MLIT Decides to Cancel Tokura Dam Project

The Japanese Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MLIT) decided on December 25, 2003 to cancel the Tokura Dam project, which involved construction of a dam near Katashina Village, Gunma Prefecture, under the supervision of the Japan Water Agency.

Work began in 1992 for construction of a multipurpose dam to control floods and store water for industrial and residential use in the greater Tokyo metropolitan area. The dam was scheduled to be completed in 2008 as the third highest dam in Japan, at 158 meters in height. The total project cost was approximately 123 billion yen (U.S.$1.15 billion.) Although the construction of the dam itself had not yet started, 27.1 billion yen (U.S.$253 million) has already been paid to improve the nearby national roads and build new roads for the project.

The project site is near Oshimizu, a gateway to the popular Oze recreation area, and is partly located in the Nikko National Park. Because this area supports a diverse ecosystem represented by rare raptors, concerns have been raised over the environmental impacts caused by the dam project.

As the first case of a dam project under the direct control of the national government or the Japan Water Agency being cancelled after the construction had gone into full swing, this decision may affect other dam projects in Japan.




Posted: 2004/03/08 09:07:36 AM
Japanese version