A decade has gone by, but the memories of the 2004 tsunami still haunt those who lost their near and dear ones when killer waves struck the coastal villages of Kanyakumari district.
A total of 801 people perished and 72 went missing.
Fishermen narrated their tales of woe when The Hindu visited the affected villages, where the anniversary of the tsunami was being observed. “The memories of the devastation will remain in our minds as long as we are alive,” said K. Alexander, president of the Melamanukkudi panchayat, where 115 persons were washed away. “We could retrieve only 104 bodies, which were buried in three different places in Melamanukkadi. A total of 38 people were washed away in Keezhamanakkudi, the village on the other side of the backwaters,” he said.
R. Agnes Mary, 37, of Kottilpadu lost her son and three daughters. With tears in her eyes, she recalled a jolly trip in a boat bought by her husband on December 25. Her husband was away when the tsunami struck. Mary’s children were washed away and she lost consciousness. When she came around, she found herself hanging from a coconut tree and then fell down. Her husband, who returned to the village, rescued her and they went in search of their children. However, they could retrieve the bodies of only two of their daughters.
Mary underwent a re-canalisation surgery at a private hospital here. However, the hospital management charged her Rs. 3,000 towards medicines, without revealing the information that the government had sanctioned a sum of Rs. 25,000 to those opting for such surgery. Later, the then Collector, Sunil Paliwal, during an inquiry, told her about the government’s sanction. Following his intervention, the hospital refunded the money to her.
Mary gave birth to three children later. Today, she continues to live with memories of her lost children and a portrait of theirs on the walls of her new house.
J. Jerome of Kottilpadu, who had miraculous escape, said, “Our village was the worst affected where a total of 207 perished. The bodies of only 199 could be retrieved.” According to the farmer, the tsunami colony in Melamanukkudi is yet to get proper roads and drainage facilities though a decade has passed. Stagnating sewage pose a serious health threat to the villagers.
Though a new bridge connecting Kanyakumari road with Melamanakkudi was built at a cost of Rs. 27crore, the old bridge that was ripped apart and can be found alongside the new structure is a stark reminder of the tragedy, fishermen said.
