ISLAMABAD, March 30 (INP): Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) has revolutionized the entire network of providing clean drinking water, improving sewerage and drainage system of Faisalabad in the last 10 years, worth of around Rs. 11 billion. This was stated by Faqir Muhammad Chaudary, Managing Director Water and Sanitation Agency (WASA) Faisalabad, while briefing a group of journalists who visited the JICA’s projects, undertaken in the city. The Japanese financial assistance was being delivered as grant aid and technical cooperation, he said adding that an integrated plan for covering the whole component was initially formulated in line with basic framework put forth by JICA from 2002 to 2003. It was agreed by both governments. The JICA’s project was comprised a comprehensive system of water source, transmission and distribution facilities, augmenting city’s water supply by 91,000m3/day. The work for phase I of the project for improving the existing distributions network of the city was completed in March 2006. The construction work was started in November 2009 under the Phase-II plan, and the civil work for providing new water intake facilities to the city started in February 2011, said Faqir Muhammad. The project is providing intake facilities for augmenting water supply to the city comprised 25 tube well stations along Jhang’s branch canal providing 20 million gallon water per day. The project has made better living conditions in Faisalabad by improvising the basic need of safe water and sewers. JICA has provided latest machinery, pumps and equipment which are helping in capacity building of WASA officials on scientific lines. The Japanese government had provided sewer jetting machines, sewer suction machines, dump trucks, crane-mounted trucks, back hoe excavators, self-priming dewatering sets, sewage pumps for disposal stations and generators for disposal stations which were very useful and beneficial for improving the sewer system. Faisalabad has transformed as a model city by launching mega development projects of sewerage, drainage system and upgrading clean drinking network beneficial for the citizens at a large scale. INP/Zameer/SB