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| September 18, 2003 | Thursday | Rajab 20, 1424 |
JICA suspends water project after protests
FAISALABAD, Sept 17: On account of a persistent protest campaign launched by villagers living along the Jhang Branch Canal, the Japanese agency held up further activities of the greater water supply project.
As per the information gathered by this correspondent here on Wednesday, the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) had approved a Rs4 billion grant for the provision of sweet water to citizens of Faisalabad in 1997.
Subsequently, the Wasa authorities selected the site on the bank of river Chenab in Chiniot tehsil, Jhang district.
After the nuclear tests in May 1998, the JICA officials like other donor agencies had suspended all grants for Pakistan due to which this gigantic water supply project again become inoperative.
However, local Wasa authorities after some hectic efforts succeeded in reviving the huge grant for Faisalabad. The JICA officials visited the city a few years ago and assured the Wasa authorities to provide the entire amount for providing drinking water to citizens.
Wasa and foreign engineers finalized a plan and started the operation on the site for the installation of tubewells.
In the meantime, the people of Chiniot, including elected members of local councils, provincial and national assemblies, launched a vigorous protest campaign against the Wasa decision and forced it to find some alternative site for the project.
After a brief survey of the city, the team selected the site along the Jhang Branch Canal for installing 12 tubewells to get 20 million gallons of water for citizens of Faisalabad.
Growers and members of union councils of Chaks 1, 2, 26, 27, 28, 46, 49 50, 53, 54-JB Mansooran and Pomipur, and other adjoining rural areas started protest movement on roads. They continuously threw the traffic out of gear on Faisalabad-Sargodha Road for the last seven days.
They said the underground water level in villages along the Jhang Branch Canal had already lowered and it would further go down after the installation of tubewells.
Taking a serious note of the protests, the JICA authorities issued a warning notice to local Wasa highups and the government to adopt measures for the rederssal of grievances of the agitating farmers.
The JICA officials also made it clear that if the issue was not resolved soon, the implementation on the project would remain standstill.
A Wasa source said the warning had been issued by the Japanese embassy which received a message from the JICA headquarters, Tokyo, in which it expressed concern over the protest by villagers.
JOURNALISTS’ UNION: The annual election of Faisalabad Union of Journalists would be held on Sept 28.
According to the election schedule issued here on Wednesday, nomination papers can be filed on Sept 18 to 19.
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