The Hindu : Tamil Nadu / Chennai News : Rehabilitation of affected fishermen proceeding at rapid pace: Jayalalithaa

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 27, 2005

Tamil Nadu

Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Rehabilitation of affected fishermen proceeding at rapid pace: Jayalalithaa

Special Correspondent

Informative document, Tiding over Tsunami, released to mark first anniversary of the tragedy

CHENNAI: Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has said the first phase of construction of 45,892 permanent houses for the affected families in the tsunami-hit districts will be completed by March, 2006. Massive schemes to repair the battered infrastructure such as roads, bridges, ports, harbours and buildings will be completed in the next two years.

In a message to the informative document, "Tiding over Tsunami" released by her at the Secretariat on Monday to mark the first anniversary of the tragedy, Ms. Jayalalithaa said, "the process of rehabilitating the families of the affected fishermen is proceeding at a rapid pace."

The State Government had taken special care to ensure that the marginalised sections of society including women, orphaned children, adolescent and unmarried girls and farmers were given suitable assistance, she said, adding that developmental schemes to strengthen the coastal economy and to protect the coastal areas from similar devastation in the future were on the anvil.

The comprehensive plan drawn up by the Government consisted of initiatives, which "cover not only physical components but also addresses gaps in the human resource domain" particularly increasing disaster preparedness at community level. It was also aimed at broadening livelihood option and strengthening coastal ecology through shelterbelt, plantations and mangroves, the document said.

Highlighting the ongoing rehabilitation measures in the tsunami-hit areas, the document said as on Thursday, 5135 permanent houses — 1053 in Nagapattinam district, 415 in Cuddalore district, 981 in Kanyakumari district, 468 in Tiruvallur, 2200 in Chennai and 18 in Villupuram district — had been completed. "The second batch of 43,314 houses, which are not damaged but fall within 200 metres of high tide line will be taken up thereafter."

In the fisheries sector, apart from the subsidy given, as a long-term measure, the Government had arranged linkage with banks for loans to the tune of Rs.47 crore for about 2000 fishermen. Out of 15,522 fully damaged catamarans only 1042 had been replaced while all the 10,595 partly damaged catamarans, 3813 vallams, 2889 FRP catamarans and 2776 out board motors had been repaired. But none of the 357 vallams were replaced. Even in the case of 513 fully damaged FRP catamarans, only 258 had been replaced and of the 383 fully damaged mechanised boats, merely 18 had been replaced. Eight ports and 15 fishing harbours were being restored, the document said.

Saline affected farmlands

Recalling that 8460.34 hectares of agricultural land was saline affected due to inundation, the document said, "at the moment the entire affected land has been reclaimed" with the involvement of farmers' self-help groups at a total cost of Rs.4.10 crore.

An extent of 669.82 hectares of affected horticultural land had been recovered at a cost of Rs.67 lakh. Repair and reconstruction works of 414 public buildings were also under way, it said.

The rehabilitation and restoration initiatives so far accomplished and those slated for the next two years had been supported by financial assistance from international and national agencies and other State Governments, besides the funds of the State Government, the document pointed out. The Centre had approved assistance to the tune of Rs. 2347.19 crore under the Rajiv Gandhi Rehabilitation Package for tsunami-affected areas, it said.

The booklet was received by Minister for Public Works, O. Paneerselvam. Chief Secretary to Government, N. Narayanan, and Relief Commissioner, R. Santhanam, were also present.

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