India funds seven water projects in Mekong Delta
The Indian Government will support seven water management projects in the Mekong Delta provinces of Ben Tre, Hau Giang, Kien Giang, and Tien Giang with non-refundable aid of US$350,000.
At a ceremony in the Delta’s Can Tho city on September 23, representatives from the Indian Consulate General in HCM City and the localities signed seven memoranda of understanding for the projects, each worth US$50,000.
They are part of 26 quick-impact projects funded by India in 22 Vietnamese cities and provinces, 13 of which have been completed while 12 others will be launched during the 2020-2021 fiscal year.
Speaking at the event, Indian Ambassador to Vietnam Pranay Verma said the traditional relationship between the two nations is a successful model in terms of institutional support and capacity improvement in various fields over the past years.
Deputy head of the Foreign Ministry’s General Economic Department Pham Thi Anh said the activity is a symbol of the enduring friendship among member states of the Mekong - Ganga Cooperation (MGC) as well as between Vietnam and India.
The Mekong Delta has been facing drought and saltwater intrusion at record levels. Rainfall this year is 30%-40% lower than previous averages and is forecast to remain low in the future.
The MGC is an initiative by six countries: India and the five ASEAN countries of Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam. Launched in 2000, it is one of the longest-standing sub-regional cooperation mechanisms in the Mekong Delta, with the goal of enhancing solidarity and friendship among nations and promoting trade and economic development to contribute to improving people’s lives in the Mekong and Ganga River basins.
