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ISSUE 102007

Newsletter of Japan International Cooperation Agency – India Office

12

2005 was a memorable year for Japan

Overseas Cooperation Volunteers (JOCV) ,

when JOCV celebrated its 40th anniversary.

A magnificent ceremony to commemorate

the 40th anniversary was held in Tokyo in

October 2005 in the presence of their

Imperial Highnesses the Emperor and

Empress of Japan and Prime Minister

Junichiro Koizumi.

Started from five JOCVs to Laos in 1965,

more than 28,000 JOCVs were dispatched to

more than 80 countries, and contributed to

socio-economic development of those

countries during these years.

India is also one of the countries, where

JOCV activities were started in the early

years. Since the first batch of JOCV was

dispatched to India in 1966, more than 130

Ms. Kaori Hirose (left) conducting a teachers training session at DPS Vasant Kunj, New Delhi

JOCVs worked with local people in India till

1978 in various fields such as agriculture,

health, education and other rural

development programme.

It is delightful to mention that resumption

of JOCV activities in India is officially decided

on the occasion of its 40th anniversary. The

programme resumed with the assignment of

Japanese Language Instructor at Delhi Public

School on April 2006 followed by another

Japanese Language Instructor at Central

Institute of English and Foreign Language

(CIEFL) in Hyderabad from October 2006.

Besides these two JOCVs, two more

Japanese Language Instructors and two Judo

Coaches are on the process of recruitment in

Japan, on the basis of the requests received

from the Government of India.

Project NewsPoverty AlleviationAgriculture & Rural Developmentl Masterplan for Diversified Agriculture

and Enhanced Farm Income inHimachal Pradesh

l Bivoltine Sericulture Project (Phase-III)

Public Health & Medical Carel Reproductive Health Project in Madhya

Pradeshl Project for Control of Diarrhoeal

Diseases (Phase-2) at NICED, Kolkatal Improvement of SVPGIP Children’s

Hospital, Cuttack, Orissa

Environment Conservationl Basic Design Study on the project for

Development of Ground Water in theState of Uttar Pradesh.

l Capacity Building for Operation andMaintenance of Sewerage Works inIndia

l Strengthening Capacity for Restoration& Management of Hussain Sagar Lake,Hyderabad

l Study on Augmentation of WaterSupply & Sanitation for Goa State

l Chilika Conservation Project

Support For Economic Reforms

l The Dedicated Freight Corridor Projectl Operation & Maintenance of

Expressways & Highways

Partnershipl JICA Partnership Programme (JPP)

activity in India

Miscellanial Cultural Evening by JAAI with

Amar Jyotil 40th Anniversary celebrationsl Activities of JICA Alumni Associationl Youth Invitation Programme, 2006

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40 years have already passed since Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), formerly

known as Overseas Technical Cooperation Agency (OTCA), was established and initiated its

operation in India.

India has been developing greatly in these 40 years and has been playing an extremely

important role for not only the world economy but also peace and stability in the region.

JICA has always been with social and economic development of India for these 40 years, and it is

the honor of JICA to be a link between two countries through the human resource development as well as nation

building by the technical cooperation from person to person.

Indian culture influenced the root of Japanese culture in various forms since introduction of Buddhism in A.D. 538,

and thereafter Japan and India established the history of friendship for a long time.

After World War II, Prime Minister Nehru presented Japanese children with a baby elephant “Indira”, which is his

beloved daughter’s name, and his gift would encourage the Japanese faced with the postwar rehabilitation. Additionally,

in an economic aspect, Indian raw cotton and iron ore supported the reconstruction of Japanese industry at that time.

On the other hand, Japan has been carrying out the technical cooperation in various fields to support Indian

economic development through JICA, since 1966.

Particularly, in the field of agriculture, JICA has contributed to the improvement of farmers’ livelihood and self-

sufficiency of food through breeding of high yielding rice, improvement of cultivation technology and their extension to

the farmers from 1966 to 1975. Technology gained from JICA technical experts has been inherited in the Indian paddy

fields.

Similarly, in the medical field, treatment and prevention of leprosy are improved and the number of domestic patients

was dramatically decreased as a result of the JICA technical cooperation on the leprosy research from 1972 to 1976.

Now, the institute is contributing to the treatment of patients not only in India but also in the neighboring countries as

one of leading institutes of leprosy in the world.

Furthermore, strong tie with mutual trust between Japanese and Indian people has been built through such technical

cooperation. Especially, there are about 4,000 Indian people who have participated in JICA technical training in Japan till

now and they have been playing an important role to promote mutual understanding between Indian and Japanese

people.

As the Prime Minister of India H.E. Dr. Manmohan Singh has visited his counterpart, the Prime Minister of Japan H.E.

Mr. Shinzo Abe, in December, 2006 in Japan, the two leaders recognized importance of the reinforcement of Japan and

India economic relations. And they have also confirmed each other to strengthen the tie between the two nations in the

field of policy, economy, technology, human resources exchange, and contribution to the region by the further

promotion of “Japan - India Strategic and Global Partnership”.

JICA will continue to carry out heartfelt technical cooperation from human to human in the fields of agriculture and

rural development, health / medical care, environmental conservation, economic reform support and manufacturing

industry in order to support further development of the Indian economy.

India is a country of diversity, a country of generous and a country which gently wraps anything. JICA will share such

generosity and gentleness of the people in India and apply them to our technical cooperation for further contribution to

the peace and prosperity of India as well as neighboring countries.

Lastly, I would like to extend my gratitude to the people who support JICA activities in India.

Thank you very much.Tomoyuki Fujii

Resident RepresentativeIndia Office

Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)

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Pr oject News

ProjectNews

n n n n n Poverty Alleviation

Master-plan forDiversified Agricultureand Enhanced FarmIncome in HimachalPradesh

The State of Himachal Pradesh islocated in the northern part of India at thefoot of the Himalaya Mountains. With itsmountainous geography and a largeportion of agricultural workforce, the statehas its advantage in upland field croppingunder its cool climate. On the other hand,the state is also faced with a challengingsituation where most farmers are smallholders and only have short segments ofland on the slope areas, resulting in lowefficiency in their production. In addition,

due to its mountainous geography,infrastructure such as irrigationfacilities and transportation systemhas not been sufficiently developed.

Under this circumstance, the stategovernment has already started totake various measures to enhanceproductivity and marketability of theagricultural sector. Along with thesemeasures by the state government,the government of India officiallyrequested the government of Japan toconduct a development study underJICA’s international cooperationscheme.

Upon the request, JICA sent thepreparatory study team from July 9 toJuly 22, 2006. As a result ofdiscussions, the Scope of Work, anofficial agreement to implement thestudy, was signed by therepresentatives of the government ofIndia, the state government ofHimachal Pradesh and JICA. Thestudy includes formulation of a masterplan focusing on agriculturaldiversification as well asimplementation of feasibility study forinfrastructure in priority areas. Thestudy is planned to start in early 2007.

Agriculture & RuralDevelopment

Site for project ondiversified agriculture

In December 2005, the 20th International Sericultural Commission wasinaugurated in Bangalore. The prestigious Louis Pasteur Award for the year 2005has been shared by three project relating persons for their life time contributions tothe development of the sericulture/silk industry. They are Dr. Hiroaki Yanagawa,Chief Advisor of this PEBS project, Dr. T.H. Somashekar, Director of Central SilkTechnological Research Institute and Dr. K.V. Benchamin, Director of NationalSilkworm Seed Organization. Those two directors are our project’s counterpartswho were sent to Japan last year for high officials training. At the same stage, JICAIndia Office was awarded Special Prize for the longtime contributions towards thedevelopment of bivoltine sericulture and its extension by Central Silk Board ofGovernment of India. The selected JICA farmers and reelers were also recognizedtheir excellent achievements in the field of bivoltine silk industry. It is a distincthonor to receive such a high appreciation of this project, including JICA farmers

Bivoltine SericultureProject (Phase-III)

The Phase III of the Bivoltine Sericulture Project,which aims to establish a model of comprehensivesericulture extension system, has made progress inproducing outputs and outcomes as planned.

The number of farmers covered under theproject increased to 3,016 as of September 2006(84% of the final target). Various trainings alongwith production of the materials have beenconducted toward the project stakeholders includingthe JICA farmers, reelers, and state governmentofficials for strengthening and expanding theextension system. Other activities such as groupdiscussion, study tours and workshops were alsoundertaken. In addition, as a follow-up for themidterm evaluation study, a prototype rotarymounting frame was developed and measures for itsmass production were sought.

It should be noted that a sampling survey onJICA farmers revealed significant outcomes of thesesuccessive cooperation projects. About 74% of JICAfarmers had improved their mulberry garden; about79% of farmers had improved their rearing skill; andabout 67% of farmers had realized higher incomefrom the sericulture. Several outstanding JICAfarmers had even realized income levels exceedingRs.10 lakh with the highest income being Rs.24 lakhper annum.

The final evaluation for the Phase III activities isscheduled in March 2007, which is approximatelyfive months before the actual termination of theproject.

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Teaching the use of rotary mountages

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Reproductive HealthProject in MadhyaPradesh

Madhya Pradesh, with its poorReproductive Health indicators is one ofthe priority states identified under thesecond phase of Reproductive & ChildHealth (RCH-2) Programme as well as theNational Rural Health Mission (NRHM). In2000-2002, JICA had conducted aDevelopment Study in Sagar Division ofMadhya Pradesh, for Reproductive Health& Women’s Empowerment. The study

Public Health &Medical Care

Activities were

focused on providingeffective training to the

grassroot workers,supply of essential

medical equipment tothe Sub Health Centers

and on developinghuman resources

through

had produced a set ofpriority projects andrecommendations, basedon which the stategovernment requestedJICA to launch a pilotproject.

A team led by JICAExpert, Dr. YoichiYamagata implementedthis pilot project in fourblocks – two each fromDamoh (Hatta &Tendulkheda) andTikamgadh (Baldevgadhand Prithvipur). For aperiod of one yearstarting September2005, activities werefocused on providingeffective training to thegrassroots workers,supply of essential

medical equipment to the Sub-HealthCenters, and on developing humanresources through Information Education& Communication (IEC) and BehaviorChange Communication (BCC).

As a result of this project, directtraining has been provided to 120Auxillary Nurse Midwifes (ANMs) andLady Health Workers (LHVs). Medicalequipment has also been installed at thehealthcare centers in the district. Anevaluation of this pilot project by theState government has revealed markedimprovement in the quality of servicesand number of cases handled in the Pilotarea.

Phase-II of this project hascommenced in January 2007, for a periodof four years.

Dr. Y. Yamagata interacts with nurses and midwives during a district-level training session

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n n n n n Poverty Alleviation

ProjectNews

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Pr oject NewsProject for Control of Diarrhoeal Diseases:

Phase-ll Project at NICED, Kolkata

The Project for Prevention of DiarrhealDiseases (Phase 2), has been continuing itsefforts towards the overall goal ofdecreasing the mortality and morbidityrate of diarrheal diseases in India.

Under Phase-II the project activitieshave been focused on the improvement ofanalysis & research technology fordiarrheal diseases, the establishment ofsurveillance and early warning system ofoutbreak of diseases and the disseminationof these technologies to medicalprofessionals not only from India but fromother affected countries in Asia and Africa.ICMR is also planning to make NICED thecenter for a National Surveillance Networkfor Diarrheal Diseases, in India.

Earlier this year, a Grant-Aid projectwas implemented to augment theinfrastructure facilities at NICED, byconstructing a new “Diarrheal Research &Control Centre (DRCC)”. The new, fullyequipped facility was inaugurated on 17thMarch 2006 by Prof. N.K. Ganguly,Director General, ICMR in presence ofsenior officials from Government of India &Government of Japan. The DRCC covers anarea of over 6300 sq.m., and now housesfully equipped labs for research on controlof diarrheal diseases.

During the past year, six Japaneseexperts visited NICED to impart technicaladvice and training, in subjects rangingfrom Clinical Microbiology to ElectronMicroscopy with three of them visitingthe project twice. Five counterpartpersonnel were sent from NICED tovarious institutions in Japan for advancedtraining.

A “Third Country TrainingProgramme” was organized at NICEDfrom November-December 2005 on“Molecular Epidemiology of DiarrheaDiseases with Special Reference toCholera”. The goal of this programme was

to train scientists and physicians fromdeveloping countries in moleculartyping methods to help create adatabase for diarrhoeal diseases. Tentrainees from nine Asian and Africancountries participated in theprogramme. The sixth “In-countryTraining Programme” was alsoorganized in September-October 2005,for fifteen Indian medical & researchprofessionals.

A Mid-Term Evaluation of thisproject was conducted in February2006. A Joint Coordination Committeecomprising of senior specialists &officers from Japan and India, concludedthat the project has shown goodprogress and that it is on its way toachieve its purpose within theimplementation period. Specificrecommendations were also madetowards improving projectmanagement. and administration.

A Mid-Term

Evaluation concludedthat the project has

shown good progressand that it is on its wayto achieve its purpose

within theimplementation

period

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Inauguration of a new building for the Diarrhoeal Research and Control Centre

Improvement ofSVPGIP Children’sHospital, Cuttack,Orissa

Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Post GraduateInstitute of Pediatrics (SVP-PGIP) is theonly tertiary-level government children’shospital in Orissa. It is a 200-sickbedhospital located in Cuttack city and catersto hundreds of patients who arrive not onlyfrom all over Orissa state but also fromneighboring states. The infant mortality rate(IMR) in this region is also among thehighest in India.

In response to a request friomGovernment of Orissa, a Grant-Assistanceproject is underway for the “Improvementof Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel Post GraduateInstitute of Pediatrics” at Cuttack. The grantof about Yen 830 million (Rs. 33.2 Crores)is being utilized for the construction ofthree new buildings – the Out PatientDepartment (OPD) / Lab building, theOperation Theatre / Ward building, and anAnnexe building. The total area covered bythese three buildings would be 3226 sq.m.

The project is being implemented onschedule and would be completed byMarch 2007.

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StrengtheningCapacity onRestoration andManagement ofHussain Sagar Lake,Hyderabad

The Hussain Sagar Lake was originallyconstructed in the year 1562 AD to meetthe irrigation needs of agriculture lands thelake was also used as water source for theOld City from 1884 to 1930. With the rapidurbanization and industrial growth the lakeenvironment was further deteriorated dueto diascharged untreated wastewater

Environment Conservation

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HUDA participants at a training programme on wastewater management

ProjectNews

JICA & NRCD Technical Cooperationproject for capacity building for operation& maintenance of Sewerage works hashelped to identify the Management issuesin relation to the operation andmaintenance of the Sewerage TreatmentPlants and also learn from the Japanese

experiences for solution for the identifiedproblems with the following objectives:l To get the basic knowledge of theJapanese Sewerage Works and currentmanagement practices adopted in Japan.l To understand the current Managementof Sewerage Works in India.

Capacity Building For Operation & MaintenanceOf Sewerage Works In India

l To identify the basic short and longterm Management issues related to theSTP’s (Sewerage Treatment Plants)

Mr. Jun Iwasaki was deputed as JICAExpert from the Japan Sewage WorksAgency to support NRCD for 2 yearsperiod starting October 2004. Training foroperators on Basics of O&M of STPs wasconducted at IIT Roorkee, to understandthe basic knowledge of the participantsregarding water pollution and wastewatercharacteristics. During the reportingperiod two counterpart trainingprogrammes was successfullyaccomplished. NRCD would like tocontinue such training programmes atvarious levels of operation andmaintenance of the STPs. Theparticipating States expressed that O&Mtraining is a crucial issue and a concertedeffort should be made to organize suchtraining programmes on a regular basis.

The 2nd Phase of the TechnicalCooperation Project for Capacity Buildingof Sewerage Works in India has beenagreed with NRCD in principle for fouryears project activity details are now inthe process of finalization.

Water Quality Managementdemonstration to the participantsunder JICA-NRCD TechnicalCorporation Project

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Pr oject News

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Japanese expert discussing with the PWD Goaofficials on existing water supply networks

Japanese expert explaining use of ultrasonic flowmeter to the PWD Goa Engineer under the NRW(Non Revenue Water) Pilot Project

resulting in increase in toxicity levelsand “Eutrophication”. In September2005 Mr. Toshihiro Ochiai as long-term wastewater and lakemanagement expert was dispatchedto provide technical support toHUDA:l To asses the water pollutionstatus in Hussain Sagar Lake and tosuggest appropriate technologicalinterventions to conserve lake waterenvironment.l To finalize the plan of operationin consultation with the HyderabadUrban Development Authority.l To build capacity of the HUDAStaff through training andworkshops.

During this period numbers oftraining programmes were plannedboth in Japan and in India throughthe technical support from theIndian premier technical institution,Indian Institute of Technology. Thebasic and advance level of trainingwas organized to provide acomprehensive knowledge andmanagement of wastewater throughsystematic hands on training. TheHUDA Engineers have been trainedon trouble shooting and variousproblems faced by day-to-dayoperation and maintenance of theSewage Treatment Plants (STP). Thetraining programme would help theparticipants to understand theapplication of theory of wastewatermanagement in order to resolve themaintenance problems of theirrespective STPs and be able tomonitor the water quality as pertheoretical standards.

The first Joint CoordinationCommittee meeting was held inAugust 2006 and it acknowledgedthe fact that the ongoing trainingprogramme would benefit HUDAstaff to strengthen their capacity,thereby improving the skills throughdisseminations technical skills to theother engineers in their respectivedepartments.

With the ever-increasing demands of thetourism industry and an increase in domesticdemand within the State has decided to initiatea study on augmentation of water supply andsanitation within the state. The main objectiveof the project is to ensure 24 hours watersupply, 7 days a week and preparing a strategicsewerage master plan for the State of Goa.

In March 2005, a JICA study team wasdispatched to Goa state with the followingobjectives:1. Formulate master plan for augmentation ofwater supply & sanitation I the Goa State andthe target year of the master plan is 2025;2. Conduct a feasibility study for priorityproject(s) which will be selected form themaster plan; and3. Pursue technology transfer to thecounterpart personnel in the course of thestudy.

The JICA study team completed the study infollowing three phases:1st Phase: Reconnaissance Survey, from Marchto September 20052nd Phase:Preparation of Master Plan, fromOctober 2005 to March 20063rd Phase: Feasibility Study, from April 2006 toNovember 2006

industrial pollution of shallow groundwater resulting into water qualitydegradation. The Central Ground WaterBoard (CGWB) had confirmed that deeperaquifers depths between 350 and 500meters are suitable to tap the improvedquality with quantity of ground water safefor drinking purpose in the target areas ofUttar Pradesh. The main objective of theenvisaged project is to achieve thegroundwater development capacityimprovements at the deeper aquifersbetween 350 – 500 meters, rigs capable ofdrilling down to a maximum of 500mts willbe procured under the Japanese Grant inAid Programme. The exchange of notesdated 5th January, 2006 has been signedbetween the two countries andGovernment of Japan has agreed toprovide grant in aid up to 603 millions, tobe extended to Government of India forthe procurement of equipments andservices.

The project forDevelopment of GroundWater in the State ofUttar Pradesh.

Uttar Pradesh Jal Nigam (UPJN), a parastatalorganization of the Uttar Pradesh stategovernment, is responsible for construction andrehabilitation of drinking water supply sourcesof which nearly 80% comes from groundwaterin Uttar Pradesh State. In the recent years dueexcessive pumping, over withdrawal and

The study team recently submitted the finalreport in January 2007. According to theMinistry of Urban Development, the projectwould be a model for 24x7 water supply systemin the country. Non Revenue Water (NRW)reduction pilot project was able to successfullydemonstrate the benefits by reducing NRWthrough transfer of knowledge and technologyto the Public Works Department (PWD) Goaengineers. The study team made severalrecommendations for ensuring leakage controlmeasures in order to achieve the 24x7 watersupply system for the Goa State.

Study on Augmentation of Water Supply &Sanitation for the Goa State

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News

Chilika Conservation Project

Lake Chilika is the largest lagoonin India, located along the east coastof Orissa state with a uniqueassemblage of marine, brackish andfresh water eco-system with estuarinecharacters listed by InternationalUnion for Conservation of Nature(IUCN) Red List as the hotspots ofbiodiversity and shelters a number ofendangered and threatened speciesand designated as a Ramsar site.

However, in the recent times theChilika Lake is showing signs ofdeterioration from highsedimentation rate, decrease insalinity concentration levels, prolificgrowth of aquatic weeds, decrease infish productivity and overallshrinkage of wetland area. To addressthis problem, JICA has signed anagreement with Chilika DevelopmentAuthority (CDA), Government ofOrissa on 11 July 2006 for successfulimplementation of the project for“Conservation & Wise-Use Of NaturalResources Of Chilika Lagoon ThroughCommunity Participation”.

The objectives of this project are

JICA expert in discussion with the local fishermen

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to evolve a long-term participatoryapproach for sustainable developmentof the rural communities and wise-useand conservation of its naturalresources by the local communitiesliving in and around the lagoon.

The main purposes of the projectare as follows:1. The capacity augmentation of CDAto conduct scientific fishery resourcesmanagement in collaboration withfishers for conservation and Wise-Useof natural resources of Chilika lagoon.2. The project formulation capacityenrichment of CDA for securing andimproving the livelihood of fishingcommunities in conformity withenvironment in pilot villages.3. The collaboration mechanismamong CDA, government agencies andrural communities are strengthened foreffective implementation of theproject.

The project started with the arrivalof the Chief Adviser and ProjectCoordinator and duration of thetechnical cooperation for the projectunder this agreement will be for threeyears from October 2006 toSeptember 2009.

The objectives of this

project would be to evolvea long-term participatoryapproach for sustainabledevelopment of the rural

communities and wise-useand conservation of its

natural resources by thelocal communities living

in and around thelagoon

Project

Local fishermen at the Chilika Lake site

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Pr oject News

In the Joint Statement issued by thePrime Ministers of India and Japan in April2005, both sides had agreed to examinethe feasibility of constructing a DedicatedFreight Coridor (DFC), using JapaneseTechnology and expertise.

In response to a formal request for thisproject from the Ministry of Railways, JICAdispatched study teams which extensivelytoured India before preparing an outlinefor the detailed Feasibility Study.

The Scope of Works document hasbeen signed on 3rd February 2006,between Mr. Michio Hirose, Leader,Preparatory Study Team, JICA, and Mr.Shri Prakash, Advisor (Infrastructure),Railway Board, Ministry of Railways. Thisdocument defines the outline-frameworkfor the Feasibility Study to be conductedby JICA.

It has been envisaged thatthis railway corridor would

Economic & Infrastructure Development is recognized as one ofthe top priorities of Indo-Japan bilateral technical cooperationprogramme. JICA has been dispatching experts to MoSRTH since1992, to provide expertise for the growing needs of India’s roadsector development, under the bilateral technical cooperationprogramme. For the past four years, the focus of this Indo-Japantechnical cooperation programme has been on the Operation &Maintenance of Expressways / Highways.

Mr. Kenji Saita, JICA’s expert in the field of “Operation &Maintenance of Expressways / Highways”, successfully completedhis deputation to MoRTH in February 2006. Two short-term experts –

Support ForEconomic Reforms

Mr. Y. Yokoyama and Mr. T. Kiriyama visited India duringJanuary 2006, and advised MoSRTH on “Inspection of ConcreteStructures” and “Control of Traffic on Highways”, respectively.A training programme in Japan, was also held for Indianofficials.

JICA’s contributions to this field earned the IRTE & PrinceMichael International Awards, which was received by theResident Representative of JICA India Office.

JICA also hosted the visit of two Sri Lankan experts –Mr. K.G.D. Kiriella and Mr. R.A. Sudath, during January-February 2006.

time for freight cargo in north India.The components of the Feasibility Study

would be:1. The Japanese side will undertake theFeasibility Study to strengthen capability ofIndian rail freight transportation on twoselected routes of the “Golden Quadrilateral”– Delhi-Mumbai and Delhi-Howrah;2. The Japanese Side will conduct a BaselineSurvey and examine the future demand offreight transportation capabilities;3. The study will also examine in detail, theeconomic, environmental and social impact ofthis construction project;

The Inception Report for this project wassubmitted to MoR in September 2006. Thestudy is expected to be completed in eighteenmonth’s time, by August 2007.

Through implementation of this FeasibilityStudy, it is also expected that transportcapability of the Indian Railways would bestrengthened further, and that this projectwould accelerate the growth of Indo-Japaneconomic cooperation, expansion of bilateralties and increase Japanese Foreign DirectInvestment (FDI), to India.

Operation & Maintenance of Expressways & Highways

India’s first private container terminal atMumbai

Coal Siding (loading) Station at Sitalpur

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The Dedicated Freight Corridor Project

be dedicated towards freight traffic to andfrom Mumbai and Kolkata toward thehinterland in north India. It would linkJNPT Port in Mumbai to Delhi on thewestern side, and, on the eastern side, linkHowrah to Ludhiana. The corridor is to beequipped with computerized train controlsystem and would be used by wagonscapable to high-axle load. This system isexpected to considerably reduce the transit

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Partnership with NGOs

PartnershipNews

JICA PartnershipProgramme(JPP) activity inIndia

JICA partnership Programme(JPP) is an initiative under whichJapanese NGOs, universities,local governments and publicinterest corporations areencouraged to provide betterservices, facilities and welfare tosupport sustainable livelihood todeprived communities in India.Since Indian Non-governmentalorganizations (NGOs) play anincreasingly a vital role indelivering developmentprogrammes to grassroots level,JPP supports collaborativeprojects between Japaneseorganizations and Indian NGOs,working at the grassroots level.At present, there are five JPPprojects under implementation -at Allahabad, UP;Visakhapatnam, AP;Chamoli, Uttaranchal;Kalimpong, West Bengaland Bellary, Karnataka; inthe area of agricultureand rural development,public health, andempowerment ofwomen.

NGO-JICA Japan Deskhas been set up in JICAIndia Office to supportthe collective effort ofboth Japanese and IndiaNGOs. The detail ofinformation is nowavailable at the followingURL.http://www.jicaindiaoffice.org/welcom_e.htm

Allahabad Project(Uttar Pradesh):Improvement ofExtension System

for Sustainable IntegratedAgriculture and AgricultureWorkers Training atGrassroots Level for Small-Scale Farmers in North India.

Asian Rural Institute, Tochigi,Japan has been implementingthe project in partnership withAllahabad Agricultural Institute,Uttar Pradesh since July 2004.The project disseminatedconcepts and practice of low-input, sustainable and integratedagriculture to the farmers inthree project sites namelyAllahabad, Uttar Pradesh;Mussoorie and Telly, Uttaranchal;Bargarh, Orissa. Those who aretrained pilot farmers are nowpracticing and promoting theirfarming in their respectivecommunities. The project willend of June 2007.

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SOMNEED Project Managerwith SHG members

commonpropertyresourcesthrough the

linkage of urban-ruralwomen’s Self help Groups(SHG’s)

SOMNEED, a Japanese NGObased in Gifu, Japan, and theLocal Counterpart Agency,MAHILA Action have beenworking in the area over theyears.

The overall objective of theprogramme is to strengthen andempower communities in urbanslums through women self helpgroups (SHG). To achieve thisobjective, the project is creatinga new type of producer-consumer relationship andcommon property resources,through the linkage of urban-rural women’s SHG. The target

SHGs are located inVisakhapatnam, AndhraPradesh.

It is expected that towardsthe end of 3-year projectphase in June 2007, skills suchas planning and managementof SHGs are improved, a newtype of relationship between

consumers and producers arebuild, and an opportunity tomanage common propertyresource such as production-distribution centre for incomegeneration is provided.

Chamoli Project(Uttaranchal):Improvement ofSanitation and

Raising CommunityConsciousness in PublicPrimary Schools in India

The implementing agency inthe project is Terra People ACTKanagawa (TPAK), a JapaneseNGO based in Yokohama,Japan, and the LocalCounterpart Agency is MamtaSamajik Sanstha . The targeted

ARI Project Manager teaching organicfarming to farmer

Visakhapatnam Project(Andhra Pradesh): Creationof new type of producer-consumer relationship and

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Partnership NewsPartnership New

s

group is approximately 1200students in 40 primary schooland their families, teachers andcommunity members of GhatBlock of Chamoli district ofstate of Uttaranchal. Theproject aims to improve thetarget group’s awareness ofhealth and sanitation byproviding trainings andseminars. The project phase isfrom June 2005 till May 2007.

KalimpongProject (WestBengal):Greenhouse

Community Service in IndiaThe implementing agency

in the project is MiyazakiInternational Volunteer Centre(MIVC), a Japanese NGO basedin Miyazaki, Japan, and theLocal Counterpart Agency is

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Dr. Graham’s Homes (DGH)in Kalimpong, West Bengal,situated in the Himalayanfoothills of north-east India,where 80% of the localresidents are full-timefarmers. DGH supportsorphans and children inneed in the area, and MIVChas been assisting DGH forthe past fifteen years insponsoring children andhorticulture training. Thisproject aims to improveeconomic situationsurrounding children in thearea through incomegeneration of the localfarmers. For this purpose,the project shall build andoperate a horticulturetechnology centre anddisseminate knowledge andskills gained there to thelocal people. The projectperiod is for three years(November 2005-October2008).

Bellary Project(Karnataka):Ecologicallysustainable

rural development throughcommunity participationwith a focus to women’sempowerment

This is a collaborativeproject between Live withFriends on Earth (LIFE)”,Tokyo, Japan (ImplementingAgency) and MysoreResettlement andDevelopment Agency(MYRADA) , Bangalore,Karnataka, India (LocalCounterpart). The projectwhich has just started inOctober 2006 will cover 26villages in the south-west areaof Hospet Taluk, Bellary distictwhere villagers, most of whomare farmers. The land cannotbe cultivated due to droughts,poor and inefficientdistribution of water. Theproject aims at fulfillingefficient and sustainablewatershed development andwater resource managementby villagers, especially bywomen, and increasecultivable land area and landproductivity. The project willfacilitate villagers to formWatershed DevelopmentAssociations (WDAs) andprovide them appropriatetraining for skill andknowledge to secure waterresources and maintain theecological balance of the area,as well as providing sanitation,hygiene and health relatededucation to improvelivelihood of the people. Thecommunity centres will also beestablished for disseminationof needed information and fornetworking of the people inthe community.

A TPAK health education session in progress

MIVC Agricultural Expert exchanging views with villagers

JICA INDIA OFFICE3A, (3rd Floor), Lotus Towers, Community Centre, New Friends Colony, New Delhi - 110 025, IndiaTel : (011) 41672580-5, Fax : (011), 41672586, URL:http://www.jica.go.jp/

Miscellania

Japan’s technical cooperation programme was started in 1954 following her participa-tion as one of the donor countries in the Colombo Plan for Technical Cooperation in

South and South East Asia. The technical cooperation programme in India dates backto 1955 when JICA (previously known as Asia-Kyokai and Overseas Technical Coopera-

tion Agency) started receiving Indian officers for technical training in Japan.Only two trainees were accepted in 1955. Over the years the numbers of trainees

accepted has gone up to 3500. As the activities became more intensive and diversifiedon account of the augmentation of economic and technical cooperation between the

tow countries, JICA established an independent office outside the Embassy complex in1992 at DLF Cetnre, Parliament Street. The office shifted to larger premises in New

Friends Colony in 2005.

A Cultural Evening was held on 24th December 2005, at the premises of AmarJyoti, an NGO in Delhi Headed by Dr. Uma Tuli. The basic objective of this eventorganized by JAAI, was to create awareness about the abilities of the disabledthrough their skill on the stage as well as in academics. All the items were beautifullysynchronized and quite a soul stirring experience for all the spectators. The vigorwith which the disabled children performed clearly demonstrated their indomitablespirit.

The presence of Mr. Shashi Kapoor – a famous Hindi Film star - made the culturalevening a very special event. As a goodwill ambassador of Amar Jyoti, Mr. Kapoorhas always been instrumental in strengthening its activities. Everybody was veryhappy to have him as the guest of honor.

Cultural Evening by JAAI with Amar Jyoti

Activities of JICA AlumniAssociation

The following were some of the mainactivities organized by JAAI:-

A workshop on the art of Ikebana wasconducted by Ms. Ratna Guha, an Ikebana masterfrom Sogetsu School, Tokyo. She demonstratedvarious Ikebana arrangements in which about 125persons participated with great enthusiasm.

In view of the terrible devastation caused bythe tsunami and an earthquake within a span ofone year, JAAI conducted a Seminar on DisasterManagement, in New Delhi. Eminent speakers atthis seminar included - Prof. K.N. Agarwal, ViceChancellor, Guru Gobind Singh IndraprasthaUniversity, Delhi; Prof. R.N. Dubey, Departmentof Earthquake Engineering, IIT, Roorkee; Mr. G.K.Marwah, Former Divisional Commissioner/Secretary (Revenue) of the Delhi DisasterManagement Authority; Mr. S.C. Goel, AdditionalCommissioner, St. Johns Ambulance Brigade.

JAAI also conducted an EnvironmentAwareness Programme for Schoolchildren, underthe theme “Help The Earth”. It was held at DelhiPublic School, Dwarka. The objective was toenhance environment consciousness amongschool children. The three main components ofthe programme were - On the Spot PaintingCompetition, Inter School Jingles Competition,Eco-creativity Competition. The Childrenparticipated in these competitions with greatenthusiasm

Dr. Uma Tuli and veteran actor, Mr. Sashi Kapoor, at the prize distribution ceremony

Youth InvitationProgramme 2006

40 persons engaged inCommunity Development andEnvironment Protectionvarious places in Indiaparticipated in the YouthInvitation Programme (YIP)held in Japan under theauspicies of JICA, fromNovember 22 to December 14,2006. Prior to their departure,they had a pre-departureorientation programme at HotelNikko in New Delhi.