Centre sanctions Rs 692-cr for Assam’s wetland revival, Rs 1,270-cr flood relief

New Delhi, Oct 2: A High-Level Committee (HLC) chaired by Union Home Minister Amit Shah has approved mitigation, recovery and reconstruction projects worth Rs 4,645.60 crore for nine states, with Assam receiving significant allocations for wetland rejuvenation and flood management.

The committee, which includes the Finance Minister, Agriculture Minister and Vice Chairman of NITI Aayog, considered proposals for assistance from the National Disaster Mitigation Fund (NDMF).

For Assam, the HLC cleared a project of Rs 692.05 crore for the restoration and rejuvenation of 24 wetlands across nine districts in the Brahmaputra River system.

The Centre will bear 75% of the cost (Rs 519.04 crore), with the state contributing the remaining 25% (Rs 173.01 crore).

Officials said the project will enhance water retention in wetlands or beels, create additional flood storage, reduce erosion, improve fisheries infrastructure and strengthen the state’s resilience to recurring floods.

It is being positioned as a pilot initiative towards building a “flood-proof Brahmaputra valley”, in line with the Union Home Minister’s vision for long-term conservation and flood mitigation in Assam.

The HLC has also approved Phase-II of the Urban Flood Risk Management Programme (UFRMP) covering 11 cities, including Guwahati.

For Guwahati alone, a Rs 200-crore plan has been sanctioned, of which Rs 180 crore will come from the Centre.

The programme envisages a mix of structural measures such as stormwater management, interlinking of water bodies, construction of flood protection walls, erosion control and soil stabilisation using nature-based solutions.

It’s also aiming at non-structural measures like flood early warning systems, data acquisition and capacity-building.

In addition, the committee approved Rs 1,270.78 crore for recovery and reconstruction work in Assam following the severe floods and landslides of 2022.

Officials noted that the approvals reflect a larger push to integrate ecological conservation with disaster management, particularly in flood-prone states like Assam.

IANS