Cambodian ambassador to Japan Ung Rachana (left) signs a $21.7 million contract for a sewer system development project in Phnom Penh with Akitaka Seto, general manager of Kubota Construction's Tokyo branch office, in the Japanese capital on April 20. Kubota
Japan's Kubota Construction Co Ltd said it has struck a 2.34 billion yen ($21.7 million) contract for a sewer system development project in the capital, in a joint venture with Metawater Co Ltd.
The Osaka-based company, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Kubota Corp, said the deal was signed by Cambodian ambassador to Japan Ung Rachana and Akitaka Seto, general manager of Kubota Construction's Tokyo branch office, in the Japanese capital on April 20.
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This project is a part of an official development assistance (ODA) grant signed by the Japanese and Cambodian governments in November 2019, Kubota Construction noted in an April 21 press release.
The company said it will build a sewage treatment facility using advanced Japanese technology and improve the water and hygiene environments in the Kingdom, as well as the living environment of Cambodians.
“Cambodia's capital city, Phnom Penh is considered to be in need of various measures, including the development of sewerage treatment facilities, because its natural purification capacity has declined significantly due to increased sewage quantity as a result of rapid urbanisation and population growth in recent years, together with progress on reclamation of lakes, marshes and wetlands.
“Against that background, the Phnom Penh city government has developed a Master Plan on Drainage and Sewerage Improvement, and has decided to construct sewerage treatment facilities at Lake Choeung Ek, which naturally purifies the largest amount of wastewater for the city,” it said.
The project will require laying 1.9km of pipes and the facility will be capable of treating 5,000 cubic metres per day of sewage, it said, adding that the endeavour "will enable proper wastewater treatment in the applicable districts of Phnom Penh city while reducing the pollution load on the Lake Choeung Ek basin".
“This, in turn, will contribute [to the] improvement of the water and hygiene environments in the relevant communities and to [the] enhancement of the living environment of their residents,” the company said.
Construction will begin this month, and the sewage plant is scheduled for completion in November 2023, it added.
