The Indian government and the Asian Development Bank (ADB) on Thursday signed a $50 million loan to build a climate-adaptive water harvesting project in Meghalaya.

The aim is to enhance water security by constructing water-harvesting systems to improve access to water and reduce community vulnerability against climate change impacts in the northeastern state.

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The project will support the construction of 532 small water-storage facilities across 12 districts in Meghalaya besides developing 3,000 hectares of command area to provide reliable irrigation areas for farmers, according to the Ministry of Finance.

The project will also establish 50 weather stations for climate data gathering and monitoring, and micro-irrigation systems in Garo, Jaintia, and Khasi regions. It aligns with the Meghalaya State Water Policy (MSWP) 2019.

“Beyond financing, ADB’s value addition will involve assisting the state in implementing the MSWP and providing guidance on integrating climate adaptation measures into water security plans,” said Mio Oka, Country Director of the ADB’s India Resident Mission.

This includes designing water harvesting systems (WHS) to support agriculture, fisheries, horticulture, water supply, and other productive livelihoods for economic development, Oka added.

Juhi Mukherjee, Joint Secretary, Department of Economic Affairs, said that the project seeks to achieve sustainable development, management, and utilisation of the state’s water resources through a participatory approach, reduce vulnerability, and promote integrated water resource management.

The project will help develop a state-wide WHS master plan considering micro catchment areas and disaster risk management.

This will guide the creation of water security plans at the village level to be managed by the village employment councils, watershed management committees and water users’ associations.

The ADB will help strengthen the capacity of the Meghalaya State Watershed and Wasteland Development Agency and the Soil and Water Conservation Department in water management, operation, and management.

In addition, the project will train farmers, especially women, to increase livelihood productivity in irrigated agriculture such as horticulture and fishery techniques, said the government.