World Bank Offers To Support Odisha ICZM Extension Project
06 February, Bhubaneswar
The World Bank has offered its support for extension of the Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) project in Odisha while appreciating the significant outcomes of the ICZM Phase-I activities in the state.
A three-member expert team of the World Bank, under the leadership of Paula Caballero, Senior Director Environment & Natural Resources Global Practice of the World Bank, Saturday held discussion with Principal Secretary Forest & Environment Suresh Chandra Mohapatra and Project Director ICZM Dr Ajit Kumar Pattanaik along with other senior officers.Ms Chaballero said the outcomes of the ICZM interventions taken up during Phase-I in Odisha has been quite impressive and encouraging.
She offered to extend the World Bank support further for the interventions like capacity building, scientific management of fishery resources, eco-management in coastal industrial sites like Paradeep.
State Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi said Odisha would like to have the World Bank support in development of the infrastructure for fishery, eco-tourism and livelihood promotion activities adding that the best practices developed during Phase-I interventions should be replicated and scaled up during Phase-II of the project.
Sources said Odisha is one among the three other States-Gujarat and West Bengal who are implementing the project. In the performance outcome so far Odisha is leading.
The Coastal Zone Management Society of Odisha has been formed under Chairmanship of Chief Secretary for monitoring the implementation of the project. In the Phase-I near about 180 kms of coastal area has been covered under the project. The state government has proposed to extend the project to the rest 300 kms of coastal zone in the second phase.
The Phase-II proposal has been submitted to the Centre, the sanction of which is awaited. The senior officers present in the meeting also raised the concern about delay in release of funds from the Centre for implementation of Phase-I activities.
The Phase-I project period has been scheduled up to 2017 with a revised financial outlay of Rs. 334 crore. The activities are being implemented through 14 departments, Urban local bodies and special agencies. So far Rs.160 crore has been utilised. The annual action plan of Rs. 7853.91 lakhs has been prepared for 2015-16, sources said.BM