熊本県豪雨による球磨川氾濫は凄まじい。多数の死者が出、行方不明者も多数にのぼるようだ。なんとも悼ましくお悔やみの言葉を失う。被害範囲が相当広いので、復興もままならないのではあるまいか。
被災者に対して鞭打つようで言うに気が引けるが、50数年前にも球磨川が大氾濫し、その水嵩を知る痕跡が残っていると聞くと、その後の治水に抜かりがあったのだと私は思わざるをえない。
新聞等で、「50年に一度の豪雨」と報道しているが、その表現は正しくない。豪雨であろうと豪雪であろうと、自然現象は定期的に起るものではないからだ。
昔から「天災は忘れたころにやって来る」と言う。治水事業は一昼夜でできるものではない。それだからこそ、50数年前の被災後に国土庁（当時はその名称だった）初め熊本県庁はリーダーシップを発揮して即座に治水計画に入るべきだった。
あるいは議論はあったのかもしれない。しかし、そこが日本の国の行政も地方行政もトロイところで、民意をまとめる能力もなければ、議論を推進する能力もなかったのではないかと勘ぐりたくなる。「まあ、明日でいいや！」と言っているうちに50年が過ぎ、見るも無惨な事となった。球磨川は急流で知られる一級河川だ。その一級河川の堤防が、いかに平野部でのこととはいえ、増水が視認されてわずか10分そこそこで決壊したとは！
このたび被災した人たち、水没した地域の住民は、国土建設省を告発すべきです。国民の生命を守れないような省庁が、いったい何の仕事をしているのかと、ね！
The inundation of Kuma River due to the heavy rain
in Kumamoto Prefecture is terrible. A large number of
people have been killed, and many are missing. What
a regretful loss of words of condolence. The extent of
the damage is quite wide, so isn't easy to recover?
I was reluctant to flutter at the victims, but when I
heard that the Kuma River had flooded 50 years ago
and there were traces of its volume, there was a fail-
ure in flood control. I cannot help thinking that.
In newspapers and other sources, "every 50 years
of heavy rain" is reported, but the expression is in-
correct. Natural phenomenons, whether it be heavy
rain or heavy snow, do not occur regularly.
From ancient times, japnese people says, "A natural
disaster comes when people forget it." Flood control
projects cannot be done day and night. That's why
the National Land Agency (which was its name at the
time) and the Kumamoto Prefectural Office should
have taken their leadership and immediately entered
the flood control plan after the disaster 50 years ago.
Or maybe there was a debate. However, since the
administration of the national government and the
local administration of Japan is not deciding, it is
tempting to think that there was neither the ability
to put together the will of the people nor ability to
promote discussions. Fifty years have passed since
they said, "Well, tomorrow!", and it was a tragic
sight. The Kuma River is a legal first-class river
known for its rapids. No matter how plain the em-
bankment of the first-class river is, in the plain
area, it was broke just 10 minutes after the increase
was visually recognizes!
People who have been affected by this disaster
and residents in the submerged area should accuse
the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Construc-
tion. What kind of work is being done by ministries
and agencies that cannot protect the lives of the
people!
Tadami Yamada
