Handing Over Ceremony for “The Project for Upgrading Sewerage and Drainage Services in Multan”.

Islamabad: 24th April, 2025 On April 24, a handover ceremony for the Grant Aid project “The Project for Upgrading Sewerage and Drainage Services in Multan” (grant amount: 1.236 billion yen) was held in Multan. H.E. Mr. AKAMATSU Shuichi, the Ambassador of Japan to Pakistan, Mr. Naoaki Miyata, Chief Representative of JICA Pakistan Office, and Mr. Khalid Raza Khan, Managing Director of Water and Sanitation Agency, Multan attended the ceremony.

In Multan, the drainage capacity of the sewer pipes has decreased due to the increase in the amount of wastewater discharge and the garbage caused by population growth. As a result, sewage frequently overflows onto the roads in the city, causing road closures. In addition, there is a risk of infection from sewage since the polio virus has been detected in Multan’s sewage. Thus, solving the urban flooding problem is an urgent issue from the perspective of health and hygiene.

To address this issue, JICA provided WASA Multan with equipment such as high-pressure cleaning vehicles, sludge suction vehicles, and drainage pumps necessary for the maintenance and management of sewer pipes and drainage channels under this Grant Aid project. WASA Multan is utilizing the provided equipment to clean sewer pipes and drainage channels, which helps prevent sewage overflows in the city and improves the sanitation environment. This project contributes to achieving SDG Goal 6: “Ensure availability and sustainable management of water and sanitation for all.”

At the handover ceremony, Ambassador AKAMATSU stated, ” I hope that all equipment installed under Japan’s project will be fully utilized in a sustainable manner and that the expertise and experience gained will benefit the people in Multan.” Chief Representative of
JICA Pakistan Office Mr. Miyata remarked, “We hope that this project will improve the living environment for the people of Multan”.

Through this Grant Aid project, the Government of Japan and JICA will continue to strive to improve urban sanitation environment in Pakistan.