WB okays $150m for rural transport, farming
KATHMANDU, DEC 25 -
The World Bank (WB) has approved US$ 150 million to finance two projects aimed at improving transport infrastructure and raising agricultural productivity in rural parts of the country.
The WB has okayed US$ 100 million for the Project for Strengthening the National Rural Transport Programme which is its third operation in support of Nepal’s rural transport sector in the past 15 years. The project intends to enhance the availability and reliability of transport connectivity for communities in 33 districts.
The districts selected for this project are Arghakhanchi, Banke, Bara, Bardia, Bhojpur, Dang, Dhading, Dhanusha, Gulmi, Kailali, Kanchanpur, Kapilvastu, Kaski, Mahottari, Makwanpur, Nawalparasi, Nuwakot, Palpa, Parsa, Pyuthan, Rasuwa, Rautahat, Rupandehi, Salyan, Sankhuwasabha, Saptari, Sarlahi, Siraha, Surkhet, Syangja, Tanahu, Terhathum and Udaypur. The project will help upgrade, rehabilitate and maintain rural transport infrastructure for all-weather movement and promote closer monitoring by beneficiaries, said the WB in a press release. As per an estimate of the Central Bureau of Statistics, nearly a quarter of the population in these districts is poor.
The second project to get WB financing is the Irrigation and Water Resources Management Project. The bank has approved US$ 50 million in additional financing for this project which has been running since December 2007. The new resources will help rehabilitate 80 additional farmer-managed irrigation schemes (FMIS) in the 40 districts of the Western, Mid-Western and Far Western regions of the country and maintain support for the management transfer of four agency-managed irrigation schemes (AMIS) to Water Users’ Associations. The AMIS includes Kankai, Sunsari-Morang, Narayani and Mahakali Stage I.
“By improving connectivity and raising agriculture productivity, these two projects aim to spur economic growth and reduce poverty across rural Nepal,” said Johannes Zutt, World Bank’s Country Director for Nepal. “They will build on lessons learnt over several decades of our partnership with Nepal in these sectors.”
The irrigation project will also support agriculture extension services to help farmers benefit from better water management and the development of four river basin plans. These include the West Rapti, Babai, Karnali and Gandaki rivers. To date, the project is on target to rehabilitate 130 schemes covering about 20,000 hectares by June 2014. It has achieved productivity increases of between 25-75 percent in rice, wheat, maize and potato crops. The 80 additional schemes will cover another 6,900 hectares, according to the WB.
Source: The Kathmandu Post
