By Ali Imran
ISLAMABAD: The National Disaster Risk Management Fund (NDRMF) will fund over Rs3 billion to the Irrigation Department, Government of Sindh, for its project titled Building Resilience of Damaged Flood Mitigation Structures Along River Indus in Sindh Resilience and Adaptive Population in Disaster (RAPID).
The funding cost of Rs. 3,011,460,076/- (Rs. three billion eleven million four hundred sixty thousand seventy-six only) would help the provincial government to ensure its rehabilitation and reconstruction of Flood Schemes in Sindh.
Chief Executive Officer (CEO) NDRMF, Bilal Anwar and Abdullah Bhurgri, Project Director of Flood Emergency and Reconstruction Projects Sindh Irrigation Department signed the contract.
On the occasion, they said financial support would be extended to the respective entities as grant financing. However, the Grant Implementation Agreement between NDRMF and the Irrigation Department, Government of Sindh, was signed in this regard.
The Project is designed for the Rehabilitation and Reconstruction of four schemes that received major damages and losses during the monsoon floods in 2022 in districts Shaheed Benazirabad, Naushero Feroze, Sujawal and Matiari and needed rehabilitation on an urgent basis as any flooding of similar nature may cause damages to life and property.
The details of the scheme included Stone Apron and Stone Pitching Along SM Bund from Mile 70/7 to 72/0 in Moro Bund Sub Division, Rehabilitation/Reconstruction of Stud/Apron along SM Bund at Mile 12/0 to 12/7 and Bakhri Loop Bund Mile 0/0 to 0/1 in Kandiaro Bund Sub Division, Rehabilitation, Raising and Strengthening of Spurs Along Surjani Complex Bund Sujawal of Pinyari Circle Hyderabad Kotri Barrage Region Hyderabad, Recouping of Stone Spurs Mile 142/3 and Stone Studs Mile 136/1 Along S.M Bund in Hala (Irrigation) Division Hala.
With 578,000 targeted beneficiaries and protecting 127,476 Hectares of agricultural land against the negative impacts of multiple natural disasters. Sindh is one of the worst affected provinces during Floods in 2022.
A total of 10 million people were affected in 30 districts. The worst affected areas remained inundated for months due to the absence of natural drainage pathways leaving behind a vast magnitude of damaged public infrastructure, agricultural land and houses of people, requiring extensive medium to long-term rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts.
The proposed interventions are in line with National Disaster Management Plan (NDMP). The government of Pakistan had been working with several development partners to identify opportunities and mechanisms to enhance the financial management of disaster risk. These initiatives resulted in the establishment of multi-donor NDRMF.
It is a government-owned not-for-profit company with a corporate structure, incorporated with the Securities and Exchange Commission of Pakistan, under Section 42 of the Companies Ordinance 1984. NDRMF finances up to 70% of eligible projects’ costs while 30% of the total project cost is borne by the fund implementing partners. It works for reducing the socio-economic and fiscal vulnerability of the country & its population to natural hazards and climate change, through financing investments in DRR and preparedness that have high economic impacts.
