Centre seeks Japanese aid for drinking water project

The Central government has written to the Japanese government seeking Rs 1,005 crore from Japan Bank for International Cooperation (JBIC), a Japanese governmental financial institution, for a drinking water project in Tamil Nadu.

According to an official statement, Prime Minister Manmohan Singh has written to Tamil Nadu chief minister M Karunanidhi saying that the Centre has made its recommendations to the Japanese government for providing assistance from JBIC for the joint drinking water project in Hogenakal in Tamil Nadu.

Last month, Tetsuo Shiguchi, senior executive director and board member of JBIC Tokyo, and K Nakagawa, chief representative, JBIC, New Delhi, met Karunanidhi and discussed the project details.

Subsequently, the prime minister had written to the Japanese government.

In order to provide safe drinking water to people in Dharmapuri and Krishnagiri districts in the state, a plan has been proposed to draw 160 million litres of water from the Cauvery river near Hogenakal at a cost of Rs 1,005 crore.

The Centre's clearance has also been obtained to draw water from the Cauvery river.