$150,000 ADB aid for anti-flood measures in Assam

Manila: The Asian Development Bank (ADB) is extending a US $150,000 technical assistance grant to help lay the groundwork for a project designed to improve Assam's shields against flooding.

The project also aims to strengthen the state's policy, planning, and institutional framework to address the problems with a long-term strategy, an ADB release said.

Another US $750,000 grant will be provided by the Multi-donor Trust Fund under the Water Financing Partnership Facility, reports IANS.

The fund, administered by the ADB, is contributed by the governments of Australia, Austria, and Norway. Additional counterpart financing of US $230,000 is being provided by the Assam government.

India is one of the most vulnerable countries in the world to floods and land erosion. Assam is especially vulnerable with 90 per cent of its agricultural and urban land located in flood-prone areas.

The Indian government has developed a policy framework for integrated flood management but major gaps continue to exist between the national framework and actual implementation at the state level, ADB said.