1.
GV PEOPLE COLLECT WATER IN STREET.
0.06

2.
SV MAN POURS OUT WATER.
0.10

3.
CU DITTO.
0.14

4.
SV PEOPLE ROUND WATER CART.
0.17

5.
SV DITTO, MAN COLLECTS WATER.
0.23

6.
SV PAN WOMEN PAST WITH WATER.
0.32

7.
GV STREET.
0.36

8.
LV POSTER "TOKYO 1964".
0.41

9.
CU PARCHED SOIL.
0.45

10.
GV DITTO.
0.50

11.
GV DRY RESERVOIR.
0.54

12.
SV PAN DOWN DRY SLUICE GATE.
0.59

13.
SV PAN RESERVOIR TO LAW WATER MARK.
1.06

14.
GV DRY RESERVOIR.
1.09



Initials DS/V/RM/BB



Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved

Background: AS TOKYO PREPARES FOR ITS BIGGEST POST-WAR EVENT, THE OLYMPIC GAMES, THE CITY FACES AN ADDED PROBLEM -- A CRITICAL WATER SHORTAGE. DURING THE PAST THREE MONTHS THE CATCHMENT AREA WHICH SERVES TOKYO'S MAIN RESERVOIRS HAS RECEIVED JUST ON A QUARTER-OF-AN-INCH OF RAIN (6.3 MILLIMETRES) AND SUPPLIES ARE DOWN TO A DANGEROUSLY LOW LEVEL.

CIVIC OFFICIALS REPORTED YESTERDAY (TUESDAY) THAT WATER RESERVES IN THE THREE MAIN STORAGE RESERVOIRS DECREASED BY 250 THOUSAND TONS AND WERE PLACED AT 5 MILLION TONS -- ROUGHLY 2 POINT 5 PER CENT OF THEIR TOTAL CAPACITY.

TO CONSERVE THE REMAINING SUPPLIES, TOKYO'S ADMINISTRATION HAS ENFORCED SEVERE WATER RATIONING AND SUPPLIES TO INDUSTRY, COMMERCE AND URBAN AREAS HAVE BEEN CUT BY MORE THAN HALF.

THE DRY SPELL HAS SERIOUSLY AFFECTED BUSINESS, AND MANY SHOPS AND BUSINESSES HAVE BEEN FORCED TO CLOSE DURING DAYLIGHT HOURS TO OFF-SET HEAVY DEMAND. IN DOWNTOWN TOKYO, COOLING SYSTEMS IN OFFICE BUILDINGS, WHICH NEED WATER TO OPERATE HAVE BEEN BANNED, AND THE CITY'S SWIMMING POOLS AND PUBLIC BATH HOUSES HAVE BEEN CLOSED.

WHERE THE CUTS HAVE BROUGHT HARDSHIP TO HOUSEHOLDERS, MEMBERS OF JAPAN'S SELF-DEFENCE FORCES HAVE BEEN TAKING WATER TANKERS INTO THE STREETS TO DISTRIBUTE WATER. AT THE SAME TIME, WORK HAS BEEN SPEEDED UP TO COMPLETE A 35-MILE (56 KMS) PIPELINE FROM SAITAMA PREFECTURE TO TOKYO. ORIGINALLY DUE FOR COMPLETION IN SEPTEMBER, IT'S HOPED TO BE READY AUGUST 25 AND WILL PROVIDE TOKYO WITH AN ADDITIONAL 400 THOUSAND TONS OF WATER DAILY.

OFFICIALS SAY THE CUTS WILL REMAIN IN FORCE UNTIL THE PIPELINE IS COMPLETED AS THE RESERVES REMAINING AT THE MOMENT ARE ONLY SUFFICIENT FOR FIVE DAYS OF NORMAL USE.

MR. RYOTARO AZUMA, TOKYO'S METROPOLITAN GOVERNOR, HAS COME IN FOR CONSIDERABLE CRITICISM BECAUSE OF THE WATER SHORTAGE. IT'S BEEN CLAIMED THAT HE SHOULD HAVE DIVERTED WORKMEN FROM OLYMPIC GAMES PROJECTS TO SPEED UP WORK ON THE SAITAMA PIPELINE AND HAVE AVERTED THE PRESENT SITUATION.