River sand mining as a climate change adaptation measure; climate change induced flood can elevate river bed, proper management of river bed deposit can prevent avulsion.

1. Sand mining:
as an adaptation measure to climate change
induced disaster in Chitwan District of Nepal
Prof. Dr. Hari K. Shrestha
Nepal Engineering College
(email: hari@nec.edu.np)
Inception workshop on
Developing regional collaboration in river basin management in response to climate change
Himalaya Hotel, Lalitpur
February 27, 2013
Organized by:

2. • Climate Change:
– too hot, too cold,
– too much, too little,
– too early, too late
• Adaptation:
– change position/action to thrive
– convert potential problem into resource
• Sand Mining:
resource problem resource problem
• Chitwan District:
– Un/mis-management: resource becomes problem
Climate
change
Once upon
a time
Improper
managementAdaptation
Better
management

3. Chitwan

4. Past threats floods
4
Event village Comments Cause
FLOOD KHAIRAHANI Jun-71 A bridge over Khaireni was flooded. OTHER
FLOOD PIPLE Sep-74 1000 m of highway was flooded and destroyed. HEAVY RAINS
FLOOD KORAK Oct-84 271 hectors land were erroded.Three tourist hotel also flooded. HEAVY RAINS
FLOOD KATHAR Aug-90 Flood destroyed 21 houses. HEAVY RAINS
FLOOD RATNA NAGAR Aug-90 Ratnanagar were fully submaged in water for 3 days. HEAVY RAINS
FLOOD BHANDARA Aug-93
Due to the flood in Rapti river Vandar, Katar,Kumroj,Padampur was water
logged and the relief work was done by army, police. HEAVY RAIN
FLOOD GUNJA NAGAR Aug-93
Flood in Narayani river destroyed 9 houses and 22 houses were
damaged.Land was also erroded. HEAVY RAIN
FLOOD JAGATPUR Aug-97
One permanent bridge worth Rs 5,00,000 was damaged and aroun 35
hectares of rice crops and vegetables. OTHER
FLOOD BAGHAUDA Aug-97 Heavy rain led flood on Reu river damaged houses. HEAVY RAINS
FLOOD MEGHAULI Aug-97 Flood damaged 30 households. HEAVY RAINS
FLOOD GARDI Aug-98 Flood damaged 4 houses.loss not mentioned. HEAVY RAINS
FLOOD MEGHAULI Aug-98 Flood made ard-1,2 as island. HEAVY RAINS
FLOOD BHARATPUR N.P Jul-01 Closed the bharatapur airport caused by heavy rainfall. HEAVY RAINS
FLOOD KHAIRAHANI Jun-71 A bridge over Khaireni was flooded. OTHER
FLOOD PIPLE Sep-74 1001 m of highway was flooded and destroyed. HEAVY RAINS
FLOOD KORAK Oct-84 272 hectors land were erroded.Three tourist hotel also flooded. HEAVY RAINS
FLOOD KATHAR Aug-90 Flood destroyed 21 houses. HEAVY RAINS
FLOOD RATNA NAGAR Aug-90 Ratnanagar were fully submaged in water for 3 days. HEAVY RAINS
FLOOD BHANDARA Aug-93
Due to the flood in Rapti river Vandar, Katar,Kumroj,Padampur was water
logged and the relief work was done by army, police. HEAVY RAIN
FLOOD GUNJA NAGAR Aug-93
Flood in Narayani river destroyed 9 houses and 22 houses were
damaged.Land was also erroded. HEAVY RAIN
FLOOD JAGATPUR Aug-97
One permanent bridge worth Rs 5,00,000 was damaged and aroun 35
hectares of rice crops and vegetables. OTHER
FLOOD BAGHAUDA Aug-97 Heavy rain led flood on Reu river damaged houses. HEAVY RAINS
FLOOD MEGHAULI Aug-97 Flood damaged 30 households. HEAVY RAINS
FLOOD GARDI Aug-98 Flood damaged 4 houses.loss not mentioned. HEAVY RAINS

5. Past threats landslides/storms
5
Event village Comments Cause
LANDSLIDE Sep-74
45m of Highway was damaged and the transportation was blocked for
some days. The landslide took place along the Mahendra Highway at
BULBULE that lie in Between Hetauda and Chitawan. OTHER
LANDSLIDE Jul-81
Transportation is closed since 4 days and still 3 days required to clear the
path. OTHER
LANDSLIDE KAULE Sep-81 4 houses carried away by flood due to heavy rain & 3 people died. HEAVY RAINS
LANDSLIDE Aug-90 2 Way transportation closed for 4-5 days.1 Police died. HEAVY RAINS
LANDSLIDE KABILAS Jun-01 Black topped were damaged on some parts HEAVY RAINS
LANDSLIDE Sep-74
45m of Highway was damaged and the transportation was blocked for
some days. The landslide took place along the Mahendra Highway at
BULBULE that lie in Between Hetauda and Chitawan. OTHER
LANDSLIDE Jul-81
Transportation is closed since 4 days and still 3 days required to clear the
path. OTHER
LANDSLIDE KAULE Sep-81 5 houses carried away by flood due to heavy rain & 3 people died. HEAVY RAINS
LANDSLIDE Aug-90 3 Way transportation closed for 4-5 days.1 Police died. HEAVY RAINS
STORM BHARATPUR N.P May-89
Thatched houses were damaged and many trees of jungle including the
trees of mangoes and lichhi got down on the ground.
Roofs of many houses were also carried away and electric pole was felt
down and electricity was dead in Narayangirh OTHER
STORM BHARATPUR N.P May-89
Thatched houses were damaged and many trees of jungle including the
trees of mangoes and lichhi got down on the ground.
Roofs of many houses were also carried away and electric pole was felt
down and electricity was dead in Narayangirh OTHER
STRONG WIND BHARATPUR N.P May-91 Electricity pole and telephone wire was damaged. OTHER
STRONG WIND May-95 Electricity pole and wire was damaged, telephone services was closhed. OTHER
STRONG WIND GUNJA NAGAR May-95 One house was damaged. OTHER
STRONG WIND DIVYA NAGAR May-95 Roof of schools building was destroyed. OTHER
STRONG WIND BHARATPUR N.P May-91 Electricity pole and telephone wire was damaged. OTHER
STRONG WIND May-95 Electricity pole and wire was damaged, telephone services was closhed. OTHER
STRONG WIND GUNJA NAGAR May-95 One house was damaged. OTHER
STRONG WIND DIVYA NAGAR May-95 Roof of schools building was destroyed. OTHER

6. Vulnerability of Chitwan in terms of Climate Change Induced
Disaster
Source: DWIDP

7. Vulnerability of Chitwan in terms of Climate Change Induced
DARECHOK
CHANDI BHANJYANG
KABILAS
BACHHAULI
Chitwan.shp
Chitwan2003.shp
440000 - 967333
967333 - 1494667
1494667 - 2022000
10 0 10 20 30 Kilometers
N
EW
S
Water-inducedDisaster Map 2003 of Chitwan
Estimated Loss (Rs.)

8. NAPA evaluation of Chitwan CC Vulnerability
MoE, 2010, Climate Change Vulnerability Mapping for Nepal, National Adaptation
Program of Action (NAPA) to Climate Change, GoN

9. Hydrogeologic Condition of Chitwan
1. Young mountains in the north, erosion prone rocks
2. Steep slopes dipping SW direction, from 1940 m to 200 m,
within 15 km; average slope of 12%
3. Heavy monsoon rainfall induced landslides and debris flow
4. Land Abuse: Anthropogenic loosening of soil (agricultural
intensification in sloped land, cash/high water demanding
crops, over grazing, developmental activities without slope
stabilization, deforestation)
• Debris (boulder) deposit in upper area
• Debris (gravel) deposit in lower area (but no road to
transport gravel)
• Debris (sand and clay mixed smaller gravel) deposit
immediately to the north of the East-West Highway

11. Chitwan District
Once upon a time, before the effect of CC was
pronounced, the sand deposit in the river banks were
resources of Chitwan District for construction industries

12. CC converted the resources (river bank sand)
into problem in Chitwan District
• Due to CC, the extremes are becoming more
frequent, resulting in increase in debris flow
(upstream) and debris deposit (downstream)
• Debris deposit in the river bed is causing
a) river bed aggradation, embankment breach and the
consequent flooding in the riparian communities
b) River course diversion due to deposit in one bank of
the river, and consequent flooding in the another
bank (next year or next flood), resulting in bank
cutting, deposition of debris over agricultural fields…
c) Flooding in riparian settlements, ag. fields, protected
areas
d) River enters villages; villagers settle in river course

13. Example of remaining debris deposit in
2003 in Lothar Khola (eastern boarder
of Chitwan District) after 5 years:
river bed aggradation, bridge opening
reduced from 8 to 2 meters.
Too heavy sedimentation:
Water quality

14. Summary of sediment production in the Lothar Khola watershed, 2003
Sub basins Catchm
ent
(km2)
Total slided
materials (m3)
Material
outflow (m3)
Materials
retained in
hill slope
(m3)
Upper Lothar Khola
Imti Khola
Kali Khola
Yurti Khola
Bangsiling Khola
Shankar Khola
Rewati Khola
Pangthali Khola
Ganwarchok Khola
Kuchur
Tangi Damar
20.15
11.00
9.27
5.15
13.21
16.26
22.43
30.56
10.01
6.30
24.66
1521408
8000
8960
90200
60720
6600
1304000
17800
136800
204296
671280
1217126
6400
7168
72160
48575
5280
1043200
14240
109440
163437
537024
304282
1600
1792
18040
12144
1320
260800
3560
27360
40859
134258
Total 169.00 4030064 3224051 806013
Summary of sediment production in the Lothar Khola watershed, 2003
Previous similar extreme event occurred in 1993.
Source: Ulak, P.D. , 2008 Materials waiting to come down.

15. Lothar Bridge between
Chitwan and Makwanpur
Problems due to CC induced debris deposit in Chitwan, Lothar Khola
1993: debris flow & deposit in RB, RB village inundation
1994: embankment in RB
2003: more debris deposit RB, river migrate to LB
2007: further shift to LB, forest destroyed
2010: LB village inundation
2011: embankment in LB, ban on SGS extraction in LB

16. Problems due to CC induced debris
deposit in Chitwan
Sand deposit diverts
river course and
necessitates channel
excavation every year
in East Rapti-Lothar
Irrigation in Chitwan
District

17. Current adaptation measures
(convert problem into resource)
Upstream: Reduce landslide and debris flow
– Slope stabilization, forestation, bioengineering (DSCWM),
community forest
– sabo dams, check dams, gabion walls, other soft measures
(DWIDP),
– retaining walls, surface/side drains in the immediate
vicinity of highway (DoR)
Downstream: clear the debris deposit and side protection
• Embankment (People’s embankment project), river
training, gabion walls (DWIDP),
• Effectiveness of line agency’s mitigation measures yet
to be clear
Short term adaptation:
• gabion wall and sand mining (DDC), as per LSGA

18. Debris Source area
Deposit of bounders/gravels
but no road access
1890 m
175 m
1940 m
200 m
Annual sediment yield:
73.6 Million ton
Chitwan District
Scale of fluvial sedimentation too big: 26886 trucks per day, 3 m3/truck, 365 days/year

19. List of DDC registered sand mines
(anticlockwise in previous slide)
1. Darechok Khola /Trishuli River in Darechok VDC
2. Jugedi Khola in Kabilash VDC
3. Khageri Khola(boarder of Bharatpur Municipality and Jutpani VDC)
4. Thanbung Khola in Jutpani VDC
5. Kayer Khola (boarder of Pithuwa and Chainpur VDC)
6. Ladara Khola in Chainpur VDC
7. Pampa Khola in Birendranagar VDC
8. Chyatra Khola in Bhandara VDC
9. Dudhkoshi Khola in Bhandara VDC
10. Martal Khola (boarder of Bhandara and Piple VDC)
Note: Data depends on source! Mines not registered at DDC are not
listed. Sand mines located entirely within forest area are not
listed.

20. DDC Sand Mining Management Process
• DDC identifies sand source every year (in areas that are not within forest)
(source area and amount depends on existing and last year’s debris deposit)
• DDC calls for IEE study through consultancy services
• IEE report to specify amount, location, environmental safeguards,
monitoring
• DDC calls for bidders for each mine site
• Agreement with highest bidder, including mode of payment (block or
installment)
• Contractor pays the DDC or DDC+ Forest (depending on the location of
mine area). It is a source of conflict between DDC and Forest Office.
• DDC to monitor mine operation for the duration of contract.
• MoFALD is monitoring through its own technicians and university
students. Local residents are also monitoring.
• If river bank eroded, provide fund for gabion walls and other river
training activities. National average is about 19% of revenue generation.

21. Pampa Khola SGS Mining, Chitwan Pampa Khola gravel Mining
Pampa
Khola
annual
flood level

22. Martal Khola between
Bhandara and Piple VDC

23. Some facts and figures about sand mining in
Chitwan District
Nepali Fiscal
Year
SGS Revenue
(NRs.)
Total Revenue
(NRs.)
2066/2067
(2009/10)
1923212 9152674
2067/2068
(2010/11)
1514328 16258125
2068/2069
(2011/12)
5907918 16675723
IEE provision applied in Chitwan since March 2011 (2067-11-19 BS)

24. Positive impact of sand mining (national)
Environmental
• Maintenance of river bed elevation
• Reduced flooding in riparian settlements, ag. lands, conservation
area
Socio-Economic
• Increase in internal revenue (2008/9 estimate is NRs. 1072 million,
National) ; can be increased at least 3 fold by better management
• Employment generation for unskilled and poor
• Enhanced economic activities
• High FIRR and higher EIRR
• Saving of river bed elevation maintenance fund
• Forex (mainly IC)
• DDC Fund for developmental activities, including river bank
protection

25. Kayer Khola SGS Mining, Chitwan
Kayer Khola Scraping of river bed, notice the river bottom clay
Unmanaged and
unmonitored sand
mining: convert the
resource into
problem

26. Problems due to unmanaged SGS mining in Chitwan, Ladari Khola

28. Negative impact of sand mining
(from resource to problem)
• River bed degradation
• River course change
• River bank erosion
• Landslide
• Forest clearance
• Infrastructure damage
• Environmental degradation
• Fund required for rehabilitation
• “Mafia” intervention
All management related.
The sand mining impacts are similar in Chitwan District, to a lesser
degree.

29. Converting the
problem back into resource:
1. Better and practical guidelines for sand mine operation
2. Updating of existing IEE/EIA to address potential
impacts of CC
3. Input to the process of development of Environmental
Friendly Local Governance (EFLG) at MoFALD
4. Update provisions of NAPA/LAPA regarding sand mining
(Nat’l Adaptation Program of Action, Local Adaptation Program of Action)
Ministry of
Science, Technology and Environment
Govt. of Nepal
Mainstreaming Climate Change Risk
Management in Development

30. What it has to do with regionalism?
• Major portion of the sand goes from Nepal to
India for development activities of north Indian
states in Ganges Basin
• “Highways” made in India from sand, gravel and
stones imported from Nepal obstruct the river
flow and inundate parts of India and Nepal
• Most of the sand mines in Nepal are in districts
which are close to India. Unmanaged sand mining
can be a headache for both Nepal and India,
especially if the river course changes