M'laya to get ADB loan worth 50 million dollars for water security project

Shillong, Dec 6: Meghalaya will get a $50-million loan from the Asian Development Bank (ADB) to help implement the Meghalaya State Water Policy (MSWP) 2019 and integrate climate adaptation measures into water security plans.

The loan agreement was signed on Thursday in New Delhi by Juhi Mukherjee, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, Ministry of Finance, on behalf of the Central Government, and Mio Oka, Country Director of ADB's India Resident Mission.

After signing the agreement, Mukherjee stated that the project aligns with the Meghalaya State Water Policy (MSWP) 2019, which seeks to achieve sustainable development, management, and utilisation of the state's water resources through a participatory approach, reduce vulnerability, and promote integrated water resource management.

"Beyond financing, ADB's value addition will involve assisting the State in implementing the MSWP and providing guidance on integrating climate adaptation measures into water security plans. This includes designing water harvesting systems to support agriculture, fisheries, horticulture, water supply, and other productive livelihoods for economic development," Oka said.

The project will help develop state-wide water harvesting system master plans, considering micro catchment areas and disaster risk management. This will guide the creation of water security plans at the village level to be managed by the village employment councils, watershed management committees, and water users' associations. The project will support the construction of 532 small water-storage facilities across 12 districts. These facilities will incorporate climate-resilient designs to capture and manage heavy rainfall and flash floods during monsoon season. The stored water shall improve water security during the dry season.

The project will develop 3,000 hectares of command area to provide reliable irrigation areas for farmers. It will establish 50 weather stations for climate data gathering and monitoring and micro-irrigation systems in Garo, Jaintia, and Khasi regions. The project will also pilot-test renewable energy micro-hydropower in three water harvesting systems.

ADB will help strengthen the capacity of the Meghalaya State Watershed and Wasteland Development Agency and the Soil and Water Conservation Department in water management, operation, and management.

Under the project, farmers, especially women, would be trained to increase livelihood productivity in irrigated agriculture such as horticulture and fishery techniques.

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Correspondent