The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Fishermen allege lack of coordination

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Dec 30, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Fishermen allege lack of coordination

By Saptarshi Bhattacharya

CHENNAI, DEC. 29. Resentment among fishermen affected by the tsunami over lack of coordination in relief operations undertaken by the Government agencies and voluntary organisations reached a flashpoint when residents of various colonies at Pattinapakkam staged a road blockade on Santhome High Road today.

For an hour, the people blocked the road raising slogans demanding immediate relief as promised by the Chief Minister. Relief distribution was lax and disorganised. Most of the food packets and clothes distributed since Sunday went to those from Srinivasapuram, they claimed.

Sashi Babu, a local resident, said the revenue officials had taken an enumeration of the affected families on Tuesday for providing aid. But today, they informed that the records were not accurate and that it had to be taken once again. Mr. Babu said the officials had informed them that they were not eligible for assistance because no deaths were reported in their families.

"We have lost our livelihood. All our boats and fishing materials are damaged. We are just demanding the Rs. 5,000 relief promised by the Chief Minister."

In several villages in North Chennai and Tiruvanmiyur, the Government had distributed aid, but left out the residents of nearly seven hamlets at Pattinapakkam, they maintained.

Collector's assurance

After about an hour, the Chennai Collector, V. Kannusamy, who arrived there, said he would review the enumeration and arrange for the disbursement of aid without delay. The residents dispersed soon after.

Officials involved in relief work in the area said such an incident was only waiting to happen. They said there has been no assessment of the immediate needs of the fishermen affected by Sunday's tsunami waves. Clothes, utensils and food packets kept pouring in from various quarters. Several non-governmental organisations distributed the relief materials themselves, while others deposited them at the counter opened by the Chennai Corporation. The supply was restricted only to the fringe areas of Pattinapakkam, especially Srinivasapuram, as very few organisations ventured into the colonies for relief distribution.

The streams of high profile visitors and voluntary agencies have been mainly to Srinivasapuram, leading to complaints of neglect from the other colonies.

Sekar, a tailor, who lives in a rented hut at Domingkuppam, said relief distribution was not uniform. The interior areas were covered only by a few organisations. "In the last three days, there has been no dearth of food, but many of us have got no clothes or blankets," he said.

The primary complaint has been that the government officials never asked them what they wanted, although they had lost their houses.

Agnes, another resident who had been camping at Lazar Church for the past three days with the rest of her community, asked why the Government was not involved in providing food and clothes and only private agencies were distributing them.

"Our men go out and beg for food. Can we not be treated the same way as the people in Srinivasapuram?" she asked.

In the morning, the City Police Commissioner, R. Nataraj, the Corporation Commissioner, M.P. Vijayakumar, and members of IPS Officers' Wives' Association, voluntary agencies and business houses gave away utensils and other relief materials worth Rs. 5 lakh to the residents of Srinivasapuram.

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