The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Instal warning system, Jayalalithaa tells Centre

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Friday, Dec 31, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Instal warning system, Jayalalithaa tells Centre

By Our Tamil Nadu Bureau

CHENNAI, DEC. 30 . The Chief Minister, Jayalalithaa, today urged the Centre to instal a warning system to provide timely alerts about natural calamities.

Stopping by at Cuddalore, Nagapattinam and Colachel in Kanyakumari to hand over relief packages to those affected by Sunday's tsunami, Ms. Jayalalithaa told presspersons that earlier the Centre rejected the idea of setting up such a system on the pretext that it was expensive. However, in the light of what happened, the Centre should consider sharing the cost of setting up this facility with other affected countries — Indonesia, Malaysia and Sri Lanka.

A number of lives could have been saved had the Tamil Nadu Government been warned of the tsunami, she said at Cuddalore.

Three-pronged strategy

Ms. Jayalalithaa said the State was adopting a three-pronged strategy: arranging for rescue operations, recovering and disposing of bodies and providing medical aid, food and shelter to the survivors; initiating immediate and temporary relief measures, including payment of a compensation of Rs. 1 lakh each to the kin of the dead and supply of utensils, provisions and kerosene; taking up permanent rehabilitation measures such as reconstruction of damaged houses and financing purchase of boats, nets and other fishing implements.

First phase over

Tamil Nadu almost completed the first phase of relief and launched the second phase. The Government sought a special package from the Centre, for which a detailed estimate (of losses and the aid required) was being prepared.

Responding to the complaints by the survivors, Ms. Jayalalithaa assured them that houses would be rebuilt and new ration cards and other certificates issued. The Government was committed to rehabilitating them.

The relief package handed over to the victims included a dhoti, a saree, two bedsheets, 60 kg of rice, three litres of kerosene, Rs. 1,000 in cash for buying provisions, Rs. 1,000 for procuring utensils and Rs. 2,000 for putting up temporary tenements.

Later, in Nagapattinam, one of the worst affected districts, Ms. Jayalalithaa said fishermen and their families would be provided all assistance. The Government would provide them boats and other implements and help them construct houses in the third phase.

She gave away cheques for Rs. 1 lakh each to 10 families at a private marriage hall in the town.

The Minister for Environment, R. Vaithilingam, distributed assistance to 39 other families.

Though the Chief Minister was scheduled to visit Akkaraipettai to distribute assistance, the plan was changed following the warning about the possibility of another tsunami hitting the coast, and she left by helicopter, the Collector, M.Veera Shanmuga Moni, said.

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