Tsunami Survivors

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India needs 5400 crore for rehabilitation of tsunami affected: WB

     New Delhi: India needs an investment of 5400 crore rupees (US 1.2 billion dollar) for overall rehabilitation and reconstruction needs in the four tsunami-affected states. According to an assessment prepared jointly by the World Bank, Asian Development Bank and United Nations at the request of the Government of India the estimated damages to assets are about 2580 crore rupees (575 million dollars), while the productivity losses are about 2035 crore rupees (450 million dollars). Officially 16,000 people lost their lives by the killer waves in three states and two union territories, while thousands were rendered injured and many more homeless. A joint assessment team of the three multilateral agencies visited affected areas in Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Pondicherry from February 1 to 15 after the government requested support to rebuild infrastructure, rehabilitate livelihoods and develop disaster prevention and management systems for the affected areas. The team met with affected persons, local, district and state- level government officials, NGOs and private sector representatives.

     A draft summary report was submitted to the Government of India on 18 February 2005. The government has agreed with the findings. The final report was released on Monday. The financial institutions are now in discussion with the government to determine the nature of support from each agency and implementation arrangements for the reconstruction program. The reconstruction estimate is higher than the damages as it will take into account replacement of the damaged assets and insulating them against any future vulnerability to such calamities. The report assesses the damages and needs both state and sector- wise, and says the largest proportion of damages account for housing and fisheries, restoring livelihoods, and to some extent in infrastructure and agriculture. Reconstruction needs for housing are estimated at 490 million dollars and fisheries at 1280 crore rupees (285 million dollars). Tamil Nadu is the worst affected with reconstruction needs estimated at 3900 crore rupees(868 million dollars), followed by Kerala 710 crores (158 million dollars), Pondicherry 510 crores (114 million dollars) and Andhra Pradesh 325 crores(73 million dollars).
- Mar 15, 2005

Tsunami survivors flay film plans (Go To Top)

     Melbourne: Survivors of the December 26 tsunami have disapproved of a plan by Channel 10 to finance a film based on the disaster, claiming that their wounds haven't healed yet and it is too soon to dramatise the tragedy on television. "I still see it myself every day. I don't have to see a movie about it. It's so fresh in people's minds still. I think it's in very bad taste," a victim who lost her husband in the disaster, was quoted by the Herald Sun, as saying. But Chris O'Mara, head of Freehand Productions, which will make the telemovie for Channel 10, was surprised at the reaction. "I'm a little stunned . . . given we haven't yet written one word on a piece of paper," he said. "We have a deal with Ten to develop it, but right now we're in the early research stage. We're talking a long, long time before the telemovie is completed," he added The film will tell the story of an Australian family who were in Phuket on that fateful day.
- Mar 12, 2005

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