The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Nagapattinam News : Taluk-level relief committees formed

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Friday, Dec 31, 2004

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Nagapattinam

Taluk-level relief committees formed

By Our Staff Reporter

NAGAPATTINAM, DEC.30. Taluk-level committees have been formed in Nagapattinam district to carry out relief works on a war footing in the coastal areas where nearly 4,500 persons had died so far in the tsunami disaster.

Addressing a press conference here this evening, Shantha Sheela Nair, Secretary, Rural Development and Local Administration Department, Vivek Harinarain, Secretary, Information Technology Department, M.Veera Shanmugha Moni, Nagapattinam Collector, and J. Radhakrishnan, Thanjavur Collector, said that 73 fishermen hamlets in the district particularly Akkaraipettai, Keechankuppam, Velankanni, Nagore and Tharangambadi were the worst affected claiming maximum number of lives.

They pointed out that 4,332 bodies had so far been recovered and cremated or buried till yesterday.

Ms. Nair said that in all 81,305 family members of victims were sheltered at 92 relief centres in Nagapattinam district, 8,451 members at 19 centres in Tiruvarur and about 4,000 persons at seven centres in Thanjavur district.

Mr. Vivek Harinarain said that the relief work was going on war footing and said that the boats that were on the roads at Keechankuppam and Akkaraipettai were removed with the help of cranes and army.

He said that the district administration had asked those within two-km distance from the shore to move to safer places in view of the warning that tsunami might strike again.

Mr. Moni appealed to social service organisations and donors to give milk powder, biscuits etc. and donate money instead of clothes. He said that arrangements were being made for flushing out existing drinking water pipeline in Nagapattinam for providing fresh water.

Mr. Radhakrishnan, said that two helicopters were engaged in the relief work. Extrication of corpses at Keechankuppam, Nagore, Velankanni, Thirumullaivasal and Pazhayar was in full swing and bodies were buried immediately.

He said that no case of fever or diarrhoea was reported in the relief centres and medical teams were examining all those in the relief centres.

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