India : Karnataka Integrated and Sustainable Water Resources Management Investment Program - Tranche 2

Agriculture, natural resources and rural development / Irrigation - Rural water policy, institutional and capacity development - Water-based natural resources management

(i) Sustainable water security in selected river basins in Karnataka improved; and (ii) Water use efficiency in irrigated agriculture improved

IWRM successfully implemented in selected river basins in Karnataka

State and basin institutions for integrated water resources management strengthened

VNC irrigation system infrastructure and management modernized

Program management systems operational

1a. Draft River Basin Profile of Middle Krishna (K2) and Ghataprabha (K3), Malaprabha (K4) sub-basins are prepared.

1b. 286 WRD engineers are trained in IWRM of which 115 are women.

1c. Karnataka Water Resources Information System (KWRIS) is developed and hosted in State Data Centre. New DSS modules such as Surface water Module, Groundwater module, Remote Sensing Toolbox, WUCS are developed.

Project MIS in place, and data updated from time to time.

Two workshops were held for KNNL staff on gender concepts, women mainstreaming and water resource management principles.

Six (6) trainings conducted for WUCS members on GESI concept and mainstreaming women, women in irrigation management, and principles of water resource management.

2a. Tranche 2 VNC is being implemented in two packages:

Package-1: Civil works (excluding works in Tungabhadra Otter Conservation Reserve and Hampi World Heritage Area) at an estimated cost of INR 3,739 million are under progress. A total of 70.84 km of lining work along main canals out of 196.54 km (36%) and 263 structures out of 1042 (25%) are completed.

Package-2: The evaluation of technical bids is under progress.

Correspondence between NBWL and State Forest Department is on-going for Package 2 works. Approval has been received from Hampi World Heritage Area Management Authority (HWHAMA) for activities to be undertaken in Hampi Heritage Area.

2b. Asset management plan preparation and implementation has been envisaged through the T2 PSC 2 (for balance period) which is under recruitment.

2c. Achieved registration of 15 WUCS on the VNC and subsequent conduct of elections.

51 women sub-committees formed with 812 members. A total of 326 training events covering 4717 female participants are trained. As part of capacity building programs, a total of 550 events (trainings, exposure visits, field days, demonstrations, etc.) have been conducted (no target) covering a total of 9588 participants.

2d. 6 trainings conducted for WUCS members on GESI concept and mainstreaming women, women in irrigation management, and principles of water resource management (Total: 152; M: 4; F: 148).

2e. Two workshops held for KNNL staff on gender concepts, women mainstreaming and water resource management principles.

3a. Project outputs delivered on time and within budget from time to time.

3b. Project MIS in place, and data updated from time to time. In addition, a user-friendly app to monitor the modernization (civil) works was developed and is under use by KNNL engineers.

3c. QPRs and SMRs are being submitted by the EA. Sex-disaggregated data being collected and compiled for reporting for all events.

3d. The PPR of Comprehensive Modernization of TLBC has been submitted by KNNL to Govt. of Karnataka in Q2 2022.

The contract of Program Support Consultant (Tranche 1) was initially continued to support the PMU and PIO in implementing Project 2 through a contract amendment due to delay in recruitment of Project Support Consultant (PSC 2). The contract of PSC 2 (Part A) was completed on 31 December 2021.

The PSC 2 (Part B) contract was signed on 30 June 2022 and the consultant is on board since 01 July 2022.

Two international and nine national consultants have been engaged by ACIWRM and one national consultant has been engaged by KNNL. ACIWRM is in the process of recruiting remaining international and national consultants to support output 1 on institutional strengthening for integrated water resources management.

The government requested that the procurement of goods and works follow ADB's Procurement Policy (2017, as amended from time to time). An updated procurement capacity assessment concluded that the overall procurement risk for the project is moderate. The first (Pkg- VNC 1) of two works packages under Tranche 2 was awarded on 8 March 2019.

The second civil works package VNC 2 was signed on 2 March 2023, with 24 month contract period.

MOUs of 115 VNC-CPP Command Area Works (CAD) were signed and the remaining 483 are under process.