The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Nagercoil News : Land identification on for construction of houses

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Jan 12, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Nagercoil

Land identification on for construction of houses

By Our Staff Reporter

NAGERCOIL, JAN.11. The district administration has started identifying land for the construction of permanent houses for tsunami-affected fisherfolk, said the Collector, Sunil Paliwal.

Speaking to presspersons here on Tuesday, he said that one piece of land had already been identified near Colachel. Similarly, land would be identified in other parts shortly. All new settlements would comply with the coastal regulation zone stipulations, which prohibited construction within 500 meters from the sea. Even fishermen who had not been affected by the killer waves would be persuaded to shift to a safe distance.

The Collector said that the fisherfolk had expressed their willingness to abide by the CRZ rules. The detailed report on damage caused to fishing equipment would be ready within a couple of days following which financial assistance would be given. About 3000 temporary sheds would be ready at 15 places within two days and at each camp a police outpost and a health unit would be opened.

Out of the 821 deceased, 811 bodies had been identified and solatium disbursed to the kin of 703 victims and for those who lost various degree certificates would be provided duplicates at the earliest. Till now 210 applications had been received in this regard and a separate cell would be opened at the Collectorate as well as at the zonal-level to process such applications.

Uniforms for primary and middle school children had been readied and those for high school students would be stitched after taking measurements once the schools reopened. Students would also be allowed to travel anywhere in the district using their free bus passes and those who had lost their passes could soon apply for duplicate passes.

Out of the 27,294 affected houses, power supply has been restored in 25,213 houses. Among the remaining connections, 2,050 houses were damaged and 31 houses still closed. Streetlights have also been restored at all places and all the 193 damaged transformers too have been set right. Power supply to the 62 overhead tanks had also been restored, the Collector said.

As many as 17,298 school students had been affected by the killer waves that hit the costal areas of the district on December 26, according to a baseline data prepared by the Kottar Social Service Society and Coastal Peace and Development.

The highest of 1,581 students including 836 girls were affected in St.Mary's Higher Secondary School at Colachel and they were forced to stay in relief camps. Similarly a total of 368 boys and 384 girls of St Mary's Primary School at Colachel were also affected by the tsunami.

The data puts the loss owing to damage to fishing gears, houses and other property at Rs.3448.87 crores.

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Land identification on for construction of houses