The Hindu Business Line : Swaminathan foundation proposes new approach to rehabilitate tsunami victims

A NEW twist to food-for-work programme as a part of rehabilitation of tsunami victims and strengthening coastal ecology as a defence against sea water intrusion were some of the short term and long term measures suggested for handling such disasters at a meeting on approaches to alleviating fisherfolk and farmers' distress organised by the M.S. Swaminathan Research Foundation, here on Monday.

Prof M.S. Swaminathan, Chairman of the foundation, suggested an open-ended food-for-work programme that will assist those rebuilding their own assets. The new programme could provide food to those rebuilding or repairing their own houses, fishing boats, apart from rebuilding jetties, schools, setting up day care centres and for eco-restoration programmes such as rehabilitation of mangroves, wetlands and reclamation of soils.

He said that construction of sea walls and dykes should only be restricted to carefully chosen locations after erosion vulnerability studies.

The damage to life and property could be reduced during storms or tsunami by conserving mangroves, planting saline tolerant species of plants and trees. For instance, at Pichavaram, near Chidambaram, where the foundation has restored mangrove forests, villages were saved from the full blast of the Tsunami.

Thus a `bio-shield' along the coast will not only protect the coastal communities but also provide a livelihood to local communities. This could be encouraged through public-private partnerships involving local communities and government agencies.

In addition to fishermen, the tsunami has also damaged coastal farming by increasing soil salinity.

Expert teams need to be set up to study, survey and suggest remedial measures, he said.

Prof Swaminathan called for a code of conduct for coastal ecological security by stringent adherence to coastal regulations. Lives would not have been lost if hotels had obeyed coastal regulations, he said.

Apart from setting up early warning systems, it is also important that such warnings are communicated efficiently.

This could be done through a network of rural knowledge centres, villages equipped with Internet facilities, community radio, cable TV and local language press.

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