India to provide financial aid for water management projects in Vietnam
The Indian Government has agreed to fund seven water management projects across four Mekong Delta provinces in Vietnam. India will extend grant assistance to the tune of $350,000 to Vietnam for the projects.
The seven projects will be taken up in the four southern provinces of Ben Tre, Hau Giang, Kien Giang and Tien Giang. They will cover diverse water resource management activities and infrastructure such as rainwater harvesting, water reservoir, clean water supply pipelines and new irrigation models to prevent drought and saline water intrusion.
The grant assistance is being extended through Indian Government’s Quick Impact Project (QIP) programme under the Mekong-Ganga Cooperation framework, which are geared towards direct socio-economic benefits to the grassroots community through short gestation projects.
These seven projects are part of 26 QIPs so far undertaken by India in 22 provinces of Vietnam, out of which 13 have already been completed, while 12 new projects are being extended in the fiscal year 2020-21, said an official statement.
Seven MoUs were signed recently in Vietnam in the presence of Indian Ambassador Pranay Verma by India’s Consul General at Ho Chi Minh City Dr Madan Mohan Sethi and officials of the four beneficiary provinces.
Speaking on the occasion, Ambassador Pranay Verma identified development cooperation as an important pillar of India-Vietnam Comprehensive Strategic Partnership and highlighted the long tradition of India’s development partnership with Vietnam that has left behind a successful legacy of institutional and capacity building support in diverse sectors over the years, including centres of excellence like the Cuu Long Rice Research Institute in Can Tho.
The Mekong Delta provinces have been facing severe saltwater intrusion and the resultant lack of freshwater for irrigation and drinking for several years. The projects will help local communities in overcoming the impact of climate change, drought and saltwater intrusion that is currently threatening their livelihood and production activities.
A recent report by Vietnam’s Ministry of Natural Resources and the Environment said flood peaks in the upstream stretch of the Mekong River have been lower and later than usual, worsening saltwater intrusion in southern Vietnamese estuaries.
Hau Giang, Kien Giang and Tien Giang provinces will take up two water management projects each entailing an investment of $300,000 while Ben Tre province will have one project costing $50,000, local news reports said.
