The Ministry of Water Resources has confirmed that it has submitted a proposal for North Eastern Integrated Flood and Riverbank Erosion Management Project, Assam to the Asian Development Bank (ADB) for financial support. The ADB has cleared the Project Preparatory Technical Assistance and the consultant has submitted draft feasibility report, said Minister of State for Water Resources, Jai Prakash Narayan Yadav in a written reply to a question by Dr Arun Kumar Sarma. In a separate reply, the Minister disclosed that Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has intimated that the need for dredging of Brahmaputra River arises only during the lean season, when water depth reduces. During last financial year, IWAI has executed 42090 cubic meter of dredging for providing navigation channel, Yadav said. Last year, a hydraulic surface dredger was made available by IWAI to Government of Assam responding to their request. The State Government had requested dredging in river Brahmaputra River at Majuli Island for flood control measures. An expenditure of Rs 36.57 lakh had been incurred for dredging operation in National Waterway No. 2 Brahmaputra River of which Assam Government contributed Rs 9.83 lakh, he added. The dredging from channel resulted in diversion of part flow from the channel, which was causing bank erosion, Yadav said. Meanwhile, in a separate reply to a question, the Minister said that Assam has been released Rs 90 crore for soil erosion and flood management schemes. The State Government has estimated an expenditure of Rs 438.39 crore for flood management works, he revealed.