Japan Begins Water Distribution in Tokyo

Local government officials in Tokyo have started distributing bottled water to families with babies under a year old.

Boxes of water bottles started arriving at local city offices on Thursday, to be distributed to parents in need of clean water.

[Takashi Sakai, Sinjuku Ward Crisis Manager]:
„We are distributing three, 550 milliliter bottles to each family this time.“

Bottled water flew off the shelves and disappeared from supermarkets across Tokyo by late Wednesday, after radiation from a damaged nuclear plant north of Tokyo made tap water unsafe for babies.

Tokyo’s 13 million people have been advised against giving tap water to infants less than a year old.

The radiation scare in water and food is keeping many parents wary.

Yukie Saji, whose youngest son is one-month-old, was asking for help and information at local city hall.

[Yukie Saji, Mother of an Infant]:
„I have just had another baby and I fear my baby can be affected through contaminated breast milk. That’s why I think I should use bottled water for everything, including making rice for myself.“

Japan’s major manufacturers and importers of bottled water have announced they are increasing production capacity following Tokyo’s tap water contamination.

Foto: NTD