On Tuesday May 25, Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary of Japan to Tajikistan Takayuki Miyashita, together with Mr. Khayrullo Bozorzoda, Chairperson of Kuhistoni Mastchoh District, attended the handover ceremony of successful completion of “The Project for Construction of Irrigation Canal in Khudgifi Soya Village, Ivan-Tojik Jamoat, Kuhistoni Mastchoh District.” The ceremony was also attended by local officials and community members.
According to Japan’s Embassy in Dushanbe, the project was implemented within the framework of Japan’s “Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Projects (GGP)”. With the grant assistance of US89,250 allocated to the Local Government of the District, an irrigation canal for agricultural water supply has been installed successfully and it is expected that the economic situation and living environment of the local people will be improved.
Prior to the project implementation, residents of the village Khudgifi Soya mainly used spring water source which due to global warming in recent years, became less available. That caused less water for irrigation of crop and agricultural lands thereby, decreasing the harvest production. Upon the project implementation, the situation in Khudgifi Soya village has improved significantly, the project has fruitfully influenced 51 hectares of existing land in Khudgifi Soya village, and now the land is producing more crops.
During the ceremony, Mr. Miyashita made the following remark “Water is crucial for agriculture and abundant water supply is the key to increase harvest. This irrigation system will secure sustainable water supply to the farmers in this region, which will bring more agricultural products and better income to the farmers as well. I hope this irrigation system will be well maintained by the local authority and by the farmers as well.”
The residents of the district expressed their sincere gratitude for the continuous assistance of the Japanese Government through this project that took place in the remote area of the country.
“Grant Assistance for Grassroots Human Security Project” (GGP) is a scheme within Japan’s Official Development Assistance. GGP in particular implements grassroots-level projects in various sectors throughout Tajikistan. Recipients of GGP grants include local governments, educational and medical institutions, and NGOs. As of today, GGP has supported 421 projects in Tajikistan, for which US$34.0 million has been allocated since 1996.
