Japanese authorities will distribute bottled water to some 80,000 families dislocated by the earthquake as that tap water may not be safe for drinking in areas near the Fukushima nuclear plant.

Some 240,000 bottles of water will be given out as dangerous levels of radioactive iodine had been found present in a water treatment facility at the Katsushika area. The Japanese government declared the water unsafe for infants and toddlers.

Reports gathered said some residents have resulted to panic buying supermarkets even as the government issued assurances that health risks are minimal.

In an interview with Bloomberg, senior economist Yoshimasa Maruyama at Itochu Corp said the challenge now remains as to how the government will keep the public from panicking extensively. Maruyama noted that this is an evolving crisis.

Meanwhile efforts to restore power back at the ailing Fukushima plant continue to prevent a nuclear crisis.

Hidehiko Nishiyama, a spokesman for Japan's nuclear safety agency, said today plant engineers will attempt to restore power to the No. 3, No. 4, and No. 5 reactor's pump and assess where the steam and smoke coming from No. 2 and No. 4 reactors. Reactor No. 5 was shut down for maintenance when the quake hit and is considered less of a radiation threat.