peoples foundation for scientific socio economic development...

Peoples Foundation for Scientific Socio Economic Development (PeFSSED) Estd : Dec 10, 2001 A-6, Ravi Swagat CHS, B S Juvekar Marg, Bhandup (E), Mumbai - 400042

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Trust [Mumbai] : FF-25581 �� [email protected] �� www.pefssed.org

Development is Freedom Walking miles to win smiles…

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VISIT REPORT

Title Tsunami visit

Person(s) visited Affected people of Tamilnadu

Place of visit Affected places of Tamilnadu Date of visit Jan 16-20,‘05

Member(s) Abhijeet Mohanty, Abhijit Deshpande, Aarti Hirve, Dr. Bhabatosh Mishra, J. Andrews Raja, Priya Sakorkar, Rajmitra Praharaj, Sriprasadh R, Subrat Sahoo, Sukanta Behera, V. Ramaswamy, and Vinay Jirgale Visit by

Non-member(s)

Related Programme/Project

Disaster Management Programme

Report drafted by Subrat Sahoo and Sukanta Behera Drafted on Mar 21, 2005

Report reviewed by Chinmaya Nayak, Hippu Salk Kristle Nathan, Vikram Lalit, Sriprasadh, Abhijit Deshpande

Reviewed on May 10, 2005

Remarks

-Detail description of the visit – PeFSSED Approach On our way to Chennai, we brainstormed on the approach the organization will undertake. These are

enumerated below:

1. To help the grief-stricken people residing in the inaccessible areas where no NGOs or external

agencies can venture.

2. Looking at our scarce resource base, PeFSSED can take up some job oriented schemes. The

schemes aim at enhancing the income generating capacity of people, undertaking “Food for Work”

programme.

3. To find out the scope of PeFSSED to Intervene, and to look out the feasibility of the work.

There should be no commitment to the people. PeFSSED will undertake the responsibility to provide a

long term and sustainable rehabilitation to win the confidence of the people.

First steps at Chennai The PeFSSED team reached Chennai at 6.30 am on 16th Feb 05. After getting refreshed at Dr. Bhabatosh

house, we set out for Kalpakkam, which lies on the way to Marina Beach (Chennai). Mr. Andrew and Mr.

Ramaswamy had given us an initial idea about the damage and losses near Marina beach. The seawater

and the mud slits had come to the road levels while the marks of water level on the walls of the shops

were visible. All the hutments of fisherman had been washed away. Nearby, villages had been submerged

in water. A number of resorts on the beach area those were once famous for tourism had also been

For office use only


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affected. The T.N. police had cordoned the beach area and prohibited making new hutments over there.

The poor people of fisherman communities were taking shelter in St. Joseph Church near the Golden

beach.

The Beginning: PeFSSED team of 10 members starting from Chennai

Halt at Pudunemmelikuppam

On the way to Kalpakkam, we came across many temporary shelter camps made of tarpaulin. Some

charitable trusts had managed to run community based cooking centers to provide cooked food to the

Tsunami hit victims. On the way, we stopped at Pudunemmelikuppam and interviewed a person (a

resident of the village), Mohan. According to him, 48 huts and 12 boats in this area had been destroyed.

Govt. provided 60 kgs of rice, dress materials, bed sheets, utensils and other daily need accessories in a

packet to every family, and Rs. 4000/- per family as compensation. Mohan said that the Govt. has

promised to re-construct their huts and to provide them free ration for 6 months. Fortunately, no

casualty is reported in this area, as there had been a time gap of 5 minutes to rescue the women and

children. The women folk are leading a very miserable life as they have lost their only means of

occupation of selling fish. The village was having 12 boats for catching fish, all of which were destroyed.

The fishermen said that their immediate need was a boat with 10 hp engine, and nets to get back to their

day-to-day activities. They had also started knitting their nets. They have approached different NGOs, to

provide each of them with individual boat supplemented with engine. Though not individual boat, some

NGOs have assured to provide 1 boat for 3 families to start community fishing. Basically, they were

asking fishing nets and boats to restore their livelihood.


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In Kalpakkam, the situation was almost back to normal. We did not find any substantial role of PeFSSED

there. Back from Kalpakkam we collected collector guidelines.

Dimensioning The Devastation: Everyone has his own plight to share. PeFSSED members getting a feel of it and assessing the damage it at Pudunemmelikuppam

Collector Guidelines

The NGOs, corporate houses and charitable institution willing to participate in the rehabilitation work

should submit a proposal for at least 50 families.

The project estimates should be above Rs. 25 lakh each for developing houses common in infrastructure,

relief and rehabilitation. The NGOs are free to choose any habitation with a minimum 50 families. There is

no upper limit for choosing families. The collector will review and take a decision whether to accept or

reject the proposal. A district level committee will be formed with revenue officers and chaired by

collector. Members will also collaborate with revenue officials and will examine the cost and engineering

aspects of the proposal being sent to the panchayat for approval. There will be MOU on the

commencement of the project. Two NGOs can collaborate for rehabilitation. There will be collaboration

with CBOs, Govt and NGOs. The place we next visited was Nagapattinam harbor.

Nagapattinam Harbor There were 700 fishing boats in the harbors of Nagapattinam, and out of that a total of 177 boats were

destroyed. Nagapattinam covers around 66 villages. Tata and Ashok Leyland have promised to rebuild


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the houses in these villages. Some NGOs from Japan are helping out the children of this village. Pt. Ravi

shankar, through his art of Living technique, provides counseling to the tsunami-traumatized victims.

Next, we moved to a village i.e. Keechankuppam.

Imagine It, It is There: Ship had crashed into a building at Nagapattinam

Keechankuppam

Three families are clubbed to stay together. Many of them have lost their children in the Keechankuppam

village. Now, The women of these families are purchasing fishes from the fisherman and selling it in the

market for their livelihood. More than a hundred families were into the fish selling business. They will be

provided with free ration for six month from the govt. We had a talk with a Doctor, who negated every

possibility about the break out of epidemics. He told that there is flooding of relief materials to this village

because of proper infrastructure facility; and urged us to provide relief to those villages which are

inaccessible and out of the reach of any NGO. Doctor termed the village as the “disaster tourism” of the

area. The next village we went was Unimali.


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When Nature Turns Hostile And Wild: There was a colony on this land of Keechankuppam place before the tsunami


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Target Missed By Miles: Excess of clothes at relief site at Keechankuppam - resource mismanagement

Unimali Unimali comprises sixty families, 40 families are provided joint-shelter. Like Keechankuppam, every two

families are living together in one house despite their unwillingness to stay together. Arkaduthurai is the

next village where we moved.

Arkaduthurai One thousand families and two hundred houses were affected in this village. TMSSS (NGOs) has provided

55 temporary houses, and has promised the village people to give Rs 10,000/ to repair the boats. There

is one high school and one primary school. There are 400 students. “Creative NGOs” was a running

Balwadi. Our team members had a fun-filled time with the kids. They shared some snaps with the kids of

the Balwadi, and give away biscuits to them. We loved it, One of our member asked the balwadi student

to teach him Tamil, and the answer from a 5-year child was, “touch the soil, you will listen tamil”.


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The team members visited one of the Govt. sponsored primary school. The total strength of the school is

310, percentage of girl children is meager, only 30. The school does not have good infrastructure facility,

and due to poor socio-economic background of the students, more than 70% of the students don’t come

to school regularly. Most of the students belong to fishermen community. And, mostly, they fall into the

category of ST/ SC / most backward communities. They aren’t aware about the benefits of education, and

hence they do not feel the need for it. After class V or VI, parents compel their children to help them in

fishing activities. Most of the parents are drunkard, and they hardly bother for the governmental

schemes, related to education, employment, agriculture loan etc that would benefit them. Early marriage

is another impediment in their learning. In the class VIII or IX, most of the girls married to their relatives

in the same fisherman community. The village we moved next was Kollitheevu.

Concrete Damage: Concrete also could not stand the water pressure, a devastated site at Arkaduthurai


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The Show Must Go On: The team at a make shift school at Arkaduthurai


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We Are For A Better Future: That's what Children of Arkaduthurai saying to PeFSSED members


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I Am Down, But Not Out: A child victim at Arkaduthurai

Kollitheevu

We think this village is highly inaccessible to any governmental/non governmental bodies. PeFSSED has a

great scope in intervening and start working in the place. Though the villagers are not flooded with

enough relief materials, as in the case of Keechankuppam (Nagapattinam) dock, some international NGOs

have intervened and have provided free ration to the people for up to six months. All the 50 families in

this village belong to MBW (Most backward communities). This village is just 200mts away from the sea.

The people of this of this village rest more on paddy and groundnut, for their livelihood. The tidal surge of

water has destroyed the agricultural production. Salt particle was deposited on the soil. The paddy trees

were without rice, and the groundnut plants were dried on the impact of salt water. Despite their struggle

for sustenance, they had not even forgotten their hospitability by offering us tender coconuts. The village

next, is in fact the very first village we went.


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Together, We Can And We Will: PeFSSED president with the victims of tsunami at Kollitheevu


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Nature's fury: the de-foliated land of Kollitheevu which got contaminated as it got submerged in sea water

The Village near Kalpakkam DAE (Evening Visit) On our very first day in Kalpakkam, Dept Of Atomic Energy Guest House, we had a bird’s eye view of the

devastation caused by the killer Tsunami in the Atomic Energy Center. DAE is more important and

strategic from our national security point of view. As the village is situated near the Geographical

Periphery of DAE guesthouse, there had been arrangement for the officers of DAE near the market places

and villages to assess the losses incurred by the quakes.

People from the village, adjacent to DAE, were residing in temporary houses made with the polythene.

The villages, near the seashore, were completely washed away. However, The D.A.E (Govt) has promised

to build permanent residence for them, and to provide new nets and boats to the fisherman to re-start

their businesses. Schools have been started running there, and the availability of electricity and

Kalpakkam Village has come directly under the supervision of DAE. The facility of pure drinking water has

been made. So PeFSSED does not have to play enough roles in this village.


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Next day, in the early morning at 8 o’clock, we started our visit to Nagapattinam. Mr. Andrew had given

us a preliminary idea about the devastation caused in Nagapattinam dock. PeFSSED is planning to work

at this place. As our vehicle did not have Pondicherry permit we have to go through Chidambaram, which

is another way to Nagapattinam. Had we traveled through Pondicherry, we would have come across the

devastation of Cuddalore and Karaikal.

Conference

Mr Abhijit Deshpande, President of PeFSSED presided over the meeting. According to him second trip

would be started after getting the feedback and report regarding the feasibility of adopting a village or

Long-term rehabilitation Programme.

Final Thought Mosaic: the team substantiating on the 4 day visit and framing the future steps at DAE Conference Room, Kalpakkam


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Feedback of Team-Members

a) Vinay has the following points to share with us –

1. Relief distribution is pretty good.Even People are getting food for two months.

2. Long term rehabilitation is required for restoration of boats/nets.

3. PeFSSED can work as facilitator and guidance can be given to other NGOs and government

mechanism.

4. There is need to build up a local team which act as a franchise office of PeFSSED for the

development of child education, women empowerment.

5. PeFSSED should act for the popularization of Education under “Sarva Shikshya Abhiyan”.

6. Alcholism is a great hindrance to development. PeFSSED with other NGOs should try to reduce such

social vice (Problem) and Family violence.

7. Development of Complementary business and knowledge of artificial breeding for enhancing the

number of catch (sea fish). From April to June/July, the fishermen are being debarred from entering into

sea to catch fish, because it is a time of breeding at sea. But because of big fish catching trawlers from

Nagapattanam dock, only the big fisherman get benefited so some areas should be reserved for small

fisherman to catch fish with their mechanized boats and sustain their livelihood.

b) Aarti provided us the following “food for thought”s-

1. Reproductive health care facility for adolescent girls can be PeFSSED’s concern

2. Counseling center has to be set up for mental rehabilitation of the victims.

c) Subrat put forwarded his thoughts in the following lines-

1. There should be opening of legal aid and advice cell for the benefit of fisherman community,

because they are not aware about the facilities provided by central Government. For example,

compensation amount for boat, net etc.

2. They should be given advanced fishing technique by Expert of Fisheries Department and PeFSSED

should act as facilitator.

3. The Tidal surge (Sea water inundation) destroyed the fertility of the soil. Therefore the upper

crust(layer) should be removed (salty part) for the facilitation of agriculture.

4. There should be construction of disaster resistant multipurpose building for the shelter of village

people during natural hazard, otherwise the building can be utilized for meetings, primary schools,

functions and other social welfare purposes.

5. Micro finance and SHGs should be constructed for making the people self-reliant. Group Insurance

scheme should be implemented and age old home should be constructed for the benefit of senior citizen.

d) Sriprasadh has following suggestions -


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1. Relief is a short-term activity and would not add value to life. Rehabilitation helps to reinstate one’s

life so that the change between pre and post tsunami should be minimal.

2. Rehabilitation can be mainly classified into physical and mental rehab. Physical rehab may further

be classified into infrastructure-based (say shelter, education) and nature’s support-based (say, fertility

of sea and soil). None of these is ignorable.

3. According to me, the relief work in the areas that we visited is between “fair” and “good”.

4. For us to provide the right mix of rehabilitation, we need to do a detailed study of the target groups

and the involved economies.

5. We need to put in extra time, efforts and resources to do remote work (working in TN from

Mumbai). A proper setup of a branch in Tamilnadu may also be needed.

6. Also, we should consider our strength areas i.e. child education and women empowerment.

7. I emphasis that we should manage the efforts and resources in the right direction.

e) Priya has said the following on her observations -

1. Women are under more pressure, there is violence against women like family violence under the

influence of Alcholism, which creates serious law and order issue. There should be women centric

approach and networking with other NGOs who work with women empowerment.

2. The relief work must target to ensure the fulfillment of the immediate need of women and children

(The vulnerable section of the society).

3. Fund should be raised for the construction of old age home, supporting Balwadi, spreading the

knowledge of Horticulture.

4. We should make awareness among the people for not collecting useless thing just for the sake of

collection.

5. PeFSSED should make fisheries Directory for the availability of training institutes and Experts who

delivered modern fishing technology.

6. Priya feared that due to migration (for the quest of job in other city) there may be development of

STD (Sexually Transmitted Disease). So proper health and training should be given to people.

7. On education sector, tuition (tutorial) classes may be conducted by private organization. Books and

study materials be given to students there should be about development of animal husbandry and

horticulture to make people self reliant.

f) Rajmitra insisted PeFFSED to give emphasis on the following points.

1. Widows (the women who have lost their husband in Tsunami) rehabilitation

2. Girls are the worst affected. Discontinuation of education, negligence of health care and denigration

of their living standards. Due importance must be given to girls education, health care and all around

development of girls.

g) Sukanta has following ideas on PeFSSED role


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1. PeFSSED should go ahead in collaborating with some local NGOs to augment the rehabilitation

effort.

2. The Community Based Organizations (CBO) such as mahila mandal, youth mandal must be

empowered to take up the task in hand.

3. PeFSSED can even facilitate marriage among survivors.

4. The rehabilitation Program must be demystified.

5. PeFSSED can develop the culture of Balwadi Education in the affected areas.

Future steps for PeFSSED:

Back in Mumbai, we had a detail discussion with our Director-Operations. The following has been outlined

as our possible next action-steps, looking at the feasibility vis-à-vis PeFSSED’s capability for future

intervention.

1. We should economize in our scale. As there is crowding of volunteer organizations and plenty of relief

supply, it is not the right time for PeFSSED to intervene.

2. Our intervention should start at least after 3 months. By that time it is anticipated that most of the

volunteer organization will retrieve from the affected areas leaving many stones unturned.

3. Our Chennai group needs to be organized to take up any future assignments.

4. In this regard, complete transfer of PeFSSED’s funds collection to any third party is ruled out.

5. We will take the help of expertise of Andrew, our member, in this regard. Other than being a

competent social worker, he has first-hand experience in the management of tsunami-related relief and

rehabilitation. Moreover, being a faculty in one of the Social work institute, he has a student community

base, which can help in managing any upcoming assignment. Andrew will be asked to design a blue print

of the action plan after making the necessary ground study.

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