ISLAMABAD, DEC 02 (DNA) – The Government of Japan has provided pumps and other equipment to Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) Gujranwala to improve sewerage and drainage system of the Gujranwala city.

 A handing over ceremony of the equipment which was provided by the Japanese Government was held today in Gujranwala.

The ceremony was attended by Takashi Kurai, Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan; Mr. Yasuhiro Tojo, Chief Representative of JICA; Mr. Khurram Dastgir, Minister of State for Commerce; Mr. Malik Tanveer Aslam Awan, Provincial Minister for Housing, Urban Development and Public Health Engineering; Capt. (Retd.) Muhammad Khurram Agha, Secretary, Housing, Urban Development and Public Health Engineering Department; Mr. Khalid Bashir Butt, Managing Director of WASA Gujranwala; and government officials.

Under the “Project for Upgrading of Mechanical System for Sewerage and Drainage Services in WASA Gujranwala”, old pumps have been replaced with the new ones and cleaning equipment have been provided in order to reduce damages from floods which chronically hampers the life in Gujranwala.

In summer of 2010, torrential rains caused the historically worst flood disaster in Pakistan, and there was inundation damage, across the country. Even after the massive disasters in 2010, there have been frequent floods triggering inundations in the rainy season almost every year. Gujranwala was not an exception due to low capacity of pumps and shortage of cleaning equipment for drainage and sewerage.

To improve and maintain flow capacities of sewers and channels, pump capacities needed to be strengthened, and to cope with torrential rains during the rainy season, the number of permanently installed standby pumps were required to be increased. Moreover, strengthening maintenance capacities of sewers and channels with proper equipment is also vital along with strengthening of disposal station capacities.

H.E. Mr. Takashi Kurai, while speaking at the ceremony, mentioned that owing to increasing population, rapid urbanization and climate change etc., water and sanitation and disaster management are particularly important and are the issues of top-priority to be addressed in Pakistan. He further stated that Japan as a good friend would continue to support Pakistan in its future endeavors.

Mr. Tojo, while commenting on the significance of the project together with JICA’s technical cooperation project for capacity building for WASAs, said “Government of Punjab and WASAs will further improve the systematic operation plan to enhance sustainable management in waste water treatment and service.”

Japan has given priority to the development of water supply facilities in urban areas of economically and socially significant cities which are now facing drastic population increase. Besides development of water facilities, Japan has also been assisting capacity development of five WASAs (Lahore, Faisalabad, Gujranwala, Rawalpindi and Multan) in Punjab for proper management, operation and maintenance and for the provision of sufficient service to the people in a sustainable manner. Currently, in Punjab province, people in Lahore, Faisalabad, and Gujranwala are benefiting from the clean drinking water projects and sewerage and drainage projects initiated by JICA.=DNA