A Brief report on the Relief Work carriedout by SEVA BHARATHI since 26 th December 2004 at the TSUNAMI affected Nagapattinam District of Tamil Nadu.

 

Seva Bharathi Tamilnadu in association with the volunteers of the RSS and associate organizations immediately entered the affected areas within hours of the Tsunami strike in the coastal areas. Actually in some areas the volunteers plunged into relief work even when there was a severe threat of Tsunami again and again.

Seva Bharathi, a nationalist service organization, had undertaken such big task earlier also in Lattur (Maharashtra), Uttarkasi (UP), Punjab and Gujarat.

In Nagapattinam, Seva Bharathi has started relief work within a couple of hours atter the Tsunami strike. Swayamsevaks from various parts of tamilnadu and Karnataka collected relief materials and sent them to the base camp at nagapattinam. Also many spiritually oriented service organizations from various parts of the country sent the materials which they have collected. So that they could be distributed efficiently with equanimity.

A detail look at the day to day service given below will give us an idea about the service being rendered by Seva Bharathi.

List of Services being rendered

 

Date

Distribution

 

No. of Volunteers took part

 

Disposal of deceased Bodies

Food Packets (Nos)

Bread & Biscuits packets

(Nos)

 

Water packets (Nos)

26.12.04

2000

5000

5000

100

60

27.12.04

6000

7000

5000

300

850

28.12.04

10000

20000

20000

1000

600

29.12.04

12000

15000

20000

1200

126

30.12.04

12500

10000

20000

800

116

31.12.04

15000

10000

20000

600

30

01.01.05

11000

7500

15000

570

16

02.01.05

8000

5000

15000

400

03.01.05 

5000

5000

15500

380

04.01.05

-

2500

17000

360

05.01.05

-

3000

17000

300

Total

83500

90,000

1,69,500

-

1798

On 26 th the relief work was carried out through out the night. All the deceased bodies were removed and disposed in co ordination with the Governmental relief team. Initially on 27 th and 28 th the concentration was mainly focussed on identification of bodies and handing them over to the relatives. The works were carried out in co-operation with Revenue, Police and Health department.

On 29 th due to the announcement of another Tsunami attack work came to a halt at 11:30am. Since then more than 60 doctors, (24 from Karnataka) split into the team of 8 have been conducting Medical camps in all the coastal villages and the Relief Camps.

List of food and other materials distributed in the Nagapattinam District (three base camps) as on 05.01.2005

Rice (Tone)

Dall

(Kg)

Bread& Biscuit

Packets (Nos)

Water

Packet-250ml (Nos)

Cloth

(Pieces)

Bed sheet (Pieces)

Mat

(Pieces)

Vegetables (kg)

Milk powder (kg)

 

450

3500

1,10,000

1,90,000

60,000

5,500

5,000

10,000

500

 
 

More than 1,00,000 Food packets distributed so for.

Rice, Vegetables, Dhall, Milk powder, Utencils such as tumbler, plates, cooking vessels, cooking stoves and bed sheets, mats, water buckets, footwears, dress materials and medicines received from various parts of the country have been distributed.

So for Essential commodities worth Rs. 70 Lakhs Utensils worth Rs. 16 Lakhs. Medicine worth 12 Lakhs. Mate, Bed sheet, Dress materials and other items worth Rs. 17 Lakhs, running to a total of 1.15 crore have been distributed with more and more materials pouring in various parts of the country.

To help Water supply process, RSS has installed a mineral water plant in Nagapattinam . This plant has started supplying 20,000 litres of pure drinking water free of cost to the affected people everyday.

Woman Volunteers are visiting all the affected villages and doing counseling works. The 38 Tsunami affected villages were covered by our medical team and more than 10500 people belonging to the affected peoples were benefited. Also medical service was rendered to the non Tsunami affected area to prevent out break of epidemics. Thousands of people benefited.

So far our volunteers have removed and disposed off 1798 deceased bodies.

It is ensured that all relief measures are being undertaken in the entire east coast areas even in those places where there is no human loss but livelihood has been largely affected.

Keeping in view the long term rehabilitation of the affected people. Surveys are being conducted accessing the over all losses. 15 base camps have been setup all over Tamil Nadu (along th East Coast)

In Nagapattinam District alone there are Base Camps at Vedaranyam, Sirkali and Nagapattinam. More than 1500 Volunteers including 100 women, Doctors, Engineers, Advocates, Auditor are in the relief team.

In the near by Pondicherry union Teritory we are running a camp at Karaikal where there are 250 Volunteers.

As a permanent relief measures we have proposals to adopt around 10 villages for total rehabilitation like construction / repairing of houses and providing fishing materials. (Boat, fishing net etc.) The following villages were identified for permanent relief work.


1. Seredur

2. Tharangampadi

3.Vedenayagam chetty street

4. Poompuhar

5. Vanagiri

6. Pudukuppam

7. Akkaraipettai

8. Keechankuppam


Also we are exploring the possibilities of adopting other villages after due survey by our organisation.

The base Camps will continue to exist until the total rehabilitation of the affected people.