Sunday, January 2 2005 17:44 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

New Delhi: A Central team headed by Secretary (Disaster Management) A K Rastogi would be visiting the tsunami-affected States this week to speed up rehabilitation process and also assess the damage caused by the tidal waves and the assistance required for re-construction.

Besides Rastogi, who represents Ministry of Home Affairs, other members of the team would be drawn from Ministries of Surface Transport, Agriculture and Fisheries, Union Home Secretary Dhirendra Singh said in New Delhi.

The team would be visiting Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Pondicherry from Tuesday (Jan 4, 2005) and interacting with the officials of these States to assess the damage caused by the December 26 tsunami disaster.

Singh said nearly 90 per cent of the population affected by the tsunami had fishing as their livelihood and the Government would take urgent steps for providing them with nets and boats.

The affected population also comprised people from the farming community and in 2004, after several years of drought, they had a good crop which was damaged in the tsunami, the Home Secretary said.

Singh said the team would be finalising its report within two days after which the Government would be giving a final shape to the rehabilitation process.