The World Bank has approved a $452 million initiative, the Assam Resilient Rural Bridges Program, to improve connectivity for over 1.8 million rural residents in Assam, especially during extreme weather conditions
The World Bank's Board of Executive Directors has given the green light to a new initiative aimed at enhancing connectivity for more than 1.8 million residents in rural areas of Assam, India, particularly during severe weather conditions.
Assam, the largest state in northeast India, serves as a crucial gateway to Southeast Asia and South Asian markets, boasting abundant natural resources like tea and spices. However, the region is frequently impacted by climate-related events such as floods, cyclones, and landslides, leaving smallholder farmer communities and tribal settlements disconnected from essential infrastructure like all-season bridges and roads.
The $452 million Assam Resilient Rural Bridges Program seeks to bolster the resilience and management of roads and bridges, ensuring year-round access to wholesale markets, educational institutions, healthcare facilities, and workplaces for residents in 1,739 villages. Improved connectivity is expected to generate savings exceeding $82 million over the next six years, compared to previous travel costs.
Moreover, the initiative aims to link nearly 633,000 women-led textile and handicraft producers to roads or collection points within a 2 km radius, facilitating access to regional markets while reducing emissions through the deployment of electric vehicles and logistics hubs.
Auguste Tano Kouamé, the World Bank's Country Director for India, emphasized that the program will not only attract private investment for creating quality jobs but also enhance farmers' incomes and promote inclusive and diversified growth in the rural sector.
Additionally, the initiative will strengthen the Assam Public Works Roads Department's financial and procurement processes, leveraging the state's own systems and providing training to enhance disaster risk management.
Furthermore, the program aims to increase women's participation in bridge design, construction, and maintenance jobs by nearly 20 per cent, in addition to operating digital platforms at rural transportation hubs.
The $452 million Program loan from the International Bank for Reconstruction and Development (IBRD) will utilize financing instruments such as Program-for-Results (PforR) and Investment Project Financing (IPF) to link fund disbursement directly to the achievement of results while offering technical assistance. The loan has a maturity period of 19 years, including a grace period of 4.5 years.
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