Bhubaneswar, Feb 6
Appreciating the significant outcomes of the Integrated Coastal Zone Management (ICZM) Phase-I activities in Odisha, World Bank has offered its support for extension of the Project in the State.
This was discussed at a high level meeting under the Chairmanship of Chief Secretary Aditya Prasad Padhi at State Secretariat here on Saturday.
A three-member expert team of World Bank under the leadership of Paula Caballero, Senior Director Environment & Natural Resources Global Practice of World Bank Paula Caballero, Principal Secretary Forest & Environment Suresh Chandra Mohapatra and Project Director ICZM Dr. Ajit Kumar Pattanaik along with other senior officers participated in the discussion.
P Chaballero lauded the ICZM interventions during Phase-I in Odisha and offered to extend further World Bank support for the interventions like capacity building, scientific management of fishery resources, eco-management in costal industrial sites like Paradeep.
Padhi said that State would like to have World Bank support in development of the infrastructure for fishery, eco-tourism and livelihood promotion activities and added that the best practices developed during Phase-I interventions should be replicated and scaled up during Phase-II of the project.
Notably, Odisha is leading in performance outcome among three other States such as Gujrat and West Bengal who are implementing this kind of project.
Coastal Zone Management Society of Odisha has been formed under Chairmanship of Chief Secretary for monitoring the implementation of the project.
In the first phase nearly 180 kms of coastal area has been covered under the project and proposal has been made to develop 300 kms more of coastal zone in the second phase. Sanction for the pahse-II is awaited from the Union Government.
Senior officers present in the meeting voiced their concern over the delay in receiving funds from the Cemte for the implantation of Phase-I activities.
The Phase-I project period has been scheduled up to 2017 with a revised financial outlay of Rs. 334 cr. The major interventions taken up in the project include strengthening of Wetland Research & Training Center at Chilika, Protection Measures for control of coastal erosion at Pentha in Kendrapara district , conservation of Biodiversity & Livelihood Security through eco-tourism, Alternative Livelihood for costal fishermen, development of Participatory Ecotourism at Chilika and Tampara, establishment of Coastal Mitigation Laboratory at Paradeep, Solid Waste Management Project at Paradeep, construction of multipurpose cyclone centers along the coast lines, conservation and improvement of Coastal Archeological and Cultural assets, Regional Coastal Process Study and Coir Training –cum-Production Center along Chilika coast and livelihood enhancement support to people through SHGs etc.
The activities are being implemented through 14 number of departments, Urban local bodies and special agencies. So far Rs.160 cr has been utilized. The Annual action Plan of Rs. 7853.91 lakhs has been prepared for 2015-16.
