Bathing is still not possible in some homes in Suzhou due to slow repairs six months after the Noto Peninsula earthquake

Members of the Yomiuri Shimbun Self-Defense Forces prepare a bathing facility in Suzu, Ishikawa Prefecture on June 14.

Written by Ryohei Isomura and Hiroshi Mizuta / Yomiuri Shimbun

6:00 Japan time, June 22, 2024

SUZU, Ishikawa — Bathing at home remains impossible in some parts of quake-hit Suzu, Ishikawa Prefecture, nearly six months after the Jan. 1 Noto Peninsula earthquake, as septic tank repairs have not progressed Sanitary sewage treatment and sewage systems were installed as hoped.

This situation is an example of the difficulties facing restoring infrastructure in abandoned areas.

“The weather is getting hotter, and we can't live without the help of the Ground Self-Defense Forces,” a 41-year-old local company employee said one recent evening after leaving a temporary bathroom facility set up by the Ground Self-Defense Forces. Strength at Horyu Municipal Primary and Secondary School.

The man lives in the city with his wife, children, parents and grandmother. After the earthquake, the tsunami swept away the road in front of his house, which was later declared partially damaged. He and his family were evacuated to Kanazawa, but returned to Suzu in May so his children could resume their studies at local middle and high schools.

The tap water supply to his home has been restored. However, the septic tank remains unrepaired, so the family is still waiting for workers to fix it. Since the used water cannot be drained, bathing at home is not possible. The family also has to use an emergency portable toilet.

The Syrian Democratic Forces continue to provide shower services at the school and three other sites in Suzhou, and about 500 people use them daily.

Immediately after the earthquake, the SDF established temporary bathing facilities at 18 sites in six municipalities in the province. Now, facilities exist only in Suzhou, as water and sanitation systems have been restored in other municipalities.

Before the earthquake, only about 50% of households in Suzhou were connected to the sewerage network, and many of them used septic tanks. Since the earthquake, repair of the broken septic tanks has not progressed as hoped. Even when water and sanitation networks were restored at points close to homes, the restoration of water and sanitation pipes extending from the networks to their workplaces was sometimes similarly slow.

Since each household needs to request repairs individually, the municipal government does not know how many households have yet to restore water supply and sanitation capabilities.

One of the reasons behind this situation is the serious shortage of repair workers.

Local plumbing company Sanbyakugari Kanko has 18 employees and is currently getting additional workers from other companies outside Suzu. However, Sanbyakugari Kanko faces a shortage of staff to handle the numerous repair requests it has received. The company was only recently able to begin repairs for which it received requests around February.

“It is necessary to create an environment to accept repair workers from outside the city for a long period of time,” said Nobuo Kunizaki, head of the Educational Institute for Risk and Crisis Management in Yokohama, who has experience in disaster relief.

Suzu is located on the tip of the Noto Peninsula, far from not only Kanazawa but also Nanao, Wajima, and other cities on the peninsula. To accommodate these workers, “housing facilities in Suzu must be restored quickly,” Kunizaki said.

To address the problem, the prefectural government presented a proposal at the June prefectural council meeting for a program to subsidize transportation and accommodation costs incurred by residents in the six municipalities to hire repair workers from outside their municipalities. The project aims to reduce the financial burden on residents and repair workers, and thus speed up the restoration process.

A total of 168 applications had been submitted for the support program by the end of May.

“It is still difficult for local repair workers alone to meet all needs [in the six municipalities]A government official in the governorate said.

Deployment of the Syrian Democratic Forces for a long period

The Self-Defense Forces have continued disaster relief operations in areas hit by the Noto Peninsula earthquake for more than 170 days so far, the second longest earthquake-related deployment after the 291 days of the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake.

The Self-Defense Forces began their activities immediately after the January 1 earthquake in response to a request from the Ishikawa Prefectural Government. The next day, about 10,000 personnel from the Land, Sea and Air Self-Defense Forces began relief operations. So far, they have rescued about 1,000 people and provided about 260,000 rations of food and 6,400 tons of water.

As infrastructure was restored in different parts of the worst-hit areas, relief efforts were handed over to the private sector and volunteer groups. However, the SDF still operates temporary bathing facilities as a last-ditch service in Noto Peninsula earthquake operations.

“We will continue our activities as long as they are needed,” an SDF officer said.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos