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Succour yet to reach survivors in remote fishing hamlets

By Our Staff Reporter

VEDARANYAM, DEC.29 . While relief and rescue agencies were focusing on coastal villages, which have suffered heavy loss of human lives, survivors in remote fishing hamlets have been suffering in silence without support.

Survivors in remote villages along the Vedaranyam and Point Calimere coast were struggling to cope up with the destruction and agony caused by Sunday's tsunami. Relief reached most of these villages only on Wednesday. They were accommodated in schools and other public buildings. Villages, which lost 20 to 30 people, have been mostly ignored, they complained.

Relief to the villagers came mostly in the form of food packets and water. The revenue authorities were supplying rice only to those in relief camps. However, survivors require urgent medical supplies for many members who have turned sick in the aftermath of the tragedy. Immunisation camps were being organised today. But those injured after being caught in the wave had to go in search of medical aid for long distance.

While those who lost their houses completely had nowhere to go, survivors, whose houses were partially damaged, were seen trying to pick up the threads of life. On Wednesday, many men and women could be seen cleaning the three to four feet of mud accumulated inside their houses at Kodiyakarai, Arkattuthurai, Pushpavanam and other villages near Vedaranyam. These tidal waves have washed away most of their essential household articles. A few fishermen were seen retrieving and repairing whatever remained of their fishing nets.

Though several volunteers of non-governmental organisations and political parties were supplying food and used clothes, there has been no attempt by them to assess the real need. Many of these teams had not bothered to get in touch with the government agencies and were acting independently.

In several places, food packets and old clothes could be seen piled up. "Rather than food packets, the survivors require vessels, stoves, commodities, construction and roofing material so that they can get back to day-to-day life," says an aid worker at Arkattuthurai. Shanthi, a survivor in the village, echoed similar viewpoint.

Many of the villagers suspect that bodies could still remain buried under huts and houses razed down by the wave. But there is no concrete effort to clear the debris and search for bodies in quite a few places.

Meanwhile, the revenue authorities have commenced a door-to-door survey to identify the affected families in the coastal villages. However, the teams were recording human and cattle losses and damages to house. Many survivors pointed out that the losses suffered in the form of household articles, valuables and cash are not being taken into account. The officials replied that they were acting as per "instructions."

The revenue teams were not recording the damages caused to the fishing equipment including boats and nets. The officials said the Fisheries Department would conduct a separate survey.

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