Tsunami
Survivors
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Voluntary workers help tsunami
victims reset life
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Children
at a relief camp in Port Blair. More than
1500 people had taken shelter
in this relief camp when tsunami
waves washed away everything
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Thiruvananthapuram:
Several voluntary organisations have taken up clearing the
debris in Kerala state, which was hit by the tsunamis last
month. In tsunami-affected Quilon and Alleppy districts
in the state, the people are trying to pick up the pieces
of their life. Right wing Rashtriya Swayam Sevak Sangh or
national volunteer corps, Communist Party of India (Marxist),
Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) and several
other religious groups have sent in their members to help
in the cleaning work. Brahmcharini Uma, a voluntary worker,
said the work, which began a week ago, is still continuing
in Azheekal, Alappad, Srayikkal, Ayiram Thengu and would
need more time.
"We
are helping to clean the village. We visit these houses.
Everything is ruined. People are just helplessly waiting
for help. We are helping them clean the roads. There are
a lot of bricks and garbage lying all around. We are helping
them to sort the ruins, to keep the wood which could be
used as fuel, burning the garbage," said Uma. Mubina Muhammed,
a DFYI member said: "For last one week we are engaged in
cleaning work but it will take more time. Unless the government
acts the situation will become worse." The state government
says 400,000 families, most of them fisher folk, have been
badly hit by the killer waves along its 500-mile coastline.
An official statement from India's Home Ministry released
on Sunday said the toll had risen to 15,639 comprising 10,022
confirmed dead and 5,617 people missing. The missing people
include 5,531 in the Andaman and Nicobar islands, 1,200
km (750 miles) off India's east coast.
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Two women clearing
up the debis of their
house in Alappuzha, Kerala
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Meanwhile,
eleven families still wait for their rehabilitation since
they were ravaged by tidal waves about 12 years ago. They
had been provided a shelter at a local government school
in Valiyathura in Kerala with no further help coming from
the government. Valiyathura is a costal area in Thiruvananthapuram
which is attacked by the tidal waves almost every year.
The adjoining areas of Veli and Vizhinjam too are not spared
by the killer waves. About 12 years ago, tidal waves ravaged
about 22 houses in the coastal area.The administration provided
them a temporary shelter at the Valiyathura Upper Primary
School. After a couple of months, 11 families shifted to
their own houses after getting them repaired. However, about
11 more families who had lost everything in the tidal attack,
had nowwhere to go. These families are still residing in
the same old school building with no help from the government.
"If government provides us land, we are ready to go, but
no politician is ready to accept our case. We do not know
the reason," says Sandena, a rescue shelter resident. "About
11 families are staying here in a pathetic condition. We
did every possible thing but to no avail. We took them to
several ministries, but nothing could be done. Now our hopes
are pinned on the court orders," said S N Titus, a local
politician.
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Another trauma: Children having meals
at the Valiyathura school in Thiruvananthapuram
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The
36 members of these 11 families get their afternoon meals
from the school itself. Children of this rescue shelter
can be seen running for food at half past twelve in the
afternoon. All the families stay in a large hall of the
school, the space is partitioned by each family with the
help of bed sheets, sarees and so on. "Around 11 families
are here since 12-13 years. Different governments came and
no one took any step to do anything for their betterment.
We have presented different memorandums at various places.
Although some steps have been taken, but none have been
finalised now. Some of these victims have died waiting for
the rehabilitation. They are struggling. They should be
given sufficient place and accomodation to stay," said Francis
Albert, President Indira Gandhi National Foundation, an
NGO Recently a court order insisted to provide them land
and houses, but nothing concrete has been done so far in
this regard.
- Jan 10, 2005
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