WB to assist Orissa in Cyclone Risk Mitigation project

Bhubaneswar, Nov 24 (UNI) The Orissa government today approved the first phase of the Rs 441 crore World Bank-assisted Cyclone Risk Mitigation project.

Official sources here said a sum of Rs 164 crore would be spent in the first phase of the four-year project for development of different components to mitigate possible cyclone.

The approval was accorded at a high level meeting, presided over by Chief Secretary A K Tripathy.

While the World Bank would provide 75 per cent of the total project cost as grant, the remaining 25 per cent would be borne by the state government.

The state's share in the project would be Rs 110 crore.

Under the project, cyclone shelters, coast and canal embankment, shelter belt plantations, regeneration of mangroove forests, forest connectivity, strengthening of fishing community, other livelihood activities and public awareness campaign would be taken up.

During the first phase, a sum of Rs 40 crore would be spent for the construction of cyclone shelters, Rs 75 crore on coast and canal emabkments, Rs six crore on creation of shelter belt plantation and regeneration of mangroves, Rs 35 crore on forest connectivity and Rs four crore on strengthening of fishing community and other livelihood activities, the sources said.

While the Water Resource department would take up the construction of cyclone shelters and canal embankment, the Forest and Environment department would carry out the shelter belt plantation and regeneration of mangrove forest.

Similarly, the Rural Development department would be responsible for implementation of the forest connectivity and the Chilika Development Authority, Orissa State Disaster Management Authority and the Fisheries and Animal Husbandry department would implement the programme to strengthen the fishing community and other livelihood activities.

In addition to it, a sum of Rs 7.5 crore would be spent for public awareness jointly by the OSDMA and ORSAC.

Mr Tripathy directed the department concerned to submit their Detail Project Report by December next.

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