first year packages and prepares individual SEMP including measures to mitigate the sufferings o f the local people and other potential social and environmental negative impacts based on the detailed social and environmental assessmento f these packages. The methodology inbrief i s givenbelow: The baseline primary data was generated through field surveys, The primary data was supplemented with secondary datdinformation collected from different sources The collected data was analyzed and existing as well as the likely social and environmental issues associated with the operation o f the project were assessed A consultation approach was adopted in understanding and assessing the knowledge, awareness, perceptions, and attitudes o f various stakeholders towards the identifiedissues SEMF including needed training and capacity building measures was developed based on the impacts o f the project The methodological approaches followed by the study team inselecting the study area were organizing field work, collecting data, conducting focus group discussions, village and stakeholder meetings, discussion with project staff and other line departments. This also takes into account the approach in the analysis o f primary data 6 collected and triangulation of the secondary data and qualitative information collected duringthe fieldvisits. Key Environmental and Social Issues The Andhra Pradesh Waster Sector Improvement Project has a number of environmental and social issues associated with the key proposed components and activities as summarized below: Table 8.2: Key Project-related Environmental and Social Issues Component Key Proposed Activities Social Issues Environmental Issues Participatory rehabilitation and modernization o fNagarjuna Sagar Schemes having a CCA Effective o f about 1millionha Participation o f 0Dam safety W A S Effective silt and A. Improving Dam safety works & Inclusion o f and debris disposal h g a t i o n Environmental & Social Mgmt Benefits to the 0Borrow area Service Plan poor, tribals, rehabilitation Delivery and Fosteringand capacity building women, and other 0Weed management Management o f water users organizations Improved water management vulnerable groups Sustainable fisheries practices, includingbench 0Land acquisition (exotic species, etc.) marlung, administration o f and economic Cultural property water entitlements, andbulk rehabilitation water supply to users Improving farmer incomes 0Induced agro- Improving access chemical use and to knowledge (e.g. misuse agricultural Environmentally- B. Agriculture intensification and technology, friendly agricultural Agriculture diversification market prices, and irrigation Component Market facilitation weather practices (bio- information, etc.) fertilizers, bio- Resilience to pesticides, organic climate stress, cultivation, residue disease, and , composting, water market conservation, etc.) fluctuations Establishment, Appropriate 0 Appropriate C. Water operationalization and consideration o f considerationo f Sector fostering o f Andhra Pradesh environmental social issues and Institutional Water Resources Regulatory issues into water stakeholder inputs Restructuring Authority (APWRRA) regulation into water and Capacity Restructuring and capacity Clarity on water regulation building buildingofhgation entitlements and Effective multi- Department service reliability sectoralplanning 7 0 Strengthening and capacity 0 Capacity-building and regulation o f buildingo f Water andLand o f WUAs water resource base management and Training 0 Social knowledge 0 Environmental Institute (WALAMTARI) base and knowledge base and Integratedcomputerized info. analytical skills analytical slulls system Mainstreaming of Mainstreaming o f Pilotinguser-centered aquifer social issues into environmental level ground water decision support issues into decision management systems support systems Piloting conjunctive use of Choice o f Learning from and surface and ground water/ beneficiaries for adoption o f pilots micro irrigation systems in - pilots N SS 0 Appropriate use of ESMFandpreparation Establishment of a state level and implementation of environmental and Project Preparation and social management plans for all packages 0 Adequate monitoring of appropriate D.Project Management Unit (PPMU) environmental and social indicators for Management Monitoring and Evaluation adaptive project management 0 Social and environmental awareness 0 Information ,Education and Communication (IEC) program 0 Appropriate training to improve environmental and social management s h l l s ApplicabilityofWorldBank SafeguardPolicies The World Bank has a number o f Operational Policies (OPs) to effectively management social and environmental issues' - the relevant ones are described below: Applicability ofWorldBank OP/BPto APWSIP Safeguard Policies Summary Applicationto the project This i s an umbrella process to ensure compliance with all other Bank safeguard policies. Itprovides a framework for This project belongs to category A. Followingthis Operational 4.01 OP / BP - analyzing the present conditions and predicting the likely impacts of the Policy (OP), ISEA study Environmental development projects. The environmental analyzes the environmental and Assessment consequences o f the project are taken into social impacts and suggests Policy consideration duringthe project cycle and alternative measures. Issues are taken into account inselection, siting, originating from the stakeholder planning, and designing o fprojects. It consultations have been analyzed emphasizes uponthe mitigative measures through SEMF. Hence, the OP i s so as to reduce the adverse environmental applicable to the project. conseauences. 4.040P/BP - Thispolicy emphasizes uponthe This OP is not applicable to 'See littp:,www.aorldhctnk. org s&eguards 8 Natural conservation of the natural habitats like APWSP. Habitats land, water, etc. It focuses uponthe natural resource management so as to ensure environmentally sustainable development. Itaims to supportthe protection maintenance andrehabilitation of the natural habitats and critical and semi- critical ecosystems. 4.09 OP- This is a Policy to support biologicalor Trainings and awareness Pest environmental control methods in programs would be prepared. Management managingpests that affect either agriculture or public health andreduce use This OP i s applicableto the o f chemical pesticides. project. This Policy assertsthat the adverse impacts The tribal populations are one of 4.120 OP- o f the development projects on the the stakeholders inthe project. A Indigenous indigenous people should be mitigated or tribal development strategy will Peoples avoided and the benefits o f the project beprepared so as to benefit from should be accrued to them. the project. This OP is applicable to the project. 4.12 OP The policy aims at avoiding, ifnot Involuntary minimizing adverse impacts on the local This OP is applicable to the Resettlement population due to project and where unavoidable it ensuresthat those affected project. improve or at least restore their livelihood. This policy i s concerned with the safety o f 4.37 OP new and existing dams on which Bank Safety o f financed projects are directly dependent. This OP is applicable to the Dams The policy distinguishes between project construction o fnew dams and existing dams/ dams under construction. This OP is applicable to APWSP. Eventhough no known sites with cultural property significance are covered under the scope o fthe APWSP, this OP i s triggered from the perspective o fthe chance finds 4.11 OP of objects or sites o f cultural/ Cultural The policy aims to assist and prevention o f archaeological importance, Property cultural property and to avoid its elimination. during the course o f the physical works rehabilitation/ modernization. Incase o f such finds, proper steps willbetaken to ensure that objects are not destroyed, that relevant authorities are informed, and that 3 Cultural Property Plani s oreuared. 9 Inaddition, the World Bankdisclosure policy also applies, requiringappropriate disclosure o f project related information and documents (including this ESA and the SEMF), including inthe project area. Summary of Consultations The Consultation with relevant %?$. * a stakeholders had been an important aspect in this ISEA exercise to obtain the perceptions and views o f the 1 stakeholders on social and environmental concerns pertaining to the local areas both during this assessment and this will continue during implementation too. The objective o f stakeholder consultation i s to minimize the negative impacts in the area and to make them feel that they are the ultimate beneficiaries of the project. The views held by the stakeholders are analyzed and presented in this chapter. The primary goal o f such consultation was to understand and exchange views among the participants on key social issues, concerns, impacts and to develop a framework to meet responses. The methodology followed inthese consultation workshops i s as follows: 0 Invitingthe key stakeholders to the workshops 0 Circulation o f review objectives and goals o f these workshops among the participants 0 Motivation and encouraging interactions and deliberations onpertinent issues 0 Eliciting feedback andresponsesfrom the participants andrecording them 0 Identification o f ways and means to resolve conflicts, if any, between stakeholder groups -S Developing ultimately a participatory framework and consultation strategy for planning and designingthe scheme contemplated. The stakeholder consultations accordingly did provide us an overview o f the above issues and their relative importance. They have also provided insights into the complexity and diversity o f interests, which were taken into account while planning for an effective ESMF. The issues raised during the consultation process were documented andinclude the following issues that have been further analyzed inthe ISEA: 0 Water pollution, water-borne 0 Solidwaste management diseases 0 Ground water depletion and quality 0 Entryof Sewagewater into the 0 Fluoride andnitrate concentration in canals ground water 0 Industrialpollution 10 e Surface water pollution due to e Vocational training programmes for untreatedindustrial effluents adolescent g r l s e Sea water intrusion Rural health and sanitation e Sand mining Migration e Soil erosion Tribal issues e Drinkingwater supply Gender issues e Irrigationfacilities Marketing Facilities, Value addition e Local social problems - and post harvestingtechnologies Occupational problems, e Extension o f modem agricultural indiscrimination, economic status imp1ements etc e Small-scale industry e Literacy levels e Coordination between line e Employment departments inattending the works e Status of Livestock e Child labour Social and Environmental Management Framework Proposed Outcomesof SEMF The overall outcome of the SEMF is to ensure that social and environmental opportunities are enhanced and adverse impacts are minimized and fully mitigated. In particular, the SEMF for this project seeks to ensure the achievement o f the following outcomes: Social Environmental OverallInstitutional Improved incomes for NSP command farmers The NSP systemhas Increased awarenesso f water improved O&M entitlements for WUAdfarmers Dam safety concerns inNSP Land acquisition/R&R issues addressedeffectively (e.g. addressedadequately (project affected NSP dam safety panel formed Improved families livelihood and operational, NSP dam environmental and restored/impr oved) safety social knowledge Meaningfulconsultation with and measureslinstrumentation base and involvement o f WUAs/farmers during completed) information project planning, modernization, and Sustainable agriculture (incl. systems developed evaluation fisheries and livestock) and used Cultural property, wherever affected, practices effectively Institutional are restoredinconsultation with the promoted inNSP command capacity improved stakeholders (e.g. awarenessbuilding, inNSP, I&CAD Special issues relating to tribals and IPM,INM,organic farming, and W A Sto other vulnerable groups (including water conservation, effectively manage women) effectively addressed and conjunctive use, etc.) environmental and they have access to project benefits * Silt and weeds inNSP social issues TribaVwomen and other vulnerable modernization effectively groups are actively involved inWUA managed activities Borrow areas rehabilitated Increase inawarenessand knowledge effectively levels on HIV/AIDSand child labour 11 Improved DamSafety LandacqulsiUontRIIrRas necessaryaccordlngto S M F ImprovedDam Operations TrlbalsNuSnerabieGroupsfWomen religious&;ltss) Monitoring,Reporting& Adaptlve Mgmt. (keyenv & socialparanrcters) Theproject ESMFhasbeen articulated ina numbero fdifferent ways inthe IESA -byprojectcycle,projectcomponent/activity, andenvironmentalandsocialissue. One o f these (by component) i s presentedbelow for illustration. Inaddition, the following special areas havebeencoveredinthe ISEA: A. Rehabilitation andResettlement B. Tribal Development C. Gender Development D. Damsafety E. Sustainable Agriculture o IntegratedPestManagement o IntegratedNutrientManagement o Bannedhazardous pesticides o Erosionmanagement o Rainwater harvesting/groundwaterrecharge F. Other (Cultural property) 6. CommunicationandTrainingStrategy H. Monitoring&EvaluationStrategy 12 The ISEA also outlines the activities to be undertaken to effectively operationalize the ISEA, including issues o f institutional strengthening (structure, staffing, implementation support), training/awareness-building, institutional processes (including checklists to be completed for every stage o f every package), and documentation and reporting. In addition, ways to improve mainstreaming into the project andESMFbudgethave been outlined. The Environment and Social Cell at the PPMU will be the over all coordinating agency for planning and implementing package level social and environmental plans (RAP/TDP/EMP/GDP). The package level unit will plan and implement these plans with the assistanceo f the NGOs as required.W A Sand Gram Panchayatswill also participate in the entire cycle of social and environmental management. The Environmental and Social Cell will be strengthenedby the inclusiono f support consultants. In addition, the SEMF recommendations have been factored into key consultancies such as Baseline, Monitoring and Evaluation (to monitor the ESMF monitoring parameters), Quality Management (to check safe and proper silt and debris disposal and rehabilitation o f borrow areas, etc.), and Information Management System (to include environmental and social parameters in the asset inventory and decision support systems beingdeveloped). 13 zkGaa Ec . e . . . e . 0 . e . Ba E E a E i 2 iEz . 3. e . e e . e . ~ e e e . . . . * * e * 0 e . e e e. e . 3 .3 . e . e . e . e e a a . a 4 h 3 a x m 2 34 e . 0 E .3 c, cd 1 e3 &cd a cd E W E .e( & 0 .H c, ;;i E w E 2" ! h 3 --- h x 3 4 e e . . . . . . . EPTRI ISEAStudy Applicationfor lSt Packages Year The SEMF developed has been applied to the fourteen civil works packages scheduled for implementationinitiation inthe first year o fthe project. Detailedreports on the social and environmental plans prepared for these 14 packages have been annexed. Based on the lessons learnt during the first year o f the project, the SEMF would need to be revisited for refinement in subsequent years. The survey revealed that inthese two main canals (proposed to be covered under 14 packages), the proposed civil works do not involve any land acquisition. However, some o f the canal lands are found to be inuse for different purposes by local people. The survey results estimate that in the two main canals, the total encroached land i s around 233.6 acres - 225.6 acres under agriculture use, 7.78 acres for residentialpurposes and the remaining 0.22 acres for other purposes. The appropriation o f this land for the proposed project activities is likely to result in adversely impacting 618 families o f whom 134 families might lose house/commercial places and thus get physically displaced. Inthe case o f 481 families, the loss will be in terms o f loss o f land being used for agriculture purposes. It was observed that the displacement i s mostly local innature and limitedto particular sections o f the canal. The survey also revealed that in these two main canals, most o f the households encroaching NSP land for residential purposes are mainly agricultural labour and marginal farmer families and any displacement would result in homelessness. In addition, the project would impact 4 community properties including 2 temples and2 graveyards. Inaddition, the silt disposal requiredfor eachpackage hasbeenestimated andappropriate plans for disposal being developed. The agricultural and horticultural activities will include a focus on Integrated Pest Management, Integrated Nutrient Management, and promotion o f organic farming, in addition to training on soil and water management, water conservation, and sustainable agriculturalpractices. Appropriate plans have been designed for the first year to implement the provisions o fthe SEMF. TheISEA Report The ISEA report includes the following main chapters, in addition to several detailed annexes. Chapter Description This chapter highlightsthe need for modernization works and 1.Introduction provides a broad overview about the project details and focuses upon the objective o f the study and the methodology employed to carry out the ISEA study This chapter deals with all the relevant Policies and Acts which would improve the socio-economic and environmental 2.Policy andInstitutional situation inthe entire basin and also highlightsthe importance Framework o f institutional structures and values for determining policy outcomes and giving a brief note on Water Resource Organization, Institutions, Dam safety Directorate and 20 EPTRI ISEA Study Agriculture - Institutions. It would provide a broad overview about the existing structure and would suggest measures inthe I subsequent chapter. T h ~ schapter deals with the context o f the project its 3.Project Description components, description about Nagarjunasagar and its irrigation systems and the key environmental and social sustainability issues inthe project I 4.Baseline Environmental This chapter deals with the baseline environmental and social and SocialInformation status o f the State, Project area districts as well as the command area indetail. I 5.Project Environmental Ths chapter emphasizes upon the anticipated positive and and SocialImpacts negative impacts as a result o f the rehabilitation and modernization works o f the proposed Nagarjunasagarproject. This chapter deals with the alternative approaches in the 6.Analysis of Alternatives project and the analysis for the various alternatives considered t the planning and implementation level of the modernization I project. This chapter presents the process of consultations held in the 7.Stakeholder command area with all the stakeholders. The issues discussed, Consultations the perceptions o f the stakeholders, and the implications for project design are presented. This chapter i s intended to inform and guide the Project Implementing Agency or departments at a strategic decision- making level. The frame work produces a mechanism to identify the key environmental and social impacts and to screen projects on the basis o f the risks. The objective i s to minimize risks and mitigate them to the extent possible. This framework will also act as a guideline for specific &Social and Environmental environmental and social impact assessment to be prepared at Management Framework the project formulation stage. The SEMF also contains Action Plans for various key issues like Dam Safety, Pest Management, Cultural Property Management, Rehabilitation & Resettlement, Tribal Issues, Gender Issues and Community Sensitization that need to be addressed through the project. Thus chapter will cover the analysis o f existing training institutions, training need analysis for different stakeholder segments i.e., WLTA's, h g a t i o n department officials, line department officials, Farmers, SHGs, etc. 21