Bhubaneswar, Nov 16 (IANS): The National Bank for Agriculture and Rural Development (NABARD) has sanctioned Rs 220.50 crore to the Odisha government under Rural Infrastructure Development Fund (RIDF), officials said on Wednesday.

NABARD has sanctioned the fund for construction of 57 flood protection projects and one bridge at a rural area.

The projects will help districts including Kendrapara, Bolangir, Kalahandi, Nuapada, Rayagada, Boudh, Nayagarh, Jajpur, Khurda and Sonepur, a NABARD official said here on Wednesday.

State water resources department would execute the projects for protection and restoration of river banks at 57 identified stretches on 32 different rivers/creeks for restoration/stabilisation of agricultural land, standing crops and providing flood relief operations by construction of one rural bridge, he said.

The major items of work for flood protection include repairing & strengthening of scoured banks of the rivers 50.69 km, construction of launching aprons and stone packing of slope of embankments, raising and strengthening of embankments (107.74 km), construction of cement concrete guard wall, etc, construction of 93 new spurs, provision of road on embankments for a total length of 57.78 km.

Besides, a box cell bridge will be constructed over Sankha creek in Jagatsinghpur district. The creek has sluices to prevent saline ingress into the farmlands at Patua and Baghadi, respectively.