The Hindu : Tamil Nadu News : State team shares relief experience with Sri Lanka

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 13, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu

State team shares relief experience with Sri Lanka

By Our Staff Reporter

NAGAPATTINAM, MARCH 12. A two-member team, Shantha Sheela Nair, Secretary to Government, Rural Development and Local Administration, and J. Radhakrishnan, Nagapattinam Collector, sent by the Tamil Nadu Government to Sri Lanka shared their post-tsunami experience in Nagapattinam with Sri Lankan officials.

Talking to The Hindu today, Mr. Radhakrishnan said that during their recent visit from March 6 to 9 to the island nation, they shared their experience in rescue, relief operations, rehabilitation and reconstruction in the coastal district of Nagapattinam where 6,065 persons, mostly from the fishermen community lost their lives in the December 26, 2004 tsunami. The team accompanied by Nirupama Rao, High Commissioner for India in Sri Lanka, and Sunjay Sudhir, First Secretary (Economics and Commerce) in the Indian High Commission, travelled about 1,000 km by a Sri Lankan defence helicopter from Colombo.

"We were taken to some of the worst-affected areas in Batticoloa, Amparai districts in the North and eastern coast of Sri Lanka and Matara district in the South."

Mr. Radhakrishnan said that about 31,000 people died in Sri Lanka and 1.13 lakh families were rendered homeless.

The Collector said he and Ms. Nair explained the field-level practical problems faced by them and how they were tackled in Nagapattinam. Cleaning building and tsunami debris for reconstruction of damaged roads, effective use of earthmoving equipment and quickly shifting people from relief centres to temporary shelters were explained to the Sri Lankan officials.

The advantages of effective coordination with non-governmental organisations and media management were also discussed.

The team saw the construction of 340-foot-long two bailey bridges by the Indian Army in the island. A detailed Powerpoint presentation on the post-tsunami operations in Tamil Nadu, particularly in Nagapattinam district, was made to the Task Force for Rebuilding the Nation (TAFREN) functioning under the President's office.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Tamil Nadu