ADB to support Flood control programme in Assam

Over one million people will benefit from the Asian Development Bank (ADB)-supported flood control programme along the Brahmaputra river, the first tranche of which is likely to be completed by May 2014.

The project which will cost  $150 million is being implemented to protect the urban and rural areas along the Brahmaputra river in Assam will cover areas of Palasbari-Gumi, Kaziranga and Dibrugarh in the State.

Embankments will be built to prevent land erosion along the Brahmaputra, which is the fifth largest river in the world. Frequent floods and erosion displaces a large number of the population in Assam.

About 7 per cent of the land in the State’s 17 districts has been lost because of river erosion over the past 50 years. Nearly 23.91 lakh people were affected by floods during 2012 which also damaged about 2.55 lakh hectares of crop areas and claimed 112 lives.

Image credit:2) 1) PlaneMad, hosted at Wikipedia 2) PP Yoonus, hosted at Wikipedia

Reference-
Jagranjosh, PIB