The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : Involve locals in relief work, says Medha Patkar

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

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

Involve locals in relief work, says Medha Patkar

By Our Special Correspondent

CUDDALORE, JAN. 11. Social activist and environmentalist Medha Patkar has called upon the authorities to adopt a "tripartite approach" to the relief and rehabilitation operations in the tsunami-hit areas. She said the local community should be involved along with the officials and non-governmental organisations while deciding on the steps to be taken for their resettlement and resumption of livelihood.

After visiting the affected areas such as Killai, Pillu Medu, M.G.R.Thittu, Chinna Vaikkal and Kannagi Nagar today, Ms. Patkar — of the National Alliance of People's Movement — met the District Collector, Gagandeep Singh Bedi, here.

She suggested the setting up of hamlet-level advisory committees, with representation to all communities or clans, castes, women and youths, to work out the relief package. Such committees should be the main bodies for the planning, execution and monitoring of relief and rehabilitation.

Wherever resettlement of the fishermen was needed, suitable lands must be identified in consultation with the locals and the design, layout and materials for both temporary and permanent structures should be determined with their consent. The tenements should be in conformity with the traditional patterns and traditional materials. The construction work should be labour-intensive. The sites for resettlement should be located within one kilometre from the seashore, "with the risk involved accepted," and the land allocation for each family should be five cents and not two cents as proposed.

Ms. Patkar said that all the communities preferred temporary shelters, with thatched roofs and walls. Hence, there was no point in pushing fireproof asbestos or polyvinyl chloride sheet roofing for the purpose. Local self-help groups could be formed in each village to procure the materials for the thatched roof and organise the local craftsmen. For this, the Government aid of Rs. 5,000-Rs. 8,000 was adequate, as most of the affected families were conversant with the materials, costs, wages and quality control.

Harnessing the coordination and interface resources of large NGOs by the Government may be useful in putting up permanent structures, she said. The local community must be empowered to monitor the execution of all kinds of works.

Ms. Patkar stressed the need for organising long-term counselling and psychiatric services for selected men and women, particularly the elderly.

She said that until the ground water sources were replenished, protected piped water supply infrastructure must be put in place.

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