Japan’s new Prime Minister says the disposal of wastewater stored at the Fukushima nuclear plant cannot be delayed.

It comes amid concerns from local residents about the disposal of waste, which has also been fiercely opposed by China and South Korea.

The Fukushima plant suffered a triple meltdown in 2011, following a massive earthquake and tsunami, which left over 18,000 people dead.

Prime Minister Fumio Kishida says he felt “strongly that the water issue is a crucial one that should not be pushed back”.

The PM is focused on decommissioning the plant, and the massive amount of treated, but still, radioactive water stored there.

It follows the government announcing plans to start releasing the water into the Pacific Ocean in 2023 over the span of decades.