The Experience A Mixed Response

Significant Contributions

Unexpected Short Comings

At ground level, much has been accomplished thousands of houses are being built, new school buildings have come up, one can see large number of fishermen going out again in their new boats all along the coastal waters and fisher women back to their normal lives.
Lands have been reclaimed from the heavy salt of
the sea waters. The farmers in the coastal area have
resumed their pre-Tsunami activities.
The affected families have shown tremendous
resilience in the beginning and co-operated well with the
Government and NGOs to renew their livelihood.
This is all due to much dedication, commitment and
resilience from the part of survivors, Government officials,local organizations and international aid agencies.
While the humanitarian emergency operations have
been generously funded, many other areas such as critical infrastructure, shelter, restoration of livelihoods and capacity-building - remain under-aided. Changing policy regulations about land use (the imposition of a buffer zone) has been a major issue, slowing construction and altering resettlement needs. Soaring prices of construction material and escalating labour costs are other serious concerns.
The NGOs, State and Central Governments, despite
several obstacles are slowly but steadily rebuilding the lives of the communities that were totally devastated at the beginning of the year 2005. This is in spite of the criticism against the NGOs for inordinate delays in providing permanent shelter for Tsunami-affected communities.

In the livelihood revival front, much has gone intoreplacing the fibreglass boats. Inducting more fibre glass boats has left the traditional catamaram high and dry.
It is reported and also seen that in many villages,there is over-supply of fibreglass boats. What the impact of all this is in the long run, no one knows!
Despite the tremendous planning ability, resource under the control of Government and NGOs, both the Government and the agencies through their joint public-private partnership could not provide / resettle homes for at least 25% of the families even after 15 months of operation !
On seeing the tremendous response from NGOs, from mid or even early of 2005, the affected community started playing one NGO against the other with a hope not to meet their needs but their greed.
In the entire rehabilitation process, the coastal community which was till 2004 a self-reliant community suddenly became a dependent community and as a result, has received more than its due share in many places, whereas in the hinterland most vulnerable and most backward communities who have also been the focus of development among the NGOs for the last couple of decades have never received so much investment.

New housing colony coming up at Alanthalai Work started at Mappillaioorani project, Tuticorin

In spite of all our efforts and hard work , there is still a scope and the need to engage with the families to completely rehabilitate them in a responsible way. It will take time. Ideas are taking shape among different communities : about income-generating schemes, thrift societies, interest-free loans and many others. There is hope in the country where people are not only rebuilding their own lives but their lives together as communities. Therefore the best thing is that the NGOs should sit together, discuss and then come to a larger understanding about their activities hitherto and then work out a co-ordination strategy about the entire business of rehabilitation.

Housing Programme nearly completed at Vilunthamavadi

Housing Programme nearly completed at Vilunthamavadi

SUM-UP : The Tsunami relief and rehabilitation is a story of Exodus retold. The difference is instead of resettling in a new promised land, the affected community is slowly returning to their former settlements. To DPG, though relief and rehabilitation services were not its core competency, we are glad our presence has been well acknowledged and warmly received by all quarters. In the area of relief and rehabilitation, we shall continue to strive to achieve better results. We do trust that the NGOs efforts will make an enormous difference in many Tsunami-affected families. There is still much more to be done! All that the NGOs have accomplished so far in the field of livelihood restoration is a significant milestone. In the shelter field, NGOs including DPG, need to put in extra efforts to complete the task. Once that is done, what the NGOs have accomplished will be recorded in history as an epoch-making achievement! Let us all work for it. DPG records its grateful thanks to all our partners, the affected families and staff for working together to reach the goal.

Place : Chennai R. Bhakther Solomon
Date : 09.06.06 Chief Executive Officer