On 3^rd  December, 2018, Caritas India organized coordination meeting of the Directors of Cyclone Gaja affected Diocesan Social Service Societies (DSSSs) and Tamil Nadu Social Service Society (TASOSS)  to review the relief and rehabilitation efforts. Dr.John Arokiaraj,  Manager, Caritas India, responsible for  Tamil Nadu facilitated the discussions and recognized the efforts of Tamil Nadu Bishops Council, TASOSS and all the DSSSs in mobilizing resources for immediate relief.

He also explained the design and methodology for damage assessment. In order to arrive at a clear picture on the extent of damage, he suggested that the assessment will focus on the conditions and causes for vulnerabilities,  substantiated with qualitative and quantitative data based on the village visits in the affected 35  blocks coming under 7 districts and having triangulation with the completed IAG assessment. The meeting helped in evolving a field visit plan and systematic documentation process on shelter and livelihood loss through collecting context specific, qualitative information for response plan.

In Tamil literature, the natural landscape is divided into five geographical thinais (modes, depending on nature and location). Each thiṇai is closely associated with a particular landscape. Four of the geographical landscapes are described as being landscapes that occur naturally in the Tamil lands.

These are Kuṟinchi (mountainous region) , Mullai (forests), Marutam (cropland) and Neytal (seashore). The fifth – Palai (desert) is described as not being a naturally existing landscape. But the path of Cyclone Gaja has made the 4 landscapes look like Palai. Such was its devastating monstrous force.

Kurinchi : 65 Tribal families living in Sirumalai hills of Dindigul district are affected by Cyclone Gaja and are in urgent need of shelter repair to protect them from cold and rains. The approach road to this hill is damaged. From the foothills, it takes more than 2 hours to reach the affected huts. Fury of Cyclone Gaja is seen in the isolated hamlets inhabited by SC/ ST communities in Kodaikanal hills. Irukkampatty Melmalayanur with 26 families is one such village located in Kavanur Panchayat, located 40 km away from  Kodaikanal.

Mullai : Mattupattykadu village is located 30 km from  Oddanchathiram.  28 families live in the reserved forest area. They are very much cut off from the mainland because of the location in the high altitude reserve forest. They rear cows and work as agricultural coolies in estates 20 km away. After the cyclone they are threatened with elephant menace, damaged roof and walls( tin) and overflowing river ( Parappalaru).

Marutham: Puliyur ( SC ) village in Kunnandarkoil block, Pudukkottai district, out of 85 Dalit households 15 have lost their huts. They are working on daily wages as agricultural coolies. An elderly widow by name Muthayee living alone is repairing her hut by herself. She doesn’t have the means to engage laborers and wants to protect her from the rains. Princy,  residing in SC settlement of Sooriyur in Tiruverumbur block, Trichy district says that there was no job for last 25 days work.

Neithal: Uprooted trees, tossed boats, seawater intrusion, slush extending up to one-kilometer have spoiled the livelihood of fishing and other backward communities in Pushpavanam Panchayat of Vedaranyam Block in Nagapattinam district. At Vellapallam, cultivable land is affected and the drinking water source available at 15 ft has become saline.

The assessment shows that in the operational area of Caritas India partners covering 7 districts namely Thanjavur, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Pudukottai, Trichy, Madurai and Dindigul, 408 villages are seriously affected. They come under 238 Panchayats in 38 Blocks. 6201 houses are fully damaged and 11002 are partially damaged making the total shelter damage as 17203. The Dalit community has lost 6969 houses and in this 509 are women-headed households. 3780 ST families have seen either full or partial damages to their dwellings.

Of the 23589 families reeling under loss of livelihood , 6553 dalit families and 503 ST families are facing severe hardships for their daily sustenance. MBC constitute 7397, BC living Below Poverty Line constitute 6922 and there are 2214 families coming under fishing community.

These stories of woes are prevailed over by the true human spirit of the stakeholders  of Caritas India who are  working in a collaborative mode for common good of the cyclone affected people.