News
Japan grants Rs.1 billion to improve environmental monitoring system
PESHAWAR, Feb. 28 : The Japanese government will provide Rs 1,080 million grant to Pakistan for replacement of environmental monitoring system in the country.
Under the project, five air and water monitoring stations would be established in Peshawar, Islamabad, Lahore, Karachi and Quetta. Apart from fixed stations, mobile air quality monitoring systems would also be placed under the project, official sources said here.
The project to be implemented in the capital cities is one of the biggest financial assistance from the Japanese government through its Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to Pakistan.
The main objectives of the project is to establish a permanent and reliable system that monitors the environment in the country and helps in devising plans aims at protecting the ecosystem by utilising the data collected through the monitoring systems.
The stations, inter-connected with each other, in five locations would work round the clock. The data to be collected from these stations would be made part of weather up-dates on electronic media so that the general public could know about the environment.
The Pakistan Environmental Protection Agency (PAK-EPA) and provincial EPAs in four provinces would be the implementing agencies for the project that is likely to be kicked off by end of current year. The project would be completed within a period of two years.
Under the project, JICA’s experts would be placed in all the EPAs, where they would impart training to the local staff and help the institutions in countering environmental problems according to the local environment.
Out of Rs 1,080 million grant, the NWFP will get over Rs 140 million under the project for equipment. Moreover, 12, out of 60 staff positions would also be created in the province for implementation of the project.