Evacuation Advisory Lifted for Most of Fukushima Village

Fukushima, June 12 (Jiji Press)--The Japanese government on Sunday lifted its evacuation advisory for most of Katsurao, a village near the crippled Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant. This is the first time that an evacuation advisory has been lifted for an area tainted with relatively high levels of radiation with annual doses projected at between more than 20 millisieverts and less than 50 millisieverts. The government's move allows 1,347 people in 418 households to return home for the first time since the March 2011 nuclear accident at the Tokyo Electric Power Company Holdings Inc. <9501> plant. But only a few people are expected to return home for the time being due to inconveniences in everyday life in the Fukushima Prefecture village. Municipal bus services remain suspended while shops have yet to resume operations. The village government plans to offer free taxi services for elderly people so that they can go to hospitals and commercial facilities outside the village. Earlier this month, the village's chamber of commerce and industry started services to deliver fresh foods and daily necessities to homes. The evacuation advisory remains in place for 119 people in 33 households from the remaining Katsurao area where annual radiation doses are estimated at over 50 millisieverts. END