GUWAHATI: Dispur is eagerly waiting for the Central government’s nod to include land erosion caused by the rivers in the State as an eligible calamity for relief under National Disaster Response Fund (NDRF) and State Disaster Response Fund (SDRF).

The eagerness of the Assam government is justifiable as the State Water Resources Department is in need of huge fund to undertake repair and maintenance of several age–old embankments, and to implement erosion protection schemes across the State. The inclusion of erosion as an eligible calamity for relief under NDRF and SDRF would help the Water Resources Department get access to Central fund meant for tackling natural disasters.