Temporary housing for Fukushima evacuees

The Japanese government has pledged to provide 15,200 temporary housing units to people who were evacuated from their homes due to the nuclear crisis in Fukushima Prefecture.

Evacuees will also be allowed back inside the 20km exclusion zone around Tokyo Electric Power Co.'s Fukushima No. 1 plant to recover vehicles from their homes.

They will get to return home in a second round of temporary visits later this month.

Evacuees from some of nine Fukushima municipalities were allowed home for the first time earlier this month for a quick visit to pick up belongings.

The Fukushima plant, hit hard by the March 11 earthquake and tsunami, continues to release radioactive substances into the environment.

Once radiation levels have dropped considerably, the government will consider whether to allow the evacuees to return home for good.

It will also bolster health checks for residents and monitoring of radiation levels in the no-go zone.

However, before allowing evacuees to return, soil decontamination will be studied.

The road map also calls for supporting the recovery of shops and manufacturing plants and providing financial assistance in cooperation with the prefecture.

The government also said it is committed to strengthening measures on heath management for workers who are trying to bring the crippled nuclear plant under control. Specifically, it will help Tokyo Electric Power buy radiation safety suits.

- JIJI PRESS