In each area we have key AID coordinators from Chennai stationed there who are working with and guiding the local volunteers and the volunteer teams landing up from Chennai and Bangalore.  These coordinators call up the office every day with a list of needs and report back on what work was done and how things are currently - so that we can give a feedback to people supporting the efforts.

I am going back again to Cuddalore and Nagai tonight - with more relief materials and volunteers.  I will be focusing now on ensuring the starting of all the activity components in all the area coordination centers and also on identifying some of the bigger needs - particularly for the medium term.  These are things like temporary shelter construction, preventive health programmes on a larger scale, shifting of people back into villages, expansion into newer areas, coordination with other groups, etc.

The above then is the work happening in Cuddalore-Nagai Belt. We decided against working in Pondicherry and Karaikal now - because the government there is doing a really good job (at least as of now).

Work in Other Areas

1.      Chennai - Here AID and TNSF volunteers have established contacts with the people in slums affected - they have managed to establish a personal rapport with the people and have been supplying relief materials regularly.  We have volunteers staying in the areas and helping with the relief camp work as well as rehab work in the slums.

Volunteers in Chennai surveying in Relief Camps

2.      Kanyakumari - MALAR is very well organized here and is doing the relief coordination effort in the area. A number of NGOs have formed a network there and the government is working closely with this network. We have sent some funds and are now starting to send relief supplies to the area as well from Madurai and Chennai.  I am going back to Nagai tonight and from there will be going to Kanyakumari to look at the needs there.

3.      Kalpakkam - The level of destruction here is much less and more dispersed.  But because not many people have been coming and helping in these areas, there is still a need for people to visit and help.  Some AID and TNSF volunteers have done one round of visits to these areas to identify the villages that need help.  Starting today, they are starting area coordination offices and stock points in two locations - and will be starting substantial relief work within a couple of days.

Medium and Long Term Plans

I initially thought that we might have to work in the area for 6-8 months. After visiting the areas I now realize the gravity of the situation - we will have to work for at least 2 years to get things back to normal. In the medium term, we will have to set up shelters and shift to house construction, set up cooperatives and provide livelihood opportunities (boats, nets, etc) through these cooperatives.  In the long run we will be working towards overall development in the area.

The government has approved Rs. 500 crores towards the relief and rehab work - short, medium and long term. Even this is not enough - but more important is the question of how this money will be used.  All NGOs and peoples organizations and individuals together will be able to work only on a small fraction of the government's budget and scale.  But we have a critical role to play - to work on immediate short term relief where it is not reaching and in the medium and long term to develop models for rehabilitation that are effective. If we can present a united picture of what is needed and can be done within a small budget, then that will influence the government to also spend the relief budget according to what models we set up.  This is also part of our medium and long term plan for the areas affected.

This completes this interim report of some of the work going on and being done by AID along with TNSF, Pondicherry Science Forum and a number of groups in Bangalore (AID, Citizen's Initiative and CHC) and Chennai (Bhoomika) and many local organizations in different areas (Vidyarambam, Sneha, CSG, Fishermens Society, Panchayat presidents, etc).

Below are some of the things that are needed.  The AID office has a complete list of the needs - this is updated every day based on inputs from our people in the field. So if you call the AID office you will be able to get a clearer picture of today's needs.

Not everyone can help with the special needs listed below.  But if you can do call me or Ravishankar immediately.  General Help is listed after this.

Special Help Needed

1. A house/godown in Chennai to stock materials.  A godown/house in the different areas in Cuddalore/Nagai areas.
2. Free/low cost trucks for transport
3. Free/low cost rental/low cost purchase of used Vans, Jeeps, etc to be stationed and used in the cluster villages.
4. Earth moving machines
5. Chemicals for decomposing bodies and technical people to help guide volunteers in coating dead bodies with the chemicals.
6. Office Managers willing to stay in the Area coord office and manage things there!
7. Preventive health doctors, paramedics and health activists
8. Teams of doctors - particularly women doctors who can do OP clinics for women.  Doctors for OP clinics for children.

General Help Needed

Material Needs

?         Gum boots, Thick Gloves, Shovels, pick axes and shoes - for volunteers clearing up the debris

?         Medical equipment - BP apparatus, stethoscopes, etc.

?         Small FM Radios for volunteers working in the affected areas to hear local and emergency news.

?         Cameras - regular and digital - for documenting the work locally.

?         Cell phones with chargers

?         Water packets

?         Blankets and Mats (Pai)

?         Soaps and Detergent, toothpaste, toothpower, brush, bleaching powder

?         Dry Rations - Food - rice, wheat, dal, cooking oil - as grains for cooking in community kitchens - no cooked food please. Milk powder for children.

?         Stoves and vessels for cooking (Kerosene needed but ill try to arrange locally).

?         Clothes - no more old clothes - focus on new in-skirts (petticoats), new blouses, almost new children's clothes (0-5 age group), good chudidars for young girls, sanitary pads.

?         Medicines - a list is available at the AID office and on the web - www.aidindia.org

Volunteers Needs

?         People experienced in emergency relief work - debris and dead body removal etc.

?         People who can spend at least 10 days and are good at taking charge and coordinating local volunteer efforts in the offices in the area centers.

?         Documentation - people with cameras and video cameras - to travel and document the work.

?         Volunteers who can work in the AID office in Chennai and Pondicherry Science Forum Office in Pondicherry - coordinating things, going out and collecting things, meeting people etc.

?         Large number of volunteers who can help with debris and dead body clearance.

?         Volunteer teams who can help with assessment surveys

Funds Needed

?         Many of the local groups have been working with very little funds in hand - so the pace of the relief work was initially very slow. They didn't even have money for bus tickets and traveling.  With donations from lots of people we have been able to really speed up the process.  We still need a lot more funds for both immediate and medium and long term relief efforts.   So do keep collecting funds from your friends, individuals and organizations and groups you know.  Cheques can be made in the name of AID-India and sent to:

AID-India

Old No 132, New No 242,

Avvai Shanmugam Road

Gopalapuram, Chennai - 600 086

(In the US - collections are being done by AID-US - you can contact www.aidindia.org for online donations or 301-422-4441 or 240-393-4368  for more details. Vibha, ICA and Asha are also doing collections for this.)

Please also forward the above report to all the people who know who would be interested.

Important Contacts you may need

AID Chennai Office - 044-28350403, 55615629   (Kalpana, Prabha, Bharati, Smitha)

AID's Relief Coordination Office in Chennai

Old No 20, New No 34, Rathinam Street (Near Besant Road)

Gopalapuram, Chennai - 600086

Information Team in Chennai

Kalpana/Bharati/ Smitha/ Prabha -      044 - 28350403, 55615629

Prabha -                                              98403-51132

Smitha -                                              98401-73800

Vibha -                                                98402-63275

Srivaths -                                             94443-19635

Lokesh -                                              044-28115058

Overall Coordination Team in Chennai

Ravishankar - This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it                                     94440-84910, 28350403

Chandra - This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it                                 9382330752, 044-28350403

Smitha Kalyani - This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it               98401-73800

Vibha - This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it                    98402-63275

Kalpana - This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it                                          044-28361033

Pondicherry Coordination Team

Pondicherry Science Forum

46, Vinayakar Koil Street, PR Gardens, Reddiarpalayam, Pondichery - 605010

Phone: 0413-2290733, 2290908

PSF Contact People:   Raghu -                                   94432-25288

                                    Senthil Babu                            94432-58998

                                    S. Ramachandran -                  94430-69075

                                    R. Dakshinamoorthy                94432-34522

Field Contact Persons:

Nagai               Charles/Devraj                                     098411-62323                                    

Killai                Damu/Malavika                                               094442-41918

Tirukadaiyur    Jagadish                                               098655-61131

Parangipettai    KPN/Shakila                                        098425-29056

Overall Coordination Team

(This is a moving team - call only if necessary for coordination)

Balaji Sampath                                                             94440-61033

Senthil Babu                                                                94432-58998

Ravishankar                                                                 94440-84910

Thanks once again for your help. We need your continued support and help.

Bye,

Balaji Sampath