In a Jan. 23 plebiscite, voters in Tokushima City, Tokushima Prefecture, gave a thumbs down to a government project to build a gatelock dam on the Yoshino River. My opinion is that the project should be halted because residents do not want it. It's as simple as that.
The river runs through two cities and six towns, of which Tokushima City has the largest population. Of its 207,284 registered voters about half, or 102,759, said no. The opponents think the existing dam will do if it is repaired.
Why not stop the project and build the kind of facility that residents really want? That is what ordinary people think. Repairs will cost much less than a new dam, so why go ahead and build one against the wishes of residents? Reality, however, is not that simple.