By IANS,
Kathmandu : Within 48 hours of Indian Water Resources Minister Pawan Kumar Bansal visiting Nepal to inspect the repaired embankment of the Kosi river that had created havoc in both countries last year, India gave Nepal NRs.131.6 million (about $1.6 million) to fight floods.
Alok K. Sinha, deputy chief of mission at the Indian embassy in Kathmandu, Tuesday handed over a cheque of NRs.131.6 million to Umakant Jha, secretary at Nepal’s irrigation ministry, as India’s contribution for the construction of embankments along the Lalbakeya and Bagmati rivers.
The assistance comes after a decision by the India-Nepal Sub-Committee on Embankment Construction and Joint Committee on Inundation and Flood Management.
India has been providing assistance to Nepal for strengthening and extending the embankments along the Kamla, Lalbakeya and Bagmati rivers. With the present assistance, the total grant assistance for embankment construction along these rivers during 2009 stands at NRs.449.10 million.
India has also committed an additional grant assistance of NRs.109.9 million for flood protection work along the Trijuga, Lakhandehi, Sunsari and Kankai rivers.