Kerala - Kochi   

Four houses for tsunami victims

Staff Reporter

First step towards rebuilding their shattered lives

MISSING SUPPORT: Padmini of Chappa beach in Kochi, who lost her house in the tsunami pleading for support for rebuilding her life. Though foundation stones for four more houses for those affected by the disaster were laid on Tuesday, help has not c ome for her. — Photo: Mahesh Harilal

KOCHI: The largesse of Bhima jewellers has helped four families on the Chappa beach here who lost their houses in the December 26 tsunami onslaught take the first step towards rebuilding their lives.

The Vypeen block panchayat president, C.M. Devassy, took up the plight of the homeless and the neglected with Bindu Madhav of the jewellery group. Though the initial agreement had been to build two houses, it was made to four after Mr. Madhav visited the area. Mr. Madhav and Sarojini Madhav laid the foundation stone for two houses on the beach on Tuesday morning.

The 350-sq.ft. houses will have a bedroom, a kitchen, a hall and a sit-out. The group will shell out Rs.1 lakh each for the houses.

Poor support

Though the district authorities had announced at a number of meetings that the funds (for tsunami victims) received in excess would be used to rebuild partially damaged houses, a number of families are still without houses. Padmini who lost her house on the Chappa beach is one such person. She could not control her emotions as the foundation stones for the houses of her neighbours were laid on Tuesday. Support has not yet reached Padmini, a 70-year-old grandmother of two.

The family is in deep trouble as all its belongings were lost in the fury of waves and all the sources of income blocked. Shanmughan, her son, who was down with fever, had to venture into the sea on Tuesday to keep the wolf from the door.

Padmini earns a monthly income of Rs.200 by working as a cleaner in some shops. She is moving from pillar to post in the hope that support might reach her one day.

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