The hand-over and opening ceremonies of Water Supply Systems in Parami Ward of Sagaing Township, Sagaing Region; Kyaw Ywa Village of Myaing Township and Taung Thar Village of Chauk Township in Magway Region which were constructed under the Japanese Government’s Grant Assistance for Grass-roots Human Security Project (GGP) Scheme were held on September 12, 13 and 14, 2013 respectively. The Government of Japan, under its GGP Scheme, granted the following projects:

Mr. Go NAKAYA, Second Secretary of the Embassy of Japan, U Tint Hlaing Myint, Minister for Development Affairs of the Government of Sagaing Region, Government Officials and Administrative Officials of Township, District and Sagaing Region, Parami Ward Water Supply System Implementation Committee together with ward residents attended the ceremony at Sagaing Parami Ward. At Kyaw Ywa Village and Taung Thar Village of Myaing and Chauk Townships, Mr. Go NAKAYA, local administrators, Water Supply Committee and members together with village people attended the ceremonies respectively.

Parami Ward, newly expanded and established in 1990, which is currently situated in the middle part of Sagaing City is about 1.5 miles away from the Ayeyarwady River at the western side of Sagaing Mountain Range. Residents in Parami Ward depend on tube-well water that contains high percentage of lime, and they cannot have sufficient water in dry seasons. At Kyaw Ywa Village in Myaing Township and Taung Thar Village in Chauk Township, the cost for access to safe water is high for the residents and it hinders the development of the villages in their education, health and socio-economic activities. It also affects the cattle in summer time.

At each ceremony, Mr. Go NAKAYA mentioned that Japanese Government is giving Grant Aid of 650 million Japanese Yen (6.5 billions in Kyats) to Myanmar for another water supply project in Central Dry Zone(CDZ). Under this grant aid, drilling rigs for digging tube-wells in CDZ will be provided to the Department of Rural Area Development. By using these drilling equipment tube-wells will be constructed at 15 villages in Sagaing Region and 45 villages in Magway Region. He also mentioned that about 600 GGP projects have been supported by the Embassy of Japan in Myanmar in the past 20 years.

Local residents at each project site expressed gratitude to the Government of Japan and Japanese people for receiving these water supply systems which will surely improve their lifestyles.