Japan plans urgent repairs for 72 km of corroded sewage pipes
Japan must urgently repair 72 kilometers of corroded and cracked sewage pipes within a year, the land ministry said Wednesday, after emergency checks launched in the wake of a deadly sinkhole accident in January, Kyodo reported.
Another 225 km of the sewage system require repairs within five years following the implementation of stopgap measures. The ministry added that underground cavities were found near pipes in Hokkaido, Niigata and Kumamoto prefectures.
The central government has asked municipalities to inspect a total of 5,000 km of sewer pipes installed 30 years ago or earlier. As of Aug. 8, the ministry had analyzed 621 km of the 813 km of pipes listed for prioritized checks, conducted in person or with remote cameras.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism will request that local governments proceed with the repair or replacement of damaged sections of sewage pipes, as corrosion and cracks could trigger sinkholes or other road damage.
Chief Cabinet Secretary Yoshimasa Hayashi told a press conference that the government will support municipalities "technically and financially" to help build "a resilient and sustainable sewage system."
A fatal sinkhole accident occurred in Yashio, Saitama Prefecture, near Tokyo, on Jan. 28, when a 74-year-old truck driver was swallowed by a large, expanding sinkhole at an intersection.
The driver's body was recovered from the underground sewer pipe on May 2, after a three-month search hampered by ongoing collapses and underground water.
Earlier it was reported that Japan land prices went up at fastest pace since 1992 on housing demand, tourism.
