EXPERIENCE AFTER TSUNAMI RELIEF AND REHABILITATION EFFORTS IN CHENNAI By Dr. N. Paul Sunder Singh Director Karunalaya Social Service Society Chennai 600 081.
ABOUT CHENNAI CITY Chennai has a coast line of 19 Kms Chennai Sea Port - with world class container handling facility Fishing Harbour with More than 2500 mechanized boats and traditional crafts Fishing Community slums at the coast and settlements, tenements and houses
DAMAGES IN CHENNAI No of affected people - 73,000 No of houses damaged - 17,805 No of people dead - 206 No of people injured - 55 No of villages affected - 24 No of kuppams affected - 62
RELIEF WORK AT THE INITIAL STAGE The tremor The tidal surge Houses and properties washed away Loss of life Rescue operation in force by Government departments and the local people Relief was overwhelming from philanthropists But no coordination Relief were dumped People became choosy
THE ENUMERATION PROCESS Many affected People were left out Non affected got themselves enumerated Government did not know who were really affected Neither they took the help of the local NGOs Genuine people lost their proof in tsunami The actual number doubled after enumeration due to wrong claims Local goondas and local political functionaries had a field day in this process
NO PLANS IN PLACE People were living for about two months on the road and graveyard After one month of roofless life NGOs provided tents to the people in Chennai It took some time for government to bring things under control Importance of NGOs were felt and coordination seeked Dependency created among people on relief Education of children was affected, many children did not return to school
UNIQUE EXPERIENCE IN NORTH CHENNAI Government planned to resettle the affected in Temporary shelters No feasibility study Low lying land was chosen for construction of temporary shelters No drainage facility No sanitation facility No transportation facility
UNIQUE EXPERIENCE IN NORTH CHENNAI No school No hospital near by (few children died due to sickness and lack of health care) No market / Ration shop (PDS) Fishing - Livelihood affected During rain in flooded Due to this situation block electives were elected and trained
THE NEXT HAZARD AND THE DISASTER Fire accident gutted the temporary shelters Roofless again Rain played havoc Government were pressured to find alternate land People s participation ensured in the lobby and advocacy efforts
NGOs CONSTRUCTED SEMI PERMANENT HOUSES 1748 houses were constructed at Ernavoor Among them Karunalaya had built 200 houses for the tsunami affected people People Action Movement (PAM) constructed 1548 houses. We used the labour of the affected community Involved monitoring committee to supervise the construction after giving them training on the proposed construction including about the materials to be used and the quality and quantities
Ernavoor Semi Permanent Shelter
NO OTHER FACILITY PROVIDED BY GOVERNMENT AGAIN IN THE SEMI PERMANENT HOUSES Karunalaya provided the following - Free Health Care center - Pre school covering 150 children in 6 centers - Transit school for drop outs - Supplementary education centers - 3 Free buses for children to go to school 9 Kms away - Children s clubs
Free medical center within the Semi Permanent Shelter, Ernavoor
Balwadi centre
Balwadi children
Free bus service for the children
Children s club members cleaning the area
COMMUNITY INTEGRATION INITIATIVES Community Elected street representatives Working committees on various issues such as - Water and sanitation - Electricity - Permanent houses - Monitoring committee
Over flowing leach pits fill the streets in the temporary shelter Health hazard is unminded.
Since no body is taking the responsibility, women in the temporary shelters try to solve the problem of poor sanitation themselves. Does the poor have no right to basic needs?
People have taken electricity connection with hook from the street light connection. No individual connection has been given to them till now.
This is how the hooked connection in the temporary shelters. A risk not minded
Poor quality toilets, no doors, no privacy for women to use these toilets, therefore conflicts arise to use the few functional toilets. No one takes responsibility to this situation.
LIVELIHOOD PROGRAMMES 47 women self help groups 6 men self help groups were formed and trained Various alternate livelihood trainings were provided 33 boats 20 mobile shops 21 catamarans 91 women trained in beautician course 45 driving license 200 self help groups members on Basic Business Skills Training
Women Self Group Members
Boats provided to the tsunami affected people
Mobile shops were provided to the tsunami affected people
Provision of catamarans to the tsunami affected
Disaster warning Fire Rescue team
Disaster rescue team during the water rescue
Mock rescue of an old woman due to disaster
ADVOCACY AND LOBBY The community representatives were empowered with knowledge on their rights Working committees petitioned the officials to solve problems
SHG women federation staging a protest requesting for the permanent housing
Screening the documentary film of the neglected families before the Director of TNSCB
PROTECTION ISSUES
PROTECTION OF CHILDREN Child abuse increased in the temporary shelters Many cases were brought to our knowledge but parents refused to file case After so many attempts we successfully filed one case after struggle with the police Case of Banu (9yrs - name changed) Abused sexually penetrated many times Culprit was a 50 year old man in the temporary shelter Police did not file the case but kept the culprit in the station and let him off
PROTECTION OF CHILDREN. Mother found swelling in the vagina while bathing the child as she complained pain Brought to the knowledge of Karunalaya Complain lodged - but refused to file case High court intervened and directed the police to file case and transferred to CBCID Culprit then arrested and was in jail for a month
PROTECTION OF WOMEN Women are vulnerable to sexual abuse There were repeated cases of rape But women refuse to complain due to loss of dignity One case was registered and was in the newspaper But police did not cooperate Culprit was on bail after few days
STD, HIV/AIDS Allurement of women into prostitution has also increased Multipartner sex as increased in the temporary shelters Family separation, desertion, runaway, bigamy etc on the rise Karunalaya launced a programme with the support of UNDP to prevention STD,HIV/AIDS in the temporary shelters. It is progressing well as many have come forward for voluntary testing for HIV
EXPLOITATION Sale of hair Sale of Kidney