Once tranquil fishing village of Akkaraipettai, India
Monitor these pages to to see plans and progress for the rebuilding of the island village of Akkaraipettai near Nagapattinam, Tamilnadu, India. Site plans, building plans, and pictures of progress will be posted as available.
Tamil Nadu is a beautiful state nestled in the southern
Indian peninsula, on the shores of the Bay of Bengal and the deep blue Indian
Ocean. It is a tranquil combination of tropical climate, cooler hill resorts,
fishing villages, ancient culture, and friendly people. Sixty two million
people live in the state that is approximately the size of North Carolina, and
the capital city of Chennai (Madras) has over seven million inhabitants. The
population is concentrated in coastal cities south of Madras, facing east to the
Indian Ocean.
Inhabitants along the coast could not predict nor escape the devastation of the tsunami spawned by an earthquake last December 26. Nagapattinam, the worst affected district in mainland India with over 6,000 deaths, was a needy area even before the disaster. Now there is a dire need to help survivors rebuild their lives. Over a month after the tsunami, the island village of Akkaraipettai still looks like a madman’s warped playground, as its causeways to the mainland were washed away. Temporary bridges are being constructed using debris on site. Mangled boats lie forsaken half a mile from the shore, and only a few are starting repairs needed to resume fishing. Giant cranes struggle with mountains of debris and twisted metal.
Creating order from chaos is never easy. Not when it means locating rotting bodies, clearing debris, ensuring basic sanitation and food and water for thousands of stricken survivors, and re-building bridges in the midst of human wails and misery. Governments and charitable organizations worldwide have responded to the crisis with promises of money. India has opted to control their own relief efforts, and the vast majority of assistance originates inside the country. Some outside relief groups with inside organization are helping directly with distribution of aid, health care, and rebuilding the future. These Non Governmental Organizations are working with government officials, local agencies, and directly with the needy to witness results and not just wish.
Providing relief is not about just money, and giving away old clothes and sending cooked food to hapless people. It is about understanding local needs and working directly with the local people and the government agencies charged with helping. Temporary housing must be satisfied, livelihoods must be resumed, infrastructure must be rebuilt, and a permanent settlement recreated. Modern-day relief work further extends beyond giving economic support to include emotional relief, counseling, and sharing of rehabilitation. Since the tsunami, over 2,500 people have been reported with psychological disorders in the government hospitals of Nagapattinam alone. Professional counselors are great to help reestablish self esteem and motivation, but there is an even greater need for less trained volunteers of other professionals, students, and even what is becoming known as relief tourists.
Within Nagapattinam district there were three villages inaccessible for days after the tsunami. These three villages, Akkaraipettai, Keechankuppam and Nambiar Nagar, predominantly of fishermen families, were completely washed out and immediate relief is priority. Global Uplift has adopted Akkaraipettai village, 7 kilometers from Nagapattinam city as the area most needy of our help. In this humble village of 7000, 2700 lives were lost, and the destruction and tragedy will linger for many years. Our goal is to assist in immediate assistance for sustenance, help build temporary shelters, reconstruct what can be salvaged, and working with the Governor of Tamilnadu, assist in construction of permanent housing, medical clinic, and school building.
Rama Devi, 25, washes utensils amid the rubble of what was her home in Nagapattinam, in the southern Indian state of Tamilnadu.
Devi's sister-in-law Renuka Devi, left, carries a plank of wood with the help of neighbor Arul Selwan, 14, towards the door of her home.
Rami Devi lost a nephew and a sister in the December 26 tsunami, which killed more than 6,000 people in Nagapattinam and destroyed
houses and fishing boats. - Photos courtesy Associated Press, Guatam Singh
A journey through the troubled areas demonstrates that the systems are in place, and relief is not just on paper but in practice as well. Electricity has been restored in every affected village, and there is a minimal supply of safe drinking water. Round-the-clock health services have prevented the outbreak of any epidemic, and all seem to have access to the most basic necessities of life.
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