Tsunami Rehabilitation Programmes

The tsunami that hit the eastern coast of India and other parts of South and South-East Asia on 26 December 2004 has wiped out several lives and more importantly affected the lives of the survivors. There is tremendous loss to livelihoods, shelter, and agriculture land. In order to help rebuild the lives of the Tsunami affected people, CEE has initiated a programme "Rebuilding Lives" with a goal to implement an integrated multi-sectoral, rehabilitation programme leading to sustainable livelihoods and disaster preparedness for the Tsunami affected people of Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry and Andhra Pradesh. This programme is supported by Intermon Oxfam. The main goal of the programme is to facilitate an integrated, multi-sectored, rehabilitation programme leading to sustainable livelihoods in the tsunami affected villages in Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh and Pondicherry.

Major Sustainable Development Interventions

As part of the preparatory phase of the project, CEE carried out a need assessment to understand the severity of the damage and possible interventions in the tsunami affected areas. It was clear from the need assessment that the mail goal of the rehabilitation programme should be designed under the framework of Sustainable Development.

Major Sustainable Development Interventions identified are

• Livelihood Restoration and Improvement which would be addressed from the point of short term, medium term and long term recovery
  • Short Term - livelihood restoration focusing on restoring agrarian livelihood through cash for work programme, and land and water body reclamation
  • Medium term- Improving the physical assets such as ice crushing units, fish aggregating devices, driers both in fishing and agriculture sector, to improve the livelihoods and also to provide accessories for fishing to facilitate restoration
  • Long term - exploring alternate livelihood options to supplement the family income
    
    
• Shelter, Water and Sanitation
  • Construction of Permanent Shelters
  • Improving living condition of Temporary shelters
  • Implementing water and sanitation programmes such as promoting use of toilets, providing proper waste disposal methods, proper water distribution systems, etc
    
    
• Developing disaster preparedness package such as Village Emergency Plans, Early Warning Systems, Promoting Insurance schemes and Capacity Building
  
  
• Initiating Eco- restoration programmes such as planting and maintaining shelterbelts and mangrove forests along the coast and habitat protection

Education, Information and Communication and Environmental Impact Assessment are a part of the above interventions

The programme covers 50 tsunami affected villages in Nellore district in Andhra Pradesh, Nagapattinam district in Tamil Nadu and Karaikal region in Union Territory of Pondicherry

Updates of Activities undertaken

A.Llivelihood restoration programme

As part of the immediate livelihood restoration programme, CEE undertook the following activities

Reclamation of Water bodies

The objectives of the programme are to provide work opportunities to the affected agricultural families for their livelihood; to prepare the water bodies to be able to feed the land in order to restore the land, by increasing the water holding capacity of the ponds, improving the water flow in the canals and conserving the soil water bunding and planting

Pond and canal desilting, deepening and bunding activities have been undertaken in 8 ponds and 49 canals. This was done through cash for work programme by providing equal wage structure for men and women and with the involvement of local communities and government departments.

Tree Plantation

In order to minimize the evaporation losses and improve soil water conditions, tree planting activities was taken up around the ponds and canals. So far about 1200 saplings have been planted with the involvement of local Self Help Groups (SHGs) and is being maintained by SHGs. Permission from Government Departments and inputs from agriculture officers and scientists from PAJANCOA, Krishi Vignana Kendra was taken.

Restoration of Crop lands

The objectives of the programme are to prepare the land to hasten the process of land reclamation leading to restoration of production capacity of the land.

About 1065 acres of affected land has been ploughed twice to restore the productivity of the land. This was undertaken after detailed discussion with Department of Agriculture, Karaikal and PAJANCOA, meetings with farmers, getting required approval etc. The tractors for ploughing were arranged from the respective villages so as to ensure the work and the money flow to the targeted village. Apart from land ploughing, leveling and bunding, soil sampling, demonstration of daincha cultivation and motivating farmers to cultivate it, saline tolerant paddy seed distribution and gypsum application were undertaken.

In order to know the result of the land restoration activities undertaken, CEE has also initiated a yeild assessment study of crops cultivated

Planning the implementation of watershed approach

Further to the recalmation process, CEE is planning to implement watershed approach in 6 of the selected villages. As part of this approach, mapping activity has already been started which involves field surveys to find out crop land details, irrigation sources and other geographical features for the watershed approach. Another activity undertaken is the villagewise flood assesment after the heavy rain received in the region in November and December 2005. This has helped CEE to identify the low lying areas for watershed management and disatser preparedness plans

Seed Bank

Since the source of seed stock in the selected villages are crop land, farmers have no seeds for cultivation due to the loss of seed stock during tsunami. CEE has distributed 9.6 tones of foundation seeds as supplying seed stock to farmers was an urgent need to restore agriculture in these villages. In order to support farmers in the next growing season, CEE team is working out a detailed plan to create awareness about seed bank and facilitate establishment of seed banks through farmers group.

Trial and Demonstration Plots

In order to create awareness about different land reclamation practices and different agriculture practices, 5 demonstrations plots were taken up. CEE has also initiated trial plots to demonstrate the suitability of different summer crops requiring very less water.

B. Planning for livelihood restoration and alternate livelihood interventions

For identifying the alternate livelihood activities in the agriculture and fishery section, activities undertaken includes - survey of the villages, meeting with various officials, interacting with community members, studying reports, finalizing restoration and alternate livelihood activities.

C: Shelter related activities

Improving the condition of Temporary shelters

The objectives of the programme are to provide enclosures for hygienic cooking; to improve the sanitation conditions of the temporary shelters by constructing toilets, by facilitating garbage management, by executing education and awareness programmes and to provide education and recreation to the community including children along with awareness activities

17 kitchens are completed in temporary shelters. Construction of dry pit composting toilets has been started. Education and awareness programme on sanitation has been developed and door to door campaign has been initiated .

Designing and implementing educational activities for children particularly children camps on sanitation has been carried out. Discussion begins with women and youth to form groups to monitor sanitation conditions.

Construction of Permanent Shelters

Construction of permanent shelters are going on. The house plan was designed with the help of Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore based on the houseplan framework issued by Tamil Nadu government. The designs cover multi-hazard proof, environmentally and traditionally sound houses

The above mentioned rehabilitation programmes are taking into account an integrated, multi-sectored approach, social cohesiveness, gender equity, traditional practices, cultural diversity and peoples involvement for sustainable livelihoods