Tsunami- Relief and Restoring Livelihoods & Habitats

DHAN Foundation Initiatives - Update 5

January 10, 2005

1.CUDDALORE

1.1 General situation
 

The affected people are still under trauma and are yet to come out of the shock after the devastation. As far as relief works are concerned, support from the government agencies and NGOs are coming up. But the villages which are very remote from the urban areas are being given the least consideration. The people who have lost houses are still staying in the relief camps.  Materials such as rice, mat, pillows etc. are distributed by these agencies to the affected people. However, more need exists for materials such as utensils, stove and grocery items in order to manage day to day household activities. Moreover, there prevails a greater confusion in distribution of the relief materials to the needy due to the lack of coordination among the agencies involved in the operation. In many places inequitable distribution of the materials is observed. The people are expecting the government to replace their boats and are hence not ready to remove or repair the boats as they want to show it when the compensation will be made.    

1.2 Initiatives by the DHAN field relief teams
 

DHAN team has set up an office at Cuddalore to coordinate the relief activities in four blocks Cuddalore, Kurinjipadi, Parangipettai and Kumarachi which have been severely affected in the disaster. The team has created infrastructure needed for office administration. Now, nine professionals are part of this team and more persons would join the team soon. The team has divided into two and they coordinate the actives in two blocks each. Representatives from the team attended a meeting organized by the district administration involving the NGOs involved in the operations. The administration has instructed the NGOs to go for semi permanent structures like light roof cement sheets while constructing houses for the affected people.  DHAN’s presence in the field was appreciated by the district collector. The message that DHAN Foundation is committed to the long term support for restoration of livelihoods has been given to the district administration.

The teams are constantly involved in interaction with the village community in order to organize them. They have found a few missing element in the relief materials provided to the community and have therefore made arrangements for their purchase such as groceries, kerosene stoves, trunk boxes, school bags and school uniforms. The central co ordination team at Madurai has helped to purchase these materials in bulk and packaging them for distribution to the individual families. These materials have been procured for 2000 families. A system of ‘dummy ration card’ has been planned for distribution of the relief materials in which all the identified families will be provided with the card and whenever the materials are distributed entries will be made in the card. This system will be helpful in providing continuous support the identified families and effective monitoring of the benefits. Printing process of these cards is underway and it is planned to distribute the cards to the people with in a day of two. The teams have undertaken the assessment of requirement for fishing nets and repair and replacement of boats involving the local community.

2. NAGAPATTANAM District

In Nagapattanam district, DHAN has placed two field relief teams based at Velankanni and Seerkazhi. Both the teams have identified office buildings and have created basic office infrastructure for administration.      

2.1 VELANKANNI BLOCK
 

1. General situation
 

Damage for the agricultural crops and lands due to the sea water intrusion is severe in this block. Standing crops like paddy, groundnut, grams etc were burnt by the sea water. The sea water has brought and settled a layer of saline and slushy soil into the agricultural lands and the salinity of the soil has increased tremendously making these lands uncultivable. The farmers have lost whatever they had invested in agriculture in the present season and labourers dependent on agriculture have lost employment. The drainage channels are filled with sea water and sand which needs immediate reclamation.

2.2 Initiatives by DHAN

This team has undertaken the initiatives in three locations namely Thalaignyayiru, Vedhranyam and Keelavelur and identified five villages namely Pudupalli, South Sallikulam, North Sallikulam, Vallapallam and Kameshwaram to take to take up relief operations. The team members are involved in intensive discussions with the local community for assessing the actual damage and identifying strategies for intervention. It has been planned to set up internet kiosks in a few centres which will serve as information centres. The team is identifying suitable places and its connectivity facilities for setting up the centres. The team has also started identifying volunteers from the local community to work with them. The team members had discussion with the district collector. The district administration has requested DHAN Foundation to coordinate the reclamation activities of the affected agricultural lands.

Local community is being fully involved in all the field level activities undertaken. In Pudupalli village, the team has constructed a semi permanent community shelter which can accommodate around 300 persons with participation of the villagers. A community kitchen has also been set up in the village. Need for trunk boxes to store their valuables were expressed by 66 families in this village and 320 families from Vallapallam fishermen colony.  DHAN team has made arrangements for its purchase. In South Sallikulam village, desilting work for two drainage channels is in progress and 39 persons from the same village are engaged in the activity and wage of Rs. 70 per person per day is being paid. The work of organizing the local people for desilting works is underway in North Sallikulam village. The team members are involved in mobilizing the villagers for the construction of 70 individual semi permanent shelters in Kameshwaram.

3. SEERKAZHI Block, Nagapattanam district

3.1 General situation
 

The government has distributed 60 kg rice and Rs. 4000 per family.

3.2 Initiatives by DHAN
 

The team has initiated work in two Panchayats in Kollidam block  Pazhayar and Thandavarkottam. The team has undertaken the construction of 100 houses- semi permanent structures.  School books, uniforms, bags have been purchased for 500 children which will be distributed in the next one or two days.  The services of a doctor for three hours a day has been organized in Thandavar kottam. The prelimnary work of organizing the people to form a village committee has been done in this village.

4. KANCHEEPURAM District
 

THIRUKAZHUKUNDRAM Block

4.1 General situation
 

Relief measures from government and others have been distributed 60 kg of rice and Rs. 4000 in cash, medical camps, distribution of mats, pillows and bed sheets. There is a  need for  groceries other than rice, clothing, utensils.

4.2 Initiatives by DHAN
 

DHAN Foundation was already working in eight villages which have been affected by the Tsunami. There was a need for relief materials such as groceries other than rice, clothes and basic utensils by the community. Around 350 families were identified for whom this is the need. Arrangements have been made for the purchase of the same and the same will be distributed  in next one or two days. The team has also undertaken discussions with the community for identifying alternate sites building their houses.