The government of Pakistan will provide a grant of Rs432.56 million to the government of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJ&K) to mitigate landslide related risks in Poonch Division of the state.

For this purpose, an agreement was signed here on Monday between National Disaster Risk Management Fund (NDRMF) and the government of AJ&K.

The total cost of the project is Rs619.91 million out of which the government of Pakistan through NDRMF will share 69.77 percent cost of the project or Rs432.56 million whereas the government of AJ&K will contribute 30.23 percent or Rs187.36 million. The project will protect 331,563 individuals vulnerable to the negative impacts of landslides and also make them resilient. In addition, 12.29 hectares of land (agriculture/non-agriculture) will be stabilized. . The project is designed to mitigate landslide risks that exist on major roads of AJ&K in different districts of Poonch Division, besides providing an uninterrupted flow of traffic, a safe journey to users and strengthening tourism activities in AJ&K.

The duration of the project is 22 months in which various interventions shall be carried out including; decreased vulnerabilities to the negative impacts of landslides, secure land (agriculture/non-agriculture), sustained communication between adjoining and forward areas, access for availing services, food transport and livelihood for income generation purposes, secured government and private properties, including land and machinery and forests from hazards of land sliding. Earlier, NDRMF has also partnered with various government and non-government entities for extending grant financing to their projects which are focusing on disaster risk reduction and preparedness. The NDRMF is committed to reducing the socio-economic and fiscal vulnerability of the country and its population to natural hazards and climate change, through financing investments in disaster risk reduction and preparedness that have high economic impacts.

All projects of NDRMF have undergone through a merit based and transparent process of selection in accordance with a pre-set criteria, while promoting gender equality, along with ensuring environmental and social safeguards.

Copyright Business Recorder, 2019