Japan has built two prototype Basic Health Units and half a dozen primary schools in the earthquake-hit areas of NWFP and Azad Jammu and Kashmir to transfer much needed Seismic Resistant and Barrier Free construction technology to Pakistan.
An entire generation of school and college-going youth was lost in the October 8, 2005 earthquake due to collapse of school/college buildings and thousands of patients died under the debris of the hospital structures in the Hazara division of NWFP and the three districts of AJ and K.
Japan, which specialises in the seismic resistant and barrier-free building technology due to frequent tremors in the country, has taken up a number of construction projects and development studies on rehabilitation and reconstruction in the area with a non-project grant assistance of 35 million dollar.
The Japan International Co-operation Agency (Jica) which is carrying out rehabilitation/reconstruction of the earthquake areas held a seminar/workshop here on Saturday to enhance the technical capacities of the governments of NWFP and AJK which is required for the designing of seismic resistant and barrier-free primary healthcare facilities.
Jica and Earthquake Reconstruction and Rehabilitation Authority (Erra) had signed an agreement in May under which Japanese engineers have constructed two BHUs at Shisha and Langarpura in NWFP and AJK and transferred their designing skills to their Pakistani counterparts.
Resident representative of Jica Takao Kaibara told the participants that Japan was the first country to rush a 10-member Disaster Relief Team to Batagram to help in the rescue efforts and provided 100 million dollar as loan to meet the financial needs for emergency reconstruction which has since been disbursed.
Jica sources told Business Recorder that Japan has provided 85 million dollar as grant (Emergency Grant Assistance 20 million dollar, Non-project grant assistance to reconstruct 13 hospitals and 100 schools in Batagram 35 million dollar etc, Emergency Humanitarian Assistance to UN 20 million dollar and Assistance through Japan Trust Fund of 10 million dollar).
They said that Japan has formulated the rehabilitation and reconstruction master action plan for Muzaffarabad city and submitted the progress report to Erra and AJK. The plan has been explained to donor community as well.
They said Japan has started the construction work for Sathi Bagh Government Girls High School as an urgent rehabilitation project and reconstruction of four damaged bridges and one culvert on Jhelum Valley road (Muzaffarabad-Chakoti) is in the process.
In a message, the Japanese ambassador in Islamabad Seiji Kojima has said "Japan has been and will continue to be a strong partner of Pakistan in the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the earthquake affected areas."
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