A PLAN IN PLACE: The Development Promotion Group discussing a proposal for building homes for tsunami victims of Nagapattinam, in Chennai on Tuesday. — Photo: Vino John

CHENNAI: As preparations are on to identify and allot land for building permanent shelters for the tsunami-affected, NGOs have also begun to get their act together and their earthquake-resistant shelter designs.

Development Promotion Group, which initiates development initiatives with the help of people's organisations based in the community, on Tuesday met with its partners to come up with a complete design for housing settlements to be located in Tuticorin and Nagapattinam.

The plan is to build 490 houses in two villages in Nagapattinam (Vanavanmahadevi and Vilunthamavadi) and 202 houses in one village in Tuticorin (Tsunami Nagar).

In the 1200 sq feet of land that the Government will allocate to each family, 400 sq ft. will be the built-in area, with a separate toilet for each house.

The DPG has surveyed the damaged houses in the area and based on the study and in consultation with local fisherfolk have drawn up three designs of houses each costing about Rs. 1.75 lakhs, as against the Government stipulation of Rs.1.5 lakhs per house, according to DPG Chief Executive Officer, Bhakther Solomon.

He said they hoped to begin construction by June 10 in both districts and take between nine and 18 months to finish building the houses.

Part funding for the venture, expected to cost about Rs. 25 crores, would come from EED and Diakonie Emergency Aid, both from Germany, Mr. Solomon added.

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