Sustainable Reconstruction Initiative in Tsunami affected villages of Tamil Nadu, India

In December 2004, immediately after the Tsunami disaster, Swiss Red Cross (SRC) conducted a rapid appraisal in Tsunami affected areas of South India. SRC assisted with the distribution of food grains, clothes and temporary shelters in some of the villages in Karaikal as an immediate response. Possibilities of a  collaboration for rehabilitation were explored with the Karaikal unit of South Indian Federation of Fishermen Societies (SIFFS). Subsequently,  a proposal for restoration of livelihoods of fishermen in two villages of Karaikal was developed and eventually approved by Swiss Solidarity. Skat was given the mandate to provide management and backstopping services.

The project has the objective of supporting Tsunami affected villages of Tharangambadi and Chinnangudi of Nagapattinam district through the reconstruction of permanent shelters and community infrastructure facilities.

The specific objectives of the project are:

• To reconstruct a total of 1000 cyclone and earthquake-resistant houses in the Tharangambadi and Chinnangudi villages of Nagapattinam district and to ensure the rehabilitation of the affected people in these houses.
• To create habitable settlements in the Tsunami hit villages of Tharangambadi and Chinnangudi by rebuilding community infrastructure such as roads, libraries, and drinking water and sanitation facilities.
• To provide training to local people in masonry, plumbing, and other construction-related skills in order to generate employment during the reconstruction phase.
• To build local management capacities to facilitate better  utilisation of the community structures created through the project.
• To document the process and lessons learnt through the reconstruction project for future interventions in housing in general and in post-disaster reconstruction projects in particular.

Since the beginning of the project in 2005, the following achievements can be observed:

• The two village settlements have been designed based on local and cultural requirementes
• Houses have been designed in response to people's needs and cultural requirements.  .
• 450 houses have been handed over to the beneficiaries in August 2007, another 450 are under construction and will be completed by April 2008.
• Community facilities such as chills care centres and community halls were designed.
• On-the-job training is continuously provided to local artisans.