Tamil Nadu   

`Sphere' norms to be met in tsunami works

Staff Reporter

State to coordinate with NGOs

CHENNAI: The Government was all for adopting international disaster management standards for the ongoing tsunami rehabilitation work in the State, C.V. Sankar, officer on special duty for relief and rehabilitation, said on Friday.

`International standards'

"The Chennai district administration has already adopted the international `Sphere' standards at the semi-permanent shelters being constructed near Tiruvotriyur," Mr. Sankar said at a meeting organised by the Chennai NGO Coordination Council (CNCC).

Mr. Sankar said the focus would be on providing water and sanitation standards that would be communicated to other districts too. Government machinery would collaborate with non-government organisations in creating awareness about the standards spelt out in the Sphere Humanitarian Charter and Minimum Standards in Disaster Response.

Chennai Collector S. Chandramohan said drinking water and sanitation facilities had already been set up at Ernavur near Tiruvotriyur.

"The same model will be replicated at Kannagi Nagar for those displaced from the south Chennai coastal belt."

Sensitising civil servants

CNCC coordinator S. D. Rajendran said apart from starting the Tamil Nadu chapter of Sphere, various NGOs would come together to sensitise senior civil servants about Sphere standards in areas such as water, sanitation, food and shelter.

At the Friday meeting to formulate the Tamil Nadu chapter of Sphere, 43 representatives from various local and international NGOs such as Oxfam, ActionAid, Caritas India, Bhoomika Trust, World Vision, Plan International, Tamil Nadu Tsunami Resource Centre, Care India, CordAid, Red Cross India, Karunalaya, Centre for Sustainable Human Development, Udavi, Social Watch, Mariyalaya, People for Action Movement and Social Watch participated.

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