Doomsday, the 26th

One, a quake on land. The other, out in the sea. But the contrast is stunning. The Kutch quake caused havoc in Bhuj and Anjar, destroying around 3 lakh buildings, with tremors reaching Ahmedabad, 500 km away from the epicentre in Lodai.

Yet, many escaped with multiple fractures, concussions and renal failure.

Last Sunday, the epicentre of the earthquake was 1,262 km away from Tamil Nadu and half a kilometere deep in the Pacific Ocean near Sumatra.

The tremors had no effect here but the resulting four tsunamis—between 9 and 9.30 am—left little choice for victims. About 1,00,000 homes over a 600-km stretch were totally destroyed.

In sharp contrast with Kutch 2001, hospitals in Cudallore and Nagipattinam, the worst affected areas, are almost empty. Survivors suffered only minor fractures or bruises when they were thrown away by the waves. Consider these:

• KUTCH: While extricating bodies trapped under rubble in Gujarat was not very difficult, you couldn’t even approach the hutments near the coast here that had been reduced into a soggy pile.

• TN: There was no question of using heavy earthmoving equipment. First they could not enter the area until a proper approach road could be prepared, secondly, it became a tedious task to remove bamboo sticks and palm leafs which were used to make roofs for the huts.

• KUTCH: The estimated toll in Kutch was initially put at over 50,000 making the government swing into action.

• TN: The TN government began with a toll of 150. Due to the remote location of the affected areas, officials could not estimate the extent of loss of life and destruction. By the third day, they realised they had a major disaster at hand.

• KUTCH: Even before the official machinery launched its relief efforts, voluntary agencies, unaffected families and local communities got together to take control. For instance, the Patel Samaj fed hundreds of homeless people and arranged for warm blankets and temporary safe shelters.

• TN: From Chennai to Nagapattinam, the fishing community was left to its fate. Except district relief teams and the Lions Club, there is little voluntary effort. It’s almost as if society has simply turned away from the tragedy.

• KUTCH: Community kitchens brought the victims together and provided a sense of security and belonging. In fact, relief was coordinated from these community kitchens.

• TN: In Nagapattinam, Velankanni, Kitche- kuppam, Tarangapadi, Karai- kkal and Pondicherry, people were waiting on the roadside for food packets to arrive.

• KUTCH: At one point of time, over 200 Indian and international relief agencies, including UNICEF, UNDP, WHO and Action Aid, were involved.

• TN: International reaction has been very slow. Only the UNICEF sent teams and relief supplies while there are almost no local voluntary and social agencies from other states.

THE COMMON FACTOR

• In Gujarat’s Anjar, school children were singing the national anthem on January 26 when the quake hit, burying them under the rubble.

• In Nagapattinam, over 200 children drowned. They had no chance of escaping the seven-metre high waves.