The Asian Development Bank has embarked upon an ambitious plan to work out long-term strategy with the help of international experts to control the perennial problem of flood in Assam. The Bank which will fund and execute project, has identified four vulnerable areas of the state for its first-phase of work. These are Palas bari in Kamrup district, Kaziranga, Dibrugarh town and Matmora in worst flood-hit Dhemaji district. Disclosing this to reporters, Assam flood control minister Bharat Chnadra Narah said, "For the first phase, the ADB has a plan outlay of Rs 423 crores that will be given as loan to Assam through the Government of India." The adviser of ADB projects in Assam A.K. Mitra, who is coordinating the project said, "The detailed project report is being pre pared by consultants from Japan, Germany and Canada who have been hired and engaged by the ADB." The project called the Northeastern Integrated Flood and River Basin Erosion Management Project aims at reducing vulnerability to flood and erosions. This will be done through comprehensive planning with new techniques and costeffective and sustainable methods. "After the devastating flood in 2004, the Assam government had moved to the ADB for their assistance," said Mr Mitra, a technocrat on water management. In fact, Assam ravaged by floods since the last 50 years, is struggling to find a way to stop the devastations with numerous experiments to tame the mighty Brahamaputra and Barrak but most of the plans have failed. The Assam flood control minister however admitted that no long-term measures has been implemented in the state to mitigate flood and erosion.