INDIA: Habitat Aid and Reconstruction

Click here to see photographs of tsunami-devastated Tamil Nadu

CHENNAI, 17th January 2005: HFH India is looking to start work before
April on building permanent "core" homes for families in Tamil Nadu
state. This start date could be several months ahead of a government timetable.

Habitat expects to help at least 6,000 families.

At present, the authorities want to ban all homes from within 500 meters of the shoreline, meaning that approximately half a million people - mostly from poor families -- could face relocation. Half of these saw their homes destroyed or damaged by the disaster. The other half may have to move, even though their homes were not affected, because their shelters lie within the 500-meter "zone".

The government expects to take six months to identify suitable inland sites for relocation, but HFH India is looking to move sooner. HFH India has shortlisted at least six specific villages where work could start sooner.

Each "core" house will cover a 250 sq. ft. footprint, and have a permanent roof, a single room, with the rest of the covered space as a verandah. There would be an attached latrine that is entered from the outside. At the government's insistence, all walls and structures would be permanent.

HFH India is working with the Discipleship Center (DC), an established partner, in coast areas south of Chennai, the capital of Tamil Nadu. HFH India plans to create a series of building and training centers with partner organizations. Four are to be located within Tamil Nadu, in Nagappattinam, Kanyakumari, Pondicherry (to include Cuddalore) and Tuticorin, north of Kanyakumari.

Two more could be built in adjacent states: one in Kollam in Kerala, the costal state on the southeastern tip of India, and one in Andhra Pradesh, the north of Tamil Nadu.

HFH will provide construction experts, such as site engineers and construction supervisors, to provide skills training and advice, and volunteer coordinators in each center. The Discipleship Center will manage livelihood and other community development issues for the villages along with the Salvation Army and others.

At present, Habitat is proposing to partner with the DC in all four Tamil Nadu centers and in Kollam. The Salvation Army will be a co-partner in Nagappattinam, Kanyakumari and Pondicherry/Cuddalore.

Each center will serve 1,000 families, though would be capable of doubling that total over six months. That could mean eventually serving up to 12,000 families.

The first center is expected to be opened in Pondicherry by the end of February with the other five centers opened by April. The centers and HFH India's response to the tsunami will be
coordinated from a Habitat national disaster response center in Chennai. It will be run by experts in finance, technical aspects of construction, communications and fundraising.

To date, HFH India staff and volunteers have been assisting the DC and partners with relief work, particularly in Nagappattinam and Kanyakumari - the two hardest hit areas in India. They have helped distribute about half the proposed 4,000 temporary shelter kits on behalf of the DC.

HFH India teams are now prioritizing villages that require help. Teams have talked to many families this week, and noted that many people are eager to be relocated away from the coast. However, fishermen are concerned that they will have no access to their livelihood. Storing replacement boats and fishing gear away from their homes are concerns.

HFH India is set to focus on hard-hit coastal state of Tamil Nadu, south of the state capital Chennai. An estimated 10,000 people were killed here.

Working with the Discipleship Centre

HFH India is working with an established partner, the Discipleship Center, which has a substantial relief effort under way based out of the Chennai area. Links are also being set up with the Salvation Army and several Catholic organizations.

The Discipleship Center (DC) s distributing "family kits" of food, clothing and tents to families as part of a state government plan to encourage people to return home. The work is focused in Pondicherry, Nagapattinam, Cuddalore and Kenyakumari, four areas that are still in urgent need of help. There are 82 refugee camps in Nagapattinam and 59 in Kenyakumari. The government plans to close these camps within a few weeks.

Habitat affiliates staff and volunteers are working on behalf of DC in Nagapattinam. They are assessing applications and handing out "family kits" to 2,000-4,000 families.

Habitat partnered with DC during the final stages of the Gujarat earthquake response. Prior to the tsunami, two partners worked together in Rajistan and are developing a partnership to assist families living in the slums of Delhi.

"Core home" provision

HFH India is to provide transitional "core" housing to up to 4,000-6,000 families in the first building phase. The core houses, about half the size of a normal HFH India unit, would cost about US$400-500 each. One of HFH India's most experienced directors, Christopher Kumar, expects to move to Chennai to co-ordinate the response.

Disaster Response Building Centers

To ensure long-term sustainability, disaster response building and training centers are being planned for Pondicherry, Nagapattinam, Cuddalore and Kenyakumari. These will possibly be based out of current DC distribution centers, and would aim to support more than 1,000 families as they build new homes.

Raising vital funds

As much as US$1million could be raised from the Indian corporate sector, where the response has been strong. The Aditya Birla group, a major supporter of HFH India, has offered financial and community support especially for Kadaloor. Bellarpur Industries, another a major India corporate name, has offered a substantial sum from its Tsunami Relief Fund for rebuilding communities. The Manorama Group is making relief funds for an "Adopt-a-Community"- type of rebuilding project in neighboring Kerala state.construction.

You can help the efforts of the Habitat for Humanity Disaster Response Office by a donation to the Asia Tsunami Response Fund.