Japan collaborating with NE states in management of forest, sewerage, disaster

Japan has huge investment in infrastructure projects in the Northeast and is collaborating with several states in the region in areas like forest, sewerage and disaster management, the Centre said on Wednesday.

The issue was discussed threadbare when a delegation led by Japanese Ambassador Satoshi Suzuki called on Union Minister for Development of North Eastern Region (DoNER) Jitendra Singh here on Wednesday, an official statement said.

During the meeting, various issues related to mutual collaboration and cooperation between the two countries were discussed.

"There is huge Japanese investment in infrastructure projects in the North Eastern region of the country," the DoNER Ministry statement said.

In the area of forest management, Japan has been collaborating with the governments of Tripura, Sikkim and Nagaland and soon it will tie up with Meghalaya.

Mutual collaboration in the areas of bamboo, disaster management, road infrastructure and Guwahati Sewerage Project were some of the issues that came up for discussion at the meeting, it said.

The upgradation of Aizwal-Tuipang Section of NH-54 with a length of 372km is being done with the assistance of theJapan International Cooperation Agency (JICA)at a cost of Rs 6,168 crore.

The road would provide seamless connectivity to Sittwe port in Mayanmar as part of the government's 'Act East Policy'.

Singh said India shares traditional relations with Japan and under the leadership of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, new areas of mutual collaboration are being added to it.

The minister mentioned about the bullet train project in this regard.

Singh said during the last five years, Japanese engagement in India's infrastructure projects has increased.

Recently 12 nursing caregivers from Jammu and Kashmir, and Ladakh have been taken up for jobs in Japan through initiative of private agencies, the minister said.

Discussing the role of mutual cooperation between the two countries, it was mentioned that meeting of Indo-Japan Working Group onNuclearEnergy Cooperationis scheduled to be held next month, the statement said.

On the issue of collaboration between India and Japan in the area of outer space, it was mentioned that bilateral discussions were held last year.