All India Disaster Mitigation Institute, India

"We had heard about tidal waves in the sea. The coastal area has turned into a graveyard. The landscape has changed in many areas forever." - Mr. Nathaniya in Andamans ||||| "I saw it, with my eyes. The land separated in two parts. People just died. It is still horrible to remember. I had never seen it before. Now I see it everyday, in fact at Car Nicobar no one has seen this behaviour of sea before. We are living with sea since ages here." - Johnson in Andamans. ||||| "Nobody knew what was coming. We just saw a wall of water coming towards us. We had no option. We ran towards forest. Those who managed survived, those who failed, went away with the seawater. Fortunately I survived with my family. The Indian Air Force rescued me after two days. I spent these two days in forest with my elder son. Now I received the news about my younger son who is only nine months and safe with my mother in law." -Estervelina in Andamans ||||| "We, here inside Chennai, are not much affected but our friends in the other rural parts are severely affected. We have collected more than 4000 pairs of clothes and have distributed 400 in three relief camps. Our neighbours received them with thanks. But NGOs came and there was flood of clothes. Neighbours do not want our clothes. We would be thankful if the remaining clothes can be distributed to the affected communities in the far off Nagapattinum or Cuddlore. May be they also have too many clothes." - Sundervardhani and Laxmi in Chennai |||||

First Steps Towards Rehabilitation
AIDMI Team in Tsunami Affected Coastal India
(Affected people at Palagai Tottai Kuppam. January 19, 2005.)

Most victims have received temporary shelter after tsunami but some still await.	While shelter rehabilitation package is being operationalised, the local communities are creatively using 'saris' to make much needed shelter.	A tidal wave of many relief and rehabilitation packages from the governments and civil society have communities actively discuss what to chose and how.
First infusion of finance: Rs. 10,000/- towards fishing nets from the government.	Casting net is not an individual act. Much discussion and joint decisions go into it.	Public works on the coastline in progress.