FAISALABAD: The Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has provided latest machinery, pumps and equipment worth Rs1 billion to Wasa for improving the sewerage and drainage system in Faisalabad.

Japanese Ambassador to Pakistan Hiroshi Inomata and State Minister for Water and Power Abid Sher Ali jointly inaugurated the project on Friday on Narwala Road.

The state minister said Faisalabad was being made a model city by launching mega development projects and upgrading clean drinking water and drainage facilities.

He said a project for the provision of drinking water to most of citizens of Faisalabad was being completed at a cost of Rs5 billion which would help curtail water-borne diseases.

Mr Inomata said Japan had been continuously working over the last decade to improve water and sanitation in Faisalabad.

He expressed his hope that the expertise and experience gained by Wasa officials in Faisalabad would be used for the benefit of people in Pakistan.

He said the machinery provided by Japan would help in capacity-building of Wasa for cleaning the drainage system on scientific lines.

Punjab Minister for Housing Malik Tanvir Aslam said that JICA, at the request of the Punjab government, was considering supporting Wasa in three projects -- preparation of master plan for water supply, sewerage and drainage system in the city, replacement of water pumping machinery and upgradation of Jhal Khanuana Water Treatment Plant.

Wasa Managing-Director Syed Zahid Aziz briefed the participants that the Japanese government had provided sewer jetting machines, sewer suction machines, dump trucks, crane-mounted trucks, back hoe excavators, self-priming dewatering sets, sewage pumps for disposal stations and generators for disposal stations which were very useful and beneficial for improving the sewer system.

The inaugural function was also attended by parliamentarians Rana Muhammad Afzal, Dr Nisar Jat, Begum Khalida Mansur, Ejaz Ahmad, Tahir Jamil, Haji Khalid Saeed, Dr Najma Afzal and JICA’s Pakistan chief Mitsuyoshi Kawasaki.

Published in Dawn, October 18th, 2014