Clean drinking water: Japan pledges Rs36m for Murree project

Japanese NGO will utilise the grant for construction of a water supply system.

ISLAMABAD:

The Japanese government has pledged $425,998 for provision of safe drinking water for the people in the rural areas of Murree. The grant will be given to the Japan Mine Action Service (JMAS), a non-governmental organization.

The project was signed at the Japanese ambassador’s residence in Islamabad here on Tuesday, said a press release issued by the Japanese embassy.

The NGO has already implemented a water supply project in another area of Murree through Japan’s Grant Assistance in 2010. The beneficiaries of that project are satisfied with the improved access to safe drinking water.

The grant will be used for the construction of water supply systems and for the repair of broken water pipes and tanks in Sihanna village, a suburb of Murree.

The purpose of the project is to supply safe drinking water for the rural population who has been facing acute water shortage because of inadequate management of the water supply systems.

Currently, the residents of the village have to spend several hours to fetch water from far-flung areas. It is expected that around 4,400 residents would benefit from the project.

Speaking at the signing ceremony, the Japanese ambassador stressed that the water and sanitation sector was one of the priority areas in Japan’s Assistance Policy for Pakistan. He expressed his hope that these projects would improve the living standards of Pakistanis and strengthen relations between the two countries.

Published in The Express Tribune, June 30^th, 2011.