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After the Tsunami: New Homes

March 20, 2005

On Sunday morning, 20 March 2005, after nearly three months' discussion with the Kerala Government, the M. A. Math hosted Sri K. Muralidharan, the Collector of Allepy Districtt, at ceremonies to dedicate the foundation stone for the first of the many houses the Math will provide, free of charge, to people who lost their homes in the devastating tsunami of 26 December 2004.

In the tsunami, many good houses were severely damaged or destroyed because their foundations were not strong or deep enough:

And many people died because they couldn't climb coconut trees--which was how SOME people escaped! Here is a picture drawn by one of the survivors, a child who, showing this drawing to Mother, pointed to the person in the tree top: “That’s me,” he explained.

But see what else he remembers—his mother and sister trying to outrun the wave, and his house being destroyed.

Amma said that people are now afraid to sleep, afraid of waters rushing into their homes. "If they have a two-story house, they can sleep upstairs, and feel secure," she said.

Within days of the tsunami, the Math proposed a plan for reconstructing all the homes in the Alappad Panchayat, as well as many houses in other parts of Kerala. What was first envisioned was a two-story house with deep, strong foundations The government proposed a different plan. In the ongoing discussion, it was decided that there would be two types of houses that the Math would build. On land within 300 meters of the sea, a two-story house with very deep pilings. On land further away than that, a one-story house. Both houses would have staircases so that residents could take refuge above the ground floor—either on a terrace (for one-story houses) or on a second living level (two-story houses).

While awaiting government sanction for the plan, the organization has already been taking preparatory steps.

All up and down the island, wherever the Math will reconstruct homes, supplies have already been delivered, so that immediately upon a signed permit from the government, work would be able to begin.

When possible, the Math fabricates its own building materials, such as bricks. This is less costly, and provides employment. However, because of the scale of building required, and the urgency for it to be completed as soon as possible, this time the Math is buying some such materials. These, stamped with the Malayalam for “Amrita”, are made by the Math. .

Heavy equipment has already been busily clearing the rubble and leveling the plots on which the Math will build new homes:

Showing how rapidly the proposed two-story style of house can be built, the Math is already constructing a model on ashram grounds:

So on Sunday the home reconstruction was inaugurated. It is expected that within a month many people now living under tarps,

or with only empty cement sacks sewn together to make a small shelter,

will move into their new homes.

Amma has expressed her wish that the fisherfolk should not be without good strong homes when the monsoon comes.

They won't be.

- Janani
Correspondent from M. A. Math

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