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Tsunami- Relief and Restoring Livelihoods & Habitats DHAN Foundation Initiatives - Update 10 January 22-27, 2005
1. Nagapattanam
1.1 Seerkali – Kollidam block
Relief activities The relief activities such as distribution of trunk boxes, suitcases, materials supplied by Hindustan Lever Company are still continuing in both the blocks. Out of the 10,000 packets received about 3,000 were delivered in Palayar, Chinnakottaimedu and Kottaimedu villages. In Palayar village 272 school children were provided with school uniforms. 3 sewing machines were purchased and distributed to 3 identified families for stitching and giving the same. 2 sewing machines were given to 2 families in Chinnakottaimedu village.
Fishermen Association Leader Kathavarayan Co-ordinating the relief works
Assessment study Assessment study was completed in the villages of Kelamuvarkarai, Melemuvarkarai, Pudhukuppam, Osala Kuppam, Chavadi Kuppam and Kuntharimedu of Seerkali region. The team is in the process of consolidation of the study findings and working out the immediate, short term and long term needs of the community.
Housing In Chinnakottaimedu village 42 families has occupied their new houses constructed by our team on 22-1-2005. The team had arranged for a house warming function where in all the families had occupied their new houses as according to the traditional custom and rituals.
Temporary houses ready to accommodate the needy people
Livelihoods A boat repairing shed has been constructed in Madathukuppam employing local boat mechanics and repairing works of 3 boat-engines was started.
Community organization The team members are now intensively engaged in community organisation. In Kollidam block the team has formed 8 women SHG groups in 4 hamlets. i.e. Koolayar, Nadukottaimedu, Siddivinayagapuram and Gandhinagar hamlets of Chinnakottaimedu village. In Seerkali block 3 women SHG’s were formed in Kuntharimedu with 20 members, Kadaikadu with 20 members and in Veeramediruppu with 15 members.
Three farmers associations were formed in Seerkali block in Veeramediruppu with 24 members, Kutharimedu with 27 members and Kadaikkadu with 32 members. In Kollidam block a farmers association was formed in Chinnakottaimedu village with 42 farmers. The associations are now fully engaged in the agriculture related relief and rehabilitation activities such as desiltation works, farm pond cleaning and related agriculture activities. Three fishermen groups were formed in Seerkali block i.e., in Madathukuppam with 120 members, Naikarkuppam with 272 members and Saradikuppam with 152 members.
The team is also in the process of selecting local associates from the respective villages to work with them in community organisation, support for relief activities and work related to restoring livelihoods and habitats.
DHAN staff in discussion with the affected about housing and other problems
Future action The team has identified the following immediate future activities in these two blocks in general;
1.2 Keevelur block
The team is engaged presently in building rapport in all the villages through the relief and rehabilitation works like drainage desilting, self help group formation etc. The Keevelur, Thalainairu and Vedaranyam block where the team is presently working have totally 3 communities and people belonging to 15 castes. The team is doing their level best in eliminating the caste differences among the people in these areas. The team is also engaged in bringing people together to face all kinds of community issues and inculcating savings habit among them to get rid of money lenders and other debt traps.
Relief Works In Kameswaram village nine temporary huts has been completed at the rate of Rs. 2000/- per hut. In the first phase of relief work, the team has identified 25 farmers who have lost their houses and their belongings in Vilunthamavady village. In that village the team has distributed school-uniforms for 150 primary school children who belong to affected family. The team is also planning for organizing groups of women for stitching the uniform clothes. In Periyakuttagai village which comes under Vedaranyam block, the team has supplied relief materials like paste, brush, soap, and shampoo for school children.
The team had explored in a new village Periyakuttagai in Vedaranyam block. The community showed much interest and co-operation to the teams initiatives. The team organized a public meeting in the evening for motivating the people for collective action and briefing about DHAN and its activities. In this meeting 120 farmers participated and showed interest to form self help groups.
Ms. Supriya Sahu IAS inaugurating the relief material distribution
Self Help Group Formation Pudupalli is one of the villages where the team is working at grass root level. In this village the team had built good rapport with the community and is able to go on with the relief and rehabilitation work smoothly. The team had formed one Vayalagam and one Kalanjiam group on 25th of January. Three more Vayalagam groups have been promoted in Vilunthamavady village. These activities have been taken up to form grass root level institutional body.
The team has also initiated the formation of farmers groups (Vayalagams in Pushpavanam village in Vedaranyam block. The team has organized and celebrated the Republic Day function on 26th January with 100 farmers. Mercy Corps country Representative Ms Elizabeth Christy also joined them in this event.
Organising the unorganized towards
disaster mitigation
Agriculture DHAN’s team is working among both the fishermen and agriculture sector in this area. As a first hand measure the team has taken up desilting of the drainage channels and followed by it pumping out water from farm ponds which was filled by sea water by the farmers. To carry out this work the team facilitated the community to repair the oil engines.
The desilting of drainage channel works is going in full swing in South Sallikulam, Kovilpattu, Vilunthamavady, Kameswaram and Pushpavanam villages. The team has given employment to around 100 men in these villages for different works undertaken on this behalf for about 4-5 days. There are 86 people working in Pushpavanam village.
Team work…
2. Cuddalore District
Relief activities The team had started distribution of the 12,0000 kits received from Hindustan Lever co, consisting of bathing soap, shampoo, tooth brush.etc. The team had already distributed 1560 packets in Sothikuppam, 120 in Annankovil, 696 in MGR thittu, 240 in Madavapallam, 132 in Kannikovil, 260 in Pillumedu and 88 in Pitchavaram
The Cuddalore field teams has completed the intensive household survey for need assessment in the villages of Akaraikori and Sothikuppam villages and came out with a list of proposed work in these two villages such as; Construction of a common shed for boat repairing, providing 2 fiber boats to the village association, repairing the damaged boats, providing school uniform to 170 school children, promoting a school park with playing equipment in Sothikuppam village and providing 50 cattamaran with engine, construction of a community centre in Akkaraikori village.
The team has also found that there is a need of land reclamation works in sea water affected lands, 2 fibre boats to the village association in Subauppalavadi village, construction of common shed for boat repairing, 20 cattamaran with engine in Chithiraipettai village, 20 Cattamaran with engine in Naikkenpettai and Nanjiligampettai village, and 10 Cattamaran with engine in Kurinjipadi village. The entire Cuddalore and Kurinjipadi block is in high need of fishing nets.
3. Kancheepuram District – Thirukkalukundram Block
Assessment study The team has completed the assessment study in 4 villages namely; Meyurkuppam, SadrasKuppam, Pudupattinam and Oyyalikuppam. Study is continuing in another 4 villages namely; Mahbalipuramkuppam, Devanerikuppam, Venpurshamkuppam and Kokilamedu. In Oyyalikuppam the team has identified one local associate to work with them.
The assessment studies has revealed many needs of the community which are not covered by any one, such as temporary shed for schools, school kits for the students, Nutritious food for pregnant ladies and feeding mothers. 30 pregnant women were identified who are in need of support. The Kalanjiam groups already in the area had taken up the above issues and are planning the activities needed to address them.
Community boat shed The community boat shed constructed by DHAN team is well received by the community. The repair works of 4 motor boats has been completed with the cost ranging from Rs.12,000 to 15,000 for each. 4 boats are now undergoing repair works at the centre. 10 more boats are in the queue for repair work. Further on the basis of the assessment study, an order has been placed for 2000 Kg of different types of nets. The same will be distributed through the Village Panchayat.
II. Pondicherry – Union Territory
2.1 Karaikal
The Kariakal team has completed the detailed assessment of the damages and the needs of the community. Local volunteers have been identified to work along with the team. The relief materials were distributed to the affected people. The items provided were groceries for 600 families and toilet kits from Hindustan Lever. All the relief and rehabilitation works are done with the community participation.
Housing-Assessment A need assessment was done in the Karaikal area for the construction of temporary shelters. In Kilinjalmedu there is a need of 25 houses, 47 houses in Veerapandiya Nagar 47 and 8 houses in Akkaraivettam Mathakoil theru
Agriculture – Assessment From the agriculture assessment study the team found out that there is a need for land reclamation in 12 villages. Hardly any relief measures have been provided to the farming families. Regarding soil reclamation operation 20 acres of trial plot has been identified in Karaikal South region and work has been initiated in 5 acres. Mean while, 22 sea water intruded ponds were identified in 11 villages in South Karaikal region where it is possible to get river water to refill them.
Hindustan Lever had given 15,000 toilet kits for distribution to the tsunami affected families in the Karaikal region through DHAN team. The team had distributed the same in the area to both the farming and fishing community.
2.2 Pondicherry
The Kalanjiam federation in Pondicherry has taken up the relief and rehabilitation activities in the area. The team had made a primary assessment study and had identified 3 villages which were most affected; Kurunjikuppam, Vaithikuppam and Vambakeerapalayam. In all these villages the majority are from the fishing community. The team had in its assessment survey found that there is a lot of potential in these villages to start Self Help Group among both the fishermen and women. Not much attention has been given by government and Non-governmental agencies in these three villages. There is an immediate need of a boat repairing centre in all the three villages. The team had arranged for groceries as a relief package for 900 affected families in these villages.
You can also join hands with us in this effort Please get in touch with
B.Raghini, K.Manoj Tsunami Relief and Restoring Livelihoods Initiative- Secretariat DHAN Foundation, 18, Pillaiyar Koil Street, S.S. Colony, Madurai - 625 016.
Phone: 0452-5355458, 2610794. Fax: 0452-2602247. Email: dhan@md3.vsnl.net.in Website: http://www.dhan.org
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