With focus on cleaning of the Yamuna and its bed, Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA), which is associated with 16 sewerage and water supply projects in India, on Wednesday expressed hope that the Yamuna would be clean by year 2017 and its water fit for consumption and swimming too. 

“With several sewerage projects under implementation and other efforts in progress, and if everything goes well, I expect to swim in the river Yamuna and drink Yamuna water by 2017” said Sinya Ejima, chief representative of JICA in India. 

He said so while making a presentation on ‘JICA’s Operations in Urban Sector In India’ at the meeting of India-Japan Joint Working Group on Urban Development here on Wednesday. JICA is currently associated with various projects relating to sewerage and water supply with a total loan commitment of Rs.28,660 crore in Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Punjab, Odisha, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka and Goa. Mr Ejima informed that current commitment of JICA’s assistance in urban sector including water and transport is of the order of Rs.2, 40, 000 crore.

JICA said challenges to be addressed in the water sector are improvement in Operation & Maintenance (O&M) for efficient management of assets created, improvement in service delivery, improving financial position of urban local bodies, entrusting O&M to private sector through PPP model and promotion of re-use and recycling technologies to address water scarcity. The challenges in urban sector are, it said, introduction of Intelligent Transport Systems (ITS), optimal mechanism for introduction of Metro rail systems, introduction of regional transit systems, monorails and Light Rail Transport and technical assistance for preparing comprehensive mobility plans.