|
|
TSUNAMI
AND ITS AFTERMATH IN CHENNAI
A FIRST
HAND REPORT OF THE DEVASTATION OF THE FISHERMEN COLONY
Sunanda k.s.
Chennai is the capital
city of T.Nadu state in India. It is earlier known as Madras and one
of the four major metropolitan cities in India. Chennai is famous for
its beach in Marina and it is considered the second largest sea coast
in Asia. Marina beach attracts visitors in all the seasons and no
visitor ever leaves Chennai without visiting this famous landmark.
But the 26th December has converted this landmark site into
a catastrophe. Always this beach is buzzing with activity and on
Sundays it has many celebrities visiting as well. Many utilize the
coastline and the abetting road for their daily morning walks, plenty
of enthusiastic cricket players are found on the shore with unlimited
space. The morning time is also busy time for the fisher folk who
live on the shores of Marina. They go for fishing in the morning
hours of 3 or 4 and come back with their prized catch of fish at
around 9 to 10 in the morning. On the shore the women await for their
men to bring the fish and it is usually the responsibility of the
women folk to market the fish.
Thus on the 26th December number of fisherwomen was on the
seashore getting ready to sell their fish. The children were happily
playing on the beaches as they did not have school that day.
The Tsunami waves which struck the Marina and the coast of
Chennai had taken people unawares. Before people could realize what
was happening they were swept off their feet. Those who were
fortunate and who could run for their lives ran as fast as they
could. Many were trapped in the fishing nets which were layed for
drying, they got dashed by the catamarans which were tossed about by
the gushing water, the temporary shelters and even the little concrete
structures which were abetting the Marina were totally washed out.
This is the first hand report of the plight of the personnel who are
affected by the Tsunami in the Srinivasapuram region of Foreshore
estate – Chennai which is adjacent to the Marina beach...This
fishermen colony (Kuppam in local parlance ) there are around 3000
families in this region and all their huts have been washed away by
the seismic waves.
We all had impression that all the huts abetting the seashore are of
the fishermen. But today realization drew up that these were not only
fishermen but many families may be at least 35 to 40 percent of the
families are involved in other livelihood activities. The estimated
loss of life in this region is 180. Mostly children, women and the
aged were washed away.
All of them have lot of tales to tell the visitors as to how
they all ran for their life on the fateful day of the 26th
December. Most of them show also the wounds and injuries they have
met with while running for life.
The complexities are huge. Now all of them are shelter less. In the
morning they are all sitting in their respective ravaged dwelling
spots in the hope that if any officials or any help is coming through
they should not miss it.
Land mafia is present in this region also. The government had built
up tenements right on the seashore for the fisher folk - must be many
years back. Now these fishermen have taken rights on the beach
(illegally) just opposite to the tenements. They have sold the land
(all illegally) for Rs.12, 000 to Rs.15000. Number of poor families
who have come from outside Chennai for their livelihood have purchased
these lands and put up their houses.
The second category of people is the poor fishermen who are not
allotted tenements who have put up their huts there. The third
category of people are living in rent in these huts (probably the huts
belong to the fisher folk living in the tenements). The fourth
category of the people is the fishermen themselves who inspite of
having allotment of tenement they have again put up huts and living
here and have given to rent the tenement apartment.
With announcement of the relief from the government – the real
affected are those who were literally living in the huts. But it
seems many a case the owners who have let the hut dwelling for rent
are pocketing the benefits – leaving the real victims. If the
government is going to provide housing to these victims whether the
real victims will benefit or will it be pocketed by the resourceful is
a big challenge both to the civil society and to the government.
Now most of the them are living under the direct sun in the ravaged
houses as they say they have fear if they move from here somebody may
occupy and pocket their relief. Hence they are not moving out from
the spot. But in the night all are moving out to the pavements as
they are afraid to stay any further on the beach and the stark fear
for life is written very clearly on their face.
As per the Coastal Regulation Zone guidelines of the central
government there is not supposed to be any human activity or dwelling
within the 500 meters of High tide line. In 1991 when this was framed
all the coastal states had opposed the norms and it was felt like it
was infringement on their powers. Lot of amendments was brought in to
enable the private players and tourism promotion in the region. Thus
all the guidelines were flouted.
After the Tsunami both the people in the coast and the government are
not prepared to take any further risks. Further the fishermen are not
interested to live far away from the sea as it hampers their
livelihood. They need to safeguard their fishing nets, their
catamarans. Now that they have lost their dwellings and their
livelihood. Even if the government or the private players want to
provide housing it could be only at the alternative sites. Now where
are these alternative sites and whether these are feasible for the
fishermen are a big question mark?
The media both print and the news media is agog with the enormous
relief which is pouring in from within, far and wide states. But as
always the delivery mechanism is very poor. With regard to relief work
also it is a pathetic situation. All the relief supplies are coming
with lot of fanfare to the main road. Most of the relief materials
are pocketed by the people who are not affected. Those who are most
affected are not leaving their dwellings as they are living in
insecurity. Hence food, clothes or any other materials only if it is
brought inside without any fanfare can it really reach the most
affected.
The government has introduced some token system for giving cash relief
of Rs.4000/- . It has also supplied one gunny bag – 60 kgs of rice and
after this the food distribution has stopped. In this also again many
of them have not received this cash relief. Still some good
Samaritans are supplying food and some reach and some do not reach.
It is unfortunate that the cash relief received for rebuilding their
lives is used by the men folk to consume liquor. Thus many feel that
at one end the government is giving cash relief and at the other end
it is receiving back the relief through the state sponsored TASMAC
shops which are doing good business in supplying liquor.
Many of the able bodied and even elderly men and women are devasted by
their own situation. Some are saying, “We ran for our life that day
but today we are regretting. Rather than living in this condition we
also should have flown away with the water all our problems would have
been solved. “This is the common refrain most of them are saying. As
now everything is uncertain. They are shelter less, insecurity
feeling that they may not get any relief from the government, they are
helpless that they are also not able to get any temporary relief as it
is hijacked by the others , their future is uncertain. Many say they
are not at all thinking about their future. They are now thinking on
hourly terms.
Those who were involved in the fishing are not going fishing any
further as they neither have nets, nor the catamarans and neither they
are confident about the same. There is lot of rumours that fish
should not be eaten for the next three months and hence the fish
market has no takers. Those who are in the other livelihood other
than fishing most of them are employed as domestic servants, manual
labour – it is the 12th day where they have not gone to
their work.
Numbers of women we have met are also single headed widow women who
are further devasted with this situation with no male help and it is
only their neighbours who are helping them out.
They are all prepared to take any kind of help you are ready to pitch
in. Lot of visitors are coming and they are patiently answering
various queries in the hope that they will get some relief and succour
in any form be it from government or any other quarters .
Nagabooshanam is widowed and has two
sons aged 10 and 14. She is a tailor and was earning her livelihood
by stitching clothes. Her son completed 10th standard but
she could not afford to engage him in studies any further and thus his
future was truncated. She purchased a plot for Rs.12000 and put up a
dwelling. IN the tsunami she lost her house, her sewing machine but
was fortunate that she and the children survived the onslaught. Now
she is in hopeless condition and do not know what she can do in future
and how she will earn her livelihood?
Taramani was deserted women with two sons. On the fateful day she was
attending the Sunday mass at the church. Suddenly they were overtaken
by the gushing waters which entered the church. Somehow they saved
themselves and came out running to look for her sons. What she
witnessed was only ravaged mass of houses and there was no sign of any
living beings in the mass. She started frantically searching for her
son Francis who was not to be found. For the next two days she
visited all the government hospitals, mortuaries but the whereabouts
of her son were not known. Her whole world shattered and she was
almost in imbalanced stage when like a miracle her son came running to
her on the third day after the catastrophe. It seems many children
who came running away from the shore were taken away by the good
Samaritans in two buses and after ensuring the situation has calmed
down they were brought back. Thus Taramani feels it is a rebirth for
her and her sons. She works as domestic maid and hence she is assured
her work she can get back but now she is not sure about the
dwellings. She also could not get the temporary relief from the
government as well.
There are numerous
such pathetic stories. There is also lot of anger and resentment
among the people that even in such situations, the outsiders are
trying to pocket their relief and pushing them to situation of
hopelessness.
People should consider how the relief supplies could effectively reach
the ground level affected. Lot of resources is pouring into the
coffers of the government and the private sector. It is strange but
true that people who raise resources want lot of publicity as well.
They would like to be photographed handing over the cheques to the
Government relief fund, they would like to be photographed handing the
relief materials. What is important is that the delivery mechanism is
in appropriate place. People should realize whether their support is
reaching the affected? At least at the times of calamity good will
should prevail among the government, private and public bodies, NGO’s
and the political parties the combined mission should be fast relief
and rehabilitation. There should be no room for politics and we
should not allow the benefits to be pocketed by those who are
untouched by this catastrophe.
Mrs.Sunanda K.S.
Executive Secretary
Alternative For India Development
Plot No.1 VGN Nagar
Iyyapanthangal
Chennai 600 056.
Phone: 044-26272336/26490014
Email: Sunanda@aidindia.net
Web: www.aidindia.net
|
