Saturday, January 01, 2005
The Relief Work - after the Tsunami
The Relief work
Tsunami hit east coast of India like a bolt of lightning from the blue sky. No one in this region including the NGOs, Government agencies, armed forces, rescue teams, people and professors has ever expected a tsunami will hit their coast.
In most affected villages by about 11 AM on Sunday the 26th December 2004 it was all over. The few survived rushed to main roads, nearby villages and towns and cried for help. The mobile phones were the only means of communication and the local youth gathered in schools, temples, churches and mosques (the community meeting places in the villages). They at once rushed to the affected areas in two wheelers and carried dead and injured to nearby shelters and hospitals.
The government machinery did not start functioning till late in the evening on the tsunami hit Sunday. Even ambulances at government hospitals could not be pressed into service either for want of diesel or permission from higher authorities.
The survived women and children were brought to adhoc relief camps set up in temples, marriage halls. The local social / religious groups started providing immediate food and water to these people.
By Monday morning the government machinery moved with surprise speed. Medical teams and bull dozers were pressed into service. All the affected areas were dusted with disinfectant. Entire population was administered with anti-biotic and vaccines. Drinking water was supplied in tankers, electricity restoration work started in all areas.
Relief material started flowing in from all corners of India. The first to arrive with truck loads of food, clothes, blankets etc were from nearby towns and cities (Chennai, Coimbatore, Salem, Madurai, Trichy, Bangalore, Pondicherry etc). The distribution was chaotic. Old and used clothes could be seen discarded on both sides of roads as it was not needed by the affected people. Appeals went out to all not to send old and used clothes.
By this time all media teams from television channels rushed in with their up linking vans. The enormity of the devastation could be seen by Tuesday morning 28th December 2004.
Now the problem of administration is controlling relief material pouring in from all directions. The distribution of these material directly to the affected people or in affected areas started creating problems with the large number of trucks moving in with relief material. The administration stopped these vehicles moving in to affected areas to curtail mob violence.
By the New Year 2005 (Saturday) the administration literally banned inflow of relief material directly to the people. NGOs including Rotary, Lions, Red Cross, Unicef, etc provided the necessary inputs to feed and protect the affected people in various Camps.
Tsunami hit east coast of India like a bolt of lightning from the blue sky. No one in this region including the NGOs, Government agencies, armed forces, rescue teams, people and professors has ever expected a tsunami will hit their coast.
In most affected villages by about 11 AM on Sunday the 26th December 2004 it was all over. The few survived rushed to main roads, nearby villages and towns and cried for help. The mobile phones were the only means of communication and the local youth gathered in schools, temples, churches and mosques (the community meeting places in the villages). They at once rushed to the affected areas in two wheelers and carried dead and injured to nearby shelters and hospitals.
The government machinery did not start functioning till late in the evening on the tsunami hit Sunday. Even ambulances at government hospitals could not be pressed into service either for want of diesel or permission from higher authorities.
The survived women and children were brought to adhoc relief camps set up in temples, marriage halls. The local social / religious groups started providing immediate food and water to these people.
By Monday morning the government machinery moved with surprise speed. Medical teams and bull dozers were pressed into service. All the affected areas were dusted with disinfectant. Entire population was administered with anti-biotic and vaccines. Drinking water was supplied in tankers, electricity restoration work started in all areas.
Relief material started flowing in from all corners of India. The first to arrive with truck loads of food, clothes, blankets etc were from nearby towns and cities (Chennai, Coimbatore, Salem, Madurai, Trichy, Bangalore, Pondicherry etc). The distribution was chaotic. Old and used clothes could be seen discarded on both sides of roads as it was not needed by the affected people. Appeals went out to all not to send old and used clothes.
By this time all media teams from television channels rushed in with their up linking vans. The enormity of the devastation could be seen by Tuesday morning 28th December 2004.
Now the problem of administration is controlling relief material pouring in from all directions. The distribution of these material directly to the affected people or in affected areas started creating problems with the large number of trucks moving in with relief material. The administration stopped these vehicles moving in to affected areas to curtail mob violence.
By the New Year 2005 (Saturday) the administration literally banned inflow of relief material directly to the people. NGOs including Rotary, Lions, Red Cross, Unicef, etc provided the necessary inputs to feed and protect the affected people in various Camps.
# posted by Prasad P.N., Pondicherry @ 8:30 PM 
