The Hindu : Opinion / Editorials : A POOR RELIEF EFFORT

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Wednesday, Dec 29, 2004

Opinion

Opinion - Editorials

A POOR RELIEF EFFORT

WHILE INDIA WAS understandably unprepared for the tsunami that came without warning on Sunday morning, this does not explain the inexcusable tardiness in the relief work in some of the affected areas. The tsunami might be a stranger to India, but not the destruction brought by Nature to the country's eastern coastline, for long used to natural calamities such as cyclones and torrential rain. Given the swiftness with which the tsunami struck, the government's communication and warning system was no match. The Andamans, particularly Car Nicobar island, and Tamil Nadu are the worst hit, although other States such as Kerala and Andhra Pradesh have been affected by the killer waves in varying degrees. Final estimates of the magnitude of the human tragedy are still not available from the Andamans and more bodies are being cleared from backwaters, ponds, sand dunes, and debris in Tamil Nadu. No doubt, the demands made on civilian authorities in times like these are enormous, but quite inexplicably some of the villages in Tamil Nadu were untouched by relief operations more than 48 hours after the tsunami slammed the shore. Although the most devastating of the seismic sea waves came and went within 30 minutes, leaving the coast relatively calm and secure thereafter, government agencies were slow to reach some of the fishing hamlets in Nagapattinam and Kanyakumari districts.

A lack of coordination and foresight in making full use of the armed forces seems to have resulted in valuable time being lost. While the Coast Guard straightway plunged into search and rescue operations, a whole day was lost before the Army was called in to undertake rehabilitative measures and reconstruction work. The experience and resources of the Army would have been of immense help in rescue efforts but bureaucratic delays kept them away during the critical hours. More experienced and better equipped for emergencies, they would have moved in fast to remove the bodies, clean up the coastline, and launch rehabilitation work. The administration in the States must get district-level coordination committees in place to ensure that the relief from private sources, the Centre, and the State Government reaches the victims expeditiously.

In Tamil Nadu, it was evident that politicians were keener on winning brownie points for meeting the aggrieved sections than on concerted action to bring effective relief. Central Ministers seemed to go one way, State Ministers another. Although there can be no argument against people's representatives visiting hospitals and the affected areas, an unconscionable amount of manpower, logistics support, and resources appears to have been soaked up by VVIP visits at the cost of reaching relief to the victims quickly and effectively. This evidently took a toll. The visual images generated from Nagapattinam district, the worst-hit part of Tamil Nadu, of bloated bodies rotting on the streets and pits dug hurriedly by local people to serve as mass graves show how those in charge of relief and succour got their priorities completely wrong. The Centre has announced a package and the State Governments are trying to come up with their relief programmes. It is time to coordinate efforts, pool resources, and enable the affected families to build a roof for shelter and get their boats and catamarans repaired. A majority of the victims are fisherfolk, and they must be steadfastly helped to resume their livelihood and rebuild their lives.

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