DUSHANBE, February 9, 2011, Asia-Plus  -- On Wednesday February 9, Mr. Yoshihiro Nakayama, Chargé d’Affaires of the Embassy of Japan in Dushanbe, and Mr. Vali Ashourov, acting chairman of Nosir Khusrav district in Khatlon province, signed a grant contract for “The Project for Rehabilitation of Irrigation System in Istiqlol Jamoat, Nosir Khusrav District”.

According to the Japanese Embassy in Dushanbe, the Government of Japan will provide US$105,384 to improve irrigation system in Istiqlol jamoat, Nosir Khusrav district. Through the project, a pump station with the capacity of 240-380ℓ/second as well as metal pipe of 300m will be installed in order to improve agricultural productivity.

Due to lack of existing water resource as well as poorly maintained water canal, only 4ha of 130ha of the target land is currently irrigated. As non-irrigated land is not so productive, farmers are forced to grow fewer products, which cause low income for them.

As the project will increase irrigated land, agricultural productivity will be enhanced significantly. Therefore, farmers’ income will be increased which will lead to poverty reduction in Istiqlol jamoat, Nosir Khusrav district.

Grant Assistance for Grass-roots Human Security Projects (GGP) is provided to educational and medical institutions, NGOs, and local governments in developing countries. GGP supports projects in the human security sectors at the grassroots level. GGP has extended more than US$ 18.9 million for 261 projects in Tajikistan since 1996.