Govt receives two water well drilling rigs from Japan

Irrigation secretary says equipment will help drill new wells in remote areas of the province

ISLAMABAD: At long last, the Balochistan Irrigation Department on Thursday received two truck-mounted water well drilling rigs from the government of Japan.

The project, under the Economic Social Development Programme in the Japanese Official Development Assistance, aims to improve the living standard of the people of Balochistan through the procurement of the water well drilling rigs costing 231,250,000 Japanese Yen (approximately $2.1 million), said a statement.

A ceremony was held at the Balochistan Canal Irrigation Division Office in Hub to mark the handing over of the equipment.

The ceremony was attended by Consul General of Japan in Karachi Toshikazu Isomura and Balochistan Irrigation Department Secretary Muhammad Saleem Awan.

The Balochistan government has constantly faced challenges to provide sufficient volume of water to the people due to the dry and arid climate of the area.

The procurement of truck-mounted water well drilling rigs for the irrigation department would not only help revitalise hundreds of unusable existing wells but also help excavate new wells in the southern area where there’s a huge potential of groundwater layer.

The water well drilling rigs are the latest models manufactured by a prominent Japanese company.

The equipment will surely improve the standard of living by providing sufficient water in the arid area.

The irrigation department secretary said, “Balochistan is going through tough times in terms of water supply; therefore, the aid from Japan will pave the way for exploring new avenues of water supply through drilling new wells in remote areas of the province.”

He added the aid would directly provide relief to the water-stressed regions of the province.

CG Isomura acknowledged the continuous efforts of the Balochistan government in implementing various projects for the improvement of the living standard of its people.

“It is a matter of great pleasure for me to be here today and I am pleased to share with you the news that the government of Japan will continue to support the government of Pakistan in its efforts to improve the socioeconomic situation of the country,” he added.

He expressed hope that the assistance would further strengthen the existing good relations between the two countries.

Japan has provided continuous support for the development of groundwater resource with procurement of more than 60 water well drilling rigs, in total 12 projects in Pakistan.