Mizoram Chief Secretary Van Hela Pachuau met with the representatives of KfW Development Bank yesterday and signed an agreement for 'Climate Change Adaptation (CCA) Programme in the North Eastern Region'. The CCA Programme is a follow up of the Financial Cooperation agreement made between India and Germany back in October, 2009.

Under the Financial Cooperation Programme, DoNER for India and KfW for Germany are made executing agencies of the countries respectively. The CCA Programme will cover 5 North East Indian states - Mizoram, Assam, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim for the purpose of development in ecology and rural household.  KfW will fund this 450 crore cost programme and will initially sanction Rs. 30 crore each to the states covered. For executing this programme in Mizoram, a Mizoram Government Economic Development and Environment Protection Society (MEDEPS) is set up under the chairmanship of Chief Secretary and Environment & Forest Department is appointed as the Nodal Department. The programme will aim for adaptation of livelihood under the current global climate change crisis by focussing upon horticulture, soil and water conservation, rainwater harvesting, fisheries, permanent cultivation and heat stable and heat resistant crops, conservation of soil and forests. The programme is also planned to coordinate well with the current NLUP in Mizoram.

KfW Bank representatives Gunther Haase, Technical Expert, Nand Kishore Agrawal, Project Manager and Oskar von Maltzan, Office Director, KfW Delhi visited various places and farms in Aizawl and Mamit districts. During their stay, they had met with the Chief Minister Lal Thanhawla,Chief Secretary Van Hela Pachuau and representatives of the line departments as well that of CYMA and MIRSAC.