Japan PM pledges greater government role at Fukushima

Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has promised to the world his government will play a greater role in stopping leaks of highly radioactive water at Fukushima.

Wrapping up a tour of Africa and the Middle East, Abe yesterday said in Qatar that the issue at the crippled Fukushima Daiichi plant cannot be dealt with by operator Tokyo Electric Power (TEPCO) alone.

"The accident in Fukushima cannot be left entirely to Tokyo Electric Power. There is a need for the government to play a role with a sense of urgency, including taking measures to deal with the waste water," Abe told a news conference.

His industry minister and Japan's head nuclear regulator have been tasked with finding the cause of the leaks and drafting steps to counter the problem, Abe said.

"The government will make responsible efforts to address the matter, and clearly and promptly inform the domestic and international communities," he added.

Abe's pledge came as the world's nuclear watchdog urged Japan to explain more clearly what is happening at Fukushima and avoid sending "confusing messages" about the disaster.

The International Atomic Energy Agency questioned why the leak last week of 300 tonnes of highly radioactive water merited a rating on its International Nuclear Event Scale (INES), when no other incident since the March 2011 meltdowns had.

The IAEA cautioned against the frequent use of INES evaluations in the future, saying this risked clouding the issue in the public mind.