Govt help for Nahara residents

September 19,2015

Govt. to help Naraha Town residents to return home

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/english/news/nuclear.html

Sep. 19, 2015 - Updated 19:34 UTC+2

Japan's reconstruction minister has visited a town near the damaged Fukushima nuclear plant, 2 weeks after its residents were allowed to return from evacuation.

The evacuation order for Naraha Town was lifted on September 5th, enabling residents to return for the first time in 4 and-a-half years.

Naraha is the first of the communities from where residents completely evacuated following the 2011 nuclear disaster to lift the evacuation order.

For the first time since the order was lifted, Reconstruction Minister Wataru Takeshita visited the town on Saturday.

He spoke with residents and inspected the town, accompanied by Mayor Yukiei Matsumoto.

Takeshita later told reporters that he could feel the clock ticking again. He indicated that the government will help the residents smoothly return. He said that will serve as a major reference for other municipalities when evacuation orders are lifted.

Naraha Town officials say about 200 residents are thought to have returned since the evacuation order was lifted. About 7,000 are still living outside the town.

The government plans to accelerate efforts to restore living conditions by reopening schools and setting up medical facilities, while continuing decontamination work.