WORKFORCE MIGRATION PREVENTION AND PROTECTION OF LIVELIHOOD OF INDIGENOUS FISHING PEOPLE PROGRAM IN TSUNAMI HIT COASTAL REGION IN TAMILNADU

I. INTRODUCTION

Tsunami is a Japanese word with the English translation, "harbor wave." Represented by two characters, the top character, "tsu" means harbor, while the bottom character, "nami" means "wave". In the past, the scientific community referred to tsunamis as “seismic sea waves” by the general public and as “tidal waves”. "Seismic" implies an earthquake-related generation mechanism, but a tsunami can also be caused by a non-seismic event, such as a landslide or meteorite impact. It used to have a wavelength in excess of 100 km and period on the order of one hour. Present tsunami (26th December 2004), which hit the Indian Ocean coast, was generated when the sea floor abruptly deformed and vertically displaced the overlying water. Tectonic earthquake, which struck at off Sumatra Island is a kind of earthquake that is associated with the earth's crustal deformation. When earthquake occur beneath the sea, the water above the deformed area was displaced from its equilibrium position. Waves were formed as the displaced water mass, which acted under the influence of gravity and attempted to regain its equilibrium. This tsunami emerged out of the tectonic earthquake with a magnitude of 8.9 Richter scale.
Tsunami struck the most of the 1000 km long coast in Tamilnadu on 26th December 2004 killing more than 20,000 people, injuring more than 80,000 and rendered 1,00,000 homeless.
Missing list is almost same as the list of killed. There is no official and accurate list at the moment, and it contradicts the reports of relief workers and reports emerging from the coastal village.

II. BACKGROUND INFORMATION

Tsunami’s impact certainly reversed the socio-economic development of coastal villages of Nagapattinam, Kanyakumari and Cuddalore districts, which took place in the past 10 years. Nearly 7,000 mechanized boats, boats, including out-board and in-board motorboats, 30,000 country craft either fully or partially damaged and 32,000 nets were destroyed. The annual production, now of the order of 400,000 tonnes, will plummet by at least 30 %, as fishermen in 591 coastal villages may not venture into sea for three months. Out of 400,000 tonnes of marine products nearly 3,75,000 lakh of marine products are being exported, and 25,000 tonnes consumed within the State.

The fall in marine catch will hit the export of marine products, especially shrimps, which now account for Rs. 23,000 million a year (US $ 511.2 million per year) according to the industry sources. Shrimp (prawn) export processing units may not have work for the next three months. Consequently, employment of thousands of workers will be affected. Approximately 5,31,900 fish workers in 591 coastal villages face unemployment and around 200,000 fish process workers and allied industry workers face similar unemployment. Since the whole sector is unorganized with temporary workers, marginal workers and seasonal workers. Literacy level and human resources skill, which recorded gradual increase, will remain static in the coming months. Health and sanitation is the worst hit among the social development components. Whatever savings and women empowerment achieved during past few years will face a temporary setback due to shift in social control and priorities. Education of children and adolescent may face a setback due to imminent poverty. Child labour and adolescent labour workforce will increase as a result Tsunami in the coastal areas.

Rural to Urban migration of workforce will trigger urban poverty and stress on urban development. This expected migration would be found not only among the fishermen community but also among the marginal workforce like small farmers along the coast and petty traders dependent on marine economy. The collapse of overall coastal economy is expected to create domestic migrant workers community in the industrialized regions of the State. This will be very much similar to the past natural calamities like earthquakes, which hit Maharastra and Gujarat, Floods in Orissa and Bihar.

Informal workforce will bulge in export-oriented regions like Tirupur, Coimbatore, Chennai, Hosur and Karur. This will jeopardize the existing level of freedom of association and the right to collective bargaining due to excessive cheap labour force. Rights of garment, textile and leather workers in Tamilnadu is under threat due to excessive migration of unskilled workforce in this export industry region.

III. PRELIMINARY STATUS OF REHABILITATION

The non-governmental organizations, missionaries and individuals with the support of people and local funds collected by the voluntary donations in kind and cash are the primary and secondary rehabilitation measures taking place in the coastal area right from 26th December 2004 to 5th January 2005. For example: - missionaries, NGOs and civil society run tsunami victims’ rehabilitation camps in Kanyakumari district. State Government reacted rather slowly to this massive human tragedy and it never seems to be in control of the situation till date. The major achievement of State Government is that it restored electricity and drinking water facilities in most of the coastal districts after 9 days. It distributed relief fund of Rs 4,000 (US $ 89) per family in several villages and announced other relief measures which lies in paper. It is clearing debris-using cranes. People of the coastal hamlets are frequently conducting demonstrations against the government machinery to deliver immediate relief. Government agencies rehabilitation measures are marred by VIP visits, inspections, corruption in distribution of essential commodities donated to the state and relief fund, bureaucracy and infrastructure collapse as rightly pointed out by BBC and other International and National media. Coordination between State and voluntary agencies remains a distant dream. All this indicates what is in store for the future unless and until some dramatic events takes place in the coming days.

IV. LIST OF ACTIVITIES

1. ACCELERATING IMMEDIATE RELIEF MEASURES

Most of the coastal villages face shortage of essential commodities. Voluntary donations and distribution of old clothes by some agencies upset the people. Similarly poor quality of rice distributed earlier affected the digestion system of several people including children and elders. The people does not efficiently use money distributed as relief fund. We have understood this and distributed only new clothes and quality rice. We have not distributed money but aided few families with less than 500/= as relief for materials that we didn’t have. Following immediate relief measures are required.

• Supply of 20Kg rice, spices, edible oil, four numbers of basic cooking vessels, masala, one towel, and one saree, one dhoti, and two blankets for each family. Estimated cost- US $ 92 (Rs 4140/=)
  
• Books, notes, pencils, slates, pen and one set of uniform for two children in each family. Estimated cost- US $ 44 (Rs 1980/=)
  
• Two numbers of dresses for children and inner wears for adults and stitched clothes for adults for each family. Estimated cost- US $ 88 (Rs 3960/=)
  

To donate to this effort, please see the details posted in Starhawk's update of January 24, 2005.

[Back to Starhawk's Home Page]