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1
HARIYO BAN PROGRAM
ANNEX 2: DESIGN AND IMPLEMENTATION GUIDELINE
FOR
SMALL CONSTRUCTION ACTIVITIES
March 2014
i
© WWF Nepal 2014 WWF Nepal, PO Box 7660, Baluwatar, Kathmandu, Nepal Disclaimer This publication is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents of this publication are the responsibility of World Wildlife Fund, Inc., and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.
ii
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.0 CHAPTER 1: Introduction.. …………………………………………………………………1
2.0 CHAPTER 2: Check Dams ………………………………………………………………… 3
3.0 CHAPTER 3: Dykes ……………………………………………………………………… 7
4.0 CHAPTER 4: River Embankments ……………………………………………………… 20
5.0 CHAPTER 5: Improved water supplies (Water holes/ Ponds) for Wildlife…………… 29
6.0 CHAPTER 6: Upgrading of Fireline to fair weather roads ……………………………. 36
7.0 CHAPTER 7: Power fence ………………………………………………………………… 42
8.0 CHAPTER 8: Foot trails…………………………………………………………………… 48
9.0 CHAPTER 9: Irrigation system…………………………………………………………… 56
10.0 CHAPTER 10: Water supply system …………………………………………………… 65
11.0 CHAPTER 11: Community hall …………………………………………………………… 74
12.0 CHAPTER 12: Grinding mill/Improved water mill……………………………………… 84
13.0 CHAPTER 13: World Peace Biodiversity Garden visitor center……………………….. 92
14.0 CHAPTER 14: Biogas Support Mechanism Updated …………..………………………. 97
iii
ACRONYMS AND ABBREVIATIONS
ACA Annapurna Conservation Area
CAPA Community Adaptation Plan of Action
CARE Cooperative for Assistance and Relief Everywhere
CFOPs Community Forest Operational Plans
CFUG Community Forest User Group
CGI Corrugated Galvanized Iron
CHAL Chitwan-Annapurna Landscape
CNP Chitwan National Park
DDC District Development Committee
DFO District Forest Office/Officer
DNPWC Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation
DPR Department of Plant Resources
DSCO District Soil Conservation Office/Officer
EIA Environmental Impact Assessment
EMMP Environmental Mitigation and Monitoring Plan
EPA Environment Protection Act, 1997
EPR Environment Protection Rules, 1997
FECOFUN Federation of Community Forest Users in Nepal
FUG Forest User Group
GI Galvanized Iron
GoN Government of Nepal
HDPE High Density Polythene
IEE Initial Environmental Examination
iv
INGO International Non-government Organization
IWM Improved Water Mill
Km Kilometer
LAPA Local Adaptation Plan for Action
LIP Livelihood Improvement Plan
MoFSC Ministry of Forests and Soil Conservation
NAPA National Adaptation Programme of Action
NFA Nepal Foresters Association
NGO Non-government Organization
NPA National Parks Authority
NRs Nepali Rupees
NS Nepal Standard
NTFP Non-timber Forest Product
NTNC National Trust for Nature Conservation
PA Protected Area
PHPA Public Hearing Public Auditing
SOW Statement of Works
TA Technical Assistance
TAL Terai Arc Landscape
USAID United States Agency for International Development
UC User Committee
VDC Village Development Committee
WR Wildlife Reserve
WWF World Wildlife Fund
1
CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION
1.1 Background
The Hariyo Ban Program, funded by USAID and implemented by a consortium of WWF, CARE,
NTNC and FECOFUN with WWF as the lead, aims to reduce adverse impacts of climate change
and threats to biodiversity in Nepal. It works on three core interwoven components –biodiversity
conservation, sustainable landscapes and climate change adaptation – with livelihoods, gender
and social inclusion being important cross cutting themes. Hariyo Ban Program is being
implemented in two biodiverse priority landscapes of Nepal – Terai Arc Landscape (TAL) and
Chitwan-Annapurna Landscape (CHAL), complemented by enabling policy support at the national
level.
Hariyo Ban Program supports implementation of small-scale construction activities (infrastructures)
in the two landscapes in order to realize its project objectives. These activities span the three
thematic components as well as the cross-cutting livelihoods component.
These infrastructures are wide ranging and are being developed to address specific project-related
needs. For example, in biodiversity conservation, electric fencing and dykes are used to reduce
human-wildlife conflict, enabling increased crop and livestock production and reducing human
casualties, which in turn reduces retaliatory killing of large mammals such as elephant and tiger.
Similarly, check dams are used to restore wetlands and grasslands in areas where drier conditions
are resulting in loss of wetlands to grassland, and grassland to forest. Improved water supplies for
wildlife help reduce human-wildlife conflict, and are also an adaptation to climate change in areas
where natural water sources are drying up because of changing rainfall patterns. Under the climate
adaptation component, improved water supplies for people and livestock help improve livelihoods
and human wellbeing, and enable people to adapt to climate change. Repairing or opening new
small-scale irrigation systems improve livelihoods through increased agricultural production and
can build resilience to climate change. Repair/upgrading of foot trails improves access by foot for
ecotourism and access to markets, both of which improve local livelihoods. Other measures to
adapt to climate change include building small-scale dykes to reduce flooding, and check dams to
reduce landslides, flooding and siltation.
In the sustainable landscapes component, repair/upgrading of fire-line roads helps to combat
uncontrolled fires which are a major driver of deforestation/forest degradation. Biogas helps to
reduce several drivers, including overharvesting of firewood, overgrazing, and overuse of other
forest products through development of vegetable farming as an alternative livelihood. Additionally,
though a relatively infrequent activity, a few buildings are needed to strengthen community
organizational capacity and in one case, co-funding of an interpretive center for biodiversity
outreach and tourism promotion in the new World Peace Botanical Garden near Pokhara.
In the above context, this document provides a set of brief descriptions/guidelines for a range of
small infrastructures that are to be executed with financial support from Hariyo Ban. In doing so,
this document is designed to meet revised USAID procedures for all construction activities,
including small scale and largely community managed infrastructures.
2
It is important to note that a brief Guideline of this nature can only be indicative and site based and
implementing agency specific modifications to suit and technical and management requirements
are expected. For example, Government Agencies, while taking lead in the implementation of
infrastructure activities, have options to mobilize their internal engineering human resources by
following government norms and procedures or to avail the services of external engineering
consulting firm services contracted by Hariyo Ban Program. When government agencies decide to
employ centrally based internal human resources, Hariyo Ban will cover their cost of travel,
accommodation and daily subsistence allowance as per WWF and CARE norms.
3
CHAPTER 2: CHECK DAMS
2.1 Planning process
The planning process for an infrastructure is carried out to understand and identify one or more
infrastructures to meet the specific needs of the beneficiaries. For community infrastructure, the
planning process should conclude with community consent for an infrastructure that helps to meet
the intended needs of the community members for a specific purpose that relates to the project
objectives.
In this case, planning process will focus on which and what type of check dam scheme will help to
serve the needs of the community. The process also looks into how much and how the resources
and skills will be available to deliver a quality check-dam structure that is durable and useful. In
some cases, the planning process would include rehabilitation or replacement of a check dam
structure that has ceased to function or is poorly functioning.
The planning process is a combination of a series of consultations that Users Committees or
community representatives shall undertake with support from Hariyo Ban Consortium Partners. The
planning process and role of these stakeholders are briefly outlined below:
a. Role of User Committee (UC)
The Users Committee plays an important role in the bottom-up process of need assessment. It
helps to organise meetings to discuss identification of an appropriate check dam that meets the
community requirements for flood control or erosion problems in the locality. The UC works with
community members to organise the community views and represent them to the Hariyo Ban
Consortium partners and facilitators.
b. Role of Hariyo Ban Consortium Partners
The Consortium Partners facilitate the planning process. This means that they work with UC to
review and document reference to existing local plans at the VDC or DDC levels. Similarly, they
also work with the Consulting Engineering Firm to prepare necessary information to help UC come
up with appropriate and viable options.
c. Role of Consulting Engineering Firm (Certified Contractor)
The certified contractor possesses a certificate of competency issued by the state. The consulting
engineering firms will be contracted by consortium partners (mainly WWF and CARE) through a
competitive bidding process. The engineering firm will provide necessary technical information to
support decision making process. Normally, community decisions are not based on technical
considerations. The firm provides technical views on feasibility from engineering and resource point
of view and will offer judgement before a decision is made.
d. Role of National Parks Authority: For check dams inside park core areas and national
forests and implemented by government organizations, these responsible government agencies
will propose appropriate check dam structures to control water flow and address erosion problems
4
based on their identified needs with support from qualified technical persons (engineers, overseers)
from Department of National Parks and Wildlife Conservation.
Flow diagram of iterative project planning process
2.2 Description of Check Dams
A check dam is a small temporary or permanent low structure built across a drainage ditch, gulley,
or stream channel, or in the area of origin of a stream. Check dams can be constructed for several
different purposes, including reducing water flow, minimizing erosion, trapping channel sediment
and stabilizing layside slope. Check dams can:
Approve (Consortium Partner)
Identification of Scheme
(Community undertakes
consultation)
Feasibility Assessment (Consulting Engineer) (2)
FEASIBLE ? Choose next scheme
(Report Planning
Process)
No
Yes
5
allow sediments, silts or pollutants to settle and thus be removed from water
provide water for irrigation (especially in monsoons), hence increasing agricultural
production
recharge ground water, and hence, for example, helping to replenish springs and dry
season stream flow
hold water in wetlands, e.g. expanding the wetland area or holding water for longer in the
dry season
restore local ecosystems, and/or strengthen their resilience to climate change if climate
change is increasing their vulnerability to drought or erosion
prevent soil erosion by slowing/reducing the flow of water
2.3 Brief construction process
Construction of a check dam is carried out jointly by the Users Committee, Hariyo Ban Consortium
Partner and Engineering Firm (Certified Contractor) working together. The check dam is
constructed in the following manner:
Detailed site study by engineering firm, consortium partner and community to determine the
relevance of the structure in the affected drainage area.
Checking of the local situations such as availability of different material types, slope
gradient, soil type, water velocity etc as construction varies accordingly.
Preparation of a complete design of the check dam structure followed by a quantity and
cost estimate by the consulting firm.
Mobilization of users committee for clearing, grubbing or grading of the affected drainage
area with direct supervision from experts.
Removal of tree logs, bushes etc with the right of way and the affected area without
disturbing adjacent natural ground cover.
Construction of check dam using design material (stone, sand bags, soil, plantations,
gabion wires etc) for the dam to allow safe drainage into the protected pond or stream
Close supervision of works by UC, Hariyo Ban Consortium Partner and technician from
Engineering Firm to ensure construction is according to design and specifications.
2.4 Typical design of Check Dam
All the check dam structures shall be designed as per the standard practices. The height of check
dams will be normally up to 2.0 m. The storage arrangement can be made using gates of wooden
planks, stones, sand bags etc by creating an obstruction to the flow and store water. These
structures can be constructed in series to make them more effective by storing more water and
control flow of water.
In order to have a good performing scheme, the design process often needs to take the following
into considerations:
The check dam that should be constructed depends on the local situation such as the
availability of different material types, slope gradient and specific site objectives.
6
In gulley control, temporary structures and bioengineering measures such as woven-wire,
brushwood, logs, loose stone and boulder check dams are used to facilitate the growth of
permanent vegetative cover.
Check dams are constructed across the gulley bed to stop channel and side erosion.
Figure 1: Check dam front view
Figure 2: Cross sectional view of a check dam using bamboo and loose stones
A typical check dam section, as shown in the diagram, would be 2m high, 3-4 m wide and 1-2m
thick to protect a typical stream course. The actual design and dimensions may vary based on the
community needs, site location and environmental considerations. GON approved norms will be
followed for the design.
7
2.5 Materials requirements
The following materials are the most generally required for the check dam construction:
Cement
Sand
Stone
Gabion wire (for slope protection works)
Water
Sand bags
Bamboos
Seedlings for plantation
The quantities of these materials required will be prepared by the engineering firm during design
and cost estimate using standard engineering work norms approved by the Government of Nepal.
2.6 Specification of the materials
a. Stone: It shall be hard, sound, and free from crack, decay and weathering. Stone with round
surface shall not be used.
b. Cement: At practical level, cement should be
Fresh
Stored at proper place in dry conditions
Free of lumps
Certified by relevant government agency for meeting certain quality standard (NS).
c. Sand: Sand to be used should be clean i.e. free from clay, dust and organic materials. It
should not be too fine or too coarse.
d. Gabion wire: All wires used in making a gabion box and tying the gabion boxes shall be
equivalent to mild steel wire. Minimum thickness of wire shall be as follows:
Mesh wire 3.2mm
Binding and bracing wire 2.6mm
Selvedge wire 4.0mm
Galvanizing: A wire used in the making of gabions shall be galvanized (i.e. are zinc coated)
to avoid or delay rusting. It is important to see that the wire bought is free from rust and is
uniformly galvanized.
e. Water for cement work: Water shall be clean and free from injurious materials (i.e. water
should be clear and no dirt or floating objects should be visible).
f. Bamboo: Bamboo used for check dams should be preferably dried well, and of adequate
diameter to hold the water and soil pressure.
8
g. Plant species: These must be brought from local area for its suitability and rapid growth.
2.7 Skill requirements
Check dam scheme requires a range of skilled workers and non-skilled people to develop it. In
particular, skill required to develop the check dams are as follows:
2.8 Access to materials and resources
For the construction of check dams, most of the materials are generally available locally. Some
materials are available in small or big markets. A summary where these materials could be found
are:
Materials Location
Stone, sand and mud Nearest river or approved quarry
Cement, Sand bags Nearest market
Gabion wire Nearest big town (usually from big cities only or local
suppliers of construction materials
Bamboos
Locally or nearest market
Plant species These must be brought from local area for its suitability
in the terrain and rapid growth.
S. No. Skill required Who can provide Typical
availability of
skill
Remarks
1. Stone dressing Experienced Mason Locally
2. Cement and sand
mixing
Experienced Labor Locally
3 Gabion wire
weaving
Training/Experienced
weaver
Might need
external person
Need to check the
quality of skilled
worker. If not need
to bring from
outside.
4 Gabion filling Experienced Mason
and Unskilled Labor
Locally
5 Un-coursed
Rubble Masonry in
cement sand mortar
Experienced Mason
and Unskilled Labor
Locally
6 Bioengineering Experienced Mason,
and technicians with
bioengineering
experience
May need to be
sourced
externally
9
2.9 Quality control process
Quality control in check dams is necessary to make sure that the structure functions well. This
shall be achieved through 2 key activities:
a. Regular technical monitoring by representatives from qualified Engineering Consultant
firm/Certified Contractor. The technical monitoring will review the design, quality of materials
and the construction process.
b. Community monitoring and supervision by representative of Consortium Partners and User
Committee.
2.10 Potential environmental impacts and mitigation measures
Hariyo Ban consortium partners will follow the EMMP which has been submitted to USAID.
2.11 Roles and responsibilities
Development of check dams in Hariyo Ban program is a shared responsibility among its
Consortium partners, user committees and engineering firm providing technical assistance. The
roles and responsibilities of these stakeholders in general are as follows:
a) Users Committee
Users Committee represents the communities that the people who will use the check dams.
Therefore they have key roles to play in the development of the check dams are as follows:
Assist consortium partner by
providing information about the location
supporting in scheme selection and cost estimation
updating about the progress of construction process
providing feedback about the effectiveness of construction process and support from
the engineering firm
Provide required labor contribution as required
Collect material with stones, gabions or concrete, including plants and bamboos, sacs for
bioengineering
Assist the consulting engineering firm in:
Feasibility study
Detailed engineering survey
Construction supervision of the work
Work measurement
Collection of local and non-local construction materials.
Keep records of (a) materials purchased/received in kind (b) labor mobilized (paid and
unpaid), and (c) overall expenditure of fund received.
10
b) Hariyo Ban Consortium Partner/ their implementing partners
Hariyo Ban Consortium partners and their implementing partners have important role in execution
of the check dams. In particular, it will undertake the following functions and roles:
Interact with community for planning and site selection.
Verification and approval of selected sites.
Facilitate meeting between community representative and technician from the engineering
firm for technical input in task design and detail cost estimate.
Provide timely grant and fund to implementing partner based on the cost estimate prepared
by the engineering firm.
Take lead role for implementing and resource leveraging from government and non
government agencies.
Support/advise users committee in the procurement of required materials and manage the
local resources and materials i.e. stone, mud, gabion wire, and plantation etc.
Support community mobilization to implement the plan as per the technical assistance of
the certified contractor
Monitor the progress and status of the construction jointly with users committee and
engineering firm.
Facilitate to address issues of quality control between users committee and engineering
firm if required.
Capacity building of partner and community group on activity management (Public Hearing
Public Auditing (PHPA), documentation, record keeping, quality implementation.
Conduct/prepare EMMP (environmental mitigation and monitoring plan).
Develop linkage between and coordinate with concerned communities, key stakeholder at
district and local level e.g. DDC, Water Induced Disaster Control Office , District Soil
Conservation Office, District Forest office, and District Administration Office, and Village
Development Committee (VDC).
c) Certified Contractor (Consulting Engineering Firm)
The Certified Contractor undertakes the following activities in close collaboration with Consortium
Partner representative or more commonly with Users Committee members:
Undertaking of feasibility study: The feasibility study will be undertaken by the Engineering
Firm with the users committee for evaluation and analysis of proposed scheme. This will
decide on whether or not a check dam is feasible from engineering point of view.
Detailed engineering survey: An engineering survey will be carried out in the area so that a
working scheme can be designed.
Design, quantity and cost estimation: After the completion of engineering survey, a
detailed work design along with quantity and cost estimation will be prepared by the
Engineering Firm. This will give the amount of materials, workers (skilled and unskilled) and
cost required to complete the work.
11
Material quality assessment: the users committee will be given technical advice on the
constructions materials quality. The Firm will help the community to check the standards
during or after purchase.
Construction supervision of the work along with users committee: The construction work
will be supervised by experienced members of engineering firm experts along with user
committee. The supervision will ensure that the scheme is built according to the work
design and specifications.
Work measurement and work completion report: The Engineering Firm will verify if the
quality of works completed is satisfactory. If so, it will then measure the works done and
provide summary of cost incurred if this is necessary for the clearance of advances taken
by the UC. When the construction work is completed as per plan and meeting quality
requirements, engineering firm will prepare a work completion report.
Capacity building trainings for developing skills of scheme management and
maintenance will be given by the Engineering Firm to the users committee for them to
develop a sound knowledge on how to use and maintain a check dam.
Note: The check dams inside the national parks and core areas are implemented by government
organizations. Accordingly, the government agencies will follow their own norms and procedures
for construction of this infrastructure mobilizing qualified technicians from their
departments/ministries.
12
CHAPTER 3: DYKES
3.1 Planning process
Planning process for an infrastructure is carried out to understand and identify one or more
infrastructures to meet the specific needs of the beneficiaries. The planning process should
conclude with community consent for an infrastructure that helps to meet the intended needs of the
community members for a specific purpose that relates to the project objectives.
In this case, planning process will focus on which and what type of dykes will help to serve the
maximum needs of the community. The process also looks into how much and how the resources
and skills will be available to deliver a quality dyke asset that is durable and useful.
The planning process is a combination of a series of consultations that Users Committee or
community representatives shall undertake with support from Hariyo Ban Consortium Partners. The
planning process and role of these stakeholders are briefly outlined below:
a. Role of User Committee (UC)
The Users Committee play an important role in the bottom up process of need assessment. UC
helps to organise meetings to discuss identification of appropriate dyke facilities that meets the
community requirements. The UC works with community members to organise the community
views and represent them to the Hariyo Ban Consortium partners and facilitators.
b. Role of Hariyo Ban Consortium Partners
The Consortium Partners facilitate the planning process. This means that they work with UC to
review and document reference to existing local plans at the VDC or DDC levels. Similarly, they
also work with the Consulting Engineering Firm to prepare necessary information to help UC come
up with appropriate and viable options.
c. Role of Consulting Engineering Firm (Certified Contractor)
The certified contractor is the one who possesses a certificate of competency issued by the state.
The consulting engineering firms will be contracted by consortium partners (mainly WWF and
CARE) through a competitive bidding process. The engineering firm will provide necessary
technical information to support decision making process. Normally, community decisions are not
based on technical considerations. The firm provides technical views on feasibility from engineering
and resource point of view and will offer judgement before a decision is made.
d. Role of National Parks Authority
For the dykes inside park core areas and national forests and implemented by government
counterpart, these responsible government agencies will propose appropriate dyke structures to
control water flow and address erosion problems based on their identified needs with support from
qualified technical persons (engineers, overseers) from Department of National Park and Wildlife
Conservation.
13
Flow diagram of iterative project planning process
3.2 Description of Dykes
Dykes are natural or artificial slopes constructed, assembled or installed to regulate the water
levels and reduce flooding or siltation. These take the form of embankments, wall, fills, pilings,
gates, flood boxes, pipes, sluices culverts, canals ditches or drains. Dykes can:
Control the water flow, thus used in diffusing the impact of flood.
Can prevent extensive inundation, they are built along water courses where riverbed cannot
be changed to contain flood water.
Approve (Consortium Partner)
Identification of Scheme
(Community undertakes
consultation)
Feasibility Assessment (Consulting Engineer) (2)
FEASIBLE ? Choose next scheme
(Report Planning
Process)
No
Yes
14
Remove water from large land areas, therefore they are given much priority.
3.3 Brief construction process
Dyke construction is carried out jointly by the Users Committee, Hariyo Ban Consortium Partner
and Engineering Firm (Certified Contractor) working together. Dykes are constructed in the
following manner:
An examination with field study is carried out by engineering firm, consortium partner and
community to assess the magnitude of the flooding area.
Based on the flooding characteristics, stability of the base in which Dykes is to be laid is
checked.
The consulting firm then prepares a complete design of the Dykes scheme along with the
quantity and cost estimate.
Community is mobilized for local construction material collection that can be used during
Dykes construction.
Further structural works along with bioengineering work are carried out in subsequent
stages.
There is close supervision of works by UC, Hariyo Ban Consortium Partner and Engineering
Firm to ensure the safety of the structure and construction is according to design and
specifications.
3.4 Typical design of Dykes
The site-specific details that shall be considered in the design of dykes are:
Foundation condition;
Dyke stability so that it does not fall
Settlement, seepage, and erosion;
The dyke slopes vary with each site depending on the type of soils, dyke height, and dyke
construction materials. Generally the dyke slopes were 3H:1V, of flatter.
Fig.1; Typical section of dyke
A typical dyke section is as shown in the figure 1. Dimensions vary widely as the width and height
of the structure depends on the height and flow characteristics of the water body. The actual
design and dimensions may vary based on the community needs, site location and environmental
considerations. GON approved norms will be followed for the design.
15
Figure 2: Bioengineering work on dyke
3.5 Materials requirements
The following materials are required for the Dyke construction.
Cement
Sand
Stone
Water
Gabion wire
Seedlings for plantation
The quantities of these materials required will be prepared by the engineering firm during design
and cost estimate using standard engineering work norms approved by the Government of Nepal.
3.6 Specification of the materials
a. Stone: It shall be hard, sound, and free from crack, decay and weathering. Stone with
round surface shall not be used.
b. Cement: At practical level, cement should be
Fresh
It should be stored at proper place in dry conditions
It should be free of lumps
Certified by relevant government agency for meeting certain quality standard (NS)
c. Sand: Sand to be used should be clean i.e. free from clay, dust and organic materials. It
should not be too fine or too coarse.
16
d. Gabion wire: All wires used in making a gabion box and tying the gabion boxes shall be
equivalent to mild steel wire. Minimum thickness of wire shall be as follows:
Mesh wire 3.2mm
Binding and bracing wire 2.6mm
Selvedge wire 4.0mm
Galvanizing: A wire used in the making of gabions shall be galvanized (i.e. are zinc
coated) to avoid or delay rusting. It is important to see that the wire bought is free from rust
and is uniformly galvanized.
e. Water for cement work: Water shall be clean and free from injurious materials (i.e. water
should be clear and no dirt or floating objects should be visible).
f. Plant species: These must be brought from local area for its suitability and rapid growth.
3.7 Skill requirements
Dyke construction requires a range of skilled workers and non-skilled people to develop it. In
particular, skill required to develop a dyke are as follows:
S. No. Skill required Who can provide
Typical
availability of
skill
Remarks
1. Stone dressing Experienced Mason Locally
2. Cement and sand
mixing Experienced Labor Locally
3 Gabion wire weaving Trained/Experienced
weaver
Might need
external
person
Need to check the
quality of skilled worker.
If not need to bring from
outside.
4 Gabion filling Experienced Mason
and Unskilled Labor Locally
5
Un-coursed
Rubble Masonry in
cement sand mortar
Experienced Mason
and Unskilled Labor Locally
6 Bioengineering Experienced Mason,
and technicians with
bioengineering
experience
May need to
be sourced
externally
17
3.8 Access to materials and resources
For the construction of a dyke, most of the materials are generally available locally. Some
materials are available in small or big markets. A summary where these materials could be found
are:
3.9 Quality control process
Quality control in dyke construction is necessary to make sure it functions well. This shall be
achieved through 2 key activities:
a. Regular technical monitoring by representatives from qualified Engineering Consultant
firm/Certified contractor. The technical monitoring will review the design, quality of materials
and the construction process.
b. Community monitoring and supervision by representative of Consortium Partners and User
Committee.
3.10 Potential environmental impacts and mitigation measure
Hariyo Ban consortium partners will follow the EMMP which has been submitted to USAID
3.11 Role and responsibilities
Development of dykes in Hariyo Ban program is a shared responsibility among its consortium
partners, user committees and engineering firm providing technical assistance. The roles and
responsibilities of these stakeholders in general are as follows:
a) Users Committee
Users Committee represents the communities that the people who will use the dykes. Therefore
they have key roles to play in the development of the scheme as follows:
Materials Location
Stone and sand Nearest river or approved quarry
Cement Nearest market
Gabion wire Nearest big town (usually from big cities only or local suppliers of construction
materials)
Bamboos Locally or nearest market
Plant species These must be brought from local area for its suitability in the terrain and rapid growth.
18
Assist consortium partner by
providing information about the location,,
supporting in scheme selection and cost estimation
updating about the progress of construction process
providing feedback about the effectiveness of construction process and support from
the engineering firm.
Provide required labor contribution as required
Collect material with stones, gabions or concrete, including plants and bamboos, sacs for
bioengineering
Assist the consulting engineering firm in:
Feasibility study
Detailed engineering survey
Construction supervision of the work
Work measurement
Collection of local and non-local construction materials.
Keep records of (a) materials purchased/received in kind (b) labor mobilized (paid and
unpaid), and (c) overall expenditure of fund received.
b) Hariyo Ban Consortium Partner/ their implementing partners
Hariyo Ban Consortium partners have important role in execution of the dyke scheme. In particular,
it will undertake the following functions and roles:
Interact with community for planning and site selection.
Verification and approval of selected sites.
Facilitate meeting between community representative and technician from the engineering
firm for technical input in task design and detail cost estimate.
Provide timely grant and fund to implementing partner based on the cost estimate prepared
by the engineering firm
Support/advise users committee in the procurement of required materials.
Support community mobilization to implement the plan as per the technical assistance of
the certified contractor
Monitor the progress and status of the construction jointly with users committee and
engineering firm.
Facilitate to address issues of quality control between users committee and engineering
firm if required.
Conduct/prepare EMMP (environmental mitigation and monitoring plan)
Develop linkage between and coordinate with concerned communities and district and local
government line agencies.
c) Certified Contractor (Consulting Engineering Firm)
The Certified Contractor undertakes the following activities in close collaboration with Consortium
Partner representative or more commonly with Users Committee members:
19
Undertaking of feasibility study: The feasibility study will be undertaken by the Engineering
Firm with the users committee for evaluation and analysis of proposed scheme. This will
decide on whether or not dyke construction is feasible from engineering point of view.
Detailed engineering survey: An engineering survey will be carried out in the area so that a
working scheme can be designed.
Design, quantity and cost estimation: After the completion of engineering survey, a
detailed work design along with quantity and cost estimation will be prepared by the
Engineering Firm. This will give the amount of materials, workers (skilled and unskilled) and
cost required to complete the work.
Material quality assessment: the users committee will be given technical advice on the
constructions materials quality. The Firm will help the community to check the standards
during or after purchase.
Construction supervision of the work along with users committee: The construction work
will be supervised by experienced members of engineering firm experts along with user
committee. The supervision will ensure that the scheme is built according to the work
design and specifications.
Work measurement and work completion report: The Engineering Firm will verify if the
quality of works completed is satisfactory. If so, it will then measure the works done and
provide summary of cost incurred if this is necessary for the clearance of advances taken
by the UC. When the construction work is completed as per plan and meeting quality
requirements, engineering firm will prepare a work completion report.
Capacity building trainings for developing skills of scheme management and
maintenance will be given by the Engineering Firm to the users committee for them to
develop a sound knowledge on how to use and maintain a completed dyke.
Note: The dykes inside the national parks and core areas are implemented by government
organizations. Accordingly, the government agencies will follow their own norms and procedures
for construction of this infrastructure mobilizing qualified technicians from their
departments/ministries.
20
CHAPTER 4: RIVER EMBANKMENTS
4.1 Planning process
Planning process for an infrastructure is carried out to understand and identify one or more
infrastructures to meet the specific needs of the beneficiaries. The planning process should
conclude with community consent for an infrastructure that helps to meet the intended needs of the
community members for a specific purpose that relates to the project objectives.
In this case, planning process will focus on which and what type of river embankment scheme will
help to serve the maximum river embankment needs of the community. The process also looks into
how much and how the resources and skills will be available to deliver a quality river embankment
asset that is durable and useful. In certain cases, it could be identification of an existing river
embankment scheme that has ceased to function or functioning at low capacity and requires
rehabilitation/repair work.
The planning process is a combination of a series of consultations that Users Committee or
community representatives shall undertake with support from Hariyo Ban Consortium Partners. The
planning process and role of these stakeholders are briefly outlined below:
a. Role of User Committee (UC)
Users Committee play an important role in the bottom up process of need assessment. UC helps to
organise meetings to discuss identification of appropriate river embankment facilities that meets the
community requirements. The UC works with community members to organise the community
views and represent them to the Hariyo Ban Consortium partners and facilitators.
b. Role of Hariyo Ban Consortium Partners
The Consortium Partners facilitate the planning process. This means that they work with UC to
review and document reference to existing local plans at the VDC or DDC levels. Similarly, they
also work with the Consulting Engineering Firm to prepare necessary information to help UC come
up with appropriate and viable options.
c. Role of Consulting Engineering Firm (Certified Contractor)
Certified contractor is the one who possesses a certificate of competency issued by the state. The
consulting engineering firms will be contracted by consortium partners (mainly WWF and CARE)
through a competitive bidding process. The engineering firm will provide necessary technical
information to support decision making process. Normally, community decisions are not based on
technical considerations. The firm provides technical views on feasibility from engineering and
resource point of view and will offer judgement before a decision is made.
21
Flow diagram of iterative project planning process
4.2 Description of River Embankment for protecting riverbank
A river embankment is physical barrier constructed to prevent flooding and or cutting of river banks
and agriculture lands by a river. River embankment usually consist a revetment barrier that directs
water flow to a prescribed channel away from its natural course.
In order to protect a riverbank, the following steps are usually undertaken
Approve (Consortium Partner)
Identification of Scheme
(Community undertakes
consultation)
Feasibility Assessment (Consulting Engineer) (2)
FEASIBLE ? Choose next scheme
(Report Planning
Process)
No
Yes
22
Setting the improvement stretch of the project
Setting the river channel route
Setting the alignment of river
Setting the riverbed gradient
Setting the river’s cross section
Riverbank erosion is mainly carried out using gabion revetments.
In this structure, Gabion boxes that are made of galvanized or coated wire baskets are filled with
stones and are placed along a stream bank. They are particularly effective for protecting the
submerged part of the stream-bank.
4.3 Brief construction process
River protection activities are carried out jointly by the Users Committee, Hariyo Ban Consortium
Partner and Engineering Firm (Certified Contractor) working together.
The construction process for Gabion revetment is carried out in the following manner:
a. Gabion Revetments
A technical assessment is first carried out to document the quantity of water flow in the
stream at different times of the year, particularly when there is maximum flow of water.
A technical design of the revetment embankment is then prepared to protect against this
highest known flow characteristics.
A foundation is excavated into the stream bed at least one foot deep and large enough to
hold the bottom row of baskets. The empty baskets and then tied into the stream bed with
several iron rods.
The gabion baskets and then filled with stone in tight layers, free of empty spaces and using
stones of different sizes.
As the baskets are filled with stone, wire reinforcements are placed in each direction every
30cm to retain the shape of the basket.
Tops of baskets are closed with a galvanized wire and the baskets are tied to each other.
Bioengineering measures are applied at the end of the work with plantation of appropriate
plant species over the gabion boxes to strengthen the structures through plant roots.
4.4 Typical design of River embankment for protecting riverbank
For designing revetment for unprotected bank the steps outlined below will be required for a
successful design:
Field Visit
Channel surveys
Channel stability Analysis
Hydrological Analysis
Hydraulic Analysis
Scour Analysis
23
Figure 1: Gabion Revetment
Figure 2: River embankment protection with bioengineering
The actual design and dimensions may vary based on the community needs, site location and
environmental considerations. GoN approved norms will be followed for the design.
4.5 Materials requirements and specification
The following materials are required for the construction of river embankment protection structures:
Cement
Sand
Stone
24
Gabion wire (for slope protection works)
Water
Sand bags
Bamboos or wooden stakes
Seedlings for plantation
The quantities of these materials required will be prepared by the engineering firm during design
and cost estimate using standard engineering work norms approved by the Government of Nepal.
4.6 Specification of the materials
i) Stone: It shall be hard, sound, and free from crack, decay and weathering. Stone with round
surface shall not be used.
ii) Cement: At practical level, cement should be
Fresh
It should be stored at proper place in dry conditions
It should be free of lumps
Certified by relevant government agency for meeting certain quality standard (NS)
iii) Sand: Sand to be used should be clean i.e. free from clay, dust and organic materials. It
should not be too fine or too coarse.
iv) Gabion wire: All wires used in making a gabion box and tying the gabion boxes shall be
equivalent to mild steel wire. Minimum thickness of wire shall be as follows:
Mesh wire 3.2mm
Binding and bracing wire 2.6mm
Selvedge wire 4.0mm
Galvanizing: A wire used in the making of gabions shall be galvanized (i.e. are zinc coated) to
avoid or delay rusting. It is important to see that the wire bought is free from rust and is
uniformly galvanized.
v) Water for cement work: Water shall be clean and free from injurious materials (i.e. water
should be clear and no dirt or floating objects should be visible).
vi) Bamboo or wood: should be preferably dried well, and of adequate diameter to hold the water
and soil pressure.
4.7 Skill requirements
River embankment protection structure construction required a range of skilled and non-skilled
workers. In particular, skill required to construct river embankment are as follows:
25
S. No. Skill required Who can provide Typical
availability of
skill
Remarks
1. Stone dressing Experienced
Mason
Locally
2. Cement and sand
mixing
Experienced Labor Locally
3 Gabion wire weaving Training weaver Might need
external person
Need to check the quality of
skilled worker. If not need
to bring from outside.
4 Gabion filling Experienced Mason
and Unskilled Labor
Locally
5 Un-coursed
Rubble Masonry in
cement sand mortar
Experienced
Mason and
Unskilled Labor
Locally
6 Bioengineering Experienced
Mason, and
technicians with
bioengineering
experience
May need to be
sourced externally
4.8 Access to materials and resources
For the construction of river embankment protection structures, most of the materials are generally
available locally. Some materials are available in small or big markets. A summary where these
materials could be found are:
Materials Location
Stone, sand and
mud
Nearest river or approved quarry
Cement Nearest market
Gabion wire Nearest big town (usually from big cities only or local suppliers of
construction materials
Bamboo and wood Locally or nearest market
Plant species These must be brought from local area for its suitability in the
terrain and rapid growth.
4.9 Quality control process
Quality control in river embankment is necessary to make sure it functions well. This shall be
achieved through 2 key activities:
26
a. Regular technical monitoring by representatives from qualified Engineering Consultant
firm/Certified contractor. The technical monitoring will review the design, quality of materials
and the construction process.
b. Community monitoring and supervision by representative of Consortium Partners and User
Committee.
4.10 Potential environmental impacts and mitigation measures Hariyo Ban consortium partners will follow the EMMP which has been submitted to USAID.
4.11 Role and responsibilities
Development of river embankment in Hariyo Ban program is a shared responsibility among its
consortium partners, user committees and engineering firm providing technical assistance. The
roles and responsibilities of these stakeholders in general are as follows:
a. Users Committee
Users Committee represents the communities that the people who will use the river embankment
scheme. Therefore they have key roles to play in the development of the scheme as follows:
Assist consortium partner by
providing information about the location,,
supporting in scheme selection and cost estimation
updating about the progress of construction process
providing feedback about the effectiveness of construction process and support from
the engineering firm.
Provide required labor contribution as required
Collect material with stones, gabions or concrete, including plants and bamboos, sacs for
bioengineering
Assist the consulting engineering firm in:
Feasibility study
Detailed engineering survey
Joint construction survey
Construction supervision of the work
Work measurement
Collection of local and non-local construction materials.
Keep records of (a) materials purchased/received in kind (b) labor mobilized (paid
and unpaid), and (c) overall expenditure of fund received.
b. Hariyo Ban Consortium Partner/ their implementing partners
Hariyo Ban Consortium partners have important role in execution of the river embankment scheme.
In particular, it will undertake the following functions and roles:
27
Interact with community for planning and site selection.
Verification and approval of selected sites.
Facilitate meeting between community representative and technician from the engineering
firm for technical input in task design and detail cost estimate.
Provide timely grant and fund to implementing partner based on the cost estimate prepared
by the engineering firm.
Provide process orientation and capacity building support for community group on activity
management (PHPA, documentation, quality assurance and implementation)
Support/advise users committee in the procurement of required materials.
Support community mobilization to implement the plan as per the technical assistance of
the certified contractor
Monitor the progress and status of the construction jointly with users committee and
engineering firm.
Facilitate to address issues of quality control between users committee and engineering
firm if required.
Conduct/prepare EMMP (environmental mitigation and monitoring plan)
Development of linkage between and coordinate with concerned communities and DDC
VDC, District Soil Conservation Offices (DSCO), Water Induced Disaster Control Office.
c. Certified Contractor (Consulting Engineering Firm)
The Certified Contractor undertakes the following activities in close collaboration with Consortium
Partner representative or more commonly with Users Committee members:
Undertaking of feasibility study: The feasibility study will be undertaken by the
Engineering Firm with the users committee for evaluation and analysis of proposed
scheme. This will decide on whether or not river embankment is feasible from engineering
point of view.
Detailed engineering survey: An engineering survey will be carried out in the area so that
a working scheme can be designed.
Design, quantity and cost estimation: After the completion of engineering survey, a
detailed work design along with quantity and cost estimation will be prepared by the
Engineering Firm. This will give the amount of materials, workers (skilled and unskilled) and
cost required to complete the work.
Material quality assessment: the users committee will be given technical advice on the
constructions materials quality. The Firm will help the community to check the standards
during or after purchase.
Construction supervision of the work along with users committee: The construction work
will be supervised by experienced members of engineering firm experts along with user
committee. The supervision will ensure that the scheme is built according to the work
design and specifications.
28
Work measurement and work completion report: The Engineering Firm will verify if the
quality of works completed is satisfactory. If so, it will then measure the works done and
provide summary of cost incurred if this is necessary for the clearance of advances taken
by the UC. When the construction work is completed as per plan and meeting quality
requirements, engineering firm will prepare a work completion report.
Capacity building trainings for developing skills of scheme management and
maintenance will be given by the Engineering Firm to the users committee for them to
develop a sound knowledge on how to repair and maintain a completed river embankment
scheme.
29
CHAPTER 5: IMPROVED WATER SUPPLIES (WATER HOLES/PONDS)
FOR WILDLIFE
5.1 Planning process
Planning process for an infrastructure is carried out to understand and identify one or more
infrastructures to meet the specific needs of the beneficiaries. The planning process should
conclude with community consent for an infrastructure that helps to meet the intended needs of the
community members for a specific purpose that relates to the project objectives.
In this case, planning process will focus on which and what type of water supply scheme will help
to serve the maximum water. The process also looks into how much and how the resources and
skills will be available to deliver a quality water supply asset that is durable and useful. In some
cases, it could be identification of an existing water supply scheme that requires
rehabilitation/repair work.
The planning process is a combination of a series of consultations that Users Committee or
community representatives shall undertake with support from Hariyo Ban Consortium Partners. The
planning process and role of these stakeholders are briefly outlined below:
a. Role of National Parks Authority
For the water supply inside park core areas and national forests and implemented by government
counterpart, the key role in identifying and planning this structure will largely rest on the NPA
authorities. All technical support will be provided by Department of National Park and Wildlife
Conservation (DNPWC) by mobilizing their own human resources (engineers and overseers).
b. Role of Hariyo Ban Consortium Partners
The Consortium Partners facilitate the identification process working closely with the NPA.
Similarly, they also work with the Consulting Engineering Firm to prepare necessary information to
help NPA come up with appropriate and viable options and designs.
c. Role of Consulting Engineering Firm (Certified Contractor)
Certified contractor is the one who possesses a certificate of competency issued by the state. The
consulting engineering firms will be contracted by consortium partners (mainly WWF and CARE)
through a competitive bidding process. The engineering firm will provide necessary technical
information to support decision making process. Normally, community decisions are not based on
technical considerations. The firm provides technical views on feasibility from engineering and
resource point of view and will offer judgement before a decision is made.
d. Role of User Committee (UC)
Users Committee may or not be formed in this case and even when formed, their roles will this
wildlife related structure will be very limited.
30
Flow diagram of iterative project planning process
5.2 Description of water holes/ponds for wildlife
Improved water supplies system for wildlife or earthen pond is a man made pond to facilitate water
for the wild lives. With climate change patterns and other environmental degradation, water supply
to wildlife has remained minimal. Wildlife traditionally referred to non-domesticated animal
Approve (Consortium Partner)
Identification of Scheme
(Community undertakes
consultation)
Feasibility Assessment (Consulting Engineer) (2)
FEASIBLE ? Choose next scheme
(Report Planning
Process)
No
Yes
31
species, but has come to include all plants, fungi and other organisms that grow or live wild in an
area without being introduced by humans. Thus, water maintenance support for wild lives by
creating earthen ponds at different suitable locations around the habitat of wildlife can maximize
the availability of water to wild lives.
Mention contribution in restoration of wetlands.
Important components of earthen ponds are as follows:
Dykes
Pond outlet
Pond inlet
Pond bottom
Clay core
5.3 Brief construction process
Earthen pond to support improved water supply for wild life are constructed in the following
manner. All these activities are carried out jointly by the Users Committee, Hariyo Ban Consortium
Partner and Engineering Firm (Certified Contractor) working together.
An examination with field study is carried out to confirm the area where earthen pond is to
be constructed is an open and gently sloping site in the ridge area.
The consulting firm then prepares a complete design of the irrigation scheme along with the
quantity and cost estimate.
Community is mobilized to clear the pond area of all undesired vegetation.
Small drainage channels are constructed around the ponds to direct runoff to the pond.
The earthwork and other relevant structural work are carried out in the subsequent stages.
There is close supervision of works by UC, Hariyo Ban Consortium Partner and technician
from Engineering Firm to ensure construction is according to design and specifications.
5.4 Typical design of Earthen Pond
The pond’s side are called/levees or dykes that should be well compacted and have a gentle
slopes. During construction lay about 15 cm of soil, which when compacted will become 10 cm.
The pond levees should have a gentle slope of about 2:1. The diameter of the inlet pipe should be
less than that of the outlet pipe. The inlet pipe should be at least 20cm about the water surface.
The freeboard height should e 20 to 30 cm. The bottom should be smooth and firm. Typically
ponds should be rectangular.
32
Typical design and size of these structures widely vary. Their size depends on the number of
animals likely to use them, site location and environmental considerations such as temperature and
rainfall. GoN approved norms will be followed for the design.
5.5 Materials requirements and specification
The following materials are the most generally required for the earthen pond construction:
Cement
Sand
Stone
Water
The quantities of these materials required will be prepared by the engineering firm during design
and cost estimate using standard engineering work norms approved by the Government of Nepal.
5.6 Specification of the materials
a. Stone: It shall be hard, sound, and free from crack, decay and weathering. Stone with
round surface shall not be used.
b. Cement: Used in condition of high seepage land, water is brought from distance and stored
in collection pond.
At practical level, cement should be
Fresh
It should be stored at proper place in dry conditions
It should be free of lumps
Certified by relevant government agency for meeting certain quality standard (NS)
c. Sand: Sand to be used should be clean i.e. free from clay, dust and organic materials. It
should not be too fine or too coarse.
d. Water for cement work: Water shall be clean and free from injurious materials (i.e. water
should be clear and no dirt or floating objects should be visible). Normally drinkable water
should be used where possible for mixing and curing concrete and masonry works.
33
5.7 Skill requirements
Development of improved water supply scheme requires a range of skilled workers and non-skilled
people to develop it. In particular, skill required to support improved water supply scheme are as
follows:
5.8 Access to materials and resources
For the development of improved water supply scheme, most of the materials are generally
available locally. Some materials are available in small or big markets. A summary where these
materials could be found are:
Materials Location
Stone and sand Nearest river or approved quarry, subject to approval by NPA.
Cement Nearest market
5.9 Quality control process
Quality control in water supply for wildlife is necessary to make sure the structure functions well.
This shall be achieved through 2 key activities:
a. Regular technical monitoring by representatives from qualified Engineering Consultant
firm/Certified contractor. The technical monitoring will review the design, quality of materials
and the construction process.
b. Community monitoring and supervision by representative of Consortium Partners and User
Committee.+
5.10 Potential environmental impacts and mitigation measures
Hariyo Ban consortium partners will follow the EMMP which has been submitted to USAID.
S.
No.
Skill required Who can provide Typical
availability of
skill
1. Stone dressing Experienced Mason Locally
2. Cement and sand
mixing
Experienced Labor Locally
3 Un-coursed
Rubble Masonry in
cement sand mortar
Experienced Mason
and Unskilled Labor
Mason and labor
Locally
34
5.11 Roles and responsibilities
Water supply for wildlife in Hariyo Ban program is a shared responsibility among its consortium
partners, user committees and engineering firm providing technical assistance. The roles and
responsibilities of these stakeholders in general are as follows:
c. Hariyo Ban Consortium Partner/ their implementing partners
Hariyo Ban Consortium partners have important role in execution of the water supply in particular; it
will undertake the following functions and roles:
Interact with community for planning and site selection
Verification and approval of selected sites
Facilitate meeting between community representative and technician from the engineering
firm for technical input in task design and detail cost estimate.
Provide timely grant and fund to implementing partner based on the cost estimate prepared
by the engineering firm
Support/advise users committee in the procurement of required materials.
Support community mobilization to implement the plan as per the technical assistance of
the certified contractor
Monitor the progress and status of the construction jointly with users committee and
engineering firm.
Facilitate to address issues of quality control between users committee and engineering
firm if required.
Conduct/prepare EMMP (environmental mitigation and monitoring plan)
Development linkage between and coordinate with concerned communities and district and
local government line agencies.
d. Certified Contractor (Consulting Engineering Firm)
The Certified Contractor undertakes the following activities in close collaboration with Consortium
Partner representative or more commonly with Users Committee members:
Undertaking of feasibility study: The feasibility study will be undertaken by the Engineering
Firm with the users committee for evaluation and analysis of proposed scheme. This will
decide on whether or not a water supply is feasible from engineering point of view.
Detailed engineering survey: An engineering survey will be carried out in the area so that a
working scheme can be designed.
Design, quantity and cost estimation: After the completion of engineering survey, a
detailed work design along with quantity and cost estimation will be prepared by the
Engineering Firm. This will give the amount of materials, workers (skilled and unskilled) and
cost required to complete the work.
35
Material quality assessment: the users committee will be given technical advice on the
constructions materials quality. The Firm will help the community to check the standards
during or after purchase.
Construction supervision of the work along with users committee: The construction work
will be supervised by experienced members of engineering firm experts along with user
committee. The supervision will ensure that the scheme is built according to the work
design and specifications.
Work measurement and work completion report: The Engineering Firm will verify if the
quality of works completed is satisfactory. If so, it will then measure the works done and
provide summary of cost incurred if this is necessary for the clearance of advances taken
by the UC. When the construction work is completed as per plan and meeting quality
requirements, engineering firm will prepare a work completion report.
Capacity building trainings for developing skills of scheme management and
maintenance will be given by the Engineering Firm to the users committee for them to
develop a sound knowledge on how to use and maintain a completed water supply scheme.
e. Users Committees
The Users Committees have none or very limited roles in this case.
Note: The provision of improved water supply inside the national parks and core areas are
implemented by government agencies. In this case, the government agencies will follow their own
norms and procedures for construction of the infrastructure mobilizing qualified technicians from
their departments/ministries.
36
CHAPTER 6: UPGRADING OF FIRE LINES TO FAIR WEATHER ROADS
6.1 Planning process
Planning process for an upgrading of fire line to fair weather road essentially involves identification
of such need by the National Parks Authority (NPA). This is mainly determined by the budget
availability (i.e. resources) and site specific needs which will only be assessed by NPA. Hariyo Ban
Consortium has role in resource mobilisation as well as provision of technical support. The Users
Committees may or may not be relevant.
In this context, the planning process and role of these stakeholders may take the following form:
a. Role of National Parks Authority
For the fire line upgrading to fair weather road, the NPA usually identifies the need for such
process. It is also responsible to explore funding as may be necessary since development of fair
weather road requires considerable funding. All technical support will be provided by Department of
National Park and Wildlife Conservation (DNPWC) by mobilizing their own human resources
(engineers and overseers).
b. Role of Hariyo Ban Consortium Partners
The Consortium Partners facilitate the planning process. This means that they work with NPA to
assess the needs. Similarly, they also work with the Engineering Firm to prepare necessary
technical information to help NPA (if needed) come up with appropriate and viable options.
c. Role of Consulting Engineering Firm (Certified Contractor) - optional
Certified contractor is the one who possesses a certificate of competency issued by the state. The
consulting engineering firms will be contracted by consortium partners (mainly WWF and CARE)
through a competitive bidding process. The engineering firm will provide necessary technical
information to support decision making process. The firm provides technical views on feasibility
from engineering and resource point of view and will offer judgement before a decision is made.
The role of consulting engineering firm is viable only in case the National Park Authority decided to
take services from outside.
d. Role of User Committee
User committee will be mobilized to construct a new or restore existing fireline in community or
buffer zone forests without any structures that can be considered construction. Hence, those
activities will be supported by consortium partners’ field staff and do not require any support from
engineering firms.
6.2 Description of upgrading of fire lines into fair weather roads
A fire line is an area which has been cleared from vegetation to control or stop forest fire.
Upgrading of fire line to fair weather roads are done to increase mobility for monitoring of wild life.
On the other hand, fair weather roads are constructed using labor intensive and environmentally
37
friendly approach to a well-engineered road that is safe for users and has necessary provisions of
drainage and support structures.
While developing a fair weather road, important components of fair weather roads are:
Earth work
Drainage system
Retaining structure
6.3 Brief construction process
The construction or up gradation of fire lines are carried by construction contractors that are
contracted by NPA with provision of technical support from Hariyo Ban Consortium Partner and its
designated Engineering Firm (Certified Contractor - optional).
The procedures for constructing or upgrading fire line to fair weather road are as follows:
The consulting firm carried out a detailed survey and prepares a complete design of the
upgrading scheme along with the quantity and cost estimates.
Upgrading of fire line is often carried using labor intensive approach through a construction
contractor, or labor from nearby areas, avoiding use of heavy equipment as much as possible
as it creates noise and dust pollution.
The earth work and other related structural work are carried out in the subsequent stages.
There is close supervision of works by NPA, Hariyo Ban Consortium Partner and technician
from Engineering Firm (optional) to ensure construction is according to design and
specifications.
6.4 Typical design
Upgrading of fireline to fair weather road in generally requires widening of fireline, addition of
necessary structures and a functional water drainage systems. A typical section of fair weather
road in a flat terrain is shown below:
38
The actual design and dimensions may vary based on the community needs, site location and
environmental considerations. GON approved norms will be followed for the design.
The designs of the key road features, in the context of flat areas where these are constructed, are
summarized below:
a) Earthwork
Activities relating to the earthwork are the removal of top soil, excavation in designed line and level,
filling, compaction either naturally or manually. Key consideration should be given to management
of earthwork. This road in flat areas is often carried out in slightly raised elevation to keep the
motorable surface dry. So, balancing of soil necessary to fill this embankment, and excess soil if
there is cutting needs to be balanced. If the fill soil is not enough, it needs to be brought from a
quarry or borrow pit. In this case, the pit surface will need protection through bioengineering
methods.
b) Drainage system
Proper and functional drainage is most important aspect of a fair weather road. If water is not
drained effectively to achieve a dry carriageway, then the road quality will deteriorate.
For this purpose, the road surface is slightly raised from the ground level, a camber (slope) is
provided on the motorable surface to drain away the water to ground below.
c) Retaining structure
Retaining structures may be necessary to retain the embankment earth where the height is more
than 1m high. This may be in the form of dry wall or cement masonry wall, and is provided in
certain places so that drained water does not erode the road foundation.
6.5 Materials requirements
The following materials are required for the fair weather road construction:
Additional earth (soil) for embankment filling
Gravel
Stone
Cement
Sand
Water
The quantities of these materials required will be prepared by the engineering firm during design
and cost estimate using standard engineering work norms approved by the Government of Nepal.
6.6 Specification of the materials
39
a. Earth (soil or gravel): This needs to be dry, clayey and easily compactable by rollers or
manually using compacters.
b. Gravel: Gravel used should be hard, clean and free from organic impurities. It should be
graded for maximum compaction. A graded gravel stone particles of different sizes and
shapes.
c. Stone: It shall be hard, sound, and free from crack, decay and weathering. Stone with
round surface shall not be used.
d. Cement: At practical level, cement should be
Fresh
It should be stored at proper place in dry conditions
It should be free of lumps
Certified by relevant government agency for meeting certain quality standard (NS)
e. Sand: Sand to be used should be clean i.e. free from clay, dust and organic materials. It
should not be too fine or too coarse.
f. Water for cement work: Water shall be clean and free from injurious materials (i.e. water
should be clear and no dirt or floating objects should be visible).
6.7 Skill requirements
Upgrading of fire lines into fair weather road requires mainly unskilled workers in large numbers.
They work under supervision of engineering site teams. Skilled workers are required mainly
structural works for retaining and drainage purposes as follows:
6.8 Access to materials and resources
For upgrading fire lines into fair weather roads, most of the materials are generally available
locally. Some materials are available in small or big markets. A summary where these materials
could be found are:
Materials/equipment Location
S. No. Skill required Who can provide
Typical
availability of
skill
Remarks
1. Cement and sand
mixing Experienced Labor Locally
2
Un-coursed
Rubble Masonry in
cement sand mortar
Experienced Mason
and Unskilled Labor Locally
40
Stone and sand Nearest river or approved quarry
Cement Nearest market
Soil for filling works
Nearest borrow pit or from excavation of side drains.
Gravel Nearest river or approved quarry
Hand-tools for construction Road construction requires extensive use of hand
tools (shovels, spade, wheelbarrow, pickaxe etc).
These can be procured locally, or from nearest
market.
6.9 Quality control process
Quality control in upgrading of fire line is necessary to make sure that the structure functions well.
This shall be achieved through 2 key activities:
a. Regular technical monitoring by representatives from qualified Engineering Consultant
firm/Certified contractor. The technical monitoring will review the design, quality of materials
and the construction process.
b. Community monitoring and supervision by representative of Consortium Partners and User
Committee.
6.10 Potential environmental impacts and mitigation measures
Hariyo Ban consortium partners will follow the EMMP which has been submitted to USAID.
6.11 Roles and responsibilities
Development of fire line in Hariyo Ban program is a shared responsibility among its consortium
partners, user committees and engineering firm providing technical assistance. The roles and
responsibilities of these stakeholders in general are as follows:
a. Users Committee
The role of UC, if constituted for purpose will be limited and is area specific.
b. Hariyo Ban Consortium Partner/ their implementing partners
Hariyo Ban Consortium partners have important role in upgrading of the fire line. In particular, it will
undertake the following functions and roles:
Review existing National Park Management Plans and support to identify the actual location
relevant for this activity.
Provide timely grant and fund to implementing partner based on the cost estimate prepared
by the engineering firm (optional)
Support community mobilization to implement the planMonitor the progress and status of
the construction jointly with users committee Conduct/prepare EMMP (environmental
mitigation and monitoring plan)
41
c. Certified Contractor (Consulting Engineering Firm) – optional
The Certified Contractor undertakes the following activities in close collaboration with Consortium
Partner representative or more commonly with Users Committee members:
Detailed engineering survey: An engineering survey will be carried out in the area so that a
working scheme can be designed.
Design, quantity and cost estimation: After the completion of engineering survey, a
detailed work design along with quantity and cost estimation will be prepared by the
Engineering Firm. This will give the amount of materials, workers (skilled and unskilled) and
cost required to complete the work.
Material quality assessment: park authority will be given technical advice on the
constructions materials quality. The Firm will help the community to check the standards
during or after purchase.
Construction supervision of the work along with PA The construction work will be
supervised by experienced members of engineering firm experts along With the
supervision that will ensure the scheme is built according to the work design and
specifications.
Work measurement and work completion report: The Engineering Firm will verify if the
quality of works completed is satisfactory. If so, it will then measure the works done and
provide summary of cost incurred after the construction work is completed as per plan and
meeting quality requirements, engineering firm will prepare a work completion report.
Note:
The construction of fireline upgraded fair weather road inside the national parks and core areas are
implemented by government agencies. In this case, the government agencies will follow their own
norms and procedures for construction of this infrastructure mobilizing qualified technicians from
their departments/ministries.
When a new fireline is constructed or existing fireline is restored in community or buffer zone
forests without any structures that can be considered construction, it will be done through
mobilizing concerned communities. Construction materials will not be used in these cases and any
support from engineering firms will not be necessary. All technical support will be provided by the
consortium partners’ field staff.
42
CHAPTER 7: POWER FENCE
7.1 Planning process
Planning process for an infrastructure is carried out to understand and identify one or more
infrastructures to meet the specific needs of the beneficiaries. The planning process should
conclude with community consent for an infrastructure that helps to meet the intended needs of the
community members for a specific purpose that relates to the project objectives.
In this case, planning process will focus on deciding the settlement area near the national park
where power fence need to be constructed. The preferred area will be settlement near forest where
there is regular threat of wild animals. It is constructed to stop wild animals from entering the
human settlements, agricultural lands and prevent human wildlife conflict. The process also looks
into how much technicians from Power Company will be required for fence installation activities and
local materials availability on construction process.
The planning process is a combination of a series of consultations that Users Committee or
community representatives shall undertake with support from Hariyo Ban Consortium Partners. The
planning process and role of these stakeholders are briefly outlined below:
a. Role of Protected Area (PA) office (and/or) District Forest Office (DFO):
Construction of power fence is generally implemented in coordination with the PA office in buffer
zone areas and with the District Forest Office (DFO) in national forest and community forests as
appropriate. It identifies the need of the power fence based on the ongoing human wildlife conflict
and wildlife movement record. The area to be covered and the location of the fence is determined
by NTNC, PA office (and/or DFO) and community people.
b. Role of User Committee (UC) (or CFUG)
UC (or CFUG) members are actively involved in the fencing process from planning to construction
stage, primarily providing social and other relevant information (e.g. human wildlife conflict
incidents) to PA office/DFO and Power Company.
c. Role of Hariyo Ban Consortium Partners/ NTNC
The Consortium Partners facilitate the planning process. This means that they work with PA office
(and/or DFO) and NTNC where appropriate to provide any technical support where necessary.
7.2 Description of Power Fence
Electric (or Power) fence is one of the technological innovation in the field of biodiversity
conservation. This is constructed to reduce direct human wildlife conflict especially where there is
frequent movement of large herbivores (e.g. wild elephants and one-horned rhinoceros).
Power fence installation is known to reduce crop raiding and property damage by the animals.
43
Power fence installation requires some specific equipment and materials. Energizer and voltage
controller are the main accessories that help in controlling voltage and provide constant flow of
electric current of around 2 volts through heavy coated GI wires (~ 10 gauge) fixed in either cement
or wooden poles of up to about 2m in height (depending on wildlife species involved). Solar panel
and batteries are used to ensure flow of current in the absence of national grid electricity.
Important components of power fence are:
Solar Installation including accessories
Fence
Crossing ladders
7.3 Brief construction process
Construction of a power fence is a simple process carried out by a designated organization (e.g. a
power company) with support from communities and Consortium Partners. This is generally
performed in the following manner:
A site that is in need of power fence construction is selected by PA office (and/or DFO) and
consortium partners along with communities. Preference will be given to the area where
there is wild animals entering settlement, agricultural lands and where there is human wildlife
conflicts.
The community is then involved non-technical activities such as digging the foundation
holes and erecting the poles, fixing and tightening the wire, fixing the crossing ladders.
The rest of the activities, installation of solar power system and connecting the power with
the fence are done by the experts from the respective power company.
The construction process is to be supervised well by respective solar power company with
their own staffs. NTNC will provide all technical support to the communities.
7.4 Typical design of power fence
An electric fence is a physical barrier erected along the boundary of forest and farm land to keep
farm animals in and wild animals out. When the animals touch the fence they receive a short, sharp
but safe shock, which is sufficiently memorable that the animals never forget.
Because the electric fence is a psychological barrier, it does not require great strength to be
effective. However, it must be well designed and constructed to absorb some pressure from
animals, soil and wind. The energizer must have enough power for the length of the fence and for
the animals being controlled.
44
Fig: power fence Fig: power supplying components
7.5 Materials requirements
The following materials are usually required for the power fence construction.
Non Local Materials:
Set of Solar Installation
Wire and Underground Cable
Cement
Local Materials:
Wooden or Cemented poles
Stones, pebbles and sand
The quantities of these materials required will be prepared using standard engineering work norms
prepared or approved by the Government of Nepal.
7.6 Specification of the materials
A) Non Local Materials
a) Set of Solar Installations
This is the main part and source of energy. Supplying the electrical materials and parts,
fixing, activating and testing are all done by respective solar power company. The capacity
of the solar installation is estimated by the company as per the coverage of fencing.
b) Wire and Underground Cables
The wire used should be galvanized and should be high quality electric wire with lifetime
guarantee against rust.
c) Cement: It may be required while preparing (in case of cemented poles) and fixing the poles.
45
At practical level, cement should be
Fresh
It should be stored at proper place in dry conditions
It should be free of lumps
Certified by relevant government agency for meeting certain quality standard (NS)
B) Local Materials
a. Wooden or Cemented Poles: Wooden poles are prepared with timber that is free of crakes. Mostly branches of well grown trees
or a fallen tree or poles harvested during thinning are preferred. This should be well seasoned.
In case of cemented poles they should follow nominal design standard. These poles should be six
feet tall above the ground surface.
b. Water for cement work: Water shall be clean and free from injurious materials (i.e. water should be clear and no dirt or floating objects should be visible).
c. Stones, pebbles and sand: These are normally used to fix the poles in the pit. They only need normal specification.
7.7 Skill requirements
Construction of grinding mill required a range of skilled workers and non-skilled workers. In
particular, skill required to develop a grinding mill are as follows:
7.8 Access to materials and resources
For the construction of power fence, most of the materials are generally available locally. Some
materials are available in small or big markets. A summary where these materials could be found
are:
S.
No.
Skill required Who can provide Typical availability
of skill
Remarks
1. Installation of solar panel,
battery, volt controller,
energizer
Trained and skilled
technician
Needs to be sourced
from outside
Provided by power
companies as per
procurement process of
the consortium partners
2. Cement and sand mixing
in case of cemented poles.
Experienced
Labor
Locally Need to check the quality
of skilled worker. If not
need to bring from outside.
3 Erecting the fence
particularly tightening the
wires in the poles
Skilled mechanic Needs to be sourced
from outside
Power company will
provide training to the
selected community
people
46
Materials Location
Solar panel, battery, volt controller,
energizer
Supplied by power companies. Local
transportation has to be managed by the
institution.
Cement and iron rods Nearest market
Wood, stones, sand, pebbles Locally
7.9 Quality control process
Quality control of power fence construction is necessary to make sure it functions well. NTNC and
power company will be responsible for Quality Control. Besides, NTNC, PA Office (and/or DFO)
and the UC (or CFUG) and the Hariyo Ban Consortium will be responsible for monitoring and
Quality control.
7.10 Potential environmental and social impacts and mitigation measures
Hariyo Ban consortium partners will follow the EMMP which has been submitted to USAID.
7.11 Roles and responsibilities
Development of power fence in Hariyo Ban program is a shared responsibility among its
consortium partners, user committees and National Park Authority. The roles and responsibilities of
these stakeholders in general are as follows:
a. Users Committee
Users Committee represents the communities that are likely to benefit from the power fence
construction. Therefore they have key roles to play in the development of the scheme as follows:
Assist consortium partner by
Providing information about the location,
Supporting in site selection as per the threat.
Updating about the progress of construction process
Providing feedback about the effectiveness of power fence construction.
Provide required labor contribution as required
Collect material like stones, sand, pebbles and wooden poles which are locally available.
Ensure sustainability and ownership of the fence
b. Hariyo Ban Consortium Partner/ their implementing partners
Hariyo Ban Consortium partners have important role in the implementation of the fence. In
particular; it will undertake the following functions and roles:
Interact with community for planning and site selection as per the threat. Facilitate social
mobilization and community awareness
47
Verification and approval of selected sites
Provide timely grant and fund to implementing partner based on the cost estimate
Support/advise users committee in the procurement of required materials.
Support community mobilization to implement the plan as per the technical assistance from
NTNC
Monitor the progress and status of the construction jointly with users committee.
Facilitate to address issues of quality control between users committee and NTNC.
Formation of management committee and roll out with proper business plan, operating
guidelines and communities mobilization
Development of linkage between and coordinate with concerned communities and
government line agencies (PA offices and District Forest Office (DFO).
Conduct/prepare EMMP (environmental mitigation and monitoring plan) and ensure the
plan are implemented or followed
Submitting completion report to Hariyo Ban Program core team
Capacity building trainings for developing skills of scheme management and maintenance
will be given by Technical experts of NTNC to the users committee to develop a sound
knowledge on how to use and maintain a completed power fence project.
c. Power company
Provide certified equipment and ensure quality of those
Facilitate in the installation of the fence
Provide first round of training to the community people regarding installation and
maintenance of the fence
Coordinate with NTNC while providing technical expertise
Note: The construction power fence in the buffer zone area of protected areas is implemented in
coordination with government organizations. Government agencies will follow their own norms and
procedures for construction of this infrastructure.
48
CHAPTER 8: FOOT TRAILS
8.1 Planning process
Planning process for an infrastructure is carried out to understand and identify one or more
infrastructures to meet the specific needs of the beneficiaries. The planning process should
conclude with community consent for an infrastructure that helps to meet the intended needs of the
community members for a specific purpose that relates to the project objectives.
In this case, planning process will focus on which and what type of foot trails will help to serve the
maximum foot trail needs of the community. The process also looks into how much and how the
resources and skills will be available to construct a quality foot trail that is durable and useful. In
some cases, an existing foot trail that requires repair/upgrading work after being damaged could be
selected for rehabilitation.
The planning process is a combination of a series of consultations that Users Committee or
community representatives shall undertake with support from Hariyo Ban Consortium Partners.
The planning process and role of these stakeholders are briefly outlined below:
e. Role of User Committee (UC)
Users Committee play an important role in the bottom up process of need assessment. UC helps to
organise meetings to discuss identification of appropriate foot trail facilities that meets the
community requirements. The UC works with community members to organise the community
views and represent them to the Hariyo Ban Consortium partners and facilitators.
f. Role of Hariyo Ban Consortium Partners
The Consortium Partners facilitate the planning process. This means that they work with UC to
review and document reference to existing local plans at the VDC or DDC levels. Similarly, they
also work with the Consulting Engineering Firm to prepare necessary information to help UC come
up with appropriate and viable options.
g. Role of Consulting Engineering Firm (Certified Contractor)
Certified contractor is the one who possesses a certificate of competency issued by the state. The
consulting engineering firms will be contracted by consortium partners (mainly WWF and CARE)
through a competitive bidding process. The engineering firm will provide necessary technical
information to support decision making process. Normally, community decisions are not based on
technical considerations. The firm provides technical views on feasibility of a foot trail construction
from engineering and resource point of view and will offer judgement before a decision is made.
49
Flow diagram of iterative project planning process
8.2 Description of foot trail
Foot trail is a small path used for walking. This path has a simple technical feature and is often
built with hand tools by local community themselves. In Nepal, distances travelled walking is long
and heavy loads are self carried. People in villages still rely on walking to transport their
agricultural produce, travel to markets or even fetch firewood for their cooking needs. Trail
improvement is usually part of watershed management activities. A construction or upgrading of
foot trail makes walking easy and safe by stabilizing the soil/terrain as well as supports
recreational and tourism activities such as hiking, trekking. A simple improvement to these paths
can bring substantial benefits to the rural communities. Important components of foot trail are:
Approve (Consortium Partner)
Identification of Scheme
(Community undertakes
consultation)
Feasibility Assessment (Consulting Engineer) (2)
FEASIBLE ? Choose next scheme
(Report Planning
Process)
No
Yes
50
Formation width with stone surface
Side sloping ground (cut area in hill side)
Fill slope
Drainage
Small crossing with wooden bridge
8.3 Brief construction process
The upgrading of foot trial is carried out jointly by the Users Committee, Hariyo Ban Consortium
Partner and Engineering Firm (Certified Contractor).
The procedures for up gradation activities of foot trial are as follows:
Engineering firm, consortium partner and community carried out a detailed construction
survey, along with feasibility study to determine the relevancy of the scheme.
The consulting firm then prepares a complete design of the foot trail along with the quantity
and cost estimate.
Foot trail construction involves simple features such as widening footpath, paving with
stones, constructing steps when climbing up or down, simple drainage, bioengineering on
side slopes etc. These are built by hand tools from the community members.
Community is mobilized for construction material (e.g. stone blocks or slates etc) collection
for construction work to be carried out.
The earthwork, stone paving, drainage, and cut slope bioengineering etc are carried out in
the subsequent stages
There is close supervision of works by UC, Hariyo Ban Consortium Partner and technician
from Engineering Firm to ensure safety of the construction.
8.4 Typical design of foot trail
A foot trail design depends on the nature of the terrain. Foot trail is typically developed in difficult
terrain where human movement is difficult due to cliffs, slopes and weak soil conditions. A typical
foot trail in such situation has the following sections and dimensions:
51
Figure 1: Typical design of foot trail
A typical foot trail section, as shown in the diagram, normally shall be1.5m wide along with
provision of drain on the sides if necessary. The gradient for foot trails should not be in general
more than 20%. The actual design and dimensions may vary based on the community needs, site
location and environmental considerations. GoN approved norms will be followed for the design.
8.5 Materials requirements
The following materials are required for foot trails construction.
Cement (only used for cross drainage, in weak or wet soil conditions requiring paved road
surface to ensure safety of the people)
Sand
Stone (flat or rectangular for steps)
Water
Wood (for small crossings)
The quantities of these materials required will be prepared by the engineering firm during design
and cost estimate using standard engineering work norms approved by the Government of Nepal.
8.6 Specification of the materials
a. Stone: It shall be hard, sound, and free from crack, decay and weathering. Stone with round surface shall not be used.
b. Cement: At practical level, cement should be Fresh
It should be stored at proper place in dry conditions
It should be free of lumps
Certified by relevant government agency for meeting certain quality standard (NS)
52
c. Sand: Sand to be used should be clean i.e. free from clay, dust and organic materials. It
should not be too fine or too coarse.
d. Water for cement work: Water shall be clean and free from injurious materials (i.e. water
should be clear and no dirt or floating objects should be visible).
e. Wood: should be preferably dried well, and of adequate diameter to hold the weight of
people and load they will be carrying.
8.7 Skill requirements
Foot trail requires a range of skilled workers and non-skilled people to develop it. In particular, skill
required to develop the foot trails are as follows:
8.8 Access to materials and resources
For the construction of foot trail, most of the materials are available locally. Some materials are
available in small or big markets. A summary where these materials could be found are:
Materials Location
Stone and sand Nearest river or approved quarry
Cement Nearest market
Wood Locally
8.9 Quality control process
Quality control in foot trail is necessary to make sure that the foot trial functions well. This shall be
achieved through 2 key activities:
f. Regular technical monitoring by representatives from qualified Engineering Consultant
firm/Certified contractor. The technical monitoring will review the design, quality of materials
S.
No. Skill required Who can provide
Typical
availability of
skill
1. Stone dressing Experienced Mason Locally
2. Cement and sand
mixing Experienced Labor Locally
3
Un-coursed
Rubble Masonry in
cement sand mortar
Experienced Mason
and Unskilled Labor Locally
53
and the construction process.
g. Community monitoring and supervision by representative of Consortium Partners and User
Committee.
8.10 Potential environmental impacts and mitigation measures
Hariyo Ban consortium partners will follow the EMMP which has been submitted to USAID.
8.11 Role and responsibilities
Development of foot trails in Hariyo Ban program is a shared responsibility among its consortium
partners, user committees and engineering firm providing technical assistance roles and
responsibilities of these stakeholders in general are as follows:
a. Users Committee
Users Committee represents the communities that the people who will use the foot trail. Therefore
they have key roles to play in the development of the scheme as follows:
Assist consortium partner by
providing information about the location,,
supporting in scheme selection and cost estimation
updating about the progress of construction process
providing feedback about the effectiveness of construction process and support from
the engineering firm.
Provide required labor contribution as required
Collect material with stones, gabions or concrete, including plants and bamboos, sacs for
bioengineering
Assist the consulting engineering firm in:
Feasibility study
Detailed engineering survey
Construction supervision of the work
Work measurement
Collection of local and non-local construction materials.
Keep records of (a) materials purchased/received in kind (b) labor mobilized (paid and
unpaid), and (c) overall expenditure of fund received.
b. Hariyo Ban Consortium Partner/ their implementing partners
Hariyo Ban Consortium partners have important role in execution of the foot trail. In particular, it will
undertake the following functions and roles:
Interact with community for planning and site selection.
Verification and approval of selected sites.
Facilitate meeting between community representative and technician from the engineering
firm for technical input in task design and detail cost estimate.
54
Provide timely grant and fund to implementing partner based on the cost estimate prepared
by the engineering firm.
Support/advise users committee in the procurement of required materials.
Support community mobilization to implement the plan as per the technical assistance of
the certified contractor.
Capacity building community group on activity management (Public Hearing Public Auditing
(PHPA), documentation, quality implementation.
Monitor the progress and status of the construction jointly with users committee and
engineering firm.
Facilitate to address issues of quality control between users committee and engineering
firm if required.
Conduct/prepare EMMP (environmental mitigation and monitoring plan).
Develop linkage between and coordinate with concerned communities and DSCO, DDC,
VDC and DFO other relevant institutions for resource leveraging, planning and
implementation.
c. Certified Contractor (Consulting Engineering Firm)
The Certified Contractor undertakes the following activities in close collaboration with Consortium
Partner representative or more commonly with Users Committee members:
Undertaking of feasibility study: The feasibility study will be undertaken by the Engineering
Firm with the users committee for evaluation and analysis of proposed scheme. This will
decide on whether or not a foot trail is feasible from engineering point of view.
Detailed engineering survey: An engineering survey will be carried out in the area so that a
working scheme can be designed.
Design, quantity and cost estimation: After the completion of engineering survey, a
detailed work design along with quantity and cost estimation will be prepared by the
Engineering Firm. This will give the amount of materials, workers (skilled and unskilled) and
cost required to complete the work.
Material quality assessment: the users committee will be given technical advice on the
constructions materials quality. The Firm will help the community to check the standards
during or after purchase.
Construction supervision of the work along with users committee: The construction work
will be supervised by experienced members of engineering firm experts along with user
committee. The supervision will ensure that the scheme is built according to the work
design and specifications.
Work measurement and work completion report: The Engineering Firm will verify if the
quality of works completed is satisfactory. If so, it will then measure the works done and
provide summary of cost incurred if this is necessary for the clearance of advances taken
55
by the UC. When the construction work is completed as per plan and meeting quality
requirements, engineering firm will prepare a work completion report.
Capacity building trainings for developing skills of scheme management and
maintenance will be given by the Engineering Firm to the users committee for them to
develop a sound knowledge on how to maintain a completed foot trail.
Note:
There may be cases when construction or rehabilitation of a foot trail does not involve imported
construction materials such as cement and when the terrain is not complex from people’s safety
point of view. In such cases, the construction or rehabilitation of a foot trail will be done by the
communities without technical support engineering firm. Required technical support will be
provided by Hariyo Ban consortium field staff.
CHAPTER 9: IRRIGATION SYSTEM
56
9.1 Planning process
Planning process for an infrastructure is carried out to understand and identify one or more
infrastructures to meet the specific needs of the beneficiaries. The planning process should
conclude with community consent for an infrastructure that helps to meet the intended needs of the
community members for a specific purpose that relates to the project objectives.
In this case, planning process will focus on which and what type of irrigation scheme will help to
serve the maximum irrigation needs of the community. The process also looks into how much and
how the resources and skills will be available to deliver a quality irrigation asset that is durable and
useful. In some cases, it could be identification of an existing irrigation scheme that has ceased to
function or functioning at low capacity and requires rehabilitation/repair work.
The planning process is a combination of a series of consultations that Users Committee or
community representatives shall undertake with support from Hariyo Ban Consortium Partners. The
planning process and role of these stakeholders are briefly outlined below:
a. Role of User Committee (UC)
Users Committee play an important role in the bottom up process of need assessment. UC helps to
organise meetings to discuss identification of appropriate irrigation facilities that meets the
community requirements. The UC works with community members to organise the community
views and represent them to the Hariyo Ban Consortium partners and facilitators.
b. Role of Hariyo Ban Consortium Partners
The Consortium Partners facilitate the planning process. This means that they work with UC to
review and document reference to existing local plans at the VDC or DDC levels. Similarly, they
also work with the Consulting Engineering Firm to prepare necessary information to help UC come
up with appropriate and viable options.
c. Consulting Engineering Firm (Certified Contractor)
A certified contractor is one who possesses a certificate of competency issued by the state. The
consulting engineering firms will be contracted by consortium partners (mainly WWF and CARE)
through a competitive bidding process. The engineering firm will provide necessary technical
information to support the decision making process. Normally, community decisions are not based
on technical considerations. The firm provides technical views on feasibility from an engineering
and resource point of view and will offer judgement before a decision is made.
Flow diagram of iterative project planning process
Identification of Scheme
(Community undertakes
consultation)
57
9.2 Description of irrigation systems
Irrigation is the process of supplying water to soil in the dry land by managing external water
sources outside its natural courses. It is usually done to assist crops/vegetation to grow during dry
period Small scale irrigation systems are developed by communities and require simple technology
and local materials. In Nepal, since small farmers dominate the agricultural land, such irrigation
system has become a reliable source for irrigation and is instrumental in helping them improve their
land productivity.
Important components of small-scale irrigation systems are:
Intake
58
Canal
Canal Outlet
Drop Structure
9.3 Brief construction process
The irrigation systems are constructed in the following manner. All these activities are carried out
jointly by the Users Committee, Hariyo Ban Consortium Partner and Engineering Firm (Certified
Contractor) working together.
A detailed survey is carried out with the help of level machine to confirm whether or not a
gravity led flow of water is possible.
An examination with field study is carried out to see if the source of water is enough and
reliable to irrigate the planned areas of field.
The consulting firm then prepares a complete design of the irrigation scheme along with the
quantity and cost estimate.
Community is mobilized for construction material collection after which the alignment is cleared
for construction work to be carried out.
The earthwork and other relevant structural work are carried out in the subsequent stages.
There is close supervision of works by UC, Hariyo Ban Consortium Partner and technician from
Engineering Firm to ensure construction is according to design and specifications.
The Engineering Firm provides User committee a training or capacity building event to improve
management and maintenance of the completed scheme.
9.4 Typical design of irrigation systems
When designing an irrigation scheme, first important step is to observe the water source, the land
to be irrigated and the terrain between the source and the land. Following this, the design of an
irrigation system is prepared along with its key components. When designing an irrigation system,
the engineering firm needs to take the following into considerations:
Keep the shortest possible length of canal in the hills.
Use local skills and materials whenever possible.
Preserve vegetation on hill slopes that lie above and below canal.
Design canal to meet crop-water requirement and other domestic needs ensuring minimum
cross- section excavation.
Provide lining to all canals with serious seepage and slumping problems, maximizing use of
local materials.
Cover all canals passing through areas prone to toppling or spilling slope failure.
Use temporary channel structures (such as pipes, bamboo sections etc) on fragile areas.
Protect bare, eroded and unstable hill slopes with bioengineering measures.
Place and compact fill carefully.
59
The different components of an irrigation scheme are designed as follows.
a. Intake
These are structures which draw water from the source and channel to the main canal. The
intake design and type depends on the discharged quantity and characteristics of flow. A side
intake is suitable for a small scheme as it is easy to construct and operate. Side intake
consists of an opening that helps control flow of water as per required discharge.
b. Canal
A canal is a channel or water from source (a stream or the river) to the agricultural fields. The
main canal alignment should be short, straight and accessible to the entire command area.
Earthen canal, if designed and constructed with care, is the most economical, works well and is
widely used in remote areas of Nepal. However, earthen canal when placed in weak soil
conditions and unstable slopes may lose a lot of water due to seepage.
Therefore, there are different factors to be considered during designing canals. If there is
enough money, the canal should be lined to control seepage, scouring and erosion of canal.
Figure 2: Typical design of earthen canal with dimensions (in meters, m)
There are different types of lining. Some of the common types of lining used in Nepal are masonry
lining, concrete lining, soil cement lining, slate lining etc. The choice depends on money available
and local need. In order to make irrigation canals climate resilient, they should be lined properly
and reduce water losses.
c. Drop Structure
A drop structure is built to check erosion caused by high flow velocity resulting from steep slope.
This is a commonly required structure, but often not provided due to insufficient money available
60
to the communities. As a result, many schemes fail from high level of scouring. A typical
community managed, small-scale irrigation scheme is made of earthen canal with a cross section
typically of 0.5m x 0.5m. However, line canals are preferable to increase climate resilience of the
irrigation system as a line canal will lose less amount water from seepage. The actual design
and dimensions may vary based on the community needs, site location and environmental
considerations. The design is carried out using GoN approved norms.
9.5 Materials requirements
The following materials are the most generally required for the irrigation scheme construction:
Cement
Sand
Stone
Gabion wire (for slope protection works)
Water
Bamboos and plant species (when there is a need to protect certain section of canals from
landslides or flooding)
The quantities of these materials required will be prepared by the engineering firm during design
and cost estimate using standard engineering work norms approved by the Government of Nepal.
9.6 Specification of the materials
a. Stone: It shall be hard, sound, and free from crack, decay and weathering. Stone with
round surface shall not be used.
b. Cement: At practical level, cement should be
Fresh
It should be stored at proper place in dry conditions
It should be free of lumps
Certified by relevant government agency for meeting certain quality standard (NS)
c. Sand: Sand to be used should be clean i.e. free from clay, dust and organic materials. It
should not be too fine or too coarse.
d. Gabion wire: All wires used in making a gabion box and tying the gabion boxes shall be
equivalent to mild steel wire. Minimum thickness of wire shall be as follows:
Mesh wire 3.2mm
Binding and bracing wire 2.6mm
Selvedge wire 4.0mm
Galvanizing: A wire used in the making of gabions shall be galvanized (i.e. are zinc
coated) to avoid or delay rusting. It is important to see that the wire bought is free from rust
61
and is uniformly galvanized.
e. Water for cement work: Water shall be clean and free from injurious materials (i.e. water
should be clear and no dirt or floating objects should be visible).
9.7 Skill requirements
Irrigation scheme requires a range of skilled workers and non-skilled people to develop it. In
particular, skill required to develop the irrigation canal are as follows:
7. Access to materials and resources
For the construction of an irrigation scheme, most of the materials are generally available locally.
Some materials are available in small or big markets. A summary where these materials could be
found are:
Materials Location
Stone and sand Nearest river or approved quarry
Cement Nearest market
Gabion wire Nearest big town (usually from big cities only or local
suppliers of construction materials
Bamboo and plant species Locally or nearest market.
S. No. Skill required Who can provide
Typical
availability of
skill
Remarks
1. Stone dressing Experienced Mason Locally
2. Cement and sand
mixing Experienced Labor Locally
3 Gabion wire weaving Trained/Experienced
weaver
Might need
external
person
Need to check the
quality of skilled worker.
If not need to bring from
outside.
4 Gabion filling Experienced Mason
and Unskilled Labor Locally
5
Un-coursed
Rubble Masonry in
cement sand mortar
Experienced Mason
and Unskilled Labor Locally
62
9.8 Quality control process
Quality control in an irrigation scheme is necessary to make sure that the canal functions well. This
shall be achieved through 2 key activities:
a. Regular technical monitoring by representatives from qualified Engineering Consultant
firm/Certified contractor. The technical monitoring will review the design, quality of materials
and the construction process.
b. Community monitoring and supervision by representative of Consortium Partners and User
Committee.
9.9 Potential environmental impacts and mitigation measures
Hariyo Ban consortium partners will follow the EMMP which has been submitted to USAID.
9.10 Roles and responsibilities
Development of small scale irrigation canal in Hariyo Ban program is a shared responsibility among
its consortium partners, user committees and engineering firm providing technical assistance. The
roles and responsibilities of these stakeholders in general are as follows:
a. Users Committee
Users Committee represents the communities that the people who will use the irrigation scheme.
Therefore they have key roles to play in the development of the scheme as follows:
Assist consortium partner by
providing information about the location
supporting in scheme selection and cost estimation
updating about the progress of construction process
providing feedback about the effectiveness of construction process and support from
the engineering firm.
Keep records of (a) materials purchased/received in kind (b) labor mobilized (paid and
unpaid), and (c) overall expenditure of fund received.
Provide required labor contribution as required
Collect material with stones, gabions or concrete, including plants and bamboos, sacs for
bioengineering
Assist the consulting engineering firm in:
Feasibility study
Detailed engineering survey
Joint construction survey
Construction supervision of the work
Work measurement
Collection of local and non-local construction materials.
63
b. Hariyo Ban Consortium Partner/ their implementing partners
Hariyo Ban Consortium partners have important role in execution of the irrigation scheme. In
particular, it will undertake the following functions and roles:
Interact with community for planning and site selection
Verification and approval of selected sites
Facilitate meeting between community representative and technician from the engineering
firm for technical input in task design and detail cost estimate.
Provide timely grant and fund to implementing partner based on the cost estimate prepared
by the engineering firm
Support/advise users committee in the procurement of required materials.
Support community mobilization to implement the plan as per the technical assistance of
the certified contractor
Monitor the progress and status of the construction jointly with users committee and
engineering firm.
Facilitate to address issues of quality control between users committee and engineering
firm if required.
Conduct/prepare EMMP (environmental mitigation and monitoring plan)
Develop linkage between and coordinate with concerned communities and District
Agriculture Development Office, District Irrigation Office, DDC/Municipalities.
c. Certified Contractor (Consulting Engineering Firm)
The Certified Contractor undertakes the following activities in close collaboration with Consortium
Partner representative or more commonly with Users Committee members:
Undertaking of feasibility study: The feasibility study will be undertaken by the Engineering
Firm with the users committee for evaluation and analysis of proposed scheme. This will
decide on whether or not irrigation is feasible from engineering point of view.
Detailed engineering survey: An engineering survey will be carried out in the area so that a
working scheme can be designed.
Design, quantity and cost estimation: After the completion of engineering survey, a
detailed work design along with quantity and cost estimation will be prepared by the
Engineering Firm. This will give the amount of materials, workers (skilled and unskilled) and
cost required to complete the work.
Material quality assessment: the users committee will be given technical advice on the
constructions materials quality. The Firm will help the community to check the standards
during or after purchase.
Construction supervision of the work along with users committee: The construction work
will be supervised by experienced members of engineering firm experts along with user
64
committee. The supervision will ensure that the scheme is built according to the work
design and specifications.
Work measurement and work completion report: The Engineering Firm will verify if the
quality of works completed is satisfactory. If so, it will then measure the works done and
provide summary of cost incurred if this is necessary for the clearance of advances taken
by the UC. When the construction work is completed as per plan and meeting quality
requirements, engineering firm will prepare a work completion report.
Capacity building trainings for developing skills of scheme management and
maintenance will be given by the Engineering Firm to the users committee for them to
develop a sound knowledge on how to manage and maintain a completed irrigation
scheme.
65
CHAPTER 10: WATER SUPPLY SYSTEM
10.1 Planning process
Planning process for an infrastructure is carried out to understand and identify one or more
infrastructures to meet the specific needs of the beneficiaries. The planning process should
conclude with community consent for an infrastructure that helps to meet the intended needs of the
community members for a specific purpose that relates to the project objectives.
In this case, planning process will focus on which and what type of water supply scheme will help
to serve the water supply needs of the community. The process also looks into how much and how
the resources and skills will be available to deliver a quality water supply asset that is durable and
useful. In some cases, it could be identification of an existing water supply scheme that requires
rehabilitation/repair work. It is also important at this stage to consider adequacy and sustainability
of the water source. The supplied water is often used for multiple purposes such as for livestock
feeding, kitchen gardening etc. It is possible that planning should also cover watershed
management for long term supply of water from the source.
The planning process is a combination of a series of consultations that Users Committee or
community representatives shall undertake with support from Hariyo Ban Consortium Partners. The
planning process and role of these stakeholders are briefly outlined below:
a. Role of User Committee (UC)
Users Committee play an important role in the bottom up process of need assessment. UC helps to
organise meetings to discuss identification of appropriate water supply facilities that meets the
community requirements. The UC works with community members to organise the community
views and represent them to the Hariyo Ban Consortium partners and facilitators.
b. Role of Hariyo Ban Consortium Partners
The Consortium Partners facilitate the planning process. This means that they work with UC to
review and document reference to existing local plans at the VDC or DDC levels. Similarly, they
also work with the Consulting Engineering Firm to prepare necessary information to help UC come
up with appropriate and viable options.
c. Consulting Engineering Firm (Certified Contractor)
Certified contractor is the one who possesses a certificate of competency issued by the state. The
consulting engineering firms will be contracted by consortium partners (mainly WWF and CARE)
through a competitive bidding process. The engineering firm will provide necessary technical
information to support decision making process. Normally, community decisions are not based on
technical considerations. The firm provides technical views on feasibility from engineering and
resource point of view and will offer judgement before a decision is made.
66
Flow diagram of iterative project planning process
10.2 Description of water supply systems
Water supply systems allow community members to access piped and drinkable water close to
their living areas or settlements. This improved water has a lot of benefits to the rural people: lower
Approve (Consortium Partner)
Identification of Scheme
(Community undertakes
consultation)
Feasibility Assessment (Consulting Engineer) (2)
FEASIBLE ? Choose next scheme
(Report Planning
Process)
No
Yes
67
health risks, reduce the burden of women and children who carry big containers of water and
thereby giving more free time that can be dedicated in productive activities like childcare, animal
rising and vegetable gardening.
Important components of water supply system are:
Source protection
Intake
Reservoir tank
Valves
Transmission and distribution lines
Tape stands
10.3 Brief Construction Process
The water supply systems are constructed in a manner described below. All these activities are
carried out jointly by the Users Committee, Hariyo Ban Consortium Partner and Engineering Firm
(Certified Contractor) working together.
A detailed survey is carried out with the help of level machine to confirm whether or not a
gravity led flow of water is possible.
An examination with field study is carried out to determine source of water that is enough
and reliable for water supply scheme.
The consulting firm then prepares a complete design of the water supply scheme along with
the quantity and cost estimate
Community is then mobilized for site clearance and construction material collection.
Reservoir construction, laying of pipeline and other relevant work is carried out in
subsequent stages by community members.
There is close supervision of works by UC, Hariyo Ban Consortium Partner and technician
from Engineering Firm to ensure construction is according to design and specifications
The Engineering Firm provides User committee a training or capacity building event to
improve management and maintenance of the completed water supply scheme.
10.4 Typical design
Water supply schemes vary in design for different terrain. In Terai with flat surfaces, gravity flow
design is not practical, and therefore underground extraction is common. The pumping is often
carried out using generators and water is stored in overhead tanks and supplied through pipes to
communities.
In hilly areas, the source of water is often a spring, stream or a river, and may be piped using
gravity. In this case no external energy source is needed to pump water.
68
The system design and components of these water supply schemes therefore vary widely from
Terai to the hills, as well as depending on the population served and the distance of the source
from the users. The section below provides only indicative components and introduction to key
design features:
a. Intake
Generally, intakes are designed to divert the water from the source to towards the reservoir and
they can be used for setting of small particles flowing with water. Half trapezoidal shape intakes are
mostly preferable.
b. Reservoir and break pressure tanks
Generally, reservoir tanks are used to collect water stored for distribution purposes. Where the
source of water is at high location (more than 60m) compared to user settlements, then break
pressure tanks are also provided to reduce pressure on the pipes. This avoids breaking of the
pipes from excess pressure.
Figure 1: Reservoir
c. Transmission and distribution lines
Water transmission refers to the transportation of the water from the intake to the area of
distribution ending in pipe stands. For small community water supply systems, High Density
Polythene (HDPE) pipes of 20 to 40mm diameter are used.
d. Tap stands
Normally, one tap stands are placed to serve 10.15 households. Tap stands are made of
galvanized Iron (GI) pipe, covered by cement mortar. These are normally 1 to 1.5m high and
should have enough clearance above group to place buckets or local water vessels.
69
Figure 2: Tap stand
Brief construction process of water supply Scheme is:
Site clearance
Layout
Construction of reservoir
Lying of pipes
Construction of break pressure tank
Construction of tape stands with valve chamber
Source protection
Firstly construction survey is done and then the review of design along with the quantity and cost
estimate is carried out. Then the collection of construction material followed by clearing and
grubbing of alignment is done and then the earth work and structural work are carried out.
The actual design and dimensions may vary based on the community needs, site location and
environmental considerations. GoN approved norms will be followed for the design.
10.5 Materials requirements
The following materials are required for the canal construction.
Cement
Sand
Stone
Water
Pipe for distribution lines, tap stands and
Pipe fittings.
Quantities and size of these materials shall depend on the applicable government Norms, site
specific conditions (water discharge, elevations etc) and number of users.
70
10.6 Specification of the materials
a. Stone: It shall be hard, sound, and free from crack, decay and weathering. Stone with round
surface shall not be used.
b. Cement: At practical level cement should be
Fresh
It should be stored at proper place in dry conditions
It should be free of lumps
Certified by relevant government agency for meeting certain quality standard (NS)
c. Sand: Sand to be used should be clean i.e. free from clay, dust and organic materials. It
should not be too fine or too coarse.
d. Water for cement work: Water shall be clean and free from injurious materials (i.e. water
should be clear and no dirt or floating objects should be visible). Normally, drinkable water
should be used where possible for mixing and curing concrete and masonry works.
e. Pipes and fittings: The specifications vary widely. Normally High Density Polythene (HDPE)
used for water transmission, and Galvanized Iron (GI) pipe for tap stands.
10.7 Skill requirements
Water supply scheme requires a range of skilled workers and non-skilled people to develop it. In
particular, skill required to develop water supply schemes are as follows:
S.
No.
Skill required Who can provide Typical
availability of
skill
Remarks
1. Stone dressing Experienced
Mason Locally
2. Cement sand mixing Experienced
Labor
Locally Need to check the quality of
skilled worker. If not need to
bring from outside.
3 Un-coursed
Rubble Masonry in
cement sand mortar
Experienced
Mason and
Unskilled Labor
Locally
4 Plumbing Trained/
experienced
plumber
Need to check the quality of
skilled worker. If not need to
bring from outside.
10.8 Access to materials and resources
71
For the construction of water supply scheme, most of the materials are available locally. Some
materials are available in small or big markets. A summary where these materials could be found
are:
Materials Location
Stone and sand Nearest river or approved quarry
Cement Nearest market
Pipes Nearest big town (usually from big cities only or local suppliers of
construction materials)
10.9 Quality control process
Quality control in water supply scheme is necessary to make sure that the supplied water is regular
and drinkable. This shall be achieved through 2 key activities:
a. Regular technical monitoring by representatives from qualified Engineering Consultant
firm/Certified contractor. The technical monitoring will review the design, quality of materials
and the construction process.
b. Community monitoring and supervision by representative of Consortium Partners and User
Committee.
10.10 Potential environmental impacts and mitigation measures
Hariyo Ban consortium partners will follow the EMMP which has been submitted to USAID.
10.11 Role and responsibilities
Development of small scale water supply scheme in Hariyo Ban program is a shared responsibility
among its consortium partners, user committees and engineering firm providing technical
assistance. The roles and responsibilities of these stakeholders in general are as follows:
a. Users Committee
Users Committee represents the communities that the people who will use the water supply
scheme. Therefore they have key roles to play in the development of the scheme as follows:
Assist consortium partner by
providing information about the location
supporting in scheme selection and cost estimation
updating about the progress of construction process
providing feedback about the effectiveness of construction process and support from
engineering firm.
Provide required labor contribution as required
Collect material with stones, gabions or concrete, including plants and bamboos, sacs for
bioengineering
72
Assist the consulting engineering firm in:
Feasibility study
Detailed engineering survey
Joint construction survey
Construction supervision of the work
Work measurement
Collection of local and non-local construction materials.
Keep records of (a) materials purchased/received in kind (b) labor mobilized (paid and unpaid),
and (c) overall expenditure of fund received.
b. Hariyo Ban Consortium Partner/ their implementing partners
Hariyo Ban Consortium partners have important role in execution of the water supply scheme. In
particular, it will undertake the following functions and roles:
Interact with community for planning and site selection.
Verification and approval of selected sites.
Facilitate meeting between community representative and technician from the engineering firm
for technical input in task design and detail cost estimate.
Provide timely grant and fund to implementing partner based on the cost estimate prepared by
the engineering firm.
Capacity building of community group on activity management (Public Hearing Public Auditing
(PHPA), documentation, quality implementation.
Support/advise users committee in the procurement of required materials.
Support community mobilization to implement the plan as per the technical assistance of the
certified contractor.
Monitor the progress and status of the construction jointly with users committee and
engineering firm.
Facilitate to address issues of quality control between users committee and engineering firm if
required.
Conduct/prepare EMMP (environmental mitigation and monitoring plan).
Development linkage between and coordinate with concerned communities and, DDC, VDC,
Divisional Water Supply and Sanitation Offices.
c. Certified Contractor (Consulting Engineering Firm)
The Certified Contractor undertakes the following activities in close collaboration with Consortium
Partner representative or more commonly with Users Committee members:
Undertaking of feasibility study: The feasibility study will be undertaken by the Engineering
Firm with the users committee for evaluation and analysis of proposed scheme. This will decide
on whether or not water supply scheme is feasible from engineering point of view.
Detailed engineering survey: An engineering survey will be carried out in the area so that a
working scheme can be designed.
73
Design, quantity and cost estimation: After the completion of engineering survey, a detailed
work design along with quantity and cost estimation will be prepared by the Engineering Firm.
This will give the amount of materials, workers (skilled and unskilled) and cost required to
complete the work.
Material quality assessment: the users committee will be given technical advice on the
constructions materials quality. The Firm will help the community to check the standards during
or after purchase.
Construction supervision of the work along with users committee: The construction work will
be supervised by experienced members of engineering firm experts along with user committee.
The supervision will ensure that the scheme is built according to the work design and
specifications.
Work measurement and work completion report: The Engineering Firm will verify if the
quality of works completed is satisfactory. If so, it will then measure the works done and provide
summary of cost incurred if this is necessary for the clearance of advances taken by the UC.
When the construction work is completed as per plan and meeting quality requirements,
engineering firm will prepare a work completion report.
Capacity building trainings for developing skills of scheme management and maintenance
will be given by the Engineering Firm to the users committee for them to develop a sound
knowledge on management, repair and maintenance of a completed water supply scheme.
74
75
CHAPTER 11: COMMUNITY HALL
11.1 Planning process
Planning process for an infrastructure is carried out to understand and identify one or more
infrastructures to meet the specific needs of the beneficiaries. The planning process should
conclude with community consent for an infrastructure that helps to meet the intended needs of the
community members for a specific purpose that relates to the project objectives.
In this case, planning process will focus on which and what type of community hall will help to
serve the maximum needs of the community. The process also looks into how much and how the
resources and skills will be available to deliver a quality community hall service that is durable and
useful. In some cases, it may be necessary to renovate an existing community hall instead of
building a new one.
The planning process is a combination of a series of consultations that Users Committee or
community representatives shall undertake with support from Hariyo Ban Consortium Partners. The
planning process and role of these stakeholders are briefly outlined below:
a. Role of User Committee (UC)
Users Committee play an important role in the bottom up process of need assessment. UC helps to
organise meetings to discuss identification of appropriate community hall facilities that meets the
community requirements. The UC works with community members to organise the community
views and represent them to the Hariyo Ban Consortium partners and facilitators.
b. Role of Hariyo Ban Consortium Partners
The Consortium Partners facilitate the planning process. This means that they work with UC to
review and document reference to existing local plans at the VDC or DDC levels. Similarly, they
also work with the Consulting Engineering Firm to prepare necessary information to help UC come
up with appropriate and viable options.
c. Consulting Engineering Firm (Certified Contractor)
Certified contractor is the one who possesses a certificate of competency issued by the state. The
consulting engineering firms will be contracted by consortium partners (mainly WWF and CARE)
through a competitive bidding process. The engineering firm will provide necessary technical
information to support decision making process. Normally, community decisions are not based on
technical considerations. The firm provides technical views on feasibility from engineering and
resource point of view and will offer judgement before a decision is made.
76
Flow diagram of iterative project planning process
11.2 Description of a community hall
Community hall is a public building owned by and run for the benefit of a local community. In a
community hall, members of a community can gather for group activities, social engagement,
information sharing and other purpose such as cooperative office, collection center for produces
before they are taken to the market. Essentially, a community hall can contribute to build
awareness levels, promote social welfare and support the community to develop collectively their
community as well as. For example, the hall could lead to promotion of eco-tourism where the
Approve (Consortium Partner)
Identification of Scheme
(Community undertakes
consultation)
Feasibility Assessment (Consulting Engineer) (2)
FEASIBLE ? Choose next scheme
(Report Planning
Process)
No
Yes
77
community can use the hall for welcoming guests collectively and stage cultural program of that
particular community. In they can be used as rescue center when flood inundates the village.
In general, a community hall comprises the following structural parts:
Foundation Wall
Roof
Doors and windows
Surrounding drainage (optional)
Toilet (optional)
11.3 Brief Construction Process
The construction activities of a community hall are carried out jointly by the Users Committee,
Hariyo Ban Consortium Partner and Engineering Firm (Certified Contractor).
The community hall scheme is constructed in the following manner:
The Consortium Partner and User Committee carry out the site selection.
Feasibility study of the area is carried out by the Engineering Firm where the site proximity and
suitability of location to the communities, safety of the area (i.e. not on a fragile area, ground is
not inundated by floods) etc are considered during the process.
The consulting firm then prepares a complete design of the community hall along with the
quantity and cost estimates.
Community is then mobilized for clearance of the site where the construction work is to be
carried out. Site layout is then given by the technical team.
This follows the construction of structural work usually carried out by the Communities or their
representatives (UCs or local contractors).
There is close supervision of works by UC, Hariyo Ban Consortium Partner and technician from
Engineering Firm to ensure construction is according to design and specifications.
11.4 Typical design of a community hall
A community hall is an important and sensitive structure for a community. It should be designed
taking the intended function, safety and, if possible, local architecture and cultural values into the
design process.
Normally, the area of a community hall is designed based on the number of people likely to use in
regularly. Then an area (in square meter or sqm) is assumed per person. General practice is to
allow 1.0 sqm per user (including open space for presentations etc). A typical rural community hall
is designed for 40 persons, and with this, a typical community hall area could be around 40 square
meters.
78
Given this, hall dimensions, as proposed below, could be 8m (length), 5.6m (width) with necessary
provisions of windows for ventilation and lighting purposes. The floor height is generally allowed at
3 meters (m) for Terai and can be lower at 2.5 m in hilly areas.
A typical community hall plan with its dimensions is provided below. The actual design and
dimensions may vary based on the community needs, site location and environmental
considerations. GoN approved norms will be followed for the design.
Figure 1: Plan and elevation of a typical community hall
79
Figure 2: Open shed with truss structure
80
11.5 Materials requirements
The following materials are the most generally required for the community hall construction:
Stone
Cement
Sand
Aggregates (crushed stones)
Water
Bricks
Wood
Aluminum doors and windows (optional to wood)
Mud (for preparing mud mortar)
The quantities of these materials required will be prepared by the engineering firm during design and
cost estimate using standard government norms applicable for this purpose.
11.6 Specification of the materials
a. Stone: It shall be hard, sound, and free from crack, decay and weathering. Stone with round
surface shall not be used.
b. Cement: At practical level, cement should be
Fresh
It should be stored at proper place in dry conditions
It should be free of lumps
Certified by relevant government agency for meeting certain quality standard (NS)
c. Sand: Sand to be used should be clean i.e. free from clay, dust and organic materials. It should
not be too fine or too coarse.
d. Aggregates: For a good concrete mix, aggregates need to be clean, hard, strong particles free of
absorbed chemicals or coatings of clay and other fine materials that could cause the deterioration
of concrete.
e. Water for cement work: Water shall be clean and free from injurious materials (i.e. water should
be clear and no dirt or floating objects should be visible).
f. Bricks: Sun dried brick is used for construction. The mud used for making sun dried brick should
be free from organic materials and should be preferably dried in a shed to prevent large
shrinkage cracks
g. Wood: Wood used should be dry and treated or seasoned. This should not have too many knots
or infected with fungus etc. Seasoning may be done in a traditional manner such as sun drying.
81
h. Roofing materials: CGI sheets are commonly used. The sheets used range from 24 to 28
Gauge. A medium gauge of 26 is recommended.
11.7 Skill requirements
Construction of community hall requires a range of skilled workers and non-skilled people to build it.
In particular, skills required to construct a community hall are as follows:
11.8 Access to materials and resources
For the construction of community hall, most of the materials are generally available locally. Some
materials are available in small or big markets. A summary where these materials could be found are:
11.9 Quality control process
S. No. Skill required Who can provide
Typical
availability of
skill
Remarks
1. Stone dressing Experienced Mason Locally
2. Cement and sand
mixing Experienced Labor Locally
Need to check the
quality of skilled worker.
If not need to bring from
outside.
3
Un-coursed Rubble
Masonry in cement
sand mortar
Experienced Mason
and Unskilled Labor Locally
4 Carpenter Experienced
Carpenter Locally
For windows, doors and
roofing works.
5 Aluminum door/ window
fixing person
Experienced fixing
person Locally
Need to check the
quality of skilled worker.
If not need to bring from
outside
Materials Location
Cement, reinforcement
iron, CGI sheets, bricks ,
aluminum doors and
windows
Nearest market
Wood Nearest FUG or saw mills.
Stone, aggregate, sand Nearest bank of stream, river or a
suitable quarry.
82
Quality control in community hall construction is necessary to make sure that the structure functions
well. This shall be achieved through 2 key activities:
a. Regular technical monitoring by representatives from qualified Engineering Consultant
firm/Certified contractor the technical monitoring will review the design, quality of materials
and the construction process.
b. Community monitoring and supervision by representative of Consortium Partners and User
Committee.
11.10 Potential environmental impacts and mitigation measures
Hariyo Ban consortium partners will follow the EMMP which has been submitted to USAID.
11.11 Roles and responsibilities
Development of community halls in Hariyo Ban program is a shared responsibility among its
Consortium partners, user committees and engineering firm providing technical assistance. The roles
and responsibilities of these stakeholders:
a. Users Committee
Users Committee represents the communities that the people who will use the community hall.
Therefore they have key roles to play in the development of the scheme as follows:
Assist consortium partner by
providing information about the location,,
supporting in scheme selection and cost estimation
updating about the progress of construction process
providing feedback about the effectiveness of construction process and support from the
engineering firm.
Provide required labor contribution as required.
Assist the consulting engineering firm in:
Feasibility study
Detailed engineering survey
Construction supervision of the work
Work measurement
Collection of local and non-local construction materials.
Keep records of (a) materials purchased/received in kind (b) labor mobilized (paid and
unpaid), and (c) overall expenditure of fund received.
b. Hariyo Ban Consortium Partner/ their implementing partners
Hariyo Ban Consortium partners and their implementing partners have important role in execution of
the community hall. In particular, it will undertake the following functions and roles:
83
Identification of appropriate communities and locations.
Verification and approval of community hall proposal.
Capacity building of community group on activity management (Public Hearing Public Auditing
(PHPA), documentation, quality implementation.
Facilitate meeting between community representative and technician from the engineering firm
for technical input in task design and detail cost estimate.
Provide timely grant and fund to implementing partner based on the cost estimate prepared by
the engineering firm.
Take lead role for community mobilization and coordination for cash and materials management.
Support/advise users committee in the procurement of required materials and manage the local
resources, materials etc.
Support community mobilization to implement the plan as per the technical assistance of the
certified contractor.
Monitor the progress and status of the construction jointly with users committee and engineering
firm.
Facilitate to address issues of quality control between users committee and engineering firm if
required.
Develop linkage between and coordinate with concerned communities and key stakeholder at
district and local level e.g. DDC, VDC, Divisional Cooperative Office District Administration, and
District Disaster Relief Committee.
Conduct/prepare EMMP (environmental mitigation and monitoring plan).
c. Certified Contractor (Consulting Engineering Firm)
The Certified Contractor undertakes the following activities in close collaboration with Consortium
Partner representative or more commonly with Users Committee members:
Undertaking of feasibility study: The feasibility study will be undertaken by the Engineering
Firm with the users committee for evaluation and analysis of proposed scheme. This will decide
on whether or not a community hall is feasible from engineering point of view.
Detailed engineering survey: An engineering survey will be carried out in the area so that a
working scheme can be designed.
Design, quantity and cost estimation: After the completion of engineering survey, a detailed
work design along with quantity and cost estimation will be prepared by the Engineering Firm.
This will give the amount of materials, workers (skilled and unskilled) and cost required to
complete the work.
Material quality assessment: the users committee will be given technical advice on the
constructions materials quality. The Firm will help the community to check the standards during
or after purchase.
Construction supervision of the work along with users committee: The construction work will
be supervised by experienced members of engineering firm experts along with user committee.
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The supervision will ensure that the scheme is built according to the work design and
specifications.
Work measurement and work completion report: The Engineering Firm will verify if the
quality of works completed is satisfactory. If so, it will then measure the works done and provide
summary of cost incurred if this is necessary for the clearance of advances taken by the UC.
When the construction work is completed as per plan and meeting quality requirements,
engineering firm will prepare a work completion report.
Capacity building trainings for developing skills of community hall management and
maintenance will be given by the Engineering Firm to the users committee for them to develop a
sound knowledge on how to use and manage a community hall.
Note: The typical designs (walled building and sheds) shown in this document will be adapted for
designing the community building as per the need of the concerned community: social gathering;
center for ecotourism, shelter house from flooding and inundation, collection center for marketable
produces, building for small enterprises and so forth.
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CHAPTER 12: GRINDING MILL / IMPROVED WATER MILL
12.1 Planning process
Planning process for an infrastructure is carried out to understand and identify one or more
infrastructures to meet the specific needs of the beneficiaries. The planning process should conclude
with community consent for an infrastructure that helps to meet the intended needs of the community
members for a specific purpose that relates to the project objectives.
In this case, planning process will focus on which and what type of grinding mill scheme will help to
serve the maximum grinding needs of the community. The process also looks into how much and how
the resources and skills will be available to deliver a quality grinding asset that is durable and useful.
In some cases, it could be identification of an existing grinding mill that has ceased to function or
functioning at low capacity and requires rehabilitation/repair work.
The planning process is a combination of a series of consultations that Users Committee or
community representatives shall undertake with support from Hariyo Ban Consortium Partners. The
planning process and role of these stakeholders are briefly outlined below:
a. Role of User Committee (UC)
Users Committee play an important role in the bottom up process of need assessment. UC helps to
organise meetings to discuss identification of appropriate grinding mill facilities that meets the
community requirements. The UC works with community members to organise the community views
and represent them to the Hariyo Ban Consortium partners and facilitators.
b. Role of Hariyo Ban Consortium Partners
The Consortium Partners facilitate the planning process. This means that they work with UC to review
and document reference to existing local plans at the VDC or DDC levels. Similarly, they also work
with the Consulting Engineering Firm to prepare necessary information to help UC come up with
appropriate and viable options.
c. Role of Consulting Engineering Firm (Certified Contractor)
Certified contractor is the one who possesses a certificate of competency issued by the state. The
consulting engineering firms will be contracted by consortium partners (mainly WWF and CARE)
through a competitive bidding process. The engineering firm will provide necessary technical
information to support decision making process. Normally, community decisions are not based on
technical considerations. The firm provides technical views on feasibility from engineering and
resource point of view and will offer judgement before a decision is made.
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Flow diagram of iterative project planning process
Approve (Consortium Partner)
Identification of Scheme
(Community undertakes
consultation)
Feasibility Assessment (Consulting Engineer) (2)
FEASIBLE ? Choose next scheme
(Report Planning
Process)
No
Yes
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12.2 Description of grinding mill/Improved water mill
A grinding mill is a small community infrastructure that is used in general to break the larger cereal
particles (such as corn, millet, wheat etc) into fine particles. In doing this, the grinding mill helps to
reduce the burden of rural women in particular in doing this manually in traditional ways. Grinding
mills are often run by a water stream or in some limited cases by electricity or fuel. Improved Water
Mill (IWM) technology increases the efficiency of traditional water mills, resulting in increased energy
output. This is achieved by replacing wooden parts with metallic parts.
The Improved water mill program in Nepal uses two types of water mills: short-shafted and long-
shafted water mills. The former type is only applied for grinding, while the latter type is also used for
paddy hulling, oil expelling, rice polishing and other end uses. The technology is not only used for
agro-processing - one Improved water mill can also generate up to 3kW electricity, which is sufficient
to light and operate small electronic devices for up to fifty households.
Important components of grinding mills are:
Mill pond
Turbine
Channel or pipe
Grinder
Mill race
Penstock
12.3 Brief construction process
Construction of a grinding mill is a simple and traditionally carried out activity. This is generally
performed in the following manner:
A site that is appropriate is selected taking water stream or other energy needs into
considerations.
A simple site survey is carried out followed by a sketch of the area and components. It is
important to assign space for users to wait, and then to collect their grinded products.
The community is then given dimensions, simple specifications etc to prepare the construction
materials and mill components.
The construction process is to be supervised well to ensure that the shed and mechanical
parts are well built to ensure long term use and safety of the structures.
After construction, the mill area should be cleared properly and secured by compound wall or
fence as possible.
12.4 Typical design of grinding mill/improved water mill
Typically, water is diverted from a river, stream or mill pond to a turbine or water wheel, along a
channel or pipe known as a flume, head race or penstocks. The force of water movement drives the
blades or a wheel or turbine, which in turn rotates an axle that drives the mill’s other machinery. Water
leaving the wheel or turbine is drained through a tail race, but this channel may also be the head race
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or yet another wheel, turbine or mill. The passage or water is controlled by simple sluice gates that
allow maintenance and periodic cleaning.
Fig: Electric grinding mill Fig: Improved water grinding mill
The actual design and dimensions may vary based on the community needs, site location and
environmental considerations. GoN approved norms will be followed for the design.
12.5 Materials requirements
The following materials are the most generally required for the grinding mill scheme construction:
Cement (for cemented floor to store grain before and after grinding)
Sand
Stone
Water
Wood or metal section for roofing.
Roofing materials (thatch, slate or corrugated sheets)
The quantities of these materials required will be prepared by the engineering firm during design and
cost estimate using standard engineering work norms approved by the Government of Nepal.
12.6 Specification of the materials
a. Stone: It shall be hard, sound, and free from crack, decay and weathering. Stone with round
surface shall not be used.
b. Cement: : At practical level, cement should be
Fresh
It should be stored at proper place in dry conditions
It should be free of lumps
Certified by relevant government agency for meeting certain quality standard (NS)
c. Sand: Sand to be used should be clean i.e. free from clay, dust and organic materials. It
should not be too fine or too coarse.
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d. Water for cement work: Water shall be clean and free from injurious materials (i.e. water
should be clear and no dirt or floating objects should be visible).
e. The wooden or metal sections used for shed will be designed as per the selection made
during the design process by the Consultant Engineering Firm.
f. Similarly, the choice and specifications for the roofing material will depend on the availability
of local materials, and decision on its specifications will be made at the time of design after
reviewing local resources.
12.7 Skill requirements
Construction of grinding mill required a range of skilled workers and non-skilled workers. In particular,
skill required to develop a grinding mill are as follows:
12.8 Access to materials and resources
For the construction of grinding mill, most of the materials are generally available locally. Some
materials are available in small or big markets. A summary where these materials could be found are:
Materials Location
Stone and sand Nearest river or approved quarry
Cement Nearest market
Wood or metal
frames
Wood locally, and metal from market
Roofing material Thatch and slates locally, and
corrugated sheets from local market
S.
No.
Skill required Who can
provide
Typical
availability of
skill
Remarks
1. Stone dressing Experienced
Mason
Locally
2. Cement and sand
mixing
Experienced
Labor
Locally Need to check the
quality of skilled worker.
If not need to bring from
outside.
3 Mechanics for fixing
of mechanical units
Skilled
mechanic
Needs to be
sourced from
outside
4 Carpenter Skilled
carpenter
Locally
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12.9 Quality control process
Quality control in grinding mil construction is necessary to make sure the structure functions well. This
shall be achieved through 2 key activities:
a. Regular technical monitoring by representatives from qualified Engineering Consultant
firm/Certified contractor. The technical monitoring will review the design, quality of materials
and the construction process.
b. Community monitoring and supervision by representative of Consortium Partners and User
Committee.
12.10 Potential environmental impacts and mitigation measures
Hariyo Ban consortium partners will follow the EMMP which has been submitted to USAID.
12.11 Roles and responsibilities
Development of grinding mill in Hariyo Ban program is a shared responsibility among its consortium
partners, user committees and engineering firm providing technical assistance. The roles and
responsibilities of these stakeholders in general are as follows:
1. Users Committee
Users Committee represents the communities that the people who will use the grinding mill scheme.
Therefore they have key roles to play in the development of the scheme as follows:
Assist consortium partner by
providing information about the location,,
supporting in scheme selection and cost estimation
updating about the progress of construction process
providing feedback about the effectiveness of construction process and support from
the engineering firm.
Provide required labor contribution as required
Collect material with stones, gabions or concrete, including plants and bamboos, sacs for
bioengineering
Assist the consulting engineering firm in:
Feasibility study
Detailed engineering survey
Construction supervision of the work
Work measurement
Collection of local and non-local construction materials.
Keep records of (a) materials purchased/received in kind (b) labor mobilized (paid and
unpaid), and (c) overall expenditure of fund received.
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2. Hariyo Ban Consortium Partner/ their implementing partners
Hariyo Ban Consortium partners have important role in execution of the grinding mill. In particular, it
will undertake the following functions and roles:
Interact with community for planning and site selection
Verification and approval of selected sites
Facilitate meeting between community representative and technician from the engineering firm
for technical input in task design and detail cost estimate.
Provide timely grant and fund to implementing partner based on the cost estimate prepared by
the engineering firm
Support/advise users committee in the procurement of required materials.
Support community mobilization to implement the plan as per the technical assistance of the
certified contractor
Monitor the progress and status of the construction jointly with users committee and
engineering firm.
Facilitate to address issues of quality control between users committee and engineering firm if
required.
Provide technical backstopping and facilitation in business plan and livelihood improvement
plan (LIP) preparation if associated with this structure
Development of linkage between and coordinate with concerned communities and District
Agriculture Development Office and DDC/Municipalities.
Conduct/prepare EMMP (environmental mitigation and monitoring plan)
d. Certified Contractor (Consulting Engineering Firm)
The Certified Contractor undertakes the following activities in close collaboration with Consortium
Partner representative or more commonly with Users Committee members:
Undertaking of feasibility study: The feasibility study will be undertaken by the Engineering
Firm with the users committee for evaluation and analysis of proposed scheme. This will
decide on whether or not a grinding mill is feasible from engineering point of view.
Detailed engineering survey: An engineering survey will be carried out in the area so that a
working scheme can be designed.
Design, quantity and cost estimation: After the completion of engineering survey, a detailed
work design along with quantity and cost estimation will be prepared by the Engineering Firm.
This will give the amount of materials, workers (skilled and unskilled) and cost required to
complete the work.
Material quality assessment: the users committee will be given technical advice on the
constructions materials quality. The Firm will help the community to check the standards
during or after purchase.
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Construction supervision of the work along with users committee: The construction work will
be supervised by experienced members of engineering firm experts along with user
committee. The supervision will ensure that the scheme is built according to the work design
and specifications.
Work measurement and work completion report: The Engineering Firm will verify if the
quality of works completed is satisfactory. If so, it will then measure the works done and
provide summary of cost incurred if this is necessary for the clearance of advances taken by
the UC. When the construction work is completed as per plan and meeting quality
requirements, engineering firm will prepare a work completion report.
Capacity building trainings for developing skills of scheme management and maintenance
will be given by the Engineering Firm to the users committee for them to develop a sound
knowledge on how to use and maintain a completed grinding mill/improved water mill.
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CHAPTER 13: WORLD PEACE BIODIVERSITY GARDEN
VISITOR CENTER
13.1 Planning process
The development of the Visitor Center includes a series of activities that will contribute to the
realisation of a carefully designed infrastructure meeting specific functions and design considerations
reflecting the environmental and social aspects it will be located in.
The planning process for the Visitor Center will therefore pass through a number of well coordinated
processes that shall involve a combination of consultations between Department of Plant Resources
(DPR) under Ministry of Forest and Social Conservation (MoFSC), Hariyo Ban Consortium Partners
and tourism entrepreneurs in Pokhara. The roles of these organisations in the planning process are
briefly outlined below:
a. Role of Department of Plant Resources (DPR)
Development of Visitor Center is a vision shared by DPR and Hariyo Ban based on the World Peace
and Biodiversity Development Plan prepared by DPR. Accordingly, DPR will initiate and lead the
consultative processes, with backstopping from Hariyo Ban Consortium Partners as deemed
necessary. The DPR will lead the overall process and make final decisions relating to the center,
including its design and construction procedure following the GoN’s procurement policy.
b. Role of Hariyo Ban Consortium Partners
The Consortium Partners facilitate the planning process and provide technical support as deemed
necessary and agreed with DPR for the development of the Visitor Center.
13.2 Description of the Visitor Center
The Visitor Center shall be located in biodiversity rich and protected Rani Ban area of Pokhara in the
backdrop to Phewa Lake. Given this location, and the intended function, the design of the Centre shall
reflect the environmental, cultural and ecological values and sensitivity of the Rani Ban and be energy
efficient to minimise external energy dependency.
Important components of Botanical/Biodiversity Visitor Center are:
Welcome space (Reception area)
Meeting hall (with flexibility to use as training/conference purposes)
Biodiversity richness demonstration hall (this is a more technical demonstration space).
13.3 Brief construction process
a. DPR will take support of Department of Urban Development and Building Construction (DUDBC) for design and estimate of the Visitor/information Center.
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b. DPR will follow the GoN procurement policy and procedure for contracting certified construction company for the construction of the Center building.
c. The construction supervision will be carried out by DUDBC.
13.4 Typical design of Visitor Center
As described in the Section 13.2 above, the Visiting Center has a range of functions. These mainly
include demonstration of biodiversity richness of the area to the visitors. This may also be tourist
visitors to the area, seeking additional knowledge.
A typical design with the provisions to meet the above functions could be as given below:
Figure 1: A typical design of a Visitor Center with exhibition functions
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A more specific design shall be prepared by professional architects following the planning process.
13.5 Materials requirements
The following materials are usually required for the Visitor Center construction.
Non Local Materials:
Cement and sand
Roofing materials (CGI sheets or roofing slates)
Reinforcement bars
Local Materials:
Water
Wood
Stones
The quantities of these materials required will be prepared using standard engineering work norms
prepared or approved by the Government of Nepal.
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13.6 Specification of the materials
The materials for the Visitor Center shall be selected with high sensitivity to the environment and their
specifications shall be accordingly articulated in the contract document. In general, the specifications
shall include:
i. Stone: It shall be hard, sound, and free from crack, decay and weathering. Stone with round
surface shall not be used. Stones when sourced from a quarry shall be preapproved as well as
treated to the satisfaction of the environmental authority when quarry work is completed.
j. Cement: At practical level, cement should be
Fresh
It should be stored at proper place in dry conditions
It should be free of lumps
Certified by relevant government agency for meeting certain quality standard (NS)
k. Sand: Sand to be used should be clean i.e. free from clay, dust and organic materials. It should
not be too fine or too coarse.
l. Aggregates: For a good concrete mix, aggregates need to be clean, hard, strong particles free of
absorbed chemicals or coatings of clay and other fine materials that could cause the deterioration
of concrete.
m. Water for cement work: Water shall be clean and free from injurious materials (i.e. water should
be clear and no dirt or floating objects should be visible).
n. Wood: Wood used should be dry and treated or seasoned. This should not have too many knots
or infected with fungus etc. Seasoning may be done in a traditional manner such as sun drying.
o. Roofing materials: CGI sheets are commonly used. The sheets used range from 24 to 28
Gauge. A medium gauge of 26 is recommended. However, roofing slates could also be used to
reflect the local ethnic architecture.
13.7 Skill requirements
The construction of Visitor Center requires highly advanced skills to meet its high quality demand and
environmental sensitive elements of construction. Some of the skills, such as masonry are likely to be
locally available but the specialist skills are less likely to be available locally.
These skills requirements shall be spelled out in the contract document and the contractor shall
source them accordingly.
13.8 Access to materials and resources
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The sourcing of the materials shall be carried out by the construction contractor working under the contract with the DPR and will be accordingly responsible to source them as indicated in the contract document to meet quality requirement.
13.9 Quality control process
Quality control of construction is necessary to make sure that Visitor Center is environmentally sound
and meets its functions well. DPR and DUDBC will be responsible for Quality Control.
13.9 Potential environmental and social impacts and mitigation measures
These elements shall be carefully spelled out in the design requirements and contract documents.
13.10 Roles and responsibilities
a. Department of Plan Resources (DPR) DPR is the key government agency in the development of the Visitor Center and lead all the processes in consultation with relevant organizations as deemed necessary.
b. Hariyo Ban Consortium partner
Hariyo Ban consortium partner will play a facilitating role as agreed in the sub-award to DPR.
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CHAPTER 14: Biogas Support Mechanism (Updated)
Hariyo Ban Program’s Mechanisms to Support Biogas Installation Biogas addresses a key driver of deforestation and forest degradation by reducing demand for fuel-wood, and also reduces livestock grazing in forests. Biogas may also help reduce threats to biodiversity, and/or promote climate adaptation, as well as bringing several social benefits for women and their families. Hariyo Ban partners have different mechanisms to support biogas installation in the two landscapes; these are outlined below.
i) Terai Arc Landscape
A. WWF’s Working Modality
WWF Nepal works with the Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC), Biogas Sector Partnership (BSP) Nepal and community based organizations such as Community Forest Coordination Committees (CFCCs) to help local communities purchase biogas units with optional attached toilets. Under the Hariyo Ban program, WWF awards sub-grants to local community cooperatives to create revolving loan funds, thereby providing access to soft loans to support the purchase of biogas units with a toilet attached. A beneficiary willing to purchase a biogas unit with a toilet attached can approach his or her cooperative and access a loan at 8% interest per annum. The loan stipulates the beneficiary must use a certified installer from the list maintained by BSP. The principal and the interest are then paid back by the beneficiary within a period of 2 years. For the duration of the Hariyo Ban program, principal and interest repayments continue to revolve to fund additional loans enabling biogas to be scaled up within the communities. The interest generated as program income is subject to the requirements of 22 CFR 226.24 and award terms. In accordance with 22 CFR 226.24 (f), program income derived from interest income may be used to support the cooperatives’ management costs. Net program income is subject to a disposition determination by the USAID Agreement Officer at the conclusion of the Hariyo Ban Program. WWF fully incorporates USAID requirements on program income for oversight of the revolving funds, ensuring that they are used to further the project or program objectives. As part of this oversight, WWF requires an annual financial report on the interest accrued and the status of the revolving funds. Disposition will be requested at the end of the project as with equipment; the intent is to have the revolving funds program continue as self-sustaining as long as there is a demand for biogas units, which could be many years after Hariyo Ban finishes. Biogas System Program Components: Funding for the parts and installation of biogas plants and toilets is comprised of four components: revolving loan fund through community cooperatives; household contribution from personal funds; a grant through the cooperative to attach a toilet; and a subsidy from the Alternative Energy Promotion Centre (AEPC). Please see the diagram below for how the funds flow from Hariyo Ban. The main purpose behind this complex modality is to account for the number of biogas units of good quality installed under the national accounting system, making the program eligible for carbon financing, and to create a sustainable financing model at the local level that can support the purchase of biogas plants over a long period.
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The total current cost of a biogas plant is around NRS 55,000 and the break-down is as follows in NRs:
Mechanism Source Amount
Subsidy (paid directly to biogas installer)
USAID via AEPC 24,400
Toilet Grant USAID via cooperative 2,000
Loan USAID via cooperative 18,000
Quality Control USAID via AEPC/BSP 4,000
Personal beneficiary 6,600
Please note: The subsidy amount is based on the subsidy policy of GON and that could change (increase) as and when desired by the Government of Nepal, resulting in an adjustment to the total cost to Hariyo Ban per biogas plant, and re-allocation of funding across the various sources. The proportions of reallocated funding will depend on how much the subsidies increase by.
EXPLANATION OF MECHANISMS Biogas Revolving Loan Fund: The Hariyo Ban Program sub-awardee (local organization, often a Community Forest Coordination Committee (CFCC)) will provide a grant to the community cooperative to fund revolving soft loans to individual applicants among the target beneficiaries for the purpose of the installation of biogas plants with toilets attached. The cooperative offers the applicant households loans for purchasing the biogas plants from certified technicians from a list of installers that are trained and certified by the Biogas
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Sector Partnership. The beneficiary household selects an installer and signs a formal agreement with that installer, in which the targeted beneficiary agrees to purchase his or her biogas unit from that company. There is a ceiling to the amount of the loan; the beneficiary can apply for the full amount or less if he or she has more personal funds to put towards the cost. Loans are paid back over two years, along with interest (currently 8% per annum). Part of the interest generated as program income may be used to cover the management costs of the micro-cooperatives, if any, and interest paid and the repaid loan principal fund subsequent loans. Additional Subsidy: As a separate subsidy under the Hariyo Ban Program through funding to AEPC, once the biogas plants are installed by the biogas companies and they are functional, the quality of the biogas plants is certified by BSP Nepal. On BSP Nepal’s recommendation, AEPC releases a subsidy allocation, funded by USAID, paying it directly to the biogas company that has installed the biogas unit for the local beneficiary. AEPC delivers the subsidy as per the norms of the Government of Nepal and BSP Nepal monitors the quality of the biogas plants and maintains the database of the biogas units purchased. A formal documentation process (agreement) is signed between the local beneficiary and the biogas company that is installing the biogas plant, and once the biogas is installed and functional, the biogas company asks the beneficiary to sign and claims the subsidy amount at AEPC through BSP Nepal. In other words, the beneficiary will have to pay an amount for the biogas purchases net the biogas subsidy amount. Hariyo Ban funds BSP to undertake the monitoring and reporting of the biogas plants. Grant for attached toilet: In addition, the beneficiary can choose to receive a grant through the cooperative (funded by Hariyo Ban) for partial support to install a toilet attached to the biogas plant. Since the grant does not cover the whole cost, the beneficiary also has to incur a cost to complete the funding of the toilet, so some choose not to do this. The toilet drains into the biogas digester, and improves sanitation of the household as well as contributing to the production of biogas. The toilet is optional and is installed by a plumber and builder.
B. NTNC’s Working Modality NTNC conducts local level consultations with Buffer Zone User Committees (BZUCs) and Buffer Zone User Groups (BZUGs) in the Terai Arc landscape. Based on the consultations and demand for biogas plants to address the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation, and availability of budgets, NTNC provides a grant of NRs 10,000 for the households through the BZUC/BZUGs to install a toilet-attached biogas plant. The plants are installed by certified builders and the toilets by plumbers and builders. NTNC does not support revolving funds for biogas.
Mechanism Source Amount
Biogas with Toilet Attached Grant USAID via BZUCs/BZUGs 10,000
Subsidy (paid directly to biogas installer) AEPC via Installer 24,400
Quality Control AEPC via BSP 4,000
Personal/Loan Beneficiary 16,600
C. CARE Nepal’s Working Modality
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CARE Nepal conducts local level consultation with CFUGs (Community Forest User Groups) in either landscape. Based on the consultations and demand for biogas plants to address the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation, and availability of budgets, CARE Nepal provides a grant of NRs 10,000 for the households through the CFUGs to install a toilet attached biogas plant. The biogas plants are installed by certified builders and the toilet by plumbers and builders. CARE Nepal does not support revolving funds for biogas.
Mechanism Source Amount
Biogas with Toilet Attached Grant USAID via CFUG 10,000
Subsidy (paid directly to biogas installer) AEPC via Installer 24,400
Quality Control AEPC via BSP 4,000
Personal/Loan Beneficiary 16,600
ii) Chitwan-Annapurna Landscape
Hariyo Ban consortium partners are using different modalities for biogas support in CHAL. WWF provides subsidies and loans to the households through revolving funds whereas the other consortium partners are providing subsidies.
A. WWF
WWF Nepal works with subawardees to support toilet attached biogas installations in the Chitwan Annapurna Landscape. Based on the demand for biogas plants and availability of funding for addressing the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation in the various districts in CHAL, or for reducing threats to biodiversity or promoting adaptation to climate change, WWF Nepal makes a subaward to FECOFUN which in turn provides sub-grants to FECOFUN District Chapters. The FECOFUN District Chapters then mobilize funds for a maximum of NRs 18,000 per household through cooperatives at an interest rate of 8%, of which 1% is given to the CFUG group, 2% is taken by the FECOFUN District Chapter and 5% is taken by the Cooperative for managing the funds. NRs 2000 is provided through the District FECOFUN Chapter to an individual household as a subsidy for a toilet attached to its biogas plant. The biogas plants are installed by certified builders and the toilets by plumbers and builders.
The total current cost of a biogas plant in the hilly areas is around NRS 61,000 and the break-down is as follows in NRs
Mechanism Source Amount
Toilet Grant USAID via cooperative 2,000
Loan USAID via cooperative 18,000
Subsidy (paid directly to biogas installer) AEPC via Installer 30,400
Quality Control AEPC via BSP 4,000
Personal Beneficiary 6,600
B. CARE Nepal’s Working Modality
CARE Nepal conducts local level consultation with CFUGs (Community Forest User Groups) in either landscape. Based on the consultations and demand for biogas plants to address the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation, and availability of budgets, CARE Nepal provides a grant of NRs 10,000 for the households through the CFUGs to install a toilet attached biogas plant. The biogas
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plants are installed by certified builders and the toilet by plumbers and builders. CARE Nepal does not support revolving funds for biogas.
Mechanism
Source Amount
Biogas with Toilet Attached Grant USAID via CFUG 10,000
Subsidy (paid directly to biogas installer) AEPC via Installer 24,400
Quality Control AEPC via BSP 4,000
Personal/Loan Beneficiary 16,600
C. FECOFUN’s Working Modality
FECOFUN works with WWF and its District Chapters in installing toilet attached biogas plants as mentioned in ii) A above.
D. NTNC’s Working Modality NTNC conducts local level consultations with Conservation Area Management Committees (CAMCs) in the Chitwan Annapurna Landscape. Based on the consultations and demand for biogas plants to address the drivers of deforestation and forest degradation, and availability of budgets, NTNC provides a grant of NRs 10,000 for the households through the CAMCs to install a toilet attached biogas plant. The plants are installed by certified builders and the toilets by plumbers and builders. NTNC does not support revolving funds for biogas.
Mechanism
Source Amount
Biogas with Toilet Attached Grant USAID via CAMCs 10,000
Subsidy (paid directly to biogas installer) AEPC via Installer 30,400
Quality Control AEPC via BSP 4,000
Personal/Loan Beneficiary 16,600
Branding and Marking WWF and its consortium partners will place painted billboards in the villages that have been supported for the purchase of the biogas units using USAID funds. The billboard paint lasts about four years, and they will be repainted if needed at the end of the Hariyo Ban Program. The larger benefits of biogas are not mentioned in the billboard, but will be communicated and credited to USAID in other Hariyo Ban communications at local, national and international levels.
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