High court supports farmers' claim to stop unnecessary dam project

The Fukuoka High Court on May 16 turned down a lower court decision supporting a state project related to building a dam on the Kawabe River in Kumamoto Prefecture in southern Japan. The new decision is a heavy blow to the state project, giving encouragement to farmers who have strongly stated, "We need no dam."

On behalf of the plaintiffs, Umeyama Fukashi issued a statement urging the Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries Ministry to withdraw the state project for drainage and land rearrangement, and stop appeals to the Supreme Court.

The project for the Kawabe River area drainage was hammered out by the agriculture ministry in 1984, and scaled down in 1994.

Even though farmers around the lower stream of the planned dam site opposed this, saying that the water supply is sufficient in the area, the ministry went ahead with its plans. Then 860 concerned farmers filed a mammoth suit with the Kumamoto District Court in 1996.

Supporting the decision, Japanese Communist Party Secretariat Head Ichida Tadayoshi issued a statement on the same day, saying:

"The Central Government should not appeal to the Supreme Court. The need now is for the government to immediately stop the lawless drainage project and scrap the wasteful Kawabe Dam plan which would only help destroy the environment.

Fully respecting the voices of local governments and farmers concerned, the government must take steps for improving Kawabe River's drainage by means other than a dam that will ensure rehabilitating regional agriculture and ensure sound economic development." (end)