Sunday, January 9 2005 17:50 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Nagapattinam: A ray of hope for the residents of this coastal district in Tamil Nadu has finally emerged, with the district administration kick-starting the building of temporary shelters for more than 5000 families rendered homeless here by the killer tsunami.

The noise of heavy engines mowing down thickets and clearing the land for construction of shelters now pervades over the sound of the waves, which two weeks ago, had left more than thousands dead and homeless in Nagapattinam.

NGOs as well as major corporate houses have been earmarked 17 acres of Government land to set up temporary shelters in Akkarapettai village alone, which saw maximum deaths and devastation in this district.

With the Government setting the deadline to move the homeless into these shelters on Pongal (January 14,) work is going on at a brisk pace in Akkarapettai and nearby Keechankuppam where five acres have been allotted near the Government salt godown for the purpose.

"We hope to move those staying at relief camps into these shelters by Pongal. Many NGOs and corporate houses have come forward and we have taken all steps to ensure speedy construction," Tamil Nadu Rural Development secretary Shanta Seela Nayar told reporters.

Government land, for construction of houses for around 2,700, families, have already been handed over to NGOs and corporate houses who are racing against time to get the shelters built as soon as possible.

"We are flooded with calls from various NGOs and business houses and it is a really welcome sign. All steps are being taken to ensure that relief work does not face any bureaucratic hassles," Nagapattinam District Collector Veera Shanmugha Moni told reporters.

"Shelters made of light roof material, with an area of 100 feet by 32 feet, would be divided into 20 rooms to house an equal number of families. The aim of the administration is to utilise the limited land here to house maximum number of homeless," senior district administration officials said.

NGOs are working round-the-clock in Akkarapettai village to set up temporary shelters. Material and man-power are expected to arrive shortly and the atmosphere would soon reverberate with sounds of men and metal.

Tata Relief Committee of the Tata Group has come up with a proposal to build permanent houses for the residents of Akkarapettai. The corporate house has approached the district administration and land has been allotted to them for the purpose.

"We intend to build permanent houses for the homeless fishermen, keeping in mind their preferences, as we do not want to construct houses of alien design for them," J Ganesan of Tata Relief Committee told reporters.

However, the corporate house's endeavour would take at least three-four months to complete. The Government itself has set a target of six months to build permanent shelters.

NGOs and corporates seem to have virtually taken over the entire responsibility of constructing shelters, giving the administration enough energy and resources to concentrate on other relief measures.