‘Crores have been spent, we will spend more’

The people of Nagapattinam have been quietly rebuilding since last year’s tsunami, with hope replacing the overriding gloom. Crores hav...

The people of Nagapattinam have been quietly rebuilding since last year’s tsunami, with hope replacing the overriding gloom. Crores have been pumped in to rehabilitate the locals and in addition, 60 Indian non-government organisations and 12 international NGOs have done their bit for the affected.

Nagapattinam collector J Radhakrishnan says: “Crores have been spent and the government intends to spend much more on the tsunami-affected people in Nagapattinam. Other than the basic relief compensation, relief for injured, permanent houses, development of the port and projects has been taken care of by the government.”

The locals themselves are happy with the government and NGOs’ efforts. Depending mostly on fishing for a livelihood, the people used to get by on whatever money they earned. The government had little role to play in their lives — Rs 300 for the September-December lean period and subsided diesel was all that the locals got from the state.

But the tsunami has changed all that.

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Standing near her new house in Samanthanpettai village where 140 died in December 2004, Sumati says it is like a new life for her.

“I lost my grandfather in the waves but all changed after it hit this small-time area in Nagapattinam. Earlier, we were never given a thought by politicians and other bigshots. But after the waves devastated the whole area, suddenly everybody came and so much has been done for us now. I had to leave my education midway because of shortage of money but I have started going to school again, thanks to the NGOs,” she says.

Earlier this week, locals were handed over 340 concrete houses by Mata Amritanandamayi.

Chinamma, a villager, says: “We had never expected that we would someday have a concrete house. We used to stay in a thatched-roof house and this house is above our expectations. We would have never got this made with the money we were earning. I used to own an old boat and today I have a mechanical boat. (The) Tsunami might have affected the people but it definitely brought a new life for us.”

Money pours in

• No of families benefited (in Tamil Nadu): 89,000

• No of fishermen: 17,954

• Basic relief, relief for injured: Rs 125.84 crore

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• Compensation to fishermen: Rs 52.41 crore; major component includes catamarans, fibre boats and mechanical boats

• Compensation for those involved in animal husbandry and horticulture: Rs 12.5 crore

• Permanent houses: 17,461, built at a cost of Rs 1.5 lakh each

• Development for Nagapattinam Port: Rs 50 crore

• Development for fishing harbours: Rs 25 crore

• Amount committed for the 73 affected areas: Rs 605.02 crore (by govt); Rs 385.63 crore by NGOs

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