World Bank chairman on two-day visit to Bihar

Patna: World Bank chairman Robert B Zoellick would be on a two-day visit to Bihar from Wednesday on the occasion of signing of an agreement with Bihar government for a Rs 1000 crore soft loan for rebuilding areas affected by the

2008 Kosi floods.

Chief Minister Nitish Kumar said that Zoellick would be present during the signing of the agreement on Wednesday.

The loan would facilitate reconstruction of about 1 lakh houses, 90 bridges and 290 km of rural roads, official sources said.

It would also reduce any future risk by strengthening flood management capacity, restoring livelihoods and improving the emergency response capability through contingency funding, they said.

The World Bank has appreciated the flood relief work carried out by the Nitish Kumar government in the immediate aftermath of the floods that hit about 3.3 million people in five districts.

The state Government has already undertaken extensive reconstruction and rehabilitation efforts which will also help disaster risk management in the development strategy of Bihar.

The floods occurred after the Kosi breached its embankment at Kusaha in Nepal and charted a new course devastating vast areas and claiming more than 500 lives.

In the aftermath of the flood about one million people were evacuated and 460,000 people were provided temporary shelter in 360 relief camps.