Tsunami- Relief and Restoring Livelihoods & Habitats

DHAN Foundation Initiatives - Update 16

Summary of Initiatives

• Field visit to tsunami affected coastal villages in Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Karaikal & Kancheepuram was undertaken during January 2005.

• Information Needs Assessment was done through Participatory methods like Focus Group Discussions, etc in southern blocks of Nagapattinam district, Karaikal and Cuddalore.

• Villages were identified for setting up Thagavalagam (Village Information Centres) during February 2005 in these districts.

• Applications were generated to select the field associates for managing the Thagavalagams in these districts.

• The Nagapattinam District Collector Dr. J. Radhakrishnan IAS inaugurated the first Video Conferencing Session during the Confidence Building Convention on 03.03.2005

• Mr. L. Mohammed Mansoor, Deputy Collector – Revenue, Government of Pondicherry, inaugurated the Thagavalagam Community College in Karaikal.

• The training course is designed for a period of 60 days and the programme was started during February 2005.

• One Professional and one support staff are placed in the Community Colleges at Karaikal, Vailankanni and Cuddalore.

• The Educational qualification of the trainees ranges from 10^th to Degree.

• All the trainees were exposed to similar ICT initiatives in Melur & Kottampatty blocks of Madurai district.

• As part of the training programme the associates were able to develop relevant Content as power point shows.

• Village level meetings were conducted to identify and set up the Thagavalagams.

• The infrastructure like computers & accessories were purchased / assembled.

• Five Thagavalagams were inaugurated in Keelaiyur, Thalainayaru & Vedharanyam blocks of Nagapattinam district on 19.4.2005.  The list of villages include

1. Prathapa Rama Puram

2. Vilunthamavadi

3. Pudupalli

4. Vettaikaraniruppu

5. Vellapallam

•  Four Thagavalagams were inaugurated on 20.4.2005 in Karaikal.  The list of villages include

1.    Kottucherry medu

2.    Kilinjalmedu

3.    Karukalacherry

4.    Keezhaiyur

• Thagavalagam Associates are placed in the all the centres.

• The ICT team members of DHAN Foundation interacted with the Additional Collector Shri. Ranvir Prasad IAS and briefed the DHAN’s ICT initiatives in Nagapattinam District

• A total of 25 youth were trained in Karaikal (5 youth from fishermen community). Out of the 25 trainees, 18 are women and 7 are men from 12 different villages.  In Vailankanni a total of 56 youth were trained (40 are women and 16 are men from 12 different villages).

• The Block Development Officer of Cuddalore block Mrs. Vasantha inaugurated the Community College at Cuddalore on 21.04.2005.  A total of 45 students will be trained (28 women and 17 men).

Update of initiatives in Nagapattinam & Cuddalore district

Community organization

• In Kollidam block, 27 women groups with a total membership of 381 and 13 groups for men with 219 members are promoted.

• A total of 40 men and 75 women groups were formed in Kurinjipadi block of Cuddalore district and 50 groups are linked with the Commercial Bank. Similarly 14 groups are linked in Parnagipettai block.

• 17 SHG’s are linked with Bank in Keelaiyur block of Nagapattinam district.

Relief works undertaken

·         In Chinnakottaimedu village, Kollidam block grocery items were supplied for 60 families, each pack worth of Rs. 500/-.

·         In Cuddalore block the team has distributed 590 baskets for women fish vendors.

·         In C. Pudupettai village of Parangipettai block the team has distributed 267 bamboo baskets, 215 bamboo boxes, knives to 69 women fish vendors, 59 bicycles in Kodimara street and Parangipettai villages

·        Tailoring class is running at Palaiyar village of Kollidam block with three tailoring machines and 24 villagers are undergoing the training.

Tailoring class functioning at Palayar village of Kollidam block

Coastal water bodies renovation

·         Till date a total of 800 farm ponds have been dewatered in Keelaiyur block of Nagapattinam with community participation. A total of 3540 meters of drainage channels have been desilted. This benefited more than 100 farming families and generated a total of 525 man-days.   

Dewatering of pond in Kollidam block

Coastal agriculture

·        The land reclamation process at Devanampattinam of Cuddalore block is almost completed.   

·        Drainage channels desilting works in Keelaiyur block is completed

·        In Keelaiyur block the farmers group are to receive revolving fund for taking up land reclamation works.

Fishery

• In Kottaimedu and Thandavankulam villages of Kollidam block, fiber boat repairing and engine repairing works are completed. In Palaiyar and Kodiyamplalayam villages the boat repairing work is going on.

• Cattumaran repairing works is going on in Samiyarpettai village of Parangipettai block. Till date 14 Cattumarans have been repaired.

• 100 boat/cattumarans and 100 engine works were completed in Kollidam block.

• 41 shafts repair work is completed in Sothikuppam village of Cuddalore block

Housing & Construction works

·        Concrete cement flooring works for 60 temporary shelters were completed in Chinnakottaimedu village of Kollidam block

Bridge construction work at Chinnakottaimedu of Kollidam block.

Health & education

·      In the Kollidam block the team is providing continuous medical treatment for the severely wounded persons of tsunami. One among them has undergone operation and two are waiting for operation and three more are getting treatment

Events

·        One-day camp for encouraging the SHGs formed in the Tsunami affected areas was organised in collaboration with Indian Bank of Pondicherry on 13-4-2005.

Visits by donors

·  The International Fund for Agriculture Development  (IFAD) personnel’s along with the District Revenue Officer of Chennai visited Kollidam block during 11^th April 2005 to know the thrust areas as well as the functioning of DHAN Foundation in this region.