Online edition of Daily News - Lakehouse newspapers: "by Nadira Gunatilleke
"We used debris to re-build roads and create artificial 'sandiness' while re-building Tsunami hit areas in Nagapattinam and Sri Lanka too can follow the same strategy using the debris for the same task", said Ms. Santha Sheela Nair, ISA, Secretary to Government, Rural Development Department, In-Charge for Overall Supervision of Relief Operations, Nagapattinam, Government of Tamilnadu.
Addressing the media in Colombo yesterday she said that the recent Tsunami killed about 8000 people in India and that about 6000 of them were from Nagapattinam.
Since 1952 Tamilnadu records different types of natural and man made disasters and has lost a large number of people. Cyclones are the commonest natural disaster to hit Tamilnadu. By December 31 we were able to restore most of the essential services such as electricity, water and food supply. Dr. J. Radhakrishnan, IAS, District Collector, Nagapattinam, Government of Tamilnadu, Chennai said shortly after the Tsunami disaster the authorities released Rs. 10 million immediately without asking any questions. Debris lay in the Batticaloa district can be used to re-construction work, he added.
Indian High Commissioner Nirupama Rao said that Tsunami has opened up new opportunities to strengthen friendship and closeness between Sri Lanka and India. India has been assisting Sri Lanka from the very first day and the first Indian aircraft reached Sri Lanka on December 26th afternoon. 553 tons of relief is among the numerous types of relief provided by the Indian Government to Sri Lanka as Tsunami relief, she added. Chairman, TAFREN, Mano Tittawella said that India was the first outsider who responded to Sri Lanka's appeal for assistance soon after the Tsunami disaster and since then the Indian Government is assisting Sri Lanka in all possible ways.
Secretary to the Prime Minister, Mr. Lalith Weeratunga and several other officials were present."
"We used debris to re-build roads and create artificial 'sandiness' while re-building Tsunami hit areas in Nagapattinam and Sri Lanka too can follow the same strategy using the debris for the same task", said Ms. Santha Sheela Nair, ISA, Secretary to Government, Rural Development Department, In-Charge for Overall Supervision of Relief Operations, Nagapattinam, Government of Tamilnadu.
Addressing the media in Colombo yesterday she said that the recent Tsunami killed about 8000 people in India and that about 6000 of them were from Nagapattinam.
Since 1952 Tamilnadu records different types of natural and man made disasters and has lost a large number of people. Cyclones are the commonest natural disaster to hit Tamilnadu. By December 31 we were able to restore most of the essential services such as electricity, water and food supply. Dr. J. Radhakrishnan, IAS, District Collector, Nagapattinam, Government of Tamilnadu, Chennai said shortly after the Tsunami disaster the authorities released Rs. 10 million immediately without asking any questions. Debris lay in the Batticaloa district can be used to re-construction work, he added.
Indian High Commissioner Nirupama Rao said that Tsunami has opened up new opportunities to strengthen friendship and closeness between Sri Lanka and India. India has been assisting Sri Lanka from the very first day and the first Indian aircraft reached Sri Lanka on December 26th afternoon. 553 tons of relief is among the numerous types of relief provided by the Indian Government to Sri Lanka as Tsunami relief, she added. Chairman, TAFREN, Mano Tittawella said that India was the first outsider who responded to Sri Lanka's appeal for assistance soon after the Tsunami disaster and since then the Indian Government is assisting Sri Lanka in all possible ways.
Secretary to the Prime Minister, Mr. Lalith Weeratunga and several other officials were present."
