Japan to fund river cleaning project in Punjab

Chandigarh, May 22 (UNI) The Japan Government today offered to fund a project for cleaning the polluted rivers of Punjab.

Disclosing this here today Media Advisor to Chief Minister Harcharan Bains said that the project would be started by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) from April 2009 and would be completed within three years.

The proposal of the project was discussed today by Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) Project formulation Advisor Kamata Hiroko with Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal here.

In the meeting, they decided to set up a joint implementation committee consisting of officers of Punjab government, Punjab Pollution Control Board and Experts of JICA to implement the project to monitor and clean the rivers of the state infested with pollution.

"This is the first project of its kind to be started by JICA in any state of the country," Mr Bains said.

"The Chief Minister appreciated the initiative of JICA and the Japan government and termed it as a well timed, significant and corrective strategy to combat the menace of polluted river waters at this critical juncture," said the Media Advisor.

Showing deep concern over the poor quality of water in the state, Mr Badal said that the state government had already made concerted efforts to ensure safe drinking water for all through proper monitoring of rural water supply schemes by application of Reverse Osmosis (RO), Silver Ionization and Ultra Violet techniques depending on the quality of water through its own resources.

He hoped that with the participation of JICA and Japan government the problem of river pollution, which is posing a great threat to the health of the people of the state besides its soil texture, would be effectively addressed for all times to come.

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