A decade after the tsunami of December 26, 2004, survivors will be recounting their experiences of dealing with the aftermath and rebuilding their lives, at a two-day event, Tsunami Decennial Remembrance, being organised by Caritas India on March 5 and 6 in Puducherry.
Caritas India, a social wing of the Catholic Church in India, has worked in relief and rehabilitation in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Andaman and Nicobar Islands over the course of the last 10 years, which has included the construction of 13,472 houses in these areas, said the organisation.
In Puducherry, the organisation has built 424 houses, said Haridoss, Zonal Manager, Caritas India.
The event will also see the release of a research paper carried out by the Indian Social Institute, Delhi, which has studied the satisfaction among beneficiaries, and their opinion on the relief provided.
Father Paul Moonjely, assistant director, Caritas India, said that 66 per cent of the beneficiaries had expressed satisfaction over the relief and rehabilitation measures. “This is an encouraging sign for us. The research paper and the event will help us assimilate lessons in disaster management,” he said at a press meet on Wednesday.
Around 200 guests from NGOs, the United Nations, donor agencies, academic institutions, government agencies such as the State Disaster Management Authority, and other organisations will attend the event, which includes workshops and discussions, said Father Albert Thambidurai, executive director, Pondicherry Multipurpose Social Service Society. The research paper, ‘Weaving Hopes After Disaster,’ will be released by Chief Minister N. Rangasamy on March 6.
The event will also be attended by Cardinal Cleemis, president, Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India, Reverend Lumen Monteiro, Chairman of Caritas India, Reverend Antony Anandarayar, Archbishop of the Pondicherry and Cuddalore diocese, and other dignitaries.
