Ministry not to appeal against decision supporting residents' demand

The Agriculture Ministry has given up appealing against the court decision that supported the demand of residents of Sagara Village, Kumamoto Prefecture, that the government withdraw its projects related to a dam on Kawabe River.

Kamei Yoshiyuki, agriculture minister, announced the decision at a press conference on May 19 to cancel part of its plan to rezone farmland in the village and irrigate it with water from the dam which is still under construction.

A lawyers' group leader for the local farmers stated that the government made the proper decision and that the dam construction should also be called into question. (end)