Tsunami: Impact & Damage TSUNAMI IN THE INDIAN OCEAN Some boats were out in the sea. Suddenly like a bolt out of the blue the n 26 December 2004, an earth rumbled and swallowed all it Oearthquake of magnitude could in a matter of minutes. 9.3 on the Richter scale, with its epicentre off the coast of Sumatra, The disaster continued in the triggered the tsunami in the Indian form of giant waves that swept across Ocean at 6.29 a.m. IST. The seismic eleven nations, including the southern fault ran north to south beneath the parts of India, washing away thousands ocean floor, while the tsunami waves of lives and livelihood ruthlessly. shot out west to east. Within minutes While many people are believed to of the earthquake, the first tsunami have died in the earthquake itself, most struck the Indonesian island of fatalities resulted from drowning Simeule, located approximately 40 km caused by the seawater that gushed from the epicentre. The earthquake into the coastal areas. Everywhere, was felt widely along the coasts of people along the coast were taken by India. surprise. Among the worst hit was Sri Lanka, where the damage included a A typical scene on the islands of train being swept off the rails by the Sumatra on a quiet Sunday morning wave. just the day after Christmas: some early birds strolled on the beach while The earthquake, the tsunami and children played cricket and football on the events that followed will be long the beach sands. Fisherfolk all along remembered as one among the worst the coast went about their daily human tragedies in history. business of repairing boats and nets, Reportedly over 2,85,000 people were salting and drying fish, and cooking. killed or missing. Loss and devastation 13 new layout file.p65 13 12/27/2005, 9:55 AM caused by this disaster brought children were orphaned. Across the incalculable suffering to millions of entire Indian coast affected by people around the Indian Ocean. tsunami, an estimated 1,089 villages were affected, 1,57,393 houses were TSUNAMI IN INDIA destroyed and approximately 7,30,000 individuals were forced to he phenomenon of tsunami leave their homes. 83,788 boats were Tthat usually occurs near damaged or destroyed, 31,755 seismically active spots in the Pacific livestock were lost and 39,035 Ocean was unheard of in India till it hit hectares of ripe agricultural land was the east and west coast in December damaged. (Source for all figures: 2004. This increased the shock and Government of India, Ministry of horror caused by the event. The waves Home Affairs Report, 25 May 2005). that struck mainland India were 3-10 The total estimated value of damages: m in height and penetrated between US $2.56 billion (Approx. Rs.11300 300 metres to 3000 metres inland crore) and total estimated need for causing severe damage to lives and long-term recovery US $2.1 billion property in the coastal areas of Andhra (Approx. Rs.9240 crore). Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Pondicherry, After the Andaman and Nicobar Kerala and Andaman and Nicobar islands, the state of Tamil Nadu was the islands, devastating and crippling the worst affected. Tamil Nadu has a coastal economy as never before. coastline of 1,076 km (12% of the total The death toll in India was coastal length of the country) of which 12,405; the number of people missing, 60 km is on the west coast 5,640. Those displaced totalled (Kanniyakumari district). The 6,47,599. 75 per cent of the fatalities devastating waves that lashed several were women and children; while 787 coastal districts of the state (Chennai, women became widows and 480 Tiruvallur, Kancheepuram, Cuddalore, Nagapattinam, Tiruvarur, Thanjavur, DISTRICT-WISE COASTLINE OF TAMIL NADU Thoothukudi, Ramanathapuram, SNo District Coramandel Palk-Bay Gulf of Mannar West Coast Total km Tirunelveli, Kanniyakumari, Pudukottai and Villupuram) left at 1 Chennai 19.00 19.00 least 7995 dead and rendered thousands of people homeless. More 2 Tiruvallur 27.90 27.90 than 10 lakh people were directly or 3 Kancheepuram 87.20 87.20 indirectly affected by the tsunami in Tamil Nadu. The majority of those 4 Villupuram 40.70 40.70 affected had fisheries and farm-based 5 Cuddalore 57.50 57.50 livelihoods or were employed in associated enterprises. While fisheries 6 Nagapattinam 124.90 63.00 187.90 were the worst hit, crops and livestock 47.20 also suffered substantial losses. 7 Tiruvarur 47.20 45.10 8 Thanjavur 45.10 IMPACT AND DAMAGE IN 42.80 9 Pudukkottai 42.80 TAMIL NADU 10 Ramanathpuram 95.80 141.00 236.80 11 Thoothukudi 163.50 163.50 12 Tirunelveli 48.90 48.90 hen the tsunami struck, the Wbeautiful beaches, holy 13 Kanniyakumari 11.50 60.00 71.50 shrines, historical and tourism spots Total 357.20 293.90 364.90 60.00 1076.00 spread all along the coast were 14 new layout file.p65 14 12/27/2005, 9:55 AM LIVES LOST AND IMPAIRED No. of No of Population of the Population Women Population Human lives Persons Orphaned S.No District villages kuppams district as per affected widowed Evacuated Lost injured children affected affected 2001 census by tsunami 35 1 Chennai 4 25 4343645 73000 30000 206 9 - 78 2 Cuddalore 8 43 2285395 99704 61054 610 259 12 17 3 Kancheepuram 30 44 2877458 100000 60000 130 24 9 106 4 Kanniyakumari 16 33 1676034 187650 46280 799 754 3 294 5 Nagapattinam 38 73 1488839 196184 196184 6065 2375 179 - 6 Pudukottai 25 29 1459601 66350 4857 15 - - 4 7 Ramanathapuram 40 114 1187604 84000 8315 20 2 - - 8 Thanjavur 22 - 2216138 29278 4600 37 482 2 9 Tiruvallur 6 38 2754756 15600 - 29 - - 6 10 Tiruvarur - - - - - 29 3 3 14 11 Tirunelveli 10 - 2723988 27948 11170 4 6 1 1 12 Thoothukudi 23 - 1572273 110610 11625 3 - - 1 13 Villupuram 8 19 2960373 78240 37500 48 46 - 5 Total 230 418 28715578 1068564 471585 7995 3960 197 561 devastated and reduced to mere debris. 945 people went missing, 3960 people Huts and pucca houses were flattened, were injured and 4.7 lakh people were fishing boats smashed, and buses, cars evacuated from their homes. People and big tankers were strewn around. lost their belongings and property. An extremely high death toll occurred Around 7995 persons, a majority of within a span of a few minutes. The whom were women and small fisherfolk living along the coast bore children—lost their lives. 197 children the brunt of the giant waves. Many lost were rendered orphans and 561 their lives and most their livelihood. women were widowed. The shock of the tragedy left many Nagapattinam, Kanyakumari, traumatized. Amidst the tragedy, Cuddalore, Kanchipuram, Villupuram examples of tremendous resilience and and Chennai districts were the most success also emerged. severely affected. The other districts The complex interaction were moderately affected. between water-borne energy, seabed Nagapattinam was the worst hit, and terrestrial terrain meant that the accounting for about 76% of the deaths effects of the tsunami were different in the State, besides heavy loss of from place to place in the east coast cattle, houses and property. When the and the west coast of Tamil Nadu. The monstrous waves lashed against the monster waves redefined the coastline. coastal districts of Tamil Nadu, there As many as 230 villages and 418 was no alert mechanism, which would kuppams (hamlets), spread across 13 have provided enough time for coastal districts were flattened emergency evacuation. The worst hit completely. Many productive assets of victims were from the defenceless fishermen, agriculturists and other poorer sections living in low-lying micro-enterprise owners living along areas, many of whom were simply the coasts were all either swept away sucked into the sea. Many of the dead or made non-functional. About 1.18 were the old, the infirm, women and lakh huts and houses were affected, children who were caught completely 15 new layout file.p65 15 12/27/2005, 9:55 AM unawares as giant waves quickly huge economic loss. 16,082 cattle were engulfed several settlements. Entire lost in the state, with Nagapattinam families were wiped out in one sweep. recording the highest loss of 12,821. Women were most unprepared to Fishing and its related activities save themselves and their children. are of economic importance along the Busy with household chores and caring Tamil Nadu coast. Apart from actual for the children, they lost precious fishing, fisheries-related activities such moments initially. They also had to as fish marketing, fish transport, pick up their children and run. In many loading, unloading and other labour instances, women died because their associated with fish handling, fish hair got caught in thorny trees processing (drying and curing), boat- (karuvelam tree) found along the making and repair, net making and coast. There were cases where women repair, repair of engines, etc. are would not free themselves from important sources of employment and entangled saris because they did not livelihood. In the past two decades, want to be seen naked and as a result there has also been an increase in they died. Some people got trapped in aquaculture along the coast, the beach sands and in broken particularly of shrimp. structures. Apart from death and the Large numbers of livestock - destruction of houses, fishing cows, buffaloes, sheep, goats, and implements, thousands of boats and poultry – were also killed, resulting in catamarans were damaged or LOST AND DAMAGED PROPERTY Agricultural Horticultural District Cattle Houses Land Land Boats (Ha) ( Ha) Partially Fully Mechanised Fishing Total Catamarans Vallams Damaged Damaged Boats Nets Wooden FRP 2992 Chennai 2 - 16839 16839 - - 1493 169 -