Candle light marches mark third anniversary of tsunami in TN
Chennai (PTI): Candle-light marches and prayers at the graves marked the third anniversary of the tsunami disaster in Tamil Nadu on wednesday while fishermen stayed away from the sea as a mark of respect to the over 8000 people who died when the tidal waves struck coastal districts in the state.
In Chennai, Nagapattinam and Cuddalore along with ten other districts bearing the brunt of the waves, families of the victims offered prayers at the graves with the traditional `Padayal' (offering delicacies to the dead).
In Chennai,memorial meetings were held in various places including Kasimedu fishing harbour, Foreshore Estate and Besant Nagar.Candle-light marches were also held. Recently, Chief Secretary L K Tripathi had said 43,100 houses had been constructed as part of the tsunami rehabilitation initiative and 11,000 dwellings repaired.
State Social Welfare Minister Poonkothai had said the state government, with the help of Central Government and World Bank,is in the process of working out a 'massive vulnerability reduction programme,' to prevent loss of human life in the event of a major disaster like Tsunami.
"The Government is reconstructing disaster resistant infrastructure and with its 1000 km coastline,plans to set up 997 early warning systems,150 evacuation sites and 78 emergency shelters in the next two years," she said here recently during a book launch.
Fiftyone coastal villages in Cuddalore district, which were hit by the tsunami killing 648 people, wore a new look, with houses and amenities like roads and drinking water facilities built by various NGOs. District Collector Rajendra Ratnoo told PTI that normal life had returned to the district. A total of 1903 houses have been constructed and handed over to the victims, he said.
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